CHENANGO FORKS – No, Chenango Forks is not its typically dominant self in 2007. Still, this group of Blue Devils has found the same winning formula as its predecessors improving to 6-0 with a tough-to-the-end 14-6 victory over Norwich Saturday afternoon.
It was the third time this season Forks has been pressed deep into the game, and if not for an ill-timed Norwich penalty late in the third quarter, may have needed yet another fourth-quarter comeback victory.
Norwich gathered possession at the 28 after Forks’ Garrett Cade fumbled a punt return, leading to Paddy Law’s recovery for the Tornado. A first-down run by Chris Mattingly and then an 11-yard pass from Nate Foote to Mike Moon had the Tornado first-and-goal at the five. A first-down run went nowhere, and Norwich was whistled for an illegal block, spot-foul penalty on the next play that moved it back 21 yards. The Tornado did not recover and missed a go-ahead 37-yard field goal attempt.
Dodging that bullet, the Blue Devils responded as any championship team would: It marched for a touchdown getting big first-down runs from Joe Aston and Jake Reynolds. Aston scored his second TD of the game from five yards out for the eight-point margin.
Answering that score, Norwich trekked down the field inside the Blue Devils’ 20-yard-line for the second straight time and fourth time overall in the contest. Two short runs and two incomplete passes ended the Tornado excursion, and Forks ran for three first downs killing the remaining clock.
The Tornado unveiled a much more wide-open offense using the passing game to put the Blue Devils defense on their heels. A first-quarter drive, however, stalled at the 17, and Jesse Prosser’s 34-yard field goal attempt went wide of the mark.
The next possession for Norwich, Foote had pass completions to Moon and Prosser, while Mattingly and Foote also kept the chains moving with first-down runs. Foote hit wide-open sophomore Christian Hotaling on a six-yard TD strike just two plays into the second quarter.
Forks’ offense got untracked two possessions later as Aston finished off a long drive breaking a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and scoring from 23 yards out. A successful point-after kick had the host club ahead for good.
Mattingly led the Norwich offense with 17 carries for 86 yards. The Tornado (3-3) celebrate homecoming weekend Friday against longtime rival Oneonta.
Score by Quarters
NHS 0 6 0 0–6
CFks 0 7 0 7–14
Scoring Summary
Second quarter
N: Christian Hotailing 6 pass from Nate Foote. (Kick failed.)
CF: Joe Aston 23 run. (Rob Lumsden kick.)
Fourth quarter
CF: Aston 5 run. (Lumsden kick.)
Team Summary
N CF
First downs 13 14
Rushes-yds 39-142 37-187
Passing yds 59 0
Comp-att-int 6-14-0 0-2-0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2
Punts-avg 3-42.3 3-31.3
Penalties-yds 5-31 2-25
Individual Statistics
Rushing: (CF) Aston, 18-131, Reynolds, 8-20, Zdimal, 4-18. Stephens, 6-13, Freije, 1-5. (N) Mattingly, 17-86, Moon, 9-26, Foote, 7-17, Prosser, 6-13.
Passing: (CF) Reynolds, 0-2-0, (N) Foote, 6-14-0, 59 yds, TD.
Receiving: (N) Moon, 2-19, Slater, 2-17, Prosser, 1-17, Hotaling, 1-6.