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2009 Chenango Forks Varsity Football

Game 9 vs Waverly
Blue Devils shutout Waverly 21-0!

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Articles courtesy of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin & the Sayre Morning Times

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Forks' defense shuts down Waverly

By Kevin Stevens
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

ENDICOTT -- Another October football game, another shutout for Chenango Forks, this time by 21-0 over Waverly in the semifinal round of the Section 4 Class C playoffs.
 
On Saturday afternoon at Union-Endicott High, it was simply the Blue Devils being Blue Devils-- banging off an average of 5.8 yards per rush, eschewing the forward pass from opening kick through final horn, blanking an opponent for the fourth time in five October contests and assuring a crack at the program's eighth sectional championship in nine years.
 
The title game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday against Walton at Binghamton Alumni Stadium. Forks (9-0) claimed a 27-6 win at Walton in Week 4.
 
The Blue Devils scored two first-quarter touchdowns and then, in the final minute of the third quarter, essentially put the thing away by recovering a fumble at its 5-yard line after Waverly had pieced together a 20-play drive that consumed nearly 14 1/2 minutes.
 
The Devils didn't turn that turnover into points, but added a third TD with 2 minutes, 31 seconds to play on a 7-yard rush by Tyler Lusht two plays after Waverly lost the ball on downs at its 13-yard line.
 
The outcome avenged a 14-13 loss to Waverly in last year's Class B semifinal, and left Forks in the running for a double-digit victory total for the eighth time in nine seasons.
 
Bottom line, as Forks is reinforcing weekend after miserly weekend, if the opponent doesn't put up a point it has zero chance at winning.

Asked to identify individual defensive standouts, Forks coach David Hogan said, "Just a team effort, which I guess I could say every week. A lot of the time, there were three and four and five people on the tackle."
 
Indeed-- and there'd better be against Wolverines fullback Kevin Gorman.
 
He came into the contest with 1,609 rushing yards, best in Section 4, and did nothing to harm his reputation as one of the area's leaders in sending defenders on a post-game dash for the hot tub.
 
Gorman led all rushers with 105 yards, not ordinarily cause for celebration by the stout defenders from Forks. However, given his 210 pounds of pain-inducing style and his 201-yard-per-game average, the Devils will take it
 
"I told our guys all week, this kid is never brought down by the first guy," Hogan said. "You've got to hold on because he's going to break it."
 
Naturally, Gorman played leading man on the unreal drive that opened the second half.
 
Waverly started at its 26-yard line, and ran, and ran, and ran some more. There were no big chunks to be had -- an 8-yarder by Gorman was the longest running gain of the drive -- until Clint Deskins hit Joe Wright on a 23-yard pass that lifted Waverly from a fourth-and-10 hole.
 
That brought the ball to the 17, but six plays later was when the fumble occurred, an attempted handoff on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line gone awry and covered by Forks' Jake DuBois.
 
Gorman rushed 12 times for 42 yards on that possession.
 
"They were giving the ball to Gorman. We knew where it was going but he's such a tough runner," Forks linebacker Jordan Barnett said.
 
"You can't make mistakes against a team like this," Gorman said. "They're second in the state for a reason. You make a mistake, they'll take advantage."
 
The Wolverines (7-2) played from behind from the fifth minute on, an unenviable position against a Forks team that has permitted a Section 4-low 23 points.
 
The Devils' Jimmy Miller returned the opening kickoff 32 yards to Forks' 45, and an 11-play drive concluded with fullback Barnett (18 carries, 96 yards) muscling over the right side for a 2-yard TD. The first of Dan Grady's 3-for-3 point-after kicks made it 7-0.
 
Waverly followed by driving from its 31 to Forks' 33 before surrendering the football on an incomplete pass while facing fourth-and-15. The Blue Devils cashed in five plays later, when Ryan Lusht ripped off a 53-yard TD run with 45.2 seconds to play in the quarter.
 
With the exception of the long third-quarter drive, Waverly didn't seriously threaten thereafter.


Forks shuts out Waverly

Sayre Morning Times
Gifford Wolcott
 
ENDICOTT — The Wolverines of Waverly entered the first round of New York's Sectional playoffs facing the Blue Devils of Chenango Forks. The Blue Devils were ranked second in the state and played like it, shutting out the Wolverines 21-0 at Ty Cobb stadium here Saturday afternoon.
 
Waverly entered its third straight trip to the playoffs with high expectations. Forks dashed those hopes early, stifling the Waverly offense in the win.
 
Waverly won the toss but deferred, kicking to Forks to start the battle. The Wolverines defense could not get off the field on the initial possession. The Blue Devils offense marched 65-yards to the Wolverine five-yard line, rushing to the line, giving Waverly little time to regroup between plays. On second and goal from the five-yard line, Chenango's Jordan Barnett bashed in for the game's first points. Blue Devil Dan Grady added the point after, giving his team a 7-0 lead with 7:17 left in the opening quarter.
 
Waverly answered back on its first possession with Kevin Gorman and Devin Soper ripping off back-to-back 14-yard runs. The Wolverines pushed the ball inside the Forks 25-yard line, where the drive stalled on a fourth-down incomplete pass.
 
Both teams had taken big swings, but Forks had connected square on the jaw of the Wolverines. On the very next Forks possession, Blue Devils running back Ryan Lusht rambled through and beyond the Waverly defense, finding the end zone from 54 yards out and extending the Forks lead. Grady would add the point and Chenango Forks would hold a sizable 14-0 advantage with 45 seconds still to play in the first quarter.
 
The old football term is "punch them in the mouth" and that is exactly what Forks had done to Waverly. The Wolverines, their knees buckling, grabbed the upper rope and held on. The Blue Devils had succeeded in issuing a wake-up call to the Wolverines.
 
Now awake and more than a little "ticked off," Waverly's defense began to swarm the ball, feeding Blue Devils ball carriers plastic and astro-turf.
 
Afterward Waverly's Jason Miller gave credit to assistant coach David Shaw, and the play and adjustments of the defense. Those defenders included Brad Fuller, Gorman, Deskins, Tyler Bowman, CJ Doane, Zach Cooney (12 tackles) and particularly Andy Yeckinevich, who recorded 19 tackles.
 
With a Forks second-and-nine from the 45-yard line, Waverly's defense would land its first knuckle to the jaw, forcing a fumble, which a ball-hawking Kevin Gorman would claim for his team. The punch signaled a turning point of sorts as the Waverly defense began to force punts and deny points. Both teams traded punts and gang beatings for the balance of the first half. The Wolverines, though trailing, showed signs of life heading into the half.
 
The third quarter was really the story of the game. Trailing 14-0 to a very good Forks squad, Waverly would receive the second half kick-off. The Wolverine coaching staff must have made a heck of a halftime speech because there seemed to be little doubt that the Wolverines were ready to play as the third quarter began. The next eleven minutes and ten seconds was all Wolverines, particularly Gorman and teammate Joe Wright. Waverly ran off an incredible 22 plays, converting two crucial fourth downs along the way. Wright would pick up the first fourth down conversion, picking up a very tough 36 inches to keep the drive alive.
 
On the sixteenth play of the drive Waverly faced a fourth-and-10 from the Forks 40-yard line. Waverly quarterback Clint Deskins found Wright in the secondary and connected for 23 yards and a heart-pounding first down.
 
With less than four minutes remaining in the third, Waverly head coach Jason Miller turned to Gorman, who literally dragged Forks tacklers towards the goal line each time he had a chance. Three straight Gorman runs gave Waverly a first and goal-to-go at the Forks six-yard line.
 
 This was the game, right here, right now. Chenango Forks had not been on offense for nearly an hour, and now Waverly, Miller and the fans were pounding on the door. A first-down run by Wright lost two-yards. With 1:29 left in the third quarter and on second-and-goal from the eight-yard line, Miller called on Soper. He would gain five hard-to-come-by yards, advancing the ball to the Forks three-yard line, sending the Waverly half of the stadium into hysterics.
 
With 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with Chenango Forks on the ropes, Waverly looked to land a knock-out punch. Facing a third and goal-to-go from the three-yard line, the Wolverines lost their only fumble of the day. After nearly a quarter on offense and 22 bruising plays, Chenango's Jake DuBois would wiggle out of the pile with the football, killing the Wolverines advance and throwing cold water on Waverly's hopes of a comeback.
 
The Blue Devils then returned the favor, playing keep away for the first seven minutes of the final quarter. The Devils would reel off 15 plays, never letting the Wolverines defense off the field or offer any hope of momentum to the Waverly offense or its supporters.
 
The Wolverines had a last gasp late in the contest from deep inside their own territory. Waverly would go for it on fourth down from their own nine-yard line and turn the ball over with three minutes to play. Forks needed only two plays to score from there and seal the victory. On second-and-goal from the six-yard line, Blue Devils running back Tyler Lusht would plow in for the game's last touchdown. Grady would add the conversion, ending all scoring and any hopes of a Waverly comeback. With 2:31 left to play Chenango was in command 21-0.
 
The last three minutes saw Miller empty the bench, giving the balance of his squad playoff memories and experience. The final would stand 21-0 in favor of Forks, a team that had allowed only 23 points all season.
 
After the game, Waverly head coach Jason Miller had high praise for the club from Chenango Forks.
 
"We just got beat by a really good football team," said Miller.
 
Miller, however, spent more time heaping praise on his own players.
 
"I'm just very proud of our kids, to get back to this position; we gave ourselves an opportunity." The coach finished, "we have a very bright future. I'm proud of the way our kids responded throughout the year. I feel so proud of the senior group especially. It has been a blessing as a coach and staff to be around young men like this. They have always given it their all. I hope they have had a good experience; I know they have, they've won a lot of football games in four years."
 
The Wolverines finish the 2009 season at 7-2.
 


01 02 03 04   Tot
Chenango Forks 14 0 0 7 - 21
Waverly 0 0 0 0 - 0
  • CF - Jordan Barnett 2y run (Dan Grady kick)
  • CF - Ryan Lusht  53y run (Grady kick)
  • CF - Tyler Lusht 7y run (Grady kick)

TEAM STATISTICS 

Waverly CF
First Downs 10 14
Rushes-Yards 45-170 45-262
Passing Yards 23 0
Comp-Att-Int 1-5-0 0-0-0
Total Offense 50-193 45-262
Punts-Ave yards 3-21.0 2-36.5
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards 4-27 2-20
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Waverly rushing

  • Kevin Gorman 24-105
  • Andy Yeckinevich 3-20
  • Devin Soper 4-19
  • Joe Wright 12-11
  • Joe Terwilliger 1-6

Chenango Forks rushing

  • Barnett 18-96, 1 TD
  • R. Lusht 6-74, 1 TD
  • Jimmy Miller 9-48
  • T. Lusht 9-34, 1 TD
  • Rickey Bronson 3-10

Waverly passing

  • Clint Deskins 1-for-3, 23y
  • Gorman 0-for-1
  • Cooney 0-for-1

Chenango Forks passing

  • none

Waverly receiving

  • Wright 1-23

Chenango Forks receiving:  

  • none

Preview Articles: 

None of note, oddly...it was a playoff game..
 

Post-game Midweek Article:    

Fifth Quarter:

Staff reports - Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin


Forks content to rely on running, defense

Passing an afterthought for Blue Devils

Upon completion of yet another game in which his team did not attempt a pass, Chenango Forks fullback Jordan Barnett was asked, "When will you guys pass the football?"

"If we need to throw the ball, we will," he replied. "Forks football is smash-mouth, so, until we can't do it anymore we'll just continue doing our thing."

The Blue Devils[] have done their thing in undefeated fashion, relying on long-time staples running game and defense to advance to the Section 4 Class C championship game.

Forks was a 21-0 semifinal winner Saturday over Waverly, its third consecutive shutout and sixth of 2009.

The final is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Binghamton Alumni Stadium.

When, coach David Hogan was asked, might passing enter the equation.

"When I feel like we need that to win the game, I guess," he said. " ... I just feel so confident with our men up front, and with our ball carriers. I'm just so confident in running that ball that sometimes I just feel we don't need to (pass).

"It crossed my mind a couple times (Saturday). But also, I just have so much faith in our defense that, I guess we don't want to do anything to mess it up. Our defense is just so sound."

Hogan added with a chuckle, "We threw some in pre-game-- not bad, not bad at all."
 


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