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Tigers and Mounties Always Exciting

Tuesday September 26, 2006

By Mike Cameron

The two teams have squared off many times in the past and very seldom has it not been a terrific ball game.

Last year the Mounties visited Doc Collins Field and hung a tough loss on the Tigers by shutting down their  offense and taking advantage of several  Middlebury mistakes.

The new season is 3-games old and the Tigers are playing much better than they were a year ago even with a young ball club.  On Saturday afternoon September 23rd the two teams put their proud sports traditions on the line at historic Saint Peters Field.  The last time a Tiger team won at St. Peters they defeated Hartford High for the Division 1 Championship by a field goal, 3-0.  Tigers fans were hoping for another such win in this one and would gladly settle for the same score against M.S.J.

The Mounties were coming off a loss at the hands of Mount Anthony’s Fighting Patriots at Spinelli field in Bennington.  The Tigers scored early and held on for an impressive win at  Lyndon Institute the last time out and carried a 3-0 record into the game against the Mounties.

Keys going in for MSJ would be stopping the Tigers triple option offense run by quarterback J.J. Mackey and featuring a great stable of speedy running backs.  If Mackey was not fully recovered from a neck injury from the Lyndon game, Sam Jones is waiting in the wings ready to report for duty.

The Mounties came in  with a legitimate deep passing threat in quarterback Willy Hadeka. The MSJ defense has always been difficult to key on and last year was no different. The injury and turnover bugs have hit the Mounties but they were looking for a break-out game against Middlebury.  It didn’t happen.  The Tigers came to play and play well.

An early MSJ lead and a big hometown crowd saw the Mounties in great position to close out the first half 14-10 over the Tigers.   The Mounties Willy Hadeka wanted to go to a pass with  just over a minute left to go in the half.  The Tiger defensive charge forced a fumble and gave Middlebury the ball on the MSJ 25 yardline after being covered by an alert Jesse Elithorpe.

Middlebury went right to work and went deep into their bag of trick plays to catch the Mounties flat footed and stunned.  J.J. Mackey began the play with a pitch to wingback Lance Robinson who in turn threw the ball back across the field to a wide open Mackey who then flashed to the end zone for a touchdown.  Mackey also kicked the PAT and gave the Tigers a 17-14 lead at the break with the Mountie fans and coaches still protesting Hadeka’s fumble call.

The third quarter presented more of Middlebury’s speed as Robinson went 61-yards on an outside slant and the Tigers went up 24-14.  MSJ got on the board after a Tiger fumble at their 33. Hadeka hit Comstock for a score and threw for the PAT and that made it 24-22 late in the third.

Chad Foley answered with a 9 yard touchdown burst to make it 31-22 early in the 4th quarter and the Tigers defensive unit continued to force turnovers in key situations but MSJ threatened until the final gun including a 67 yard TD run by Spanos after a Tiger field goal.  The Tigers would  win 31-22 and now will meet Rutland in Rutland on Friday night September 29th.

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