2001 Chenango Forks Varsity Football
NY State Class B Championship vs Peru - Peru Wins 14-7
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Articles courtesy of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (Kevin Stevens) and The Plattsburgh (Peru) Press-Republic (Steve Ouellette & Doug Sherwin)
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Preview articles for the game from the
Press and Sun-Bulletin are
here
Two game articles from the Peru area (Plattsburgh) paper are at the bottom of this page, below the stats. Peru's big-play ability ruins Forks' title hopesBY KEVIN STEVENSPress & Sun-Bulletin SYRACUSE -- It took until the first of December, 12 victories into an unprecedented Chenango Forks football season, for the top-ranked Blue Devils to meet their match. Fellow unbeaten Peru, on the strength of
two huge first-quarter plays and superlative defense throughout,
scored For the entirety of the second quarter, Peru didn't snap the football inside Forks' 45-yard line. In the third quarter, the Indians penetrated Forks' 25 on just one play. And in the fourth, they made their way to Forks' 30 just once before the final minute-and-change. But the damage had been done. Two plays. One hundred thirty-two combined yards. Two touchdowns. Those were the difference, that which enabled Section 7 champion Peru -- a school located 11 miles south of Plattsburgh -- to win its first state football championship and deny the Blue Devils their first since the inaugural official titles were decided in 1993. Peru junior Matt St. Clair scored both TDs, the first 4:21 into play and the second with 25 seconds to play in the opening quarter. And the Indians' defense, which had allowed 7.9 points per game through the first 12, did the rest. Forks' lone response came in the form of Nick Mirabito's 10-yard touchdown rush in the final minute of the third quarter and Steve Tronovitch's PAT kick. "They got two on us, made two great plays, but we played a good defensive game," said Forks' Jake Frisch, a defensive end and one of 25 underclassmen on a 35-man roster. "We did just about everything we could, but you've got to give Peru credit," Forks senior Paul Lofaso said. "They played a heck of a game." Peru's first score came on a play that started at its 45-yard line following a lost fumble by Forks' Chris Spencer -- one of four Blue Devils turnovers on the night. Indians quarterback Matt Bezio tossed the football to running back Brandon Keleher, who in turn delivered a pass to St. Clair. He made the reception at about Forks' 20-yard line, just on the far side of defender Spencer, and had free sailing into the end zone. Matt McCormick added the PAT kick, and
the Blue Devils were down 7-0. Then, with about a minute to play in the first quarter and Peru facing second-and-9 from its 23, junior southpaw Bezio passed to St. Clair, who was streaking across the middle of the field. St. Clair made the catch at the Indians' 43-yard line and won a race across the goal line. McCormick's PAT made it a 14-0 lead over a Forks team that had allowed that many points just twice previously this season, a team that had allowed a combined seven points the previous two weekends in the Carrier Dome. "That slant pass just killed us all day," Forks quarterback/safety Matt Juriga said. "For some reason, we couldn't defend it." Said Forks junior Kelsey Jenks: "I think that's the hardest thing to defend. It's hard to stay inside a guy cutting in, especially a guy with that kind of speed." The Blue Devils' three second-quarter possessions ended with a punt and two interceptions. Both the passes were picked off by St. Clair, whose first-half statistical line read as follows: Four catches, 136 yards, two touchdowns. Two intercepted passes. "We had a big parade back home just before we left today," said St. Clair, who was named Most Valuable Player by a committee of state football officials. "Just about the whole town was there. We knew we had to come back with a win for them." Forks, which had scored four or more TDs in 10 games this season, began to demonstrate its true offensive capabilities with its second possession of the third quarter. The drive started at the Blue Devils' 19-yard line, and the biggest gainers were the doing of Juriga. He hit Roy Deyo with a 24-yard pass on third-and-9, and two plays later kept outside on an option play for 23 yards to Peru's 22-yard line. Juriga must be credited with a substantial assist on the scoring play, too. He patiently kept possession of the football until making a last-second pitch to Mirabito, who ran in untouched around the end for the 10-yard score. But the Blue Devils would possess the
football just twice more. They gave up the ball on downs with
7:52 to play in the "I thought our defense played very well," Fork coach Kelsey Green said, excluding the two big scoring plays. "They hurt us a couple of times with the run, but they spread you out so much that they force you to do a few things you don't want to do. "Offensively, we moved the football, but we just weren't consistent with it. That's what you've got to do, I guess, to be state champion." Lofaso was named the most valuable offensive lineman, and Frisch the most valuable defensive lineman. Said Jenks, speaking on behalf of his fellow junior classmates: "We did everything we could to get here. It gives us a goal for next year, something to look forward to."
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a
14-7 win over Forks on Saturday in the Carrier Dome to claim the
New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B
championship.
game,
and were intercepted on a fourth-and-7 play from their 47-yard
line with 1:12 to play.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Tot | ||
| Chenango Forks | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 7 |
| Peru | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 |
- P - Matt St. Clair 58 pass from Brandon Keleher,(Matt McCormick kick) at 7:39. Drive: 1-55, 0:10
- P - St. Clair 77 pass from Matt Bezio (McCormick kick) at 0:25. Drive: 2-78, 0:51
- CF - Nick Mirabito 10 run (S.Tronovitch kick) at 0:48. Drive: 9-81, 3:41
TEAM STATISTICS
| Peru | CF | |
| First Downs | 11 | 17 |
| Rushes-yards | 24 for 69 | 48 for 225 |
| Passing yards | 228 | 48 |
| Comp-Att-Int. | 14-21-0 | 5-13-3 |
| Total Offense | 47-298 | 62-273 |
| Fumble Returns - yards | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Punt Returns - yards | 1-(-3) | 3-24 |
| Kickoff Returns - yards | 2-29 | 3-27 |
| Interception Returns - yards | 3-21 | 0-0 |
| Punts (number-ave yards) | 6-35.8 | 3-31.7 |
| Fumbles-lost | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-35 | 3-25 |
| Time Of Possession | 20:16 | 26:32 |
| Sack By - yards | 1-5 | 2-19 |
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INDIVIDUAL
STATISTICS
Chenango Forks rushing:
Peru rushing:
Chenango Forks passing:
Peru passing:
Chenango Forks receiving:
Peru receiving:
Interceptions:
Sacks (unassisted-assisted):
Tackles (unassisted-assisted):
AWARDS
Two game articles from the Plattsburgh/Peru area are below: Peru defeats Chenango Forks, 14-7By STEVE OUELLLETTE Staff Writer SYRACUSE - Big plays carried the Peru football team all season. It was no different in the biggest game in Indian history. Matt St. Clair hauled in touchdown passes of 55 and 77 yards in the first quarter and the Indian defense forced four turnovers as Peru held off Chenango Forks, 14-7, for the Class B State Championship Saturday. "There
are
very
few
feelings
that
can
compare
to
this,"
said
Peru
coach
Ewald.
"I
got
married
once
and
that
was
pretty "This is the greatest feeling in the world," said senior Joe Smith. "I wouldn’t trade it for anything." St. Clair caught seven passes for a state playoff record 181 yards and also intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown that was called back by a clipping penalty. "I’m going to feel good for a long time," said St. Clair. "In my dreams I never thought about a game like this ... nothing can compare." Quarterback Matt Bezio completed 13 of 20 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown, but the best and most important throw of the game didn’t come from his lethal left arm. It came from the right arm of tailback Brandon Keleher. Linebacker B.J. Godfrey smacked Chenango Forks quarterback Chris Spencer on the option, forcing a fumble that Nick Moore recovered, to end the Blue Devils first drive at Peru’s 45. On the next play, Keleher took a pitchout to the right, then cocked his arm and let fly deep down the sideline. "I haven’t thrown a pass since seventh grade," said Keleher, who rotated at quarterback that year with Bezio, with St. Clair at tailback. "We put that play in for Beekmantown (Week 6), but we never got a chance to use it before today." St. Clair was streaking down the right side and caught the ball in stride, racing in for the 55-yard score. "Back in seventh grade it was pretty much a toss-up between us," said Bezio. "Brandon just made a perfect pass, perfect." The two teams then exchanged punts, to Chenango Forks’ advantage, as a nice runback by Nick Mirabito put the Blue Devils on the Indian 24. The Indians though, stopped the Devils on three plays and Jason Remillard knocked away a fourth-down pass in the end zone. Two plays later, Peru had the ball in the other end zone. Bezio fired a bullet to St. Clair crossing over the middle. Two defenders converged on him at midfield, but St. Clair exploded through them and kept going for a 77-yard tally and a 14-0 lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter. "I just wanted to dig in my shoulder and get a few more yards," said St. Clair. But they sort of stopped and I just kept running." No one expected then that the normally unstoppable Peru offense would get inside the Chenango Forks 35 just once over the final three quarters and be held without a point. "We didn’t really make any adjustments," said Chenango Forks coach Kelsey Green. "The kids just started to adjust to Peru’s speed, started to take better angles. Our defense has been good all year, but (the Indians) were tough to stop." The Indians, though, wouldn’t need another point. One week after giving up an unsightly 463 yards rushing to Harrison in the semifinals, the Peru defense controlled the option attack of Chenango Forks. They didn’t stop the Blue Devils cold (48 carries for 225 yards), but they stopped them whenever it mattered. "Last week we didn’t do so well, but the defense was incredible today," said Godfrey, the sophomore middle linebacker. "(Chenango Forks) was a little smaller than Harrison, but they were very quick. They were a great team." "It’s always been the offense most of the year," said Smith. "But the defense came through when it had to. I think the defense won the game for us." Moore’s fumble recovery stopped the first Chenango Forks scoring threat and St. Clair stopped the second, stepping in front of a receiver and picking off his second pass of the day at the two, with three minutes left in the |
great.
I
was
born
once,
but
I
can’t
remember
that
...
and
there’s
today.
It’s
indescribable."