By Rob Potter
SULLIVAN COUNTY — November 04, 2005— For three county high school football teams, the most exciting time of the season has arrived.
The Eldred Yellowjackets, Sullivan West Bulldogs and Tri-Valley Bears will all be heading to Dietz Stadium in Kingston this weekend to play for a sectional title.
At 4 p.m. today, Eldred will meet Chester in the Section IX Class D championship game. The Bears and Bulldogs will play for the Section IX Class C title at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Both championship contests are rematches of games played earlier this season.
Just last Saturday, Eldred (8-1) defeated Chester (8-1), 19-14, to win the Class D regular season championship. The Yellowjackets built a 19-0 lead in the contest and then held off a late rally by the Hambletonians.
The Yellowjackets’ win six days ago evened the season slate between the squads. Back in September, Chester defeated visiting Eldred, 30-22, in a non-league contest.
Both Eldred Coach Frank Kean and Chester Coach Ron Stover expect this afternoon’s game to be close.
“It should be very competitive, especially since the score was very close in the two games we have already played,” Stover said.
“I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be a close game,” Kean commented.
Although Eldred will have some momentum after its victory last weekend, Chester will be ready.
“We’ll get fired up for the game,” Stover said.
Patrick Kean, a senior running back/defensive back for the Yellowjackets, knows that the Hambletonians will be looking to avenge last Saturday’s defeat.
“They are going to play 10 times harder,” he said.
But Patrick Kean noted that the Yellowjackets will be prepared.
“Going to Dietz has been something we have wanted all season,” he said. “We are going to come out and play hard.”
While Eldred and Chester will be meeting on the gridiron for the second time in only six days, SW and T-V will be squaring off for the second time in 15 days when they clash at Dietz on Sunday afternoon.
Back on Oct. 22, the Bears needed overtime to defeat the Bulldogs, 20-17. A 28-yard field goal by T-V’s James Connolly proved to be the difference in the contest.
T-V (6-3) then went on to defeat Pine Plains, 31-19, last Friday night to earn the Class C regular season title. Because there are only three Class C football teams in Section IX and SW (6-3) had also defeated Pine Plains during the regular season, the Bulldogs and Bears advanced to the championship game.
Please see pages 8C-10C for more about this weekend’s two championship contests.