By Rob Potter
ELDRED — October 26, 2004 – The Eldred Yellowjackets took control early in Friday night’s Section IX Class D game versus visiting Roscoe.
Eldred built a 55-6 lead in the second quarter on its way to a 63-6 win.
With the triumph, the Yellowjackets improved to their record to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Class D play. Eldred and Chester are now tied for second place in the Class D standings, just behind Millbrook, which is 4-0 in Class D competition and 7-1 overall.
Chester travels to Eldred this Saturday, October 30 for a key game. The winner of the game, which is slated to kickoff at 1:30 p.m., will move on to face Millbrook in the Section IX Class D championship game on the first weekend in November at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.
Eldred scored on its first possession of the game. Jonathan Counts capped a eight play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 8:14 left in the opening quarter. Taylor Diuguid then kicked the PAT to make it a 7-0 game.
After forcing Roscoe (1-7, 1-3 Class D) to punt on its opening possession, the Yellowjackets scored on a 37-yard pass play from Nick McCormick to J.T. Vogt.
On the next Blue Devils’ possession, Eldred’s Tim Hallock recovered a fumble in the backfield and returned about 10 yards for a touchdown.
Roscoe earned its only TD of the game on its next possession. The Blue Devils drove 65 yards on six plays and scored on a 12-yard pass from Dusty Sullivan to Tyler Schmidt with 18 seconds left in the first quarter. The two-point pass failed, however, and the Blue Devils still trailed 20-6.
But Eldred added five touchdowns in the second quarter. Counts had a 32-yard run, Kyle Schneider had a 10-yard run, Corey Proscia returned an interception 28 yards, George Fountain recovered a blocked punt in the end zone and Schneider scored again on a 42-yard scamper.
Schneider led the Yellowjackets with 184 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Following Schneider’s second touchdown, Eldred Coach Frank Kean put his second string players into the game. That group remained on the field for the rest of the half and the entire third and fourth quarters as the Yellowjacket starters rested on the sidelines.
In the second half, Mark Thornton scored on a 4-yard run for Eldred. Freshman Nick Proscia, who entered the game in the second quarter, recorded a team-high six tackles for the Yellowjackets.
“Eldred has a fine football team,” Roscoe Coach Fred Ahart said. “Coach Kean has done a great job rebuilding this program after they did not field a varsity team a few years ago.”
In fact, Ahart noted that back then an Eldred student, Steve Degredon, played for the Blue Devils.
“The defense was great tonight and the offense is working well,” Kean said. “Thankfully, we are peaking at the right time.”