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Tigers Stun Patriots In Bennington 14-2 Keep Play-Off Hopes Alive

Tuesday October 27, 2009

By Mike Cameron

   Middlebury won in Bennington.  Milton lost at Rice Memorial.  The season will come down to one big regular season game and then the calculations will commence.  The Tigers chances for post season play and a shot at Colchester again seem to be alive and well.

   The Tigers at Mt. Anthony was the only Division I/Division II match-up on the Tigers Schedule this year and they meet on the Patriot’s home turf, Father Spinelli Field in Bennington on Friday Night October 23rd.  Both teams had some momentum going in.

   Middlebury was looking for a playoff spot in D-II and the Patriots were hoping to squeeze into the Division I post-season picture in spite of some untimely losses of late.

   The local fans were out in force and the atmosphere at Bennington is never “warm and fuzzy”.  The Patriots were hungry for a win over the Tigers a team that they have done poorly against in recent years.

  Middlebury was coming off an excellent showing against Lyndon Institute.  The offense was crisp and the defense was solid for most of that game.  The rain was there as well and that seems to have become a friend of the MUHS Tigers.  Traction is the magic word and the Tigers must have put an extra edge on their claws for this one.  Coach Dennis Smith is focused and it shows in his team.  The plan is to win.  If you don’t win, the season ends.  The Tigers caught Mount Anthony looking by them towards arch rival Brattleboro and it cost the Patriots huge.

Tigers Can Take a Punch

   What didn’t seem to register with the folks who picked the Pats in this one is the fact that the Tigers have fought adversity all year.  They battled the odds, came from behind in game after game and of late proved just about every sports scribe in the state wrong on this one.  When the Tigers get their “second wind,” watch out.  Now with a little help from the Green Knights of Rice last week and a big win in Bennington their road to the post season might be open.

   At Bennington, the Tigers went to work early in the first quarter only to have Brendan Burrell’s potential TD toss grabbed by the Patriots Will Cole at the Pat 1-yard line.
The Tiger defensive unit then returned the favor by stopping MAU and forcing a boot.

   It went back and forth for the first quarter with both sides coming up with big stops.  The Tiger secondary shined by stopping MAU quarterback Keegan Corbet with great coverage and a big pass rush.  Corbet threw over 30-times in the game. The first half ended in a 0-0 deadlock.  MAU’s defense kept the Tiger’s open wishbone attack in check as well.  At the half the Tigers (6-2) adjusted like they have all year and kept their cool, Mt. Anthony (5-3) did not.  They would force many plays in the second half.

   The Pats fumbled the ball on the first offensive play of second half kickoff.  The Tigers were quick to recover but were unable to capitalize on two half back option passes by Jerry Hoffman that were covered like a blanket deep by safety Ethan Burdick of Mt. Anthony.  MAU was in turn stopped by the Tiger defense.  Then Tigers began to hit their “second half stride” Burrell moved them deep into the red zone and Marshall Hastings punched in for a TD with 2:12 left in the third.  No extra point made it 6-0 Tigers.

   Then at 9:11 left in the contest the Tigers forced the Pats again with a great athletic effort by Dillon Robinson as he picked off Corbet.  The Tigers then went 57-yards with a ball control and clock control series and Kaden Odell ripped through the Pat defenders for a TD at the 4:14 mark of the 4th quarter.  Brian Ashley-Selleck plowed over with the two point conversion and the Tigers were up 14-Zip.

   Middlebury stopped the Pats come-back bid with a 4th and goal line stand from the 9 and ended up surrendering a safety on their ensuing series after running the 4th down punt attempt out the back of the end zone.  That made it 14-2.  The clock ticked off the final 55 seconds and the Tigers were ready to ride home a winner.

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