Binghamton
newspaper online article - Nick Mirabito's 95-yard
interception return for a touchdown gave visiting Chenango Forks
a cushion in its 27-9 victory over Elmira Notre Dame in a
Section 4 Football Conference Division IV game Friday night.
Elmira ND had shut out the Blue
Devils in the first half to take a 9-0 lead.
But Chris Spencer's 59-yard TD
run and Matt Juriga's 3-yard run helped put Forks ahead, 14-9,
after three quarters.
Mirabito's defensive TD
extended the lead to 20-9 in the fourth quarter.
Elmira Star-Gazette newspaper online article
- ND rally stopped
before it begins - The
Notre Dame Crusaders appeared to be on the way to the winning
touchdown with less than four minutes left. Moments later, they
found themselves behind by three scores. That quick turnaround
helped seal Notre Dame's fate in a 27-9 loss to Chenango Forks
on Friday night in a Section 4 Division 4 showdown.
Forks (6-0, 3-0) led 14-9 in
the fourth quarter, but Notre Dame (4-2, 2-1) took over at the
Blue Devils' 10-yard line after a muffed punt. After three plays
resulted in minus 5 yards, senior quarterback Pat Manuel rolled
right and threw toward an open receiver in the end zone.
Manuel's dart was on target, but Forks' Nick Mirabito jumped in
front for the interception and took off down the left sideline.
Ninety-five yards later, Forks led 20-9.
Another interception on Notre
Dame's next possession gave Forks the ball on the Notre Dame 43.
On the next play, Forks halfback Roy Deyo went off right tackle,
eluded two would-be tacklers and scored Forks' second touchdown
in less than two minutes.
"We're not as big as
Forks, so we can't be as physical," Notre Dame coach Dick
Craft said. "I think they just wore us down. You can't
fault our kids. We just played a terrific team. We knew they
were a second-half team. That's what they've done against
everybody."
Notre Dame started the game
strong, moving the ball easily on the ground in the first two
quarters, and carried a 9-0 lead into halftime. Mike Drake
scored on a 9-yard run for the Crusaders and Peworchik hit a
22-yard field goal.
However, Notre Dame would have
led by even more if it hadn't squandered three first-and-goal
opportunities in the first half.
Chenango Forks' Chris Spencer
went 59 yards on a quarterback draw for a touchdown five minutes
into the second half. Then, with about three minutes left in the
period, junior quarterback Matt Juriga scored from 3 yards out.
"Nobody gave up after the
first half," Spencer said. "I told the guys in the
huddle, just make your blocks and we can break something. The
difference was our offensive line. They played a heck of a
game."
Deyo led Forks with 172 yards
on 15 carries; Whitteker topped Notre Dame with 139 yards on 15
carries.
"Hopefully, we can win our
next two games," Whitteker said. "Then we'll see this
team again in the playoffs."
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