By Rob Potter
LIVINGSTON MANOR — October 4, 2005 – A powerful rushing attack carried the Livingston Manor/Roscoe Devilcats to their first-ever victory on Saturday afternoon.
A pair of Devilcats rushed for over 100 yards each as LMR (1-4) defeated visiting Webutuck (0-5) 42-13 in a non-league game. Lance Brookins carried the ball 16 times for 102 yards and Kelly Lackey rushed 21 times for 100 yards.
The Devilcats grabbed a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Lackey capped a six-play, 68-yard drive with a 6-yard run. Troy Kirchner then made the PAT kick.
An 11-yard run by quarterback Mike Perry with 5:55 left in the second quarter gave LMR a 13-0 advantage. Kirchner again split the uprights on the extra-point try to make it a 14-0 contest.
LMR caused two turnovers, a fumble and an interception, in the final five minutes of the quarter, but could not turn either Warriors’ miscue into points.
However, the Devilcats wasted little time in adding to their lead in the third quarter. After recovering an onsides kick by Webutuck, LMR needed just three plays to score as Lackey crossed the goal line on a 3-yard run. Lackey then ran for the 2-point conversion to give the Devilcats a 22-0 lead.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Perry connected with Tyler Schmidt on a 44-yard touchdown pass. Schmidt made a diving catch in the corner of the end zone between a Webutuck defender and the pylon.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard just over a minute later. On a third-down play, quarterback Cody Cafiero threw a pass to fullback Marquis Williams over the middle. Williams then raced to the end zone for a 63-yard TD.
After recovering another onsides kick, LMR responded with a nine-play, 50-yard drive. Lackey capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Kirchner’s PAT kick gave the Devilcats a 35-6 lead with 5:15 remaining in the game.
LMR reached the end zone again only seconds later. On the first play of the ensuing Webutuck possession, Devilcats defensive back Mike Hendrickson intercepted a Cafiero pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Kirchner was successful on the PAT kick, which extended the Devilcats’ advantage to 42-6 with 5:07 left.
The Warriors needed only one play to score again. On first-and-10 from their own 36, Cafiero threw the ball to Williams, who sprinted down the right sideline for a 64-yard touchdown.
“It is encouraging,” Webutuck Coach Doug Winslow said of the two TDs through the air. “We have a young quarterback who is in his second year at the position. So for him to throw passes like that is great.
“We have a young team that is improving each week,” Winslow added. “For a second-year program, we are doing pretty well.”
In addition to Brookins and Lackey, Perry and Dan DeVantier were key factors in the Devilcats’ rushing attack. Perry ran for 52 yards on 12 carries and DeVantier had 37 yards on six carries.
Perry also passed for 67 yards in the game.
“We had a good day running the ball,” LMR Co-Head Coach Fred Ahart said. “We were blocking well today. Anytime you have two running backs run for over 100 yards, you know the offensive line is doing a great job of opening holes.
“Defensively, we played very well,” Ahart added. “We had a good all-around game.”
And, of course, the victory was no ordinary win.
“It was historic because it was the first LMR win,” Ahart said. “The players should be congratulated. It’s great for them and the whole community.”