Wayne County Life

By John Addyman

   LYONS (Sep 24 10) – With a 4^th-and-11 on the Mynderse 35-yard line, Lyons had run out of gas with just over four minutes left in the game. The Blue Devils had a 17-14 lead, and had made a defensive stand that had stymied Lyons.

   Coach Dom Monacelli needed a miracle if his Lions were going to manufacture a win.

   Offensive coordinator Dean Schott didn’t hesitate to provide both -- the miracle and the win.

   The Lions needed 11 yards for the first down, and Schott sent the play into quarterback Derick Fera.

   “Hook and Ladder.”

   If you had been in the grandstands and knew what play Schott had called, you would have closed your eyes and covered them. The idea was for Fera to throw the ball to wide receiver Dillon Bornheimer in the right flat, and Bornheimer would then wheel and flip the ball to Alex Musolino, who would be streaking behind Bornheimer and headed upfield.

   So many things can go wrong with a play like that, you don’t often see it run on a real football field, only in movies.

   But Schott had faith. And Monacelli had faith.

   And Fera delivered a nice pass to Bonrheimer, who caught it in traffic.

   Bornheimer’s pitch to Musolino was stunning – The Moose was in full flight and nobody on the Mynderse side had a chance. The pass to Bornheimer covered 16 yards and Musolino’s run ate up 19 more yards…and the Lions had a touchdown, and a win.

   Three minutes later, Stephon Petty would ice the game for Lyons when he intercepted a Conrad Miller pass and blew 17 yards into the end zone with it.

   Monacelli had the faraway look in his eye after the 38-17 win.

   How about that hook-and-ladder play?

   “Oh yeah,” he said. “I pulled one out of the hat tonight. It was a very good call by Coach Schott, at a good time, and we ran it in. If we think the situation calls for it, we go for it. And the kids executed it well in a pressure situation.”

   Winless Mynderse started the game by putting Lyons on its heels. Brandon Passalacqua took Stephon Petty’s opening kickoff back 43 yards, and Mynderse set up on the Lyons 32-yard line to start the game. Nine plays later, quarterback Connor Miller dove into the pile for a one-yard touchdown and the Devils led, 7-0.

   Lyons couldn’t get across midfield in its first two possessions, the second of which ended with Josh Jones intercepting a Derick Fera pass that was tipped to him. Three plays later, Miller threw the ball to Passalacqua on a 35-yard screen play, and Mynderse led, 14-0.

   But despite the score, Lyons was slowly getting control of the game. The Mynderse running attack that was so successful in the early minutes was being stopped by gang-tackling and although the passing attack was productive, it was weak.

   Lions put together a seven-play, 55-yard drive to open the second quarter, with Fera running the ball in for the first score from 12 yards out. A two-point conversion pass failed, and Mynderse held a 14-6 lead.

   The Lions put another drive together at the end of the third quarter, Fera throwing a 19-yard pass to Musolino for the score. Fera ran the ball in for two extra points, and the score was tied.
     Mynderse answered with a 16-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard Gungeet Bajwa field goal, and a crucial three-point lead, 17-14, with 5:18 left in the game.

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M – Miller 1 run (Bajwa kick) 8:14

M – Passalacqua 35 pass from Miller (Bajwa kick) 10:12

L – Fera 12 run (pass fails) 8:15

L – Musolino 19 pass from Fera (Fera run) 1:42

M – Bajwa 23 field goal, 5:18

L – Bornheim 14 pass from Fera, Musolino 19 run (Fera

      Pass to Romeiser) 4:13

L – Petty 17 pass interception (run fails), 1:50

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                                    Mynderse                        Lyons

First Downs                            13                                      11

Rushes-Yds                        45-140                                    36-215

Passing Yds                           97                                      79

Return Yds                           61                                       31

Comp-Att-Int                        8-14-1                                    6-11-1

Sacked – Yds Lost              0-0                                        3-15

Punts – avg                        4-32                                    2-29

Fumbles – Lost            5-0                                    3-0

Penalties – Yds            8-55                                    6-48

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Wells 2-8, Unknown 1-8. Mynderse: Peterman 16-75,

Passalacqua 17-55 TD, Fay 3-19, Pitcher 1-4, Miller

6-(-10), Millis (1-1), Trickler 1-(-4).

Miller 8-14-1 97 yds, TD.

2-44, Petty 2-12, Wells 1-4. Mynderse: Passalacqua 4-66

TD, Trickler 2-20, Peterman 1-4.