2014 Chenango Forks Varsity Football

• Chenango Forks extended its win streak against Chenango Valley to 21 consecutive games
• Forks sophomore LJ Watson ran for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns, including one on D
• Forks defensive back Cody Lamond returned an interception 101 yards for a touchdown

Twenty years is a long time to hold bragging rights, and Chenango Forks sophomore running back/defensive back L.J. Watson and his teammates had no intentions of going down as the squad that let rival Chenango Valley snap the streak.

Watson scored three first-half touchdowns, one on an interception return and two on rushing plays, as Forks rolled through CV for a 49-14 win at Chenango Valley High School on Saturday afternoon to extend Forks' dominance of this rivalry to 21 consecutive games.

"There's just an intensity coming into the game, knowing that they're our rivals," Watson said. "And I just went out there and did what I had to do, get in the end zone."

Watson, who stepped in as the backup quarterback in the second half, ran for 129 yards in the first half on four carries as the Blue Devils blitzed CV, literally and figuratively, to the tune of a 42-0 halftime lead. The Blue Devils did not punt until the fourth quarter, and CV scored all 14 points in that final period.

Forks (7-1) has won two in a row since suffering its only loss to Maine-Endwell in an epic meeting of unbeaten teams. Forks has outscored opponents 97-20 in those two games. The Warriors (2-6) has lost four consecutive games and allowed 40 points or more in each of those losses.

Despite the recent run of success, Forks coach Dave Hogan said his team did not take CV lightly entering what is annually a highly-anticipated game.

"It means a lot to the kids for sure, and it obviously means a lot to the coaching staff as well," Hogan said of the win. "We always say we throw out the records for this game. We just know we're going to see the best effort from both teams."

Watson got things rolling on the third snap of the game when he burst through the line of scrimmage, broke a tackle, fended off another defender, and raced 81 yards for the game's first score with 10:33 still remaining in the first quarter.

"It felt good, I mean starting off a game like that always gets the team going," Watson said.

The Blue Devils defense forced CV to go three-and-out on its first possession, and then the Blue Devils marched the ball 52 yards on six plays. Junior halfback Dylan Studer capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown scamper.

The Warriors next possession ended with a fumble six plays into the drive. Tim McDonald recovered at the Forks 30-yard line, and quarterback Jack Sherwood led Forks to another scoring drive.

Sherwood completed three passes for 49 yards on the possession, and he ran around left end on an option keeper for a 33-yard touchdown to make it a 21-0 lead with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter after Tony Silvanic's third extra point.

The team's then traded turnovers. A muffed kickoff return gave the ball back to Forks, but Forks returned the favor when CV's Trevor Hope intercepted Sherwood's pass near midfield.

The Warriors moved the ball deep into Forks territory on a drive the extended into the second quarter with the help of a pair of penalties against Forks. On fourth and goal from the 4-yard line, CV brought pressure up the middle and Cody Lamond intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it 101 yards for a touchdown.

"Our defense played great, you know, the old bend-but-don't-break thing," Hogan said. "They had first and goal down there, and who knows? If they score there, things happen. That goal-line stand was pretty good, and the 100 plus interception run by Cody didn't hurt either."

The Warriors' ensuing drive ended in similar fashion when quarterback Mark Mullins threw off his back foot with pressure coming up the middle, but this time Watson stepped in front of the pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown.

Watson added a 29-yard touchdown run with 3:07 remaining in the first half as Forks carried a 42-0 advantage into halftime.

Gunnar Giordani added a touchdown for Forks in the third quarter, while CV added scores in the fourth on a Mullins 22-yard pass to Michael O'Neil as well as a 24-yard run by Hope.