October 28, 2000

Mohawk wins, but Calvert gets MAL

By Matt Steiner
Sports Writer

SYCAMORE -- Wow!

That word sprang from the lips of several football fans at the Calvert-Mohawk game Friday. Even the players shared the sentiment.

"Wow," said Mohawk senior tight end Grant Good. "With everybody in the stands yelling, it was just a great game."

The overflow crowd at Warrior Field saw the Warriors and Senecas battle to the end, with both teams making big plays in the final quarter.

The result, a 21-14 Mohawk win to end Calvert's bid for a record 22nd straight Midland Athletic League win, spoiling the Senecas' (7-3 overall, 6-1 MAL) bid for the outright league title and securing its own playoff berth.

When the game ended, Good was surrounded by the Mohawk loyals as the hero of the night.

With 27 seconds left on the clock, the tight end caught a T.J. Marcotte pass on a slant pattern for the winning touchdown. The play put the icing on a 16-play, 64-yard drive that began with 5:44 left.

Despite a night in which Good dropped five Marcotte attempts, coach Shane Jacoby opted to run the crucial play for his usually sure-handed man.

"It was one of those where you go to the guys that brought you here and Grant is one of the guys who got us where we're at," Jacoby said. "Basically we had few other options with the time on the clock and being out of time outs. It was one where you just go to the guy, and thank God he came through and made a nice play for us."

The tight end, who had just the one catch, welcomed the call and made the most of it.

"I was pretty anxious to get the ball and make up for some of the drops I had before," Good said. "I saw the corner playing off a little bit, but I didn't think I'd get that much of a pocket. I was just focussing on the ball and zoned everything else out."

In a game which had the winners punting six times and the Senecas punting eight, special teams played a big roll and dictated field position.

"It usually comes down to that," Calvert coach Toby Hammond said. "When you got two good teams both offensively and defensively, it comes down to the kicking game and big plays."

Much of the second half was played on Calvert's side of the 50-yard line, with the Senecas punting on their first five possessions of the half, making just one first down.

The kicking game eventually led to a big play for the Warriors.

Mohawk controlled the third quarter and much of the fourth, gaining great field position after a T.J. Marcotte 62-yard punt forced Calvert to begin from its own 6.

The Senecas lost two yards on three plays and David Harner found himself punting from the back of the end zone.

The try was blocked, at least partially, as Zack Ekleberry, Tyler Beckley and Chad Sowers were all in on the play.

Mohawk took the ball at the Calvert 14 and, three plays later, fullback Brandon Brause burst through the middle for his second touchdown of the game and his MAL leading 19th for the year. Brause led the game with 160 yards on 28 carries. The Warriors established a 13-9 margin with the score as Nick Engel's kick sailed wide.

With the lead and the field position, the Warriors wouldn't have had to rely on Good's heroics if it hadn't been for a miscue with 8:22 left in the game.

Mohawk had just begun its third straight possession in Calvert territory and was promptly flagged for holding, setting up a first-and-20 from its own 42.

Running back Kyle Roush then mishandled a high pitch attempt from Marcotte and a host of Calvert defenders pounced on the ball, giving the Senecas their first break after the intermission and the ball on the Warriors' 28.

Calvert took to the ground, with five Dan Snyder runs and one by Marc Baugher. Snyder's final run went for a 5-yard touchdown, making it 13-12 as the clock read 5:51.

But Hammond wasn't satisfied with the tie. He lined his offense up and Baugher took a quarterback draw over the goal line for the 2-point conversion and the 14-13 lead.

From the beginning, it was obvious the game would be exciting. On Calvert's third play from scrimmage, Baugher hooked up with Nick Lucius for a 75-yard touchdown to begin the scoring. Nobody would have thought that Baugher would only complete one more in the game, going 2-for-17 for 82 yards. Lucius caught the other pass as well.

Marcotte only completed 3-of-11 for 27 yards. Good, Dave Peck and Roush made the grabs.

Mohawk (8-2, 5-2) controlled the line of scrimmage, racking up 212 yards on 53 carries, while the Senecas mustered just 20 tries for 92 yards. Snyder led Calvert with 69 yards on 20 carries.

Lucius had an interception for Calvert, while Eric Fatzinger and Sowers made picks for Mohawk. Sowers was a thorn in Calvert's side the whole game, making tackle after tackle.

"Most of the time, he was the barrier between the end zone and a long run," Jacoby said. "He did a nice job tackling on some of the plays where it didn't look like there was anybody else."