The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

ELDRED – “Our blocking was amazing, they just opened up the holes and our
running game was on fire,” said Ian Halloran, a 17-year old starter on Eldred’s undefeated varsity football of the Yellowjackets buzzing to a 40-21 romp over the Spartans of Spackenkill.

Eldred’s Shaun Berger and Charles Wolff team up to tackle Spackenkill’s Brian Usavich.

As the “Home of the Yellowjackets” is currently undergoing a large building project, the central school’s sports are being played at the Brookwood Camp complex, located outside Eldred at the home of Jay Fiedler’s Prime Time Football Skills Camp.

The gridiron contest between the Yellowjackets (4-0) and the Spartans (1-3) took place on Saturday, September 26.

In the first frame, the Yellowjackets swarmed out their hive like a horde of angry insects, as they scored a couple of quick touchdowns: a 15 yard bootleg pass from Bryan Henry to Matt Balcolm, followed by a 63-yard scamper by the QB.

On the ensuing kickoff return after the second TD, Mark Letus ran it all the way in on an 80-some yard return to make it a 14-8 ball game. Eldred’s veteran football coach said he’s going to switch horses in midstream a bit in the wake of kickoffs down the throat of the field to the opposition being returned into the end zone.

Eldred’s Dylan Kulik brings down Spackenkill’s Marcus Rawles at the goal line.

“From now on, we’re going to squib kick rather than to the center of the field,” said Frank Kean. “We’ll give them the ball at the 40 [yard line-] rather than a touchdown.”

Early in the second quarter, Halloran scored on a two-yard halfback dive at the 10:57 mark.

The Spartans responded with a couple of back-to-back first downs, and at 5:35 Mark Letus, in a last ditch effort spun his pass reception across the goal line instead of falling short on the line.

A successful PAT put Spackenkill back in the running at 20-15, as they shaved Eldred’s lead to five points.

With 53-seconds left on the halftime clock, the Yellowjackets scored on a 4-yard rush by Jordan Tice.

The PAT was good, and Eldred was up 27-15.

Eldred’s Geno Jones makes a flying tackle on Spackenkill’s Mark Lewis, assisted by another defensive lineman.

As the first half ended, the Spartans QB tried a series of aerial attacks to add a few points, but they came up short. His last pass was complete, but the receiver was quickly nailed to end a final-second threat. At about the four minute mark in the third frame, Henry intercepted and snuffed out a sustained Spartans drive, a pick that changed the tone of the game.

In the wake of a great run by Eldred’s Bobby Beale, Henry scored at :13 on a 3-yard QB sneak to put the Yellowjackets up by six points and the PAT made it 34-15.

Early in the final frame, Spartans QB Nick Contelmo connected on a long launch to Letus, and the Spartans found themselves with a first and goal at Eldred’s five yard line.

A Spackenkill pass intended for Mark Lewis was picked off by Eldred QB Bryan Henry on defense.

That scoring threat was quickly erased as the Yellowjackets Shaun Berger snagged an end zone pass intended for Michael Spens, and the ball switched over the home team at their own 20-yard line. At 5:36 left on the clock, Halloran sized up the charging defense, waited for his offensive line to develop a blocking wall, and scored a 25-yard TD to Eldred up 40-15.

Not out of the game yet as far as spirit and guts were concerned, the Spartans replied at 2:27 with TD rush by Marcos Rawles to close out the scoring at 40-21.

“We didn’t execute as well as Eldred did,” said Spackenkill coach Don Neise.

Speaking of switching steeds in the middle of the road, while Kean contemplated changing his kickoff strategy, the Spartans coach sent in KJ Williams in the second frame to take over the helm from Contelmo, in a move he called “part of our game plan.”

Eldred’s Shaun Berger tries to elude a tackle.

“We doing fine, we just have to make sure we have a good week in practice,” added Neise.

Kean described the blocking by Eldred’s line as “superb…I have to give them a lot of credit, they work hard and hit the sled during the week…they do all the things they need to do to get ready for the ball games.”

“I was impressed with that long 80-yard drive we got right before half time,” he added.

Meanwhile, during the half, Eldred’s cheerleaders celebrated the 15th birthday of one of their own, Devyn Halter, a sophomore, by breaking out some home made cupcakes.

Eldred’s Geno Jones and Shaun Berger team up to bring down Spackenkill’s Brian Usavich.

Halloran rushed into the line 17 times for 121 yards, Henry 9 for 82, Berger 8 for 42, Tice 9 for 80, “he’s really stepping up, and I think he’s going to be our surprise when it comes to Chester,” said Kean. Charles Wolff 4 for 27, and Warden picked up 47 on a fake punt. Henry was 5 for 8 and a total of 101 yards in the air.

The Yellowjackets brand of football?

Eldred’s Jordan Tice scores a touchdown.

“Our game is a ground game,” said Kean. “Grind it out and set up your pass.”

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