November 22, 2014
www.timesofti.com
Times of Ti - 23
Ticonderoga football season ends against Cambridge/Salem
By Keith Lobdell
keith@denpubs.com SCHUYLERVILLE Ñ It was not a matter of who blinked first, but more of not blinking at all. Unfortunately for the Ticonderoga Sentinel varsity football team, punting the ball back to Cambridge/Salem on their first drive of the game would be the difference as the Indians scored a 56-35 victory over the Sentinels in the Class D regional finals Nov. 15. The Indians never finished any of their eight possessions with anything less than seven points, while the Sentinels would score five of the next six times they had possession (one possession coming just at the end of the first half they did not score on) before a desperation turnover in the fourth. Ò They were very explosive and they did whatever they wanted to do offensively,Ó Ticonderoga head coach Scott Nephew said. Ò We went to our bone set in the second half and were more physical than them when we had the ball, but we could not stop them.Ó After falling behind 14-0 and seeing Garrison Hughes miss the next possession, Konner Bruce ran the ball seven times for 52 yards, including a 13-yard scoring rush. Brody Rocque had a key third-and-five completion on the drive. Bruce added scoring runs of five and 64 yards as the senior tailback finished with 35 carries for 303 yards. Ò Konner has been great for us all year,Ó Nephew said. Ò He worked hard in the off season to get ready for this year.Ó Hughes returned under center to start the second half and opened the scoring with a one yard run. He would finish 1-of-4 passing for two yards and an interception while running five times for 70 yards and returning six kicks for a total of 115. Rocque would add a fourth quarter score, driving through Indian defenders to score from 22 yards out. He finished with 32 yards rushing, while Ryan Trudeau added 24 on seven carries. Overall, the Sentinels held a 429-422 advantage on the ground, but were unable to make up for a 159-10 difference in passing yardage or the big play ability of Cambridge/Salem. Ò It is hard to simulate the stuff they do in practice,Ó Nephew said. The Sentinels best chance to stop the Indians came with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-13, trailing 42-35. The Indians turned the play into a 28-yard scoring strike on a play Nephew felt was reminiscent of a play from the college level between Florida State and Notre Dame. Ò Their wide receiver picked our linebacker, to be honest with you,Ó he said. Defensively, Colby Bradford had 2.5 tackles for loss, while Chase Dixon had two tackles for loss, including a sack. Jacob Spaulding and Rocque also added one tackle for loss each, while Devin Alkinburgh had 0.5 and Domanic Banish had a tipped pass. The Sentinels finished with season with a record of 7-4, with a 3-1 record against Class D opponents.
Konner Bruce ran for 303 yards against Cambridge/Salem in the Class D regional finals Nov. 15 in Schuylerville. Photo by Nancy Frasier
Fourteen Vikings, Sentinels make CVAC football all star team TICONDEROGA Ñ Seven members of the Moriah Vikings and Class D champion Ticonderoga Sentinels were given all star nominations by the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference for the 2014 football season. For the Vikings, Hayden Fernandez and Noah Gilbo earned first team honors as offensive tackle and guard, respectively, while Taylor Slattery was the first team tight end, Jarrod MacDougal earned second team wide receiver honors and Troy Welch was named a second team halfback. Cody Stockwell was named a second team outside linebacker, while Adam Jaquish received an honorable mention. For the Sentinels, the backfield duo of fullback Ryan Trudeau and halfback Konner Bruce received first team awards. The duo also receive defensive honors, with Trudeau being named a first team outside linebacker and Bruce a second team inside backer. Kolby Bradford was named as a second team defensive end, while Chase Dixon earned first team defensive tackle honors and Garrison Hughes was named a first team defensive back. On special teams, Domanic Banish was named the CVAC all star kicker. Brody Rocque received an honorable mention.
Domanic Banish tires to bring down a Cambridge/Salem receiver. Photo by Nancy Frasier
Brody Rocque looks to shed the tackle of a Cambridge/Salem defender. Photo by Nancy Frasier