WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 8, 2005: Quarterback Justin McGhee powered into a stack of Tigers from 1 yard out to score the winning touchdown in overtime Saturday afternoon to give New Rochelle High a 12-6 overtime win today in a minihurricane in New Rochelle. Conor Gilmartin-Donohue scored on a 10 yard rollout to tie the score in the third quarter in windy rainy winswept conditions. New Ro scored on the last play of the first half to take a 6-0 lead into the second half. White Plains falls to 3-1. New Rochelle is 4-1
CONOR TIES IT UP: Conor Gilmartin-Donahue, trapped behind the line of scrimmage at the 15, took off for the far sideline, eluded three New Ro tacklers and is about to ease in past the goalline pylon for the equalizer late in the third quarter. Conor is to the left of Number 25 in the picture. Photo, WPCNR Sports
New Ro Ends the Classic: Justin McGhee bulls under a pile of Tigers for the winning touchdown in Overtime. The touchdown came after the Tigers failed to score at their turn with the ball in their Overtime Series, when Conor Gilmartin-Donahue was stripped of the ball by McGhee after making a first down at the 9. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Boomer! Ian Jackson punting with the wind in the Fourth Quarter in one of his 6 punts Saturday afternoon. This one traveled with roll 75 yards from the line of scrimmage. Jackson consistently punted White Plains out of trouble all afternoon keeping them in the game. Unofficially, WPCNR had him for two punts of about 75 yards each. Punting against the 25 knot crosswind South to North 35 knots in gusts, Jackson was able to get 25 yards a punt, enough to keep New Ro out of in-close field position. Photo by WPCNR Sports
They elected to play football at New Rochelle High School Saturday afternoon in the remnants of a tropical storm. Some remnants! The wind was whistling from southwest to northeast in a gusty, shifting pattern that took away Conor Gilmartin-Donahue’s passing game, by sailing his passes and robbed White Plains of their setup passing game.
It had rained so much over night that New Rochelle moved the game from McClellan Field which is all grass to their Junior Varsity synthetic turf practice field, which allowed the game to be played without the mud effect. But it was still raining in stinging, wind lashed waves that made making catches and catching passes a work of art. There were no masterpieces.
White Plains took the ball to start the game, and managed one first down before having to punt. They did not get another until the end of the third quarter.
New Rochelle’s line controlled the line of scrimmage except for one stretch in the fourth quarter, hassling Conor Gilmartin-Donahue all afternoon, and not giving him the time to set up to execute his passing game. There were more purple jerseys than white ones in the Tiger backfield. Jamaine Hewitt was contained by the New Ro dee, the White Plains running game stopped dead.
New Rochelle’s McGhee was moving the ball well with short passes into the right flat to Markel Rice, on the seams of the Tiger zone and handoffs to Rice, but the Huguenots stalled three drives deep with key turnovers, fumbling away the ball three times in the redzone.
Controversial New Ro TD. Knee was down.
New Ro scored first on the last play of the first half when two passes to Rice moved the ball to the White Plains 20 and on fourth down with seconds, McGee threw the ball to Markel Rice in the right flat at the 10, he legged it to the three was tackled, his knee down and then he pushed the ball over the goal line. The referee signaled touchdown.
Yours truly was watching the game with Mike Leone, and Mike pointed out that technically the runner was down when his knee hit the ground and the play should have been dead, no touchdown. The sequence of the tackle and the arc of the ball crossing the goal line were not sequential. They were two separate acts. But the referee bought the touchdown and White Plains was down 6-0 at the half. A really bad call and it cost White Plains 6. (WPCNR is tired of seeing football games where the officials do not know the rules. But, wait, wait until you hear the next beaut by the zebras.)
Controversial White Plains TD-- Chains Moved.
New Rochelle appeared to have the game in hand midway through the third quarter. All they had to do was maintain field position, because the Tigers simply were not moving it.
New Ro then lost their composure. They were driving in Tiger territory on about the Tiger 40. Five of their linemen menaced Gerard Bryant behind the line of scrimmage after he burst in on McGee. That little bit of macho cost New Ro a 15 yard personal foul penalty putting them back on their own 40, and almost the game. On the next play McGee was sacked by Bryant for another loss back to the New Ro 30. On the ensuing 4th down punt Rice had his punt blocked by Bryant and Tyrone Roper recovered it for a White Plains first down on the New Ro 20. Two runs by Hewitt moved the ball to the 13.
It was 4th down and 3 at the New Rochelle 13. Conor Gilmartin-Donahue kept the ball and appeared to be short of the first down at the New Ro 10. But wait! The referee was signaling to move the First Down marker chains back one yard. Incredibly, the referee observed that the first down stick had been misplaced at the start of the series. He moved the first down marker back a yard to the 21 yard line, giving White Plains their first first down since the opening 4 minutes of the game.
The New Rochelle fans exploded in disbelief.
But New Ro’s coach kept his team’s focus.
With a gift first and 10 at the 11, thanks to the adjusted first down sticks, Conor dropped back to pass. All receivers were covered. (New Ro did a great job of covering all afternoon). Conor rolled to his left and lit out for the sideline in a long circular route. He picked his way, dodging and jiving, tightroped the sideline and got just inside the Goalline pilon for the tying touchdown as time ran out in the third quarter. It was 6-6.
On the extra point try, New Ro’s coach Lou DiRienzo personally went out to the defensive huddle, instructed all the linemen individually what he wanted them to do to block the Point After Touchdown.
Ian Jackson was trying the conversion into the 20 to 30 knot wind. He kicked it low, it appeared, to avoid it being blown wide in the crosswind (as New Ro’s extra point try had been blown wide at the end of the first half.) Ian got it off but the New Ro blocking pyramid blocked the kick and the score remained tied. It was a tough break for Jackson whose punting was superb through the game. He caught a very wet football in driving rain and got off every punt.
Countdown to OT
In the final period each team had chances to score, but could not convert. White Plains had three opportunities with good field position in New Ro territory but could not manage a first down. On one first down play, Conor Gilmartin-Donahue had Tommy Lee wide open on a post pattern but the following wind held the pass up floating it, allowing the safety to cut across in front of Tommy at the goal line and intercept. So close to a touchdown, but it was not meant to be.
New Ro Takes the Shootout.
In overtime, White Plains had the ball first on the 20 going into the wind. Two runs by Jamaine Hewitt moved the ball to the 15. Conor Gilmartin on third and 5 circled right end eased past two tacklers, making the first down at the 9, but as he slid by them, he was stripped and New Ro fell on the ball, killing the Tiger Chance.
New Ro then resorted to the McGee to Rice combination again for a first down on the 10. A run to the five by Rice, then a run, and a straight keeper by McGhee at the one finished off the Tigers.
This was another New Rochelle-White Plains classic game. Both teams played valiantly in terrible playing conditions. The White Plains defense forced turnover after turnover and consistently bailed the team out of trouble. Jeffy Charles, Mickey Morello, Gerard Bryant were consistently on the spot when needed.
I also like the way New Rochelle's coach DiRienzo keeps his team focused. His setting up the blocked PAT play patiently, saved his team the game. The White Plains team played a tight game, only turning over the ball twice, but the storm really took away the effective of Con-Air.
The real star of this game was the synthetic turf which allowed the game to be played with little slipping and sliding, (it appeared to us, the players may have a different opinion on that). The turf has a drainage system built into it, I was told that allows water to drain down in it, preventing puddle formation seen on synthetic turf of the past. It was amazing considering the grass field uptop was a spongy quagmire.
TURNOVER! Fans standing on top row of bleachers caused this section to flip over. Fortunately no one was hurt. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
A section of bleacher alongside the field flipped over, just as the regulation fourth quarter ended, apparently from fans standing on the top row. One person appeared to be pinned under the flipped bleachers, but was seen being helped off under his own power. Ambulances were called. But, the game continued. A White Plains parent who had been sitting in the overturned bleachers reported that an elderly man seemed shaken up and another person slightly disturbed, but said no one appeared hurt
