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2010 Chenango Forks Varsity Football

Game 11 vs General Brown
Blue Devils fall to General Brown 21-20
 

Articles courtesy of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Syracuse Post-Standard
and the Watertown Daily Times

to Game 10 - Sidney

to the 2010 team page

 


 
Chenango Forks loses heartbreaker in state quarters
 
Failed conversion spoils comeback

Kevin Stevens
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

EAST SYRACUSE -- Chenango Forks rallied from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit Saturday only to come up empty on a two-point conversion try with 15.1 seconds remaining, falling by 21-20 to General Brown in a Class C state football quarterfinal.
 
A third-down pass of 21 yards from reserve quarterback Zach Jeske to senior end Derek Foster finished an eight-play, 56-yard scoring drive that began after the Blue Devils' fielded General Brown's lone punt of the afternoon with 2:26 remaining at East Syracuse-Minoa High.
 
On the make-or-break two-point attempt, the left side of General Brown's defense penetrated into the backfield to thwart a rush to the right by fullback Jimmy Miller.
 
A line-drive kickoff was fielded by the Lions, quarterback Nick Frears took one final snap and General Brown -- located in the Jefferson County village of Dexter -- had earned the program's second state semifinal berth. The first came in 2003.
 
Chenango Forks, the state's top-ranked Class C squad, closed its season with a 10-1 record despite a 196-yard, two-touchdown rushing effort by Miller in his final high school game.
 
At the midway point of the contest, the Blue Devils had a mere three first downs and trailed by 15-0. They were in jeopardy of dropping into a three-TD hole when Nick Klusacek returned the second-half kickoff 36 yards to the Lions' 47 and in four plays advanced the ball to Forks' 26-yard line.
 
But on a first-down pass play, Ryan Lamond scooted between the football and its intended receiver at about the 15 and raced 72 yards before being tackled at General Brown's 13.
 
Three rushes moved the ball to the 3, an offside penalty was good for half the distance, and Miller carried it in to make it 15-6 with 4:08 of the quarter elapsed.
 
A General Brown defender lunged low to blow up an option play on the two-point try, and Forks was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that was assessed on the following kickoff.
 
Quarterback Casey LaNave limped off the field following the conversion try, having aggravated a knee he'd injured during a Tuesday physical education class.
 
General Brown took the kickoff back to Forks' 46-yard line and ran eight plays to reach the 6. From there, Javier Primicias hopped into a clearing in the right-center of the end zone and caught a pass from Frears to make it 21-6 with four minutes remaining in the third quarter.
 
Jeske -- recognized as Forks' MVP of the game -- took over at quarterback to start Forks' next drive at its 38 and handed to Miller 10 times on an 11-play drive that closed with Miller hurdling a defender at the line of scrimmage and proceeding in for a 4-yard TD on the third play of the fourth quarter.
 
Miller tacked on a two-point run and Forks was within 21-14.
 
General Brown next drove 42 yards in 10 plays only to give up the football on a fourth-down incompletion. The Blue Devils came back with another heavy dose of Miller, running seven plays to the Lions' 27-yard line.
 
But on a first-down carry, Miller lost the football when hit by a defender and General Brown took possession at its 25 with 3:53 to play.
 
Forks permitted 7 yards on a first-down rush and, after an incomplete pass, stopped Klusacek for a 1-yard gain. On came Mark Allen for his team's first punt of the day, which left Forks the ball at its 44 with 2:26 to play.
 
Seven consecutive rushes set up third-and-4 from the 21, from which point Jeske lofted a pass that Foster ran under to receive in the left side of the end zone despite two defenders too close for comfort.
 
"Jeske did a huge job of stepping up, taking on the role of quarterback and leader of our team," said Forks lineman and captain Jake DuBois. "I give him a ton of credit for doing that, being able to do what he's supposed to do. We've all worked so hard, and that just showed it right there -- we just couldn't come through at the end."
 
On the two-point try, the exchange from Jeske to Miller was attempted in congestion to the right side, and Miller was swarmed under near the line of scrimmage.
 
"Well, we basically looked at the plays that we used to get down there," Devils coach David Hogan said of the two-point try. "It was like, 'Well, let's pick one of them.' I think we picked the wrong one."
 
General Brown coach Tom Frears, father of the quarterback, lauded his team's effort.
 
"The two-point conversion Chenango Forks went for is just another example of our kids digging down deep," Frears said. "I think our conditioning has paid off since Aug. 16 when we started. They dug deep and came up with a play when we needed to."
 
General Brown's two second-quarter touchdowns were passes of 6 and 20 yards from Nick Frears to 6-foot-4, 220-pound Devin Tyler.
 
The first came 3:22 before halftime when Tyler made the reception while falling backward fairly well surrounded by three defenders. The second came on a jump-ball situation against a smaller defender with 1:09 left in the half.
 
In the interim came Forks' second lost fumble of the half.
 
The Blue Devils' had game-long difficulties defending a versatile and unpredictable General Brown offense equally comfortable passing or running. Frears closed 15-for-23 for 148 yards and three TDs, and the Lions' run game generated 162 yards.
 
"The threat that they could throw the ball at any time and also give it up the middle at any time," DuBois said of the Lions' effectiveness. "You had to be ready for both and it was tough to cover both at the same time."
 
Said Hogan: "They do such a good job of mixing it up. They'll throw on first down, second-and-short, you just don't know and so it's a guessing game as to what they're going to be doing."
 
He added, "I think we had the (receivers) covered about as well as they could be covered. He threw it right where he needed to throw it and they made the plays."
 

 
Lions thankful for stuffing
 
STATE CLASS C FOOTBALL: General Brown preserves win after denying Chenango Forks' late 2-point attempt

By JOHN DAY
Watertown Daily Times
 
EAST SYRACUSE ­ The unimaginable scenario was unfolding for General Brown.
 
After dominating the game for 31/2 quarters, the Lions had just surrendered a long touchdown pass in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Worse, Chenango Forks was lining up for a two-point conversion that would give the Blue Devils a great comeback win and abruptly end General Brown's season.
 
But this General Brown outfit is not your average quit-in-the-face of pressure type of club. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Lions stuffed Chenango Forks fullback Jim Miller a yard short of the goal line on the conversion run, preserving General Brown's 21-20 state Class C quarterfinal victory at East Syracuse-Minoa High School.
 
General Brown (11-0) advances to only its second state semifinal berth in school history. The Lions, who fell to Caledonia-Mumford in the 2003 semifinals, take on Section 6 champion Fredonia (10-1) at noon Saturday at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester.
 
Fredonia knocked off previously unbeaten Section 5 champ Letchworth 18-13 Saturday in Buffalo.
 
The Lions sensed that Miller, Chenango Forks' 5-foot-7, 180-pound fullback who had already run for 187 yards on 32 carries and two scores, would get the ball on the conversion off-tackle play. And they were ready.
 
Lineman Nick Cobb got penetration down low, slowing Miller down. Linebacker Mark Allen finished off the tackle by standing him up.
 
"I knew I had to go full speed across the line and hit him before he got going,'' Cobb said. "They ran the same play 20 times, so we had to make that stop.''
 
Said Allen: "I just flew to the ball. Nick did a great job of slowing the kid down and allowing me to stop him.''
 
Frears said it was no surprise that his kids recovered immediately from a 20-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Zach Jeske to Derek Foster, the team's only pass completion, with just 15.1 seconds left.
 
"This is such a close-knit group that relies on each other,'' Frears said. "Our goal is always to make the next play, and get ready for the next game.''
 
After being dominated by Section 4 champion Chenango Forks (10-4) in last year's regionals, 27-0, the Lions held the upper hand for much of the game against the state's top-ranked Class C team.
 
General Brown scored two second-quarter touchdowns, both on spectacular receptions by Devin Tyler, and led 15-0 at halftime. The Lions ran 34 plays to just 19 for Chenango Forks in the first half, outgained the Blue Devils 190-62 and kept the high-powered Forks offense on the bench for prolonged periods.
 
"We couldn't have asked for better execution of our game plan,'' Frears said. "But we knew there was still a lot of football to play."
 
Tyler, General Brown's sensational 6-foot-4 senior receiver, made a pair of highlight-reel catches.
 
On the first one, a 6-yard touchdown pass from Nick Frears, Tyler tipped the ball to himself between three defenders. Frears, named General Brown's MVP, hit Ben Primicious for the 2-point conversion, which ended up being a huge play.
 
On Tyler's second TD grab, a 20-yarder, he soared over two defenders and snatched the ball out of the year. Nick Klusacek booted the PAT and the Lions went to halftime with the momentum.
 
"I can throw the ball almost anywhere and Devin will catch it,'' said Nick Frears, who finished 14-for-23 passing for 147 yards in the air.
 
Tyler said, "Nick just throws the ball as high as he can knowing I can go up and get it.''
 
The Lions, who also overcame two first-half fumbles, took the second-half kickoff and drove when Frears overthrew his receiver. Ryan Lamond intercepted and returned it 75 yards. Miller converted that into a 2-yard touchdown run, but the Lions stuffed the 2-point run.
 
General Brown answered quickly as Nick Frears hit Primicious for a 6-yard score. However, Klusacek's PAT was no good, and General Brown led 21-6.
 
Miller capped off the Blue Devils' lone drive of the game with a 4-yard TD run and converted a two-point conversion to make it 21-14 just a minute into the fourth quarter.
 
Devon Tanner forced a Miller fumble and Allen recovered to nullify another Forks' drive. But the Lions were forced to punt for the first time, and Forks drove 56 yards for the score before General Brown's defense stood its ground on the conversion.
 
"My heart was racing so much at the end,'' Tanner said. "I knew they'd run to that right side. But I've got a lot of faith in that group of guys that they would not let us down.''
 
Chenango Forks coach Dave Hogan said the call to run Miller was a no-brainer. "It's our bread and butter, and if we can't get three yards, we don't deserve to win,'' he said.
 

General Brown gets revenge, 21-20

Neil Kerr
The Syracuse Post-Standard

Foiling a last-minute comeback bid by No. 1 state-ranked Chenango Forks, Section III Class C football champion General Brown avenged a 2009 state playoff loss to the Blue Devils with a 21-20 victory over the Section IV champions at East Syracuse-Minoa High Saturday.

With the win, the No. 5 state-ranked Lions (11-0) of first-year coach Tom Frears advance to a state semifinal game with Western Conference champion Fredonia (10-1) next Saturday at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester. Fredonia beat Letchworth, 18-13, in the Western Conference Class C final Saturday.

At ES-M, not one spectator departed early from General Brown’s one-point win simply because the outcome wasn’t decided until the closing 15 seconds of play. The game was an instant classic —it came down to one conversion play for all the marbles.

Led by the playcalling of heady senior quarterback Nick Frears, the coach’s son, General Brown built a 15-0 halftime lead, then increased that margin to 21-6 late in the third period. Frears completed 14 of 23 pass attempts for 136 yards and all three Lions’ touchdowns

Chenango Forks (10-1) came storming back.

Led by hard-running 180-pound fullback Jim Miller, who carried the ball 29 times for 199 yards to lead all rushers in the game, the Blue Devils drove 62 yards in 11 plays and trimmed their deficit to 21-14 with 10:57 remaining in the game. The touchdown came on a four-yard dash by Miller.

After General Brown was unable to drive the ball on its last two posessions of the contest, coach Dave Hogan’s Blue Devils got the ball back at their own 45-yard line with 2:26 remaining to play.

After a 23-yard scamper by Miller moved the ball to the Lions’ 27-yard line, Chenango Forks quarterback Zach Jeske surprised the straining General Brown defense two plays later by throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to open wide receiver Derek Foster in the end zone. With 15.1 seconds remaining, Forks had closed to within 21-20.

At that point, Forks’ coach Hogan called for a two-point converion run to try to win the game. “We were making less than 50 percent of our conversion kicks this season, so we just gave up trying to kick extra points two weeks ago,” said Hogan later.

Taking the handoff from Jeske, Miller crashed over right tackle. He was met head-on at the two-yard line by 210-pound tackle Nick Cobb and 230-pound middle linebacker Mark Allen. Those two combined to drop the frustrated Miller in his tracks.

“I saw Miller try to veer to my left and I just blew in on him,” said Allen moments later. “Nick hit him low around the ankles, I hit him high, and together we just stuffed him. We knew Forks was going to go for two points because they never once tried to kick a conversion on the films we saw.”

Chenango Forks’ coach Hogan refused to second-guess the conversion run. “That play had worked for us most of the game so we stayed with it.”

Hogan added, “Not to make excuses, but our starting quarterback — Casey Lanave — hurt a leg in gym class earlier this week. He tried to play during the first half today, but we switched to Jeske in the second half. We had to. ‘’

General Brown coach Frears had high praise for his offensive line, which led the Lions to a total offense of exactly 300 yards — 164 rushing and 136 passing. “Give come credit to those guys in the trenches because they dug down deep today,” said Frears, pointing to Shawn Savage (6-0, 220), Jordan Schofield (5-11, 210), Cale Siver (6-3, 220), Chad Call (6-0, 215), Nick Cobb (5-10, 210) and Kendall Vecchio (6-1, 240).

Frears also had high praise for a defense that limited Chenango Forks to one pass completion for the game and 233 rushing yards, 199 of that total by Miller.

Earlier in the game, QB Frears had led the Lions to their early lead by throwing TD passes of six and 20 yards to 6-4 receiver Devin Tyler, followed by a third TD aerial covering six yards to 6-1 Javier Primicias. Those touchdowns rattled the Blue Devils, who had trailed only once all season — for a few minutes early in a game against Sidney in October.

Piling up 164 rushing yards against the strong Chenango Forks’ defense, the Lions were led by the efforts of halfback Kyle Scordo (12-for-63), fullback Allen (12-for-43), and QB Frears (8-for-40).



01 02 03 04   Tot
Chenango Forks 0 0 6 14 - 20
General Brown 0 15 6 0 - 21
  • GB - Devin Tyler 6y pass from Nick Frears (Javier Primicias Pass from Frears)
  • GB - Tyler 20y pass from Frears (Nick Klusacek kick)
  • CF - Jimmy Miller 1y run (run failed)
  • GB - Primicias 6y pass from Frears (kick failed)
  • CF - Miller 4y run (Miller run)
  • CF - Derek Foster 21y pass from Zack Jeske (run failed)

TEAM STATISTICS 

GB CF
First Downs 19 14
Rushes-Yards 37-162 45-227
Passing Yards 148 21
Comp-Att-Int 15-23-1 1-3-0
Total Offense 60-310 48-248
Punts-Ave yards 1-35.0 3-27.0
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 3-3
Penalties-Yards 3-22 3-35
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

General Brown rushing

  • Kyle Scordo 11-61
  • Mark Allen 12-45
  • Nick Frears 8-42
  • Nick Klusacek 6-14

Chenango Forks rushing

  • Jimmy Miller 30-196
  • Tyler Lusht 4-35
  • Ryan Lamond 2-5
  • Ryan Lusht 2-4
  • Zach Jeske 1-(-6)
  • Casey LaNave 6-(-7)

General Brown passing

  • Nick Frears 15-for-23, 148 yards, 1 int, 3 TDs

Chenango Forks passing

  • LaNave 0-for-2
  • Jeske 1-for-1, 21 yards, 1 TD

General Brown receiving

  • Devin Tyler 6-74, 2 TDs
  • Javier Primicias 4-33, 1 TD
  • Richard Lagano 3-28
  • Josh O'Hearn 1-9
  • Kyle Scordo 1-4

Chenango Forks receiving:  

  • Derek Foster 1-21, 1 TD

Preview Article(s) 

Chenango Forks football coaches review General orders
 
Blue Devils must guard against big plays

Kevin Stevens
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
 
Chenango Forks will look to extend its streak of state football quarterfinal victories to nine in an 11 a.m. Saturday contest against General Brown, Section 3's Class C champion from the Jefferson County village of Dexter.
 
East Syracuse-Minoa High will be the site of the game pitting the top-ranked Blue Devils against the fifth-ranked Lions, each 10-0. The winner advances to a Nov. 20 semifinal at Rochester's Marina Auto Stadium against either Section 5 champion Letchworth or Section 6 champ Fredonia.
 
A season ago in the first meeting of the two programs, each came in unbeaten but Forks emerged with a 27-0 win and a 381-81 advantage in rushing yards at Union-Endicott's Ty Cobb Stadium. That marked the final game as head coach for the Lions' Steve Fisher, winner of 251 high school games.
 
"They have a different head coach, but he's been in the system for 20 years and hasn't seemed to change anything," Forks coach David Hogan said of Tom Frears, father of senior quarterback Nick Frears.
 
General Brown is coming off a 66-36 win against Cayuga County foe Cato-Meridian for Section 3's title. In that game, the Lions' 44-point second-half spree was set in motion when they scored following C-M's unsuccessful onside kick attempt, and General Brown drove for another score after recovery of a squib on the ensuing kickoff.
 
Nick Frears completed 10 of 11 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for two TDs.
 
"Last year, they were very large up front," Hogan said of the Lions. "This team doesn't seem to be as big, but they do return some key players."
 
Most significant notations on Forks' scouting-report notes are assigned to Devin Tyler, a sure-handed 6-foot-4 senior who shifts between tight end and wideout, and elusive running back Nick Klusacek (5-7, 170 pounds).
 
"They throw some play-action off the option and off the lead, they have a counter pass, and they will also drop back and throw," Hogan said. "Defensively, we can't give up the big play, which I suppose you can say any week. But against these guys, who'll throw that play-action pass to the big wideout, it's especially important."
 
Senior Jimmy Miller leads Forks with 1,070 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Teammates Casey LaNave, Ryan Lusht and Tyler Lusht are the next three on the rushing list, all with per-carry averages exceeding 7 yards. Miller, this season's fullback, ran for 155 yards (17 per rush) as a halfback last year against General Brown.
 
"Offensively, we have to secure the football and play a mentally sound game," Hogan said. "One of the last things we say to the kids is that the team that makes the fewest mistakes will have the best chance to win. Now, that's only accentuated come playoffs."
 
General Brown is a state-playoff participant for the fifth time in eight years.
 
Chenango Forks has advanced to the quarterfinal against Section 3 eight of the last nine years, and in the last six games the Blue Devils opponents have been held to seven or fewer points.
 

DAY OF RECKONING

By JOHN DAY

Watertown Daily Times

Since that day almost a year ago when they walked off the Union-Endicott High School football field still stinging from a 27-0 loss to Chenango Forks in the state quarterfinals, the General Brown players started thinking about a possible rematch.

That loss served as a motivational tool throughout winter workouts and carried over to the summer when the returning players hit the weight room with a vengeance after being physically dominated by the Blue Devils.

"It hurt the way they beat us,'' General Brown senior fullback/linebacker Mark Allen said. "All of the guys that came back vowed we wouldn't let that happen again.''

Almost 12 months later, the Lions' wish has come true. After rolling through the regular season and blowing out three Section 3 Class C opponents en route to its fifth sectional title, General Brown is right back on the hot seat as it prepares for another clash with the Blue Devils from the Southern Tier.

"We have all the respect in the world for Chenango Forks,'' General Brown first-year head coach Tom Frears said. "They are the class program of the Binghamton area year-in and year-out. Last year we might have been a little bit intimidated by their reputation. I don't think that will be the case this time.''

But the Lions should be careful what they wish for. Chenango Forks (10-0) has risen to the top of the state Class C ranks, taking over the No. 1 spot after defending state champion Jamestown Southwestern was beaten last weekend. And the Blue Devils have won eight consecutive quarterfinal matchups against Section 3 teams.

Chenango Forks, which owns state Class B titles in 2003 and 2004, has captured Section 4 crowns in nine of the past 10 seasons, and are annually state title contenders no matter what the class.

Going up against No. 1 is certainly a challenge. But the Lions, ranked fifth in the state, believe this year will be different.

"We know more what to expect of them this year,'' said General Brown senior lineman Nick Cobb, who missed last year's game with an injury. "They pushed us around pretty good up front, and we didn't have an answer. And I don't think we expected them to be that fast, either.''

Frears said having played Ilion two weeks ago (a 62-6 sectional semifinal win) should help his club prepare for the Forks' powerful running game, which generated 380 yards in last week's 44-16 sectional title win over Sidney.

"They run a modified Wing T like Ilion did,'' Frears said. "We got a lot of penetration in the Ilion game and took away their favorite play, the sweep. Chenango Forks will keep using that play as long as it works, so we've got to try to make them do something else and maybe even throw the ball, which they rarely do.''

The Lions were especially working on getting low and not allowing the Chenango Forks offensive line to stand them up in practice this week.

General Brown's offense has moved the ball at will in its last three games, producing 186 points. Frears doesn't expect that to happen this week.

"You're not going to just ram the ball down their throats like we have been doing,'' he said. "We found an offensive identity about mid-season, learning we could also throw the ball pretty well. Our offensive line play has allowed us to be very diversified and that makes it tough to stop us.''

Quarterback Nick Frears, who has passed for seven touchdowns the last three games, has been sacked just once this season. His offensive line takes a lot of pride in protecting their quarterback.

"We've just lined up and blocked well the past three games,'' junior center Chadd Call said. "All of our backs run really hard, and Nick has been very accurate. But we know Chenango Forks will be a lot tougher than any team we've faced.''

Tom Frears said the Blue Devils employ a 5-2 defensive scheme with good size and quickness. "They fly to the ball and make it very difficult to get outside,'' he said. "Nick's play-action fakes will be very important in slowing them down.''

Last year, the Lions managed just more than 100 total yards. That won't do if they hope to reverse that outcome.

"This is what we've worked hard for since that game,'' Call said. "Playing the No. 1 team doesn't happen very often. We just want to make the most of this opportunity.''
 

Class C: General Brown (10-0) vs. Chenango Forks (10-0)

Neil Kerr
The Syracuse Post-Standard


General Brown key players: Nick Klusacek, RB-DB; Mark Allen, FB-LB; Devin Tyler, WR-LB; Kyle Scordo, RB-LB; Nick Frears, QB-DB; Devon Tanner, OL-DL; Nick Cobb, OL-DL; Chadd Call, C-LB; Cale Siver, OL-DL; Kendall Vecchio, OL-DL; Jordan Schofield, OL-DL.

Chenango Forks key players: Casey Lanave, QB-DB; Jimmy Miller, FB-LB; Ryan Lusht, RB-DB; Jordan Barnett, FB-LB; Tyler Lusht, RB-DB; Eric Singh, TE-DE; Jake DuBois, C-DT; Alec Fleicher, FB-LB; Jack Barnett, OL-DL; Erik Rhinehart, OT-DT.

The skinny:
After losing to Chenango Forks, 27-0, last year, General Brown has been itching for a rematch and some big-time revenge Saturday. Be careful what you wish for, Lions. Newly No. 1 state-ranked Forks has won eight straight state playoff quarterfinal matchups with Section III over the past decade.

Ground-oriented Forks relies mainly on the rushing slants of fullback Miller (157-for-1,070), QB Lanave (85-for-746), Ryan Lusht (72-for-591) and twin brother Tyler Lusht (63-for-464). Through the air, Lanave has completed a meager 18 of 34 passes for 369 yards and five TDs in 10 games.

General Brown, No. 5 state-ranked, features the rushing of Klusacek (92-for-771, 23 TDs), Scordo (107-for-711) and fullback Allen (87-for-557) plus the capable passing of senior QB Nick Frears (57-of-85 for 979 yards and 15 TDs. Top receivers are Devin Tyler (27 catches, 527 yards) and Klusacek (15-for-276).

KERR’S PICK:
General Brown 21, Chenango Forks 20
(yeah, that was his actual prediction)
 


Post-game Midweek Article:    

Fifth Quarter:

Published Tuesdays in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
 

A learning experience for mighty Chenango Forks

Staff report
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

 
General Brown closed the books on a fabulous decade of Chenango Forks football Saturday, holding off the Blue Devils, 21-20, in a Class C state quarterfinal game at East Syracuse-Minoa.
 
Forks closed the 2000's with 112 victories against 10 losses (.918 winning percentage), two state championships, six appearances in state finals and eight seasons with either one loss or a perfect record.
 
Jake DuBois, a three-year starter on the line, summed up the anguish of a stinging loss in his final game as follows: "It's tough, but it's life. You learn from everything."
 
The top-ranked Blue Devils' inability to develop a dependable kicking game contributed greatly to the loss.
 
With reserve quarterback Zach Jeske at quarterback, they drove 56 yards in eight plays for a touchdown with 15.1 seconds remaining to draw within 21-20. In no position to risk a kick attempt, Forks went for a two-point conversion-- but General Brown stuffed Jimmy Miller near the line of scrimmage to preserve the win.
 
Miller, who'd been shifted to full-time fullback early in the season when Lukas Aston went down with a knee injury, finished his season in exceptional fashion. He rushed 30 times -- 23 carries in the second half -- for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
 
"What did we run, maybe 4-5 (different) plays the second half? But we were moving the ball pretty well," Blue Devils coach David Hogan said. "Jimmy didn't complain about being tired, never would."
 
Said General Brown coach Tom Frears of Miller, who is 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds, "He's awful doggone good. I remember him from last year. He's a heck of a kid. He comes off the field, he's got tears in his eyes, he's emotional, he's an outstanding player. I have all the respect in the world for him."
 
Casey LaNave, Forks' starting quarterback, took to the sideline in the third quarter after aggravating a knee injury he'd sustained in physical education class early in the week.
 
As for LaNave's chances of playing at the time, Hogan said, "If you'd have asked him, probable. If you'd have asked me early on, I'd have said doubtful.
 
"But he came out, had it wrapped up and taped up pretty good. He said when he was running around that he wasn't experiencing any pain. Really, he was fine until he actually got hit in the knee. That's how he re-injured it.
 
"If you'd have seen him on Tuesday, you'd have thought there was no way he could play, he couldn't put any weight on the foot. In fact, he went in a wheelchair from phys ed class to the nurse's office. He improved a little bit each day with physical therapy.
 
"Not bad for not taking a snap all week, not bad at all."
 

 


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