WPCNR Press Box. By John F. Bailey. October 28, 2005: John Jay High of Cross River’s “Mr. Inside,” Ryder Bohlander scored the first touchdown of the game within the first 2 minutes and 8 seconds of Friday evening’s Sectional Playoff, to give John Jay a 7-0 lead. Boulander had set up the touchdown with a 35 yard run up the middle to the Tiger 35. John Jay had rolled 67 yards in 5 plays for the first score. You knew it was going to be a long cold night.
Dan Sheeran, “Mr. Outside” had previously taken the ball 21 yards to the 14 around right end on a beauty sweep to the 14 and Bohlander rolled in 14 yards for the first touchdown on the next play. The Indians rolled to a 21-0 lead at halftime on two big plays and won the game 27-0.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS at John Jay High. Tigers kickoff to start the game.
Photo by WPCNR Sports.
John Jay’s speed and quickness found Indians instantly in the Tiger backfield and all night, giving Conor Gilmartin-Donahue no time to pass, sacking him unofficially 4 times, Offensively, the Indians did not appear to outweigh the Tiger line, but their blocking schemes and deceptive handoffs combined with the speed of Bohlander and Sheeran found the Tiger linebackers and secondary with their handsful before they knew it. Bohlander and Sheeran are hard to bring down, too, their speed making open field stops a nightmare.
After the first John Jay scoring drive, the Tigers were stopped on downs and a low snap caused the Tiger punter, Ian Jackson to inadvertently touch his knee to the ground stopping the snap, giving John Jay a first down on the Tiger 30. But the Tigers held on downs. John Jay’s first play, a pass on one of Quarterback Kevin Stockel’s rollouts was incomplete. Bohlander was stopped on a run, and on 3rd down Tyrone Roper tackled Eric Svenson on the 22. On the fourth down, Stockel’s pass into the endzone was batted away by Jeffy Charles and Tommy Lee and the Tigers had held.
THE TIGERS HOLD EM: Tommy Lee (11) and Jeffy Charles to the left of Mr. Lee, have just combined to swat away a 4th down pass to stop the relentless John Jay drive in the first quarter. White Plains stopped three John Jay drives inside the red zone. Photo by WPCNR Sports
John Jay stopped the Tigers on the next series at the Tiger 32, and a punt gave John Jay the ball back on the 50. The Indians drove to the Tiger 32, attempted to punt, but Gerard Bryant blocked the Indian punt and the Tigers took over at the 50.
Gilmartin-Donahue was sacked on the Tigers first play, and two incompletions later, White Plains punted. John Jay took over on downs at their own 30.
40 Yard Rumble.
On a third and 1 from the Jay 39, Bohlander on a quick hitter off tackle, burst into the Tiger secondary and ran 40 yards down the middle to the Tiger 21, breaking tackles all the way, and the quarter ended one play later, the Tigers down 7-0.
On 2nd and 7, Bohlander went off tackle to the 15, setting up a 3rd and 3. The Tigers held, setting up a 4th down and 3 from the 15. Dan Sheeran swept around left end to the 2 yard line. I mean the speed at which John Jay got outside all night was something to see. Sheeran then swept around left end again for the second touchdown with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. They added the conversion and it was 14-0.
The Breaker.
Jeffy Charles returned the kickoff to the White Plains 40. Then came the crucial play. On a pitchback halfback option play, Two John Jays burst in on the Tiger back and in his desperation to avoid a big loss he threw the ball. It was tipped, fluttered in the air.
Not a good thing, The Jays' Chris Costello leaped at the line and intercepted giving John Jay a first
down on the White Plains 40.
Then the roof fell in on another John Jay big play.
On the next play, Stockel threw a 36 yard pass to Dan Sheeran who caught it at the 10 on the sideline, deftly coming back from the Tiger defender to make the catch and they had a first and goal on the 4.
Sheeran then rolled into the endzone on the textbook sweep. John Jay added the point and it was 21-0 with 8:44 to go in the half.
White Plains made one goal line stand before halftime, halting John Jay on one more bid.
THE WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND (The Best Band in All the Land) held the stands spellbound at halftime. Photo by WPCNR Sports
The Tigers had the ball to start the second half but again could not move past the 50. Jordan Griffith intercepted a pass in the endzone to thwart another John Jay score, but the Indians added another 6 at the close of the Third Quarter.
The synthetic turf enhances the speed of John Jay, and the Tiger pursuit was several steps behind the entire evening. But this club is a very good team. The double threat of Sheeran and Bohlander is hard to defend against, and the running plays are executed with crispness. They are a threat to score on every play.
White Plains falls to 4-3 on the season.
A word about synthetic turf.
Because White Plains is considering synthetic turfing for three of its athletic fields: Parker Stadium, Loucks Field and Eastview, I want to go on the record as saying it gives you a tremendous advantage. You never make a bad cut. You always have sure footing and it enhances your speed. This was very apparent in last night's game. It makes a fast back faster, it is a tremendous offensive advantage. The offensive line can dig in and get a jump start.
Conversely, it slows down the defensive reaction time. White Plains which has contained sweeps fair to middlin against New Rochelle and Gorton, could not contend with the extra bursts John Jay showed them on sweeps tonight.
Does anyone recall when synthetic turf first came in to the NFL? Dallas used it. So did the Houston Oilers of the old AFL in the Astrodome. On synthetic turf they were unbeatable. Remember how a baseball shoots through a synthetic turf field and the infielders cannot get to it? Same thing with running backs, blockers and receivers. They fly. I have to guess their acceleration off the flat is enhanced by at least a half second. John Jay is very enhanced by their synthetic turf because they know where they are going and you the defense do not, and the synthetic turf slows your reaction time.
May I suggest that all playoff games be on neutral sites? Why? Because there are not many synthetic turf fields, and the team that is used to playing on one has a big time advantage.
