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Roscoe turns the tables on SW with huge comeback league win

Devilish deliverance

Richard Ross - Reporter/Photographer
Posted 3/22/21

Roscoe 38

Sullivan West 20

MIDDLETOWN -- Pacing back and forth in heaven with the biggest grin you've ever seen, Fred Ahart is one happy angel having born witness to his Roscoe Blue Devils …

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Roscoe turns the tables on SW with huge comeback league win

Devilish deliverance

Posted

Roscoe 38

Sullivan West 20

MIDDLETOWN -- Pacing back and forth in heaven with the biggest grin you've ever seen, Fred Ahart is one happy angel having born witness to his Roscoe Blue Devils come back from an early 20-6 deficit to score 32 unanswered points to defeat league rival Sullivan West, 38-20, in Middletown on Saturday.

In his first game as head coach, Ahart's dear friend and protégé Mike Hill beamed with pride at his kids' resilience and refusal to quit after a spate of early turnovers seemed to put the Blue Devils in a grim hole.

But led by the outstanding play of seniors Brenden Ryder and Connor Gorr, along with inspired contributions up and down the Roscoe roster, the team most pundits considered the underdog against larger Sullivan West changed quarterbacks as Ryder began calling the signals after starter Matthew Bowers had struggled tossing two interceptions that led to SW scores.

Ryder had a monstrous day amassing 156 yards of rushing on 15 carries. He also was the second leading tackler with 9. Gorr had 12.5. As Sullivan West offensive coordinator Justin Diehl remarked, “Gorr was ferocious,” clogging up the ‘B' gap and neutralizing the Bulldogs' rushing game which was limited to a paltry 81 yards. Andrew Hubert accounted for 76 of those yards with an impressive effort. Chris Campanelli returned two fumble recoveries for touchdowns including a 45-yard scamper showing impressive speed for his 300-plus pound frame.

The Westies won the toss and elected to defer. An interception by Jason Gaebel set up a four-yard TD run by quarterback Gavin Hauschild at 7:34. The conversion failed but the Dawgs had the early 6-0 lead.

On Roscoe's first snap Hubert picked off a Bowers pass and though the series led to a punt, Roscoe fumbled and Campanelli took it in. Hubert ran the conversion in and with 4:47 gone by in the first, it was now 14-0.

Roscoe went three and out and punted but this time a SW fumble was recovered by Roscoe's Aaron Steele. Early season jitters and virtually no time on the field this season was bound to lead to miscues. But again Roscoe could not gain any traction. The Dawgs held that 14-0 lead at the end of the quarter.

A blocked punt by Roscoe's Anthony Teipelke set up a Ryder 30-yard run for a TD. The conversion failed. The score remained 14-6 at the half. The Westies went three and out on their first possession but another Roscoe fumble and a Campanelli pick up and TD run made it a 20-6 game.

At that juncture the Dawgs clearly had the momentum. But football is a minute-by-minute tightrope and no one could have foreseen what was about to unfold. Roscoe's defense tightened its grip and SW began to tire. With 4:33 left in the third quarter Ryder took off again, this time on a 60-yard gallop to make it 20-14. The quarter ended with that score.

Just four minutes into the fourth quarter Ryder broke a tackle for his third TD of the day to tie the game at 20. SW needed a stop to preserve the tie but a pass to Case Leroy gave Roscoe its first lead (22-20). They never looked back.

Ryder picked off a Hauschild pass and three plays later he scored his fourth TD of the day on a nine-yard run to make it 30-20. Kevin Bear added six more points with a four-yard run. Robert Staudt got the conversion for the final nail in SW's coffin giving the Blue Devils the 38-20 league win and two points in the standings affording them the first week lead in the division.

Hill lauded the play of Ryder. “He has a short memory. If mistakes occur, he plays like they never happened,” he noted.

As to Gorr's defense, Hill noted “he's a thinker and he gives 100 percent.”

Asked about the early deficit, he noted, “We just kept working until we figured it out. It took us awhile. We'll compete every week. This group has not experienced much success. It was good for them to taste it. That is so important.”

Roscoe faces Ellenville on the road next week. Sullivan West will try to rebound in a league tilt against arch-rival Tri-Valley in Lake Huntington.

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