* 7-Under * 8-Under * 9-Under * 10-Under * 11-Under * 13-Under *
October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
8-UNDER JV GAME (exhibition game)
BROOKLINE 8 - Baldwin 0
Scoring Summary:
Brenton Morefield run (Seth Derrick run)
WEEK #9 - October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
8-UNDER
BROOKLINE 6 - Baldwin 0 (Overtime)
Scoring Summary:
Ramon White 10 run (conversion failed)
Fumble Recovery: L.J. Orbovich
NOTES: The little Knights have really come a long way since
September. This squad has learned the value of teamwork. They
have learned to play football with spirit and determination.
They've learned a lot about themselves. Most of all, these
kids have learned how to win.
Brookline's little Knights opened the day with a nail-biting
6-0 overtime triumph over the Baldwin Broncos. In a matchup of
teams with identical records, this game was a thriller. It was
loaded with drama and suspense. For Brookline, it was the
thrill of victory. For Baldwin, it was the agony of defeat.
The first half was played to a complete draw. The Knights and
Broncos blasted away at each other near midfield. Neither team
could move the ball. It was a defensive stalemate. The Broncos
led in number of plays and time of possession. The Knights
held the lead in tackles and raw grit.
The Bronco offense came alive early in the second half. On the
first possession, a Bronco broke free and charged towards the
endzone. A fine takedown at the twenty by Ramon White saved a
touchdown. The Knight defense dug in and yielded no more.
Baldwin turned the ball over at the Brookline twenty-two yard
line. The Knight offense was driven backwards and forced to
punt. Armed with great field position, the Broncos unleashed
another runner. This one bolted through the middle of the line
and headed straight for the endzone.
The runaway Bronco was hit at the four yard line by White and
Cole McMullan. The ball bounced free. It headed past the goal
line and rolled towards the back of the endzone. A frantic and
confused pursuit followed. At the final moment, L.J. Orbovich
pounced on the elusive pigskin, temporarily restoring order.
Baldwin created two other major disturbances deep in Brookline
territory. Each time the Knight defense rose to the challenge.
Bolstered by the inspired play of linebacker Marcus Jacobs,
the Bronco attacks were repelled. The final threat ended at
the Brookline nine yard line when the game clock expired.
At the end of regulation play, there was still no score. The
teams headed to overtime. Baldwin won the toss and elected to
take the second possession.
The Knight offense, which had been dormant the entire game,
decided the time was right to assert itself. On the first play
from scrimmage, Ramon White dashed to the right. He cut left,
then darted through the herd and into the endzone for a Knight
touchdown. Shebazz Anderson was denied entry on the conversion
attempt. Brookline held a 6-0 lead!
It was time for the Knight defense to get tough once more.
They had carried the team up to this point. They were not
about to let this one slip away. This was their moment.
Baldwin tried three running plays without success. On fourth
and eight, the Broncos tried once more. The Knights swarmed
like wasps to the runner and downed him for a six yard loss.
Despite the victory, the 8-year old Knights were eliminated
from playoff contention. They finished tied with West Mifflin
and West Allegheny. All three teams had 3-5 records. Only one
could advance. West Allegheny won the tiebreaker.
The setback is a difficult pill to swallow, but let's focus on
the good things. Our Knights finished the season with two fine
wins in a row. On this day, the thrill of victory once again
belonged to the Brookline Knights. Nothing can take that away.
This team has really come a long way since September.
WEEK #9 - October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
9-UNDER
Baldwin 12 - BROOKLINE 6
Scoring Summary:
Cullin Baker 55 kickoff return (conversion failed)
Interception: Brent Ivory, Lamar Lewis
NOTES: The Brookline Knights 9-year olds have returned! Forget
about Nancy Grace and conspiracy theories. Forget about alien
abductions. The boys are back, and not a moment too soon.
The Knights (3-4) took on the 2nd place Baldwin Breakers (6-1)
at Baldwin High School Stadium. The Knights stood toe-to-toe
with the bigger Breakers. For thirty-seven minutes the teams
played to a 6-6 tie. Only in the final three did the Breakers
pull ahead to hand the Knights a 12-6 defeat. The loss spoiled
a spirited performance by the boys in Green and Black.
The Knights got on the scoreboard quickly. Cullin Baker took
the opening kickoff and raced down the sideline fifty-five
yards for a touchdown.
The Breakers answered ten minutes later with a forty-five yard
scoring pass to even the points at six apiece. A second drive
was halted at the Brookline twenty-five yard line by a Brent
Ivory interception.
Baldwin's offense kept hammering away, but the Knight defense
got tough when it counted. Will Rupert, Marshal White, Darryl
Daniels and Randy Roscoe combined for four first half sacks.
Punter Jeremy Jenkins also did a great job, helping push the
Breakers back to their side of the fifty with two long punts.
The score was deadlocked at halftime.
On Brookline's first possession of the third quarter, Baker
burst from the pack and began a long dash downfield. Cullin
made it to the Baldwin fifteen before being brought down from
behind. This promising opportunity ended without a score.
Baldwin took over and pushed forward for two first downs. An
interception by Lamar Lewis put the ball back in Knight hands.
Unfortunately, the Brookline offense fumbled the ball away at
midfield. The Breakers took the gift and resumed their march.
A forty-one yard breakaway run ended with a nice tackle by
Darryl Daniels at the Brookline two. The fine effort wasn't
enough to stem the tide. On the next play, Baldwin scored to
take a 12-6 lead. Three minutes remained in the game.
The Knights got one more offensive series, but could not move
the ball. The duel ended at midfield. The Baldwin Breakers had
the win, but the Brookline Knights finished the season proving
that they can still play some good, hard-nosed football.
Welcome back guys!
Unfortunately for the Knights, the loss dropped them into a
five-way tie for the final two playoff seedings. Brookline,
South Side, Brentwood, Chartiers Valley and West Mifflin all
finished the season with 3-5 records. Only two teams could
advance. Brentwood and Chartiers Valley won the tiebreakers.
WEEK #9 - October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
10-UNDER
Baldwin 28 - BROOKLINE 12
Scoring Summary:
Jake Devers 80 run (conversion failed)
Jake Devers 42 pass from Jacob Mellon (conversion failed)
Interception: Jake Devers
NOTES: Brookline's 10-year olds came to Baldwin with nothing
to lose. Already eliminated from playoff contention, these
Knights were playing for pride. They were determined to go out
with a bang. The end result was not exactly what they had in
mind, but the Knights did finish with a flurry of fireworks.
Coach Darryl Frazier mixed up the offense a bit, moving Jake
Devers to quarterback, Jacob Mellon to tight end and Anthony
Johnson to halfback. The alignment yielded some good results,
but couldn't seem to find the endzone.
Brookline took first possession. Johnson carried the Knights
to a quick first down. The drive stalled. Baldwin countered
with a sustained march, churning out four first downs on their
way to the Brookline nine yard line. A fourth down stop by
Richard Jetters and Jim Wheeler kept the Vikings from scoring.
With their backs to the wall, the Knight offense again surged
forward. Two first downs moved the ball towards midfield. Once
again, the drive stalled and Brookline was forced to punt. The
kick was fielded at the Brookline forty-eight yard line and
returned all the way for the game's first touchdown. A good
conversion gave the Vikings an 8-0 lead.
The ensuing kickoff took a Baldwin roll and was downed at the
Knight seven yard line. The offense faltered. A short punt and
a good return gave the Vikings great position at the Brookline
twelve. They found the endzone on the next play. A successful
conversion run increased their lead to 16-0.
Brookline's next possession went nowhere. They were forced to
punt once more. The kick was picked up at midfield and the
Viking return team struck a second time. The ball was carried
fifty yards for another Baldwin touchdown. With 1:38 to go in
the half, the Knights were down 22-0. Three touchdowns in five
minutes left the Brookline fans feeling a bit shell-shocked.
The Knights regrouped and came out for the second half with
their guns fully loaded and eager for a fight. They forced a
punt on Baldwin's first possession. The offense then went to
work. Strong running by Johnson and nice receptions by Mellon
and Wheeler pushed the ball to the Viking ten.
Like so many times before, the Knights drive fizzled. Baldwin
got the ball and scored for a fourth time with six seconds to
go in the third quarter on an eighty-four yard run.
Jake Devers had seen enough. It was time for the Knights to
pick up the pieces of their shattered pride. If he had to do
it by himself, so be it. Devers took off on a bootleg left
and found a hole. He burst forward and left everyone behind.
Eighty yards later, Jake was in the endzone and the Knights
had six points on the scoreboard. The last act had begun.
Five minutes remained in the Knights season. The defense had
one last chance to go out in a blaze of glory. They stopped
the Vikings cold and forced a punt. Now the offense received
their final opportunity to keep that fire burning.
On Brookline's final play, Devers caught an option pass from
Jacob Mellon. As the buzzer sounded, he sprinted to the goal,
fueled by pride and cheered on by the crowd.
Although a 28-12 loss to the Baldwin Vikings was not quite
what the Knights had expected, thanks to the Two Jakes, the
10-year olds ended their season with a flurry of fireworks.
WEEK #9 - October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
11-UNDER
Baldwin 40 - BROOKLINE 0
Fumble Recovery: Amaree Hatcher
NOTES: The 11-year old Knights have been transfered from the
infirmary to the Intensive Care Unit. They are on life support
and not expected to live. These once vibrant Knights, who were
4-1 and rolling towards the playoffs, are now 4-4. They have
been outscored 104-16 in the last three games. Today's 40-0
beating by the Baldwin Warriors has left them gasping for air.
The Knights previous four wins were enough to secure the final
seed in the upcoming SSYFL playoffs. But, a team can only rest
on their past laurels for so long. This situation is becoming
desperate. If these kids don't get a transfusion of willpower
soon, it is feared that they will lapse into a coma and become
just another government statistic.
It's difficult to see so much talent going to waste. Optimists
always say, "It's never too late to turn over a new leaf." Now
would be a good time, because time is not on their side. Just
in case, the night clerk is on call at the County Morgue.
WEEK #9 - October 24, 2009 @ Baldwin High School
13-UNDER
BROOKLINE 52 - Baldwin 0
Scoring Summary:
Michael Ignasky 4 run (Adam Ottaviano pass from Jerrad Tuite)
Michael Ignasky 17 run (Michael Ignasky run)
Michael Ignasky 30 run (Khalil Sanders run)
Michael Ignasky 15 run (Dominick DelGreco kick)
Connor McGinnis 5 run (kick failed)
Khalil Sanders 11 run (Dominick DelGreco kick)
Zacheria Sesay 1 run (Malik Petite run)
Fumble Recovery: Marty Shulik
NOTES: This was a medievel bloodletting. The Templar Knights
are on another Crusade. They are in search of the Holy Grail.
Nothing can stand in their way. The trail of devastation left
in their wake can only be considered scorched earth. Mercy is
not in their creed. Their wrath is of biblical proportions.
21st Century terminology would best describe them as a WMD.
They are a Weapon of Mass Destruction.
Today, the wrath of Coach Donnie's Green Machine descended
upon the Baldwin Hurricanes. The Knights unleashed their main
weapon to start the apocolyptic slaughter. Michael Ignasky was
the first instrument of shock and awe. In fourteen minutes,
multiple Ignasky explosions plowed a 31-0 gap in the Hurricane
defenses. By halftime, Baldwin was dazed and confused. Down by
a score of 37-0, they begged for quarter. None was extended.
The genocide continued in the second half. The starting eleven
fired off one more salvo, then yielded to the second string.
Backup quarterback Russell Page led the Crusaders on one last
trip into Baldwin territory to extinguish any signs of life.
Accompanied by veteran reservists Joey Kalsek, Malik Petite
and Zacheria Sesay, Page finished off the Hurricane survivors
with one final blow. When the bloodletting was over, nothing
remained. Only a scoreboard stood as testament to the once
thriving Baldwin culture. It read: Brookline 52 - Baldwin 0.
With the extermination of the Hurricanes, the quest for the
Holy Grail continues. The Knights have completed the eighth
piece of the puzzle that leads to the promised land. Their
outstanding exploits to date have staked claim to the top
seeding in the upcoming SSYFL playoffs.
The Knights set out on the ninth phase of their campaign next
Sunday in the opening round of the post-season. Their goal is
to reach the holy land in three weeks and claim The Grail as
their own. Who can stop them? Who dares to try?
2009 Knights News - Previous Week's Game Summaries
Week#8 <> Week#7
Week#6 <> Week#5 <> Week#4 <> Week#3 <> Week#2 <> Week#1
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