Game 5 - 2002 Chenango Forks Varsity Football

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

From the Binghamton Press -

Chenango Forks (2-0, 5-0) ran 12 first-half plays -- six of which went for touchdowns -- on its way to a 43-0 halftime advantage over winless guest Waverly (0-2, 0-5) in a Division IV game.

Fullback Kelsey Jenks opened and closed the scoring for Forks, going 10 yards for the first and 89 on first down for the last. His three carries went for a season-best 112 yards, leading a 291-yard team total.

The Blue Devils visit winless Seton Catholic Central on Saturday, then play host to Elmira Notre Dame the following week.

From the Sayre Evening Times -

By ED MEDINA--Times Sports Writer

KATTELVILLE -- State-ranked (2nd, Class B) Chenango Forks held the ball for less than eight minutes in the first half and ran just 12 plays.

However, the Blue Devils weren't the least bit concerned as six of those first-half plays resulted in touchdowns en route to handing visiting Waverly its fifth straight loss, Saturday, 43-14 in an IAC Division IV tilt.

Kelsey Jenks led Forks on the ground with just three carries for 113 yards -- a personal best -- and found the end zone twice, once on a 10-yard run, and again on an 89-yard first-down romp with 16 seconds left in the first half. In all, the Blue Devils used 11 ball carriers and netted 300 total yards on the ground and all six touchdowns -- all scored in the first half -- in a 351-yard offensive day.

Forks QB Tim Batty completed two of only three passes thrown on the day for 51 yards -- he needed not throw any more -- connecting once with Zach Tarnowski for 37 yards and once with Adam Parga for 14 yards. In addition, Batty, as a PAT kicker, split the uprights on five of six extra-point kick attempts on the day.

It was evident from the start that it just wasn't Waverly's day. The Wolverines took first possession of the ball at their own 20 to open the game, after Batty's kickoff went into the end zone. Waverly ran a four-and-out sequence that netted negative seven yards. On the punt attempt, the snap hit the ground before landing in punter T.J. Bauman's hands, forcing him to evade Forks' tacklers rather than kick. He gained seven yards on the play to the original line of scrimmage, where Forks took over on downs. Jenks made a 14-yard run and then a 10-yard TD run to open the scoring.

Hence, the flood gates had opened.

Less than three minutes later, Chris Spencer capped a one-play, 9-yard drive with a 9-yard TD run for the Blue Devils. How did they get the ball at the Waverly 9? Waverly's second possession of the game ended with a punt that went straight up in the air, which was then caught by a Wolverine player at the 9, setting up the Blue Devils' scoring run.

Waverly's next possession went much better, as the Wolverines were able to hold the ball for about five minutes and garner a first down, something which they did more than their opponent in the game -- 14 to Forks' eight. (Note from the Webmaster....what???? The Binghamton Press stats said Forks had 15 first downs, not 8. Having two reports differ by one or two is common, but differing by seven??)

However, the drive ended on another botched punt, in which the ball was rolling around on the ground until it was kicked through Waverly's end zone by a Waverly player for a Forks safety, making the score at that point 16-0 in favor of the home team.

Nick Mirabito scored his first of two touchdowns on the Blue Devils' next possession, on a 3-yard run that capped a three-play drive -- all first downs -- that was started by a 37-yard passing play from Batty to Tarnowski, which put Forks at Waverly's 14-yard line. Chris Spencer then nailed an 11-yard run to set up the score on the next play, a first-and-goal from the 3. The ensuing PAT kick attempt was the only one missed by Batty in the game.

Mirabito's other touchdown came with 2:09 left in the first quarter, on a 38-yard scamper.

Matt Stephens scored for Forks' other touchdown on a 1-yard run, capping a 53-yard drive that saw three straight first downs. Forks did not play past second down at all in the first half -- until the second and goal at the 1 which set up Stephens' TD.

Forks' last possession of the first half came with just 16 ticks left on the clock -- one play, in which Jenks carried 89 yards to put his team up 43-0 heading to halftime. Little did the Blue Devils know that that would be all they would score. (Note from the webmaster. No, on second thought, I'd better not)

Of Jason Shaylor's 134 yards total rushing, 123 came in the second half. He carried 26 times in the contest; six of which were first-half carries. Waverly played a much tougher second half and did not allow another Blue Devil touchdown, and held the Devils to just 82 yards of offense, all on the ground. (Note from the webmaster. Now I'm getting ticked at this reporter)

In addition, the Wolverines stepped up their offense and came up with two TDs of their own off the legs of Shaylor, blowing Forks' shutout bid.

Waverly QB Matt Lewis completed four of six passes in the second half -- six for 10 in the game -- and gained 84 yards in the same half out of his total 90 yards through the air in the contest.

Lewis' passing is what led to Waverly's first successful drive of the game, on its first possession of the second half. He opened the drive with a complete pass to favorite receiver Paul Meyers -- who made all six catches for 90 yards in the game -- for 25 yards.

The Wolverines caught a break midway through the drive on a pass interference call that led to a first down and goal at Forks' 2-yard line. Waverly was in the end zone three plays later, as Shaylor cut to the right for his first of two touchdowns on the day.

On the PAT attempt, Lewis found Meyers open in the end zone for the two-point score, making it a 43-8 game.

Shaylor's other touchdown run came with 8:41 left in the fourth quarter. His 20-yard scamper capped an eight-play, 70-yard drive which was started again by a successful pass from Lewis to Meyers, this time a 16-yard reception to open the drive.

The TD would prove to be all Waverly could score in the game, as a PAT-run attempt by Jake Rorick was stopped just short of the goal line.

"Chenango forks showed a lot of class by playing all their people when they got up," commented Waverly head coach Mike McLain.

"Our players didn't give up, they played hard in the second half. We need to use this second half as a springboard into our next week of practices," McLain said.

Photo caption: Waverly quarterback Matt Lewis (18), under pressure from Zach Tarnowski (49), sends a pass toward back Jason Shaylor (44) in action from Saturday's Section 4, Division IV game at Chenango Forks. ... Photo by Melissa Post