Familiar, happy ending for Tornado
NORWICH – It was not a typical Norwich football script, but the game did have a familiar and happy ending against longtime foe Oneonta Friday night.
Playing before the largest home crowd this season on homecoming weekend, while also taking center stage for a nationwide Internet broadcast on ESPN360.com, the Tornado picked up their second shutout in three years over the Yellowjackets, 12-0.
“There were a lot of nerves out there,” said Norwich senior quarterback Nate Foote, who ran for one touchdown and threw for another to Chris Mattingly. “I was probably the most nervous one out there and we had some guys who were nervous. Our team didn’t get caught up in all the hype around us and maintained our focus.”
Foote and the rest of the Tornado offense were wearing out the sidelines watching an Oneonta team control the ball for most of the first half. For Norwich coach John Pluta, it must have seemed that he was looking into a mirror. Usually it is his club that is pushing defenses around and controlling the clock. “I think we ran 10 plays the entire first half,” Pluta said. “They are big and physical up front, and we told our guys they would probably be the quickest off the ball we’ve seen all season. We spread them out and they were overpenetrating. We were have to make a couple of good plays.”
If you blinked or perhaps grabbed a warm drink at the concession stand, you may have missed Norwich’s only positive offensive possession the entire first half. The first two Norwich series ended in three-and-outs and less than three minutes of possession time. The next time Norwich had the ball came after a big fourth-down stop near midfield.
The Tornado shifted from their standard formation into the shotgun, and two big runs by Chris Mattingly followed by a Foote 27-yard TD scamper put Norwich on the board. Foote faked a handoff and bolted up the middle picking up a block from Christian Hotaling to reach the endzone. That drive took all of 40 seconds. The two plays prior to Foote’s score, he ran from the same set and handed off, but faked it on the third time. “That was a set play,” Foote said, noting it wasn’t an option to hand off or keep the ball. “I just saw daylight.”
Defensively, Norwich made one big stop after another bending on numerous occasions, but always stiffening at the right time. It was reminiscent of the previous week’s contest when Norwich bullied Chenango Forks’ defense around, but was unable to score inside the 20-yard line. “Oneonta moved the ball on us and got some yards, but when we had to have stops, we did,” Pluta said. “Coach Martinson (John) made some great calls on defense.”
Norwich further loosened the Oneonta defense moving to the passing game in the third quarter. Foote hit Tyler Slater on a flat pass, and Slater made an Oneonta tackler miss to turn a five- or six-yard gain into a 47-yard back-breaker. Two plays later, Foote dropped back after faking a handoff, and hit Mattingly on a 15-yard TD strike to up the margin to 12-0. It was Mattingly’s first career catch, and obviously first TD reception.
Norwich stopped a long Oneonta drive in the third quarter dropping ‘Jackets quarterback Ryan Hunter on a fourth-and-one at the Norwich 32. In the fourth stanza, Oneonta reached as deep as the Norwich four, but a fourth-and-goal run by Dan Sweet was stopped at the two.
Paddy Law picked off his second pass of the game late in the contest to ice the shutout. Tim Clark also had an interception for the Tornado (4-3), who close their division schedule next weekend against Windsor.
“This (game) is an example of how tough our division is,” Pluta said. “Oneonta (is 2-5) and they are a quality football team.”
Score by quarters
OHS 0 0 0 0–0
NHS 0 6 6 0–12
Scoring Summary
N: Foote 27 run (kick failed)
N: Mattingly 15 pass from Foote (run failed)
Team Summary
O N
First downs 13 6
Rushes-yds 61-239 31-101
Passing yds 0 62
Comp-att-int 0-5-3 2-4-0
Punts-avg 1-33 4-32
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-yds 1-5 2-15 1/2
Individual Statistics
Rushing: (O) Marcel Sanchez, 17-101, Dan Sweet, 25-82, Brendan Pidgeon, 12-33, Ryan Hunter, 3-21, Mark Johnson, 4-2. (N) C. Mattingly, 10-41, Foote, 8-20, Prosser, 4-20, Moon, 9-20.
Passing: (O) Hunter, 0-5-3, 0 yds; (N) Foote, 2-4-0, 62 yds, TD.
Receiving: (N) Slater, 1-47, Mattingly, 1-15.
Playing before the largest home crowd this season on homecoming weekend, while also taking center stage for a nationwide Internet broadcast on ESPN360.com, the Tornado picked up their second shutout in three years over the Yellowjackets, 12-0.
“There were a lot of nerves out there,” said Norwich senior quarterback Nate Foote, who ran for one touchdown and threw for another to Chris Mattingly. “I was probably the most nervous one out there and we had some guys who were nervous. Our team didn’t get caught up in all the hype around us and maintained our focus.”
Foote and the rest of the Tornado offense were wearing out the sidelines watching an Oneonta team control the ball for most of the first half. For Norwich coach John Pluta, it must have seemed that he was looking into a mirror. Usually it is his club that is pushing defenses around and controlling the clock. “I think we ran 10 plays the entire first half,” Pluta said. “They are big and physical up front, and we told our guys they would probably be the quickest off the ball we’ve seen all season. We spread them out and they were overpenetrating. We were have to make a couple of good plays.”
If you blinked or perhaps grabbed a warm drink at the concession stand, you may have missed Norwich’s only positive offensive possession the entire first half. The first two Norwich series ended in three-and-outs and less than three minutes of possession time. The next time Norwich had the ball came after a big fourth-down stop near midfield.
The Tornado shifted from their standard formation into the shotgun, and two big runs by Chris Mattingly followed by a Foote 27-yard TD scamper put Norwich on the board. Foote faked a handoff and bolted up the middle picking up a block from Christian Hotaling to reach the endzone. That drive took all of 40 seconds. The two plays prior to Foote’s score, he ran from the same set and handed off, but faked it on the third time. “That was a set play,” Foote said, noting it wasn’t an option to hand off or keep the ball. “I just saw daylight.”
Defensively, Norwich made one big stop after another bending on numerous occasions, but always stiffening at the right time. It was reminiscent of the previous week’s contest when Norwich bullied Chenango Forks’ defense around, but was unable to score inside the 20-yard line. “Oneonta moved the ball on us and got some yards, but when we had to have stops, we did,” Pluta said. “Coach Martinson (John) made some great calls on defense.”
Norwich further loosened the Oneonta defense moving to the passing game in the third quarter. Foote hit Tyler Slater on a flat pass, and Slater made an Oneonta tackler miss to turn a five- or six-yard gain into a 47-yard back-breaker. Two plays later, Foote dropped back after faking a handoff, and hit Mattingly on a 15-yard TD strike to up the margin to 12-0. It was Mattingly’s first career catch, and obviously first TD reception.
Norwich stopped a long Oneonta drive in the third quarter dropping ‘Jackets quarterback Ryan Hunter on a fourth-and-one at the Norwich 32. In the fourth stanza, Oneonta reached as deep as the Norwich four, but a fourth-and-goal run by Dan Sweet was stopped at the two.
Paddy Law picked off his second pass of the game late in the contest to ice the shutout. Tim Clark also had an interception for the Tornado (4-3), who close their division schedule next weekend against Windsor.
“This (game) is an example of how tough our division is,” Pluta said. “Oneonta (is 2-5) and they are a quality football team.”
Score by quarters
OHS 0 0 0 0–0
NHS 0 6 6 0–12
Scoring Summary
N: Foote 27 run (kick failed)
N: Mattingly 15 pass from Foote (run failed)
Team Summary
O N
First downs 13 6
Rushes-yds 61-239 31-101
Passing yds 0 62
Comp-att-int 0-5-3 2-4-0
Punts-avg 1-33 4-32
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-yds 1-5 2-15 1/2
Individual Statistics
Rushing: (O) Marcel Sanchez, 17-101, Dan Sweet, 25-82, Brendan Pidgeon, 12-33, Ryan Hunter, 3-21, Mark Johnson, 4-2. (N) C. Mattingly, 10-41, Foote, 8-20, Prosser, 4-20, Moon, 9-20.
Passing: (O) Hunter, 0-5-3, 0 yds; (N) Foote, 2-4-0, 62 yds, TD.
Receiving: (N) Slater, 1-47, Mattingly, 1-15.
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