Raiders’ defense smothers the Redskins 35 to 0
Jeremy Wilson rushes for 161 yards against Canisteo-Greenwood

   Jeremy Wilson made the most of his Senior night experience as he raced through the Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins’ defense for 161 yards. Equally impressive was the effort put forth by the Raider defense. Cal-Mum swarmed the Redskins’ offense, limiting them to only 47 rushing yards on the night. So relentless was the Raider rushing defense C-G lost yardage on 16 of its 34 rushing attempts.

   The Redskins opened the contest with possession of the ball at the C-G 19-yard line. The C-G offense was in immediately in trouble. Two negative rushing plays plus adding in a penalty forced C-G to punt from its own 13-yard line. A short punt gave Cal-Mum the ball at the C-G 29-yard line. Three Jeremy Wilson runs in a row moved the ball to the C-G 2-yard line. Dave Fox took the ball the final 2-yards as he crashed into the end zone for the opening score of the game. The Raiders’ two-point conversion run failed but Cal-Mum took a 6 to 0 lead with 7:41 left in the 1st quarter.

   The Redskins’ 2nd offense possession started well as consecutive runs by Mark Ahearn and Matt Mills produced 20 rushing yards, as C-G moved the ball to the Raider 49-yard line. Once again two plays for negative yardage combined with a 5-yard penalty forced the Redskins to give up the ball. C-G’s punter, Brandon Larnard’s second punt of the night was a much better effort, down to the CM 37-yard line. The next Raider possession would revolve around fullback John Marozzi. A Chris Voos to Marozzi screen pass produced a 29-yard gain but a Raider block in the back penalty negated much of the yardage as Cal-Mum was now at the C-G 35-yard line. Two more Marozzi runs in the next three plays would produce 18 rushing yards, moving the ball down to the C-G 15-yard line. John Marozzi would end the drive when he took a pitch to the right, reverses his field and cuts back across the middle of the field for the Raider TD. A Chris Voos to Dave Fox pass was good for the 2-point conversion as Cal-Mum extended its lead to 14 to 0.

   The defensive woes of Canisteo-Greenwood continued as it had difficulty moving the ball against the Raider defense. The Raiders started their next drive with good field position at the CM 42-yard line. Darryl Mitchell opened the series with a counter play that he broke into the Redskins’ secondary. While being tackled, Mitchell was stripped of the ball and the Redskins recovered the loose ball at the C-G 20-yard line, finally stopping the Raider offense.

   The Raiders’ defense continued their assault on the Redskins’ offense and with the help of a personal foul call, C-G was forced to punt from their own 5-yard line. Again, a poor punt gave the Raiders excellent field position at the C-G 20-yard line. Three plays later, a 6-yard pass from Chris Voos to his tight end, Brian Sinclair, produced a touchdown. Zack Hinkson’s extra-point boot was good and the Raiders were in command 21 to 0.

   The Redskins’ offense was given a real shot in the arm during the next series when quarterback Mark Ahearn ripped off a 30-yard run, down to the CM 44-yard line. Though the Redskins could not capitalize on Ahearn’s run, the ensuing punt by Brandon Larnard would pin the Raiders back deep in their own end at the CM 1-yard line. The Raiders would rely in its power rushing to move the ball out to the CM 19-yard line before punting back to the Redskins. Thought the ball drive did not move the ball very far, it did take 3:58 off the time clock. The Redskins could do little with the remaining 1:40 left on the clock before halftime as they went to the locker room trailing Cal-Mum 21 to 0.

   Jeremy Wilson started the Raider off fast in the 2nd half when he took the kick off at his 15-yard line and scooted 30 yards, to the C-G 45-yard line. Jeremy Wilson would be the featured back of the drive as he accounted for 54 yards rushing, the drive marred only by a Raider 15-yard personal foul. Wilson’s rushing effort brought the Raiders to the Redskins’ doorstep, on the C-G 6-yard line. Chris Voos would take the ball the final 6-yards on a rollout keeper for the touchdown. Jeremy Wilson would collect the 2-point conversion for Cal-Mum as the Raiders lead increased to 29 to 0 with only 2:23 gone in the 3rd quarter.

   Canisteo-Greenwood’s offensive fared better at the start of the 2nd half, mounting a drive to the CM 25-yard line. The drive highlight was a17-yard pass play from Mark Ahearn to Jeff Canfield. Though the Redskins would eventually turn the ball over to Cal-Mum, on downs, the Raiders would return the favor when on their very first play, they fumbled the ball right back over to the Redskins. C-G could do little with the opportunity and once again gave the ball back to Cal-Mum with now only 1:58 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

   Cal-Mum would go on a 10-play drive, taking 4:16 off the game clock. Jeremy Wilson would again shine during the drive as his 44-yard run brought the ball to the C-G 5-yard line. Wilson would once again get the Raiders on the scoreboard when he took the ball into the end zone from the CM 5-yard line. The extra-point attempt was missed as the Raiders closed out the scoring for the night 35 to 0.

   The remainder of the 4th quarter gave Coach Monacelli an opportunity to play the Raider reserves. The back-up players made a good account of themselves as they kept the Redskins out of the Raiders’ end zone.

   John Grann led the Cal-Mum defense with 14 tackles. Dave Fox recorded 11 stops while John Marozzi and Chris Voos contributed 10 tackles. Ben Soper was the leading tackler for Canisteo-Greenwood with 9 tackles, 5 of which were solo.

Next game, Friday: 7:30 p.m. at LeRoy
Go Raiders!

Raiders defeat Letchworth Indians 23 to 13
Hinkson’s field goal secures victory

   The Raiders were once again locked in a back and forth contest with their recent nemesis to the south, the Letchworth Indians. Clinging to a 20 to 13 lead, the Raiders had just dodged a bullet when they stopped an Indian drive inside the Cal-Mum 10-yard line, to open the 2nd half. Cal-Mum responded with a classic grind it out drive. Taking 9:08 off the game clock, the Raiders would drive down field, to the Indians 9-yard line. A delay of game penalty and an incomplete pass on the next play left the Raiders facing a 4th down and 12, from the Letchworth 17-yard line. Enter Zach Hinkson, the Raiders’ kicking specialist. Hinkson calmly drilled a 33-yard field goal from holder Chris Voos’ placement to give Cal-Mum a 10-point lead, 23 to 13. The pressure was now put squarely on the Indians’ offense, which was now force to score twice with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, against a stingy Raider defense. Though Letchworth made it interesting, as they would drive down to the CM 12-yard line. The Cal-Mum defense would again keep them out of the Raider end zone, preserving the victory.

   It was apparent from early on that this game was to be played out like so many of the recent Cal-Mum versus Letchworth contests. Hard-hitting defenses, looking for the big break against the opponent, because like in the past, neither team was going to allow the other team run away with this game. Offensively, a trio of runners led the Raiders; Jeremy Wilson, John Marozzi and David Fox combined for 206 tough yards, rushing. On the Letchworth side of the ball, do-everything quarterback Travis Tones was a nightmare to defend against as he accounted for 111 yards of rushing offense. Chris Voos led a stubborn Raider defense with 18 tackles.

   The Raiders received the opening kick-off and started their first drive of the night at the CM 33-yard line. An opening play, Chris Voos to Jeremy Wilson pass, in the left flat was good for 14 yards and moved the ball to the CM 47-yard line. Jeremy Wilson and John Marozzi would share the next 5 plays, moving the ball to the Letchworth 37-yard line. Quarterback Chris Voos would then find his tight end, Brian Sinclair, open in the middle of the field, behind the Indian linebackers and he delivered a strike. Sinclair would catch the ball and run up field, to the Indians’ 7-yard line before being brought down. Running back John Marozzi would cap off the drive when he dove into a pile of Letchworth defenders at the goal line, breaking the plane of the end zone, for the Raiders’ opening score. The two-point conversion pass was no good and the Raiders led 6 to 0 with 7:18 remaining in the 1st quarter.

   Alan Bookmiller’s kickoff return to the Letchworth 45-yard line gave Letchworth excellent field position to start the Indians’ first offensive possession. Using running back Chris Nevinger, 8 out of the next 10 plays, the Indians drove down to the CM 17-yard line. There the Indians changed pace as QB Travis Tones’ pass found a wide-open Shawn Coveny in the end zone, compliments of a Raider defender who has slipped and fallen. Tones was not able to convert on the PAT kick but the Indians were tied at 6 with the Raiders, with 1:04 left in the 1st quarter.

   The Raiders quickly responded to the Letchworth score. Starting at the CM 30-yard line, Jeremy Wilson ran a counter play 22 yards, to the Letchworth 46-yard line. John Marozzi quickly followed with a 29-yard run as he swept right and cut back across the field, and dragged two Indians the final 5 yards, down to the Indian 14-yard line. Wilson’s sweep to the left moved the ball to the Indians’ 2-yard line. Dave Fox finished off the drive with a 2-yard run up the middle. The Raiders went with Zach Hinkson for the extra-point try and Hinkson delivered, giving the Raiders the lead again, 13 to 6, at the 10:53 mark of the 2nd quarter.

   The Raiders would stop the next Indians offensive possession, forcing a punt. The Raider offense took over at the CM 11-yard line. The Indians were then beneficiaries of a Raider miscue. On a Raider quarterback sneak that looked to be going for good yardage when the ball was punched out of Chris Voos grasp and Indian Travis Tones fell on the loose ball at the CM 20-yard line. Tones made the Raiders pay for the turnover when he dashed up the middle of the Raider defense on a 15-yard touchdown run. Tones’ extra-point kick was good and once again the teams were tied, at 13 apiece.

   The Indians looked to have momentum going on their way and with the help of a Raider penalty, they stopped Cal-Mum’s next offensive series, 3 plays and out. The Raiders’ ensuing punt was returned by Frank Day who was hit hard and had the ball stripped, causing an Indian fumble. Raider, Kevin Keenan jumped on the loose ball at the Letchworth 37-yard line. Quickly the Raiders had regained the momentum in the game and had 4:00 left on the clock before half time. A seven-play drive was finished off when Chris Voos rolled out right and not finding any open receivers, sprinted to the front corner of the Letchworth end zone, scoring with 9 ticks left on the clock. Zack Hinkson came in and added the extra-point as the Raiders went to the locker room with a 20 to 13 lead.

   The Indians open the 2nd half with possession of the ball, at the Letchworth 31-yard line. The Indians slowly pushed the Raider defense back into their own territory. The big play of the drive was a 24-yard pass from Travis Tones to Karter Button, down to the CM 42-yard line. Consecutive runs by Tones picked up another 19 yards, to the Raiders’ 23-yard line. There is where the Raider defense stiffened. The Raiders finally ended the Indian threat when on 4th down, a Travis Tones pitch to Chris Nevinger was stopped, turning the ball back over to the Raiders at the CM 9-yard line.

   Cal-Mum would now go on one of the longest drives, in both plays and in duration, that any recent Raider team has had in quite some time. Sharing the running duties between Jeremy Wilson, John Marozzi, Dave Fox and Chris Voos, the Raiders used the final 7:13 left on the 3rd quarter clock and more than 1:30 at the start of the 4th quarter before the Raiders finally settled on the Zach Hinkson field goal. For those who enjoy hard-hitting, scratching and clawing for extra yardage plays and a defense determined not to allow a score, this drive was a thing of beauty. The x-factor in the end, was the foot of Zach Hinkson. The 23 to 13 Raider lead at the end of the drive put Letchworth in a big hole.

   Letchworth would not go away quietly and when Buck Hendrickson returned the Raider kick off to the Letchworth 40-yard line, it was Travis Tones Time, again for the Raider defense. Tones would have a hand in the next 8 Letchworth plays, eventually giving the Indians a 1st down at the CM 16-yard line. Once again the Raider defense dug in and would not allow the Indians to score and when Quincy Pringle was dropped for a 3-yard loss on a 4th down play, the Raiders took over on downs at the CM 11-yard line, with only 4:22 remaining in the game.

   The Raider offense ran conservative plays during their last series, keeping the clock moving. Letchworth would force a 4th down and Raider Zach Hinkson’s pressure punt drove the ball out over the midfield with only 1:22 remaining in the game. The Raider defense then teed off, knowing that the Indians had to pass, sacking Tones two more times before the time clock expired on a 23 to 13 Raider victory.

   The Raiders were led on offense by: Jeremy Wilson with 78 yards on 15 carries, John Marozzi with 70 yards on 14 carries and David Fox with 58 yards on 12 carries. The Raider ended the evening with 232 yards rushing against a very good Letchworth defense. Chris Voos had a 3 for 4 passing night, good for 45 yards. Travis Tones 111 yards rushing was complimented by Chris Nevinger’s 54 yards in 12 carries. Tones also chipped in 59-yards of passing offense, with a 5 for 12 passing effort.

   Chris Voos led the Raider defense with 18 tackles, followed by Darryl Mitchell and John Grann with 13 tackles apiece and Brian Sinclair and David Fox with 12 tackles to their credit. Evan Sylor led the Indians with 15 tackles followed closely by Adam Luczak with 13 tackles.

   Cal-Mum closes its regular season home schedule this coming Friday night against the Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins. This Senior Night game will feature the introduction of all the senior football players, senior cheerleaders and also the presentation of two special awards, in a pre-game ceremony. Come to Hamilton Field Sports Complex on Friday night to honor all of these young men and women for all the hard work that they put into their sport, in the name of Caledonia-Mumford. Go Raiders!

Junior Raiders blitz LeRoy 38 to 0
26 point 1st quarter stuns the Knights
25 September 2008

Tyler Lauffer – 223 yards rushing , 3 rushing touchdowns
Madison Suhr – 1 rushing TD, 1 interception TD, 1 fumble recovery
John Kemnitz – 12 tackles

A battle of unbeatens, Cal-Mum 24, Avon 19

   In a game that featured a contrast in offensive styles, the fans at Hamilton Field Sports Complex were held in suspense by what seemed to be the never-ending shifts in momentum. The Avon Braves offense featured a big play passing offense, while the Cal-Mum’s offense was predicated on a grind it out, smash mouth rushing type of attack. Along the way, there were over 20 offensive plays longer than 10 yards in the contest. It was not until late in the game, with the outcome still in the balance that Raider Chris Voos’ drive ending interception at the Cal-Mum 10-yard line, with but 0:32 left to play, finally sealed the Braves’ fate. The game was one of the most exciting contests yet to be held at the Hamilton Field Sports complex. I think that it would be safe to say that these two football squads, who battled neck and neck all night long, are surely meant to meet again in the coming Sectionals. Congratulations to the Braves for a great effort. To the Cal-Mum Raiders, enjoy the victory and start focusing on the Letchworth Indians.

   Fullback Jon Marozzi led the Cal-Mum offense on the night. Jon accounted for 152 rushing yards in 21 attempts. All night long, when it appeared that the Braves had Marozzi stopped, Jon’s continually churning legs carried Braves, sometimes on his back, for extra yardage. His refusal to be stopped, at times extended several of the long Raider drives.

   Though Avon quarterback Max Barrett had plenty of help, he was ultimately, the offense for the Braves. Barrett accounted for all of the 279 yards of the Braves’ total offensive production, 203 yards passing yards on a 13 for 33 passing performance to go along with his 76 yards of rushing. A defensive coordinator’s nightmare, Barrett was none the less, entertaining to watch play. In fact, so prolific was his passing performance, Barrett closed the contest with 13 consecutive passes!

   The Raiders received the opening kick-off but the offense could only generate but one 1st down and the Raiders were forced to punt. Garrett Kessel’s punt return, setup Avon’s first offensive series at the Avon 37-yard line. Following a first down, Barrett would then hit Dylan DiPasqual with a 17-yard pass, down to the CM 26-yard line. Two plays later, Max Barrett finished off the drive as he took a quarterback keeper 12 yards, right up the center of the Cal-Mum defense, for the Avon touchdown. Avon’s extra-point attempt failed and with 6:20 remaining in the 1st quarter, Avon had jumped out to an early 6 to 0 lead.

   On Cal-Mum’s next offensive possession, starting with the ball at the CM 30-yard line, Jon Marozzi ripped off of a 20 yard run. On Marozzi’s third carry of the game, he was hit at the line of scrimmage, he then managed to stay on his feet and picked up nine more yards, down to the Avon 25-yard line. The Avon defense then stiffened. Cal-Mum’s 4th down and 5 run attempt was snuffed out for a 3-yard loss, giving the ball back to Avon at the Avon 33-yard line.

   Max Barrett immediately went back to work with a 10-yard pass to Garrett Kessel, good for a 1st down at the A 43-yard line. Barrett would again find an open receiver as his 24-yard pass, over the middle to DJ Welch, moved the ball down to the Cal-Mum 33-yard line. The Raider defense would finally start to adjust to the Braves offense, stopping the drive at the CM 33-yard line. Avon’s punt pinned the Raiders deep into their own end of the field, at the CM 8-yard line.

   Starting the 2nd quarter, disaster nearly befell the Raiders, on the ensuing possession. The Raider offense initially strung together two 1st downs, moving the ball from the shadow of their own goal posts, to the CM 30-yard line. Facing a 3rd down and 10, Raider quarterback Chris Voos’ pass attempt was deflected at the line of scrimmage with Braves’ Dylan DiPasquale coming down with the interception at the Raider 28-yard line. Two plays later, Barrett again burned the Raider defense when he found an open Garrett Kesel, in a post pattern and Barrett completed a 23-yard pass, down to the CM 4-yard line. The Raiders appeared to be headed for a two-touchdown deficit and they quickly needed to make some plays to keep the Braves out of the Raider end zone. Avon committed a costly personal foul on 4th down at the CM 1-yard line. The penalty forced the Braves into a 4th down and goal to go from the 16, situation. The pass attempt was incomplete and the Raiders had dodged a bullet as they took over possession at their own 16-yard line.

   The defensive stop of the Avon drive swung the momentum over to the Raiders’ side. The Raider offense then began to click. In a 9-play, statement making drive, the Raiders ran the ball right at the Braves’ defense. Behind the running of Jeremy Wilson and Jon Marozzi, Cal-Mum offense rolled steadily down the field. Featured in the drive was a 17-yard rollout keeper to the right by QB Chris Voos and a 25-yard cut back run by Marozzi. Jon Marozzi would finish off the drive with an 8-yard run off the right tackle. The 2-point conversion run failed but the drive had tied the game at 6 to 6. Avon could not move the ball in the final 2-minutes of the 1st half, as both teams were content to go into halftime, knotted up at 6.

   The Raider defense played better to open the 2nd half of the game and when Jeremy Wilson picked off an errant Max Barrett pass attempt at the CM 33-yard line and returned it to the A 42-yard line, the Raider offense was back in business. On the Raiders’ 1st play of the 2nd half, Chris Voos picked up 19-yards, down to the Avon 19-yard line. Three consecutive runs put the ball at the Avon 1-yard line. On a 3rd and goal, Jon Marozzi carried the ball over the end line. A dead-ball personal foul call on the TD made for a difficult extra-point kick and the subsequently extra-point kick failed. With 7:07 left in the 3rd quarter the score stood at Cal-Mum 12, Avon 6.

   The Braves’ offense took the field again determined to match the Raider score. Max Barrett hit Dylan DiPasquale for a 14-yard pass completion. John Housel made a circus catch when two different players tipped the ball before Housel snatched the ball out of the air, then running the ball to the CM 49-yard line. Max Barrett once again performed some more of his magic as he raced 27-yards down to the Raider 2-yard line. The Raider defense again came up big as they dug in and refused to allow the Braves to score. In what was probably the pivotal series of the game, the Raider defense stood tall. An illegal procedure penalty on 2nd down, push the Braves back 5-yards. A run up the middle gained no yardage and a 3rd down sweep to the right lost 2-yards. On the 4th down passing attempt, a scrambling Max Barrett who ran right, stopped and threw a low pass back to his left, into the end zone. He just missed his mark. In a close play, the ball was ruled trapped by an official and the Raiders had again dodged a bullet and took over possession at the 9-yard line. The Braves bench was accessed a 15-yard penalty on the 4th down pass play as they vigorously opposed the incomplete pass call.

   The Raiders once again stole the momentum back from Avon as they started their next offensive series at the CM 24-yard line. In a classic Cal-Mum grind it out, use the clock drive, the Raiders put together an 11-play and 5 minutes and 35 second drive. The Raider drive kept the potent Braves’ offense off the field and on the bench. Jon Marozzi would again prove invaluable as his big 31-yard run moved the Raiders into scoring position at the Avon 8-yard line. Three plays later Marozzi finished the drive off with his second 1-yard touchdown run of the game. Once again the Raiders failed to convert the 2-point conversion but they held what looked to be a safe 18 to 6 advantage over the Braves.

   With 10:29 remaining in the game and staring at a 12-point deficit, the Braves came out, with their passing guns a blazing. Starting at the Avon 37-yard line the Braves began their version of a classic drive, though it would be by the pass. A 14-yard catch by Dylan DiPasquale along with a big 4th down, 21-yard pass completion to Garrett Kesel set the stage for the Avon Braves to creep back into this game. A leaping Garrett Kesel caught Max Barrett’s 29-yard, high floating pass in the right front corner of the Raider end zone. Kesel who out-jumped the Cal-Mum defenders, came down with the ball for the TD and quieted the hometown crowd. Avon’s extra point kick was good and what a minutes earlier appeared to be a safe margin, was once again, anybody’s game.

   The Braves’ defense was playing inspired ball as they stopped a gambling Raiders offense on a 4th and 1 at the CM 39-yard line. Momentum was on the side of the Braves. Avon was looking for the quick strike following the defensive stop. Max Barrett’s first pass attempt bounced off of his receiver’s hands and into the waiting arms of Raider Dave Nasradinaj. Nasradinaj sprinted, untouched, 65-yards into the Braves end zone for the Raider score. For the 3rd time on the night the Raiders failed on the 2-point conversion attempt but with 5:44 remaining, Cal-Mum was back on top 24 to 13.

   Talk about back and forth action in the game. It was never more apparent as when Avon responded to Nasradinaj’s explosion with an explosion of their own. Garrett Kesel took the Raiders’ kickoff to the house as he weaved his way up the Avon sideline, dodging and shedding a couple of tacklers for a 90-yard kickoff return, good for the Avon touchdown. Avon’s 2-point conversion attempt was no good but with the score at 24 to 19, the teams were back to where they were before with only 10 seconds coming off the time clock.

   The Raiders took possession of the ball at the CM 33-yard line following the Avon kickoff return. The plan was to run the ball and run out the clock. A 5-yard penalty would make that task more difficult. Chris Voos picked up 11-yards but the next rushing attempt garnered only 2-yards. On 4th down and 1 to go at the CM 48-yard line the Braves stuffed the run up the middle turning the ball over to Avon with only 150 ticks remaining on the clock. Certainly more than enough time for the quick strike Avon offense.

   An 11-yard pass from Barrett to Pat Campbell moved the ball to the CM 41-yard line before Raiders made the final big defensive play of the night. Chris Voos was shadowing the Avon receiver when he stepped in front of the Barrett pass attempt, intercepting it and ending the Braves final hope for victory. Chris Voos then took the knee for the Raiders to finish off the game, a 25 to 19 Cal-Mum victory.

   Brian Sinclair had his most statically productive defensive game of the season with his 13-tackle effort. Jon Grann with 11 and David Fox with 10 were the other defensive leaders in tackles. Pat McKeown and Matt McBride were the Braves defensive stars with 13 and 10 tackles respectively. In addition to Marozzi’s 152 rushing yards, Jeremy Wilson added 95 yards to a team total of 305 yards rushing. Greg Kesel was Barrett’s favorite target with 7 receptions for 105 yards.

   The Raiders travel to Letchworth this coming Friday nigh for a match up with the Letchworth Indians. The Indians upset last year’s Raider team in the second round of the Sectionals and in fact have been a very difficult opponent for the Raiders over the past four years. It will take a strong effort from Cal-Mum if they are to defeat their rivals from the south. The Letchworth team should not be taken lightly. Get ready to play this Friday night! Go Raiders!

JVs sneak past Letchworth

Jon Kenmitz 20 tackles for Raiders. 
Raider defense stops Letchworth inside the five yard line late in the 4th quarter

   On a rainy and damp night at Hamilton Field Sports Complex the 2008 Raiders took a page from Cal-Mum teams of the past. The Raiders’ offense dominated the battle of the trenches and in the process, recorded 16 rushing 1st downs. The Raiders’ offensive line domination produced two 100-yard rushers for the second week in a row, Jeremy Wilson and David Fox. Cal-Mum’s offense for the night accounted for 351 rushing yards in 59 rushing attempts, good for a 5.9 yards per carry. Jeremy Wilson for the 2nd week in a row topped the rushing charts with 149 yards for the contest. Dave Fox was the rushing horse that the Raider offense rode in the 1st half as he accounted for 99 yards, in route to a 102-yard rushing night. Jon Marozzi, runner, turned blocker on the night, was a force from the fullback position as his solid blocks at the point of attack, opened the hole for many of Wilson and Fox’s long runs. Not to be lost in this effort was the strong blocking effort up front by the Raiders’ offensive line. Starters Brian Sinclair, Ken Bohn, Tom Gorrow, Kevin Pullyblank, Adam Baldeck and Matt Riggi. The big fellas were the difference in the game as their line work was what made possible the many Cal-Mum long drives on the night.

   Wellsville received the opening kick-off as Lion’s Dustin Faulkner returned the ball to the Wellsville 25-yard line. Following two rushing plays and an incomplete pass, Wellsville was forced to punt. Brian Depew’s punt was taken by Raider Jeremy Wilson at the CM 45-yard line and returned 10-yards to the Wellsville 45. The Raider offense began to hammer right away at the Lions’ defense. Moving deliberately down the field, never gaining more than 5-yards a run, Cal-Mum’s offense slowly moved into scoring position. Jeremy Wilson would eventually sweep left, into the end zone, for an apparent score but a false-start penalty would negate the effort. On a 4th down and goal to go from the W 7-yard line, a Chris Voos pass was picked off at the goal line by Lions’ Tom Hennessy, who made a nice return to the Wellsville 25-yard line. A personal foul call on the Raiders during the interception return gave the Lions excellent field position, on their own 40-yard line.

   Hennessey’s interception was a big play for the Lions as it stopped what had been an 11-play drive that had consumed 5:20 of the 1st quarter. Unfortunately, the Lions could not capitalized on their good field position as Raider linebacker, Jon Grann’s sack of Brian Depew on 3rd down, forced the Lions to punt.

   Depew’s 38-yard punt pinned the Raiders back deep in their own territory at the CM 24-yard line. David Fox quickly change the field position for the Raiders as he blew through a big hole in the middle of the Lions’ defense and was eventually hauled down 50-yards later at the Wellsville 20-yard line. Fox would then take a quick toss to the right and scamper 6-yard to the end zone, finishing off the scoring drive with 4 seconds gone in the 2nd quarter. Fox’s 2-point conversion run gave the Raiders an early 8 to 0 lead.

   Zack Hinkson’s long kick-off, down to the Lions 10-yard line was returned by Zac Roberts, to the W 17-yard line. Raider, Brian Sinclair was the man in the right spot for Cal-Mum as a tipped Lion pass was snagged out of the air by Sinclair, who returned it 12 yards, to the W 19-yard line. The Raider made the Lions pay dearly for the mistake when on Cal-Mum’s first play following the interception, Jeremy Wilson took a handoff and ran off right tackle for a 19-yard TD run. The 2-point conversion run was not good but the score pushed the Raider advantage to 14 to 0.

   The Lions started their 4th offensive possession at their own 38-yard line. Wellsville managed to move the ball some and recorded their initial 1st down, with the help of a Raider off-sides call. The Raider defense responded though and again forced the Lions to punt the ball back to Cal-Mum. Starting at the CM 37-yard line, Cal-Mum began a 10-play drive. Jeremy Wilson’s 24-yard run moved the ball to the Wellsville 35-yard line. From here the Raiders pounded the ball at the Wellsville defense. On a 4th down play from the Wellsville 1-yard line, fullback Jon Marozzi’s dive play into the end zone finished off the drive. Brian Sinclair’s catch of the 2-point conversion pass from Chris Voos made the score 22 to 0, Raiders, with 3:43 left in the 1st half.

   Another Zack Hinkson deep kick-off again pinned the Lions deep, at the W 16-yard line. Lions could do little with their last possession. With time running out, Wellsville punted the ball back to the Raiders, who in turn, ran out the remaining time on the clock, ending the 1st half.

   The Lions, looking to catch the Raiders sleeping, attempted an on-side kick to open the 2nd half of play. An alert Dave Aurand fell on the ball for the Raiders at the CM 45-yard line, giving the Raiders excellent field position to start the 2nd half. Jeremy Wilson was called on again as he ripped off a 17-yard run to the Wellsville 32-yard line. Wilson followed that effort up with a 23-yard quick pitch to the right moving the ball to the Lion’s 7-yard line. Another sweep by Wilson was met by a host of Lions who refused to allow Wilson to cross the goal line. On a 4th down play from the Wellsville 1-yard line, Jon Marozzi managed to break into the end zone. Though the Raiders once again failed to convert the 2-point conversion, Cal-Mum was in control of the contest, 28 to 0.

   The Lions had their proverbial backs against the wall and needed to score if they were to have any chance of a comeback. An inspired Wellsville offense took to the field following a Zack Roberts kick-off return to the W 32-yard line. Tom Hennessy, subbing for an injured Brian Depew took over control of the Lion offense. Changing gears along with the quarterback, the Lions went to their version of the winged-T offense. The Tom Hennessy move to the quarterback position paid instant dividends as he swept to the right and picked up 28 yards, down to the CM 35-yard line. The second late hit penalty of the night on the Raiders, following the Hennessy run, gave the Lions excellent field position at the Raiders’ 20-yard line. Lion’s big fullback, Chris Hess then bulled his way down to the CM-10 yard line giving Wellsville a 1st and goal to go. Wellsville cashed in on the drive on the next play as quarterback Hennessy’s pitch to the right was bobble and dropped by Christian Pace. Pace stayed focused on the ball and it took a nice Lions’ bounce, right back into to his hands. Pace raced the final 10 yards to the left side toward the end zone, crossing just inside of the pylon for the Lions’ initial score. The Lions’ 2-point conversion pass attempt was no good but the Lions had cut into the Raiders’ lead, 28 to 6.

   The Lion touchdown was a definite momentum swing and with lots of time remaining on the clock, you could see that Wellsville felt they were once again back in the game. The ensuing kick-off was marked by several very hard collisions, as four Wellsville players laid on the field following the play. The Raiders quickly took back the momentum of the game, when on this possession, they again went back to their power rushing game. Starting at the CM 41-yard line, the Raiders began another long drive. Alternating back and forth rushes among David Fox, Jon Marozzi and Jeremy Wilson the Raiders pushed the Lions back toward their goal line. Jeremy Wilson put an exclamation point on the drive when he took a pitch right, juked and made two Wellsville players miss him inside the 5-yard line before fighting through the remaining two Wellsville defenders, to just break the plane of the end zone, for the score. Though the Raiders again could not convert the 2-point conversion, they were again, back in control of the game, 34 to 6.

   Whatever vision of a comeback that the Lion may have held was completely dashed on their next offensive play. The first play following the Wellsville kickoff return, a Raider defender deflected Tom Hennessy’s pass attempt and then the ball was picked off by Jeremy Wilson. Wilson then raced 32-yards untouched, to the Wellsville end zone, for the Cal-Mum touchdown. Zack Hinkson closed out the Raider scoring on the night with the PAT as the Cal-Mum lead stood at 41 to 6 with 2:25 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

   The Lion would not give up and would piece together a 10-play drive. Chris Hess was the workhorse for the Wellsville offense as he managed to pick up some short yardage gains as well as breaking off a couple of long runs, helping move the Lions deep into Raider territory. Raiders Jon Grann and Darryl Mitchell would help derailed the late drive when they sacked Tom Hennessy for an 18-yard loss. A big stop on Chris Hess rushing attempt by John Grann snuffed out the final threat by the Lions. With nine minutes remaining in the contest, Coach Monacelli began subbing in for the starters. The Raider reserves made good account of themselves as they bent but did not yield a touchdown. Offensively, the reserves managed moved the ball well enough against the Wellsville starters to use the clock. Defensively, Dave Aurand stood out as he recorded two big solo tackles, stopping the Wellsville plays before they had a chance to develop. Back-up quarterback, Mike Anderson finished off the Raider’s victory as he led the Raiders’ last offensive possession for the final 3:56, eventually taking three knees, to run out the game clock.

   Defensively, four players led the Raiders on the night. Jon Grann and Dave Fox each recorded 13 tackles while Darryl Mitchell and Brian Sinclair accounted for 11 and 9 tackles, respectively. Nate Schrlau with 9 tackles, Tom Kasprzyk with 8 tackles and Austin Raykovitz also with 8 tackles led the Lions defense. Sophomore fullback Chris Hess was a force all night for Wellsville as he gained 79 yards in 11 attempts. I expect that we will hear more of Chris Hess in the next two years, as he is a hard runner and a load to bring down, once he starts running down hill. The Raider kicking game continues to be a bright spot as Zach Hinkson’s booming kickoffs and high punts are a welcome sight to all the Raider supporters.

   Cal-Mum will be facing off against their rival to the East, the Avon Braves, this Friday evening at Hamilton Field Sports Complex. The Braves are flying high with a 2-0 record with victories over York and Canisteo-Greenwood. 3-year starting quarterback, Max Barrett will be leading the Braves into the contest. The game should be exciting as the Braves bring with them a quick strike offense and a stingy defense. Expect another hard-hitting contest as both the Braves and the Raiders look to take control over the LCAA Division II standings. Game time is at 7:00 p.m. This is a big game for both teams and it is time now to wake up the Raider Nation, to come and support your team. Go Raiders!

Raider JV’s stop Avon 42 to 0
11 September 2008

Next up, Letchworth

Raiders defeat Cuba-Rushford in opener

   The Cal-Mum Raiders took the long bus trip this past Friday night to the southern tier, for the 2008 season opener against the Cuba-Rushford Rebels. The Raiders squared off against a Rebel football team that was coming off a very disappointing 0-7 season in 2007. It was obvious from the onset of the game that the Rebels had worked hard during the summer and the effort displayed Friday evening was commendable.

   The game could be described best by two words, hard-hitting and penalties. Hitting was at a premium as the contest featured several bone-crushing hits by both teams. The two teams also combined for 17 penalties, which contributed to the difficulty of both team to get any consistent offensive rhythm. Though the Raiders would for the most part, control the game, though it was noted by Coach Monacelli, in talking about C-R, "That team is going to win some games!"

   The Raiders were led on offense by senior running backs Jeremy Wilson and Jon Marozzi both of whom went over the 100-yard rushing mark with 102-yards and 101-yards, respectfully.

   The Raiders won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick-off. On the second offensive play of the game Cal-Mum fumbled the ball to C-R, giving the Rebels excellent field position at the C-M 44-yard line. The Rebels managed a first down before the Raider defense stiffened, forcing a Rebel field goal attempt. Theron Teuscher’s 40-yard attempt was wide left and the Raider offense took over at the C-M 25-yard line.

   The Raiders quickly went to work on their 2nd offensive possession. A quick-pitch left to Jeremy Wilson, who followed Jon Marozzi down the left sideline, produced a 27-yard gain. Dave Fox then picked up 7-yards along with an unsportsmanlike penalty against Cuba-Rushford tacked on, putting Cal-Mum at the C-R 21-yard line. Jon Marozzi picked up a 1st down to the C-R 9-yard line. Jeremy Wilson’s 9-yard sweep to the left capped off the drive as he scored the games first points with 4:00 left in the 1st quarter. Chris Voos then rolled out to his right and sprinted into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and an 8 to 0 Raider lead.

   The Rebels were the beneficiaries of a Cal-Mum roughing the punter penalty call on the second C-R offensive series. Cuba-Rushford made the Raiders pay for the mistake as Josh Urmson hit a wide-open Brandon Slater, compliments of two colliding Raider defensemen, with a nice pass. Slater then sprinted untouched 55-yards to the end zone for the score. Theron Teuscher’s point-after attempt was wide but the Rebels had cut the Raider’s advantage to two at 8 to 6.

   The 2nd quarter was dominated by Cal-Mum as the Raiders strung together two scoring drives. Early in the quarter the Raiders drove to the Cuba-Rushford 12-yard line. Quarterback Chris Voos found tight-end Brian Sinclair in a crossing pattern, over the middle. Voos delivered a quick pass to the open Sinclair who slashed into the end zone for the score. The Raiders 2-point conversion run failed but Cal-Mum once again had an 8-point cushion, at 14 to 6.

   The Rebel offense felt the pressure from the Raider defensive rush on their next possession. The Raiders forced the Rebels back to their 13-yard line after starting the drive at the C-R 21-yard line. The intense defensive pressure forced the Rebels to punt the ball back to Cal-Mum. The Raiders started their next drive at the C-M 42-yard line. The Raider offense finally got in gear and went on a 5 minute 30 second, 12-play drive. Once again, using a power running attack, the Raiders slowly moved the ball down field into scoring position at the C-R 12-yard line. Dave Fox carried the ball the final 12 yards for the Raider TD. Jeremy Wilson added the 2-point conversion on a run off tackle. With less than a minute and a half remaining, the Rebels could do little with their final possession of the half and went into halftime trailing Cal-Mum by a 22 to 6 score.

   The 2nd half of the contest was a struggle for both offenses. The Rebels had difficulty moving the ball against a steady and strong Cal-Mum defense while at the same time the Raider offense was shooting itself in the proverbial foot with several illegal procedure penalties and a crucial quarterback sack by the Rebels.

   The Raiders did finally get their offense on track with the help of a C-R turnover, early in the 4th quarter. Dave Nasradinaj created the opportunity when he pounced on a Cuba-Rushford fumble, at the C-R 39-yard line. The Raider offense went back to its bread and butter, the power ground attack, picking up 3 and 4 yards a carry and using the clock. Jon Marozzi capped off the drive with a beautifully blocked run off left tackle. Marozzi fought two Rebel defenders for the last few yards before crossing the end line. Raider Zach Hickson added the final points of the contest when his PAT split the uprights giving the Raiders a 29 to 6 lead.

   The Rebels had just 5:20 left on the game clock and to their credit, they refused to quit. Cuba-Rushford put together their best offensive drive of the evening during this last possession. Rebel quarterback Josh Urmson passing arm caught fire, as he would hit his receivers with passes on 3 of his next 4 passing attempts. The Rebels’ offense would move all the way down to the Raiders 3-yard line before the drive finally ran out of gas and turned the ball back over to Cal-Mum after a failed 4th down rushing attempt. The Raiders would make a 1st down, thereby keeping possession of the ball and running out the final two minutes, to end the contest.

   In addition to Jeremy Wilson and Jon Marozzi’s 100-yard rushing efforts for Cal-Mum, Dave Fox ran effectively as he picked up 43 yards in 8 carries. Quarterback Chris Voos passed for 31 yards on a 3 for 4 passing, to go along with a TD pass to Brian Sinclair. The Rebels rushing offense featured Evan Smith who picked up 48 tough yards, on 17 rushing attempts. Josh Urmson had a good passing night with 103 yards on a 5 for 9 effort. Defensively, Jon Grann and David Fox were the Raider tackle leaders with 16 and 15. The trio of Andy Greenawalt, Josh Shoff and Zach Clark, all with 10 tackles led the Rebels on defense. The Raiders also got a lift from junior kicking specialist, Zach Hinson, whose punts and long kick-offs help put the Rebels in poor field position during the game.

   The road to the Sectionals will become a bit more difficult when the Wellsville Lions visit the Hamilton Field Sports Complex this coming Friday night. The Lions opened some eyes Friday night with a big victory over the powerhouse of late, Bolivar-Richburg. The Raiders will need to cut down on the penalties and eliminate the mistakes if they hope to defeat the Lions from the Southern Tier. Game time for the Wellsville game is 7:00 pm Friday night. It should be an exciting contest as the Raiders look to go 2 and 0 on the season. Go Raiders!

Raider JV’s run past York

Lauffer scores 4 touchdowns as Raiders win 48 to 14
6 September 2008