TEAM MITCH: 30 - CARD'S CLUB: 23 |
--Nov. 28 Frankfort, NY A.P. Sports -- In an ironic twist of fate, today's victors weren't named Victor at all. In one of the bigger loads of stuffing this holiday season the much speedier Team Mitch jumped out to an early first quarter lead that they (being filthy Indian givers) were simply not prepared to give up. Card's Club took the rock to start the game off and marched it down field until they stalled in the shadow of Team Mitch's end zone and were forced to settle for a 27 yard Chad Binney field goal. On the ensuing kick-off however, Coach Larold Jay established what role that speed would play in the upcoming contest when he appeared to return the offering for a six-pack of points and the lead. Coach Jay much to his own dismay was ruled out of bounds around the forty yard line and T.M was forced to take over there. T.M. signal caller Tony Bonvino took over from there. He quickly went to work and hooked up with Coach Jay for completions of fifteen and ten yards, a play later Coach Jay took the pitch from Bonvino off tackle right and scampered in from about ten yards out for pay-dirt. Bonvino converted the option for two and T.M. never looked back. On C.C.'s ensuing drive pill-chucker managed to avoid disaster as Jon Caiola mishandled what appeared to be an easy interception, Card later ran the ball in himself and C.C. briefly held a 9-8 lead as the two point conversion off a fake kick was stuffed in the backfield by a host of Team Mitch savages...er, tacklers. The next drive saw one of the more spectacular plays of the day as former all state selection Mitch made a circus like catch on a ball previously destined for Fred Vivacqua and six the other way. Three plays later Boner rolled right and back left until he found an open John Belmont on one of the many controversial plays converted by Team Mitch. Boner hooked up with Dan Murray , "the dirtiest player in the game" on a quick slant to pick up the deuce. The next possession for C.C. saw a jarring beginning and end to the much anticipated Shocker-Zogby matchup as Chris Belmont stuck a then dazedFrank Zogby where he caught it, which seemed to effect Frank for the rest of the game. Mitch and J.B. took notice and also came to life delivering solid hits on consecutive plays despite positive gains by C.C. In perhaps the game's pivotal play Danny Murray then hauled in his first of two interceptions at the goal line to prevent what seemed like an inevitable score and turned it into six more points, as a wideout pass from Mitch back to Bonvino skipped off four opposing team hands before being caught. T.M. took advantage and hit Coach Jay on a quick route who then went forty yards for the touchdown; the two point try was stuffed on a nice play by Goo Hyatt. The half ended with another Dan Murray interception leaving the score at 22-9 in favor of Team Mitch. With the game threatening to get out of hand as T.M. was poised to put another tally on the board with possession to start the second half; Card's Club called in a couple favors from "Big Mo" to get a stop, a streaking Mitch ran out of bounds on a sure touchdown, followed by a fumble and minimal gain by Chip capped off by a horrendous snap, a thirty yard loss and qb sack for C.C. stalwart Matt Woody. In one of the more confusing situations Team Mitch elected to try and convert on 4th and 40 and eventually came up short, giving possession to C.C. just outside the 35 yard line. Card took off up the middle and surprised the momentarily fatigued defense with six points and a now one score game. Team Mitch ever the sportsmen went right back to work and despite a few massive shots from Card found the endzone again this time on a short out to John Belmont and again on the two point play to Danny Murray, widening the gap once again to 30-15. An excellent return by Fred Vivacqua quickly put C.C. in a position to score until disaster struck and an opportunistic Boner turned a Goo Hyatt completion into a strip and possession going the other way. C.C. would not give up however, as a host of tacklers led by Matt Woody stopped the speedy Coach Jay for no gain, setting up a pivotal interception by Freddie V. with his back to the end zone. Card's Club quickly broke out the K-Zone early in the 4th quarter and after solid gains by Card's favorite targets Fred Vivacqua and Matt Woody, Card found an until then quiet Kirk Murphy with a forty yard strike leaving C.C. just shy of the end zone. Once again Card called his own number and plowed in from the one, and on one of the games niftier plays found Woody in the endzone for two more points setting up a one score game at 30-23. But the clock was no friend of Card's Club, and countless times Bonvino managed to escape pressure and kept the drive alive with what otherwise would have been great plays had it not been for a one Dan Murray who lined up offsides on a huge fourth down conversion to John Belmont and later a second fourth down conversion which was reminiscent of the "Music City Miracle" only this time there is conclusive evidence that (A) Danny was offsides and (B) Boner's "pitch" to Mitch was indeed a forward pass thus rendering Mitch's second completion of the day an "illegal forward pass" and would have resulted in a hefty loss of yards and a turnover. But this writer is not bitter. And although Team Mitch was eventually stopped on a fourth down play which saw Danny Murray drop a touchdown easily inside of field goal range for Cheech who successfully pinned C.C. deep all day with his booming kickoffs, Card's Club was a victim of the rules as they could not stop the clock and eventually came up short of the endzone garnering bragging rights in the already fabled TURKEY BOWL II. |
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