Touchdown off botched play earns Tigers 20-14 victory
By Mike Wertman The Journal-Register
MIDDLEPORT —
Scoring in dramatic fashion in overtime with a touchdown off a botched field goal attempt, the Lyndonville Tigers outlasted the Jamestown Chiefs 20-14 Saturday in a Northeastern Football Alliance game.
Unable to handle the snap, Lyndonville field goal attempt holder Ricky McVay scooped up the ball, turned to his right and behind key blocks by Joel Fidanza and Joey Suhr ran eight yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 5:55 to go in the overtime period.
“That was quick thinking by our holder,” said Tigers owner/coach Harold Suhr. “We had to win it and I think we willed it more than we won it.”
The bizarre game-winning TD play capped a 14-play drive with the overtime kickoff. Runs of 21 yards by Royce Haynes, 13 by Mike McKenrick and 10 by starting quarterback Chris Chugg helped Lyndonville drive to the Jamestown one yard line. However, the Chiefs’ defense stopped three straight running plays cold, forcing the field goal attempt which ended up as a bizarre game-winning touchdown.
”Those are the kinds of plays that usually go against us but this time we got one,” said Harold Suhr, whose Tigers improve to 3-2 as the Chiefs slip to 3-4.
Jamestown forced the game into overtime when quarterback Lamont Rhim, a Medina High School graduate, completed a 17-yard touchdown pass with 7:12 to go in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs added the two-point conversion knotting the contest at 14-14.
Lyndonville grabbed a 14-6 lead three minutes earlier on an 18-yard, fourth-down pass completion from Chugg to McVay. Mat Whiting added the extra point kick.
A fumble recovery by Ryan Ballinger at the Jamestown 20, after a big hit on Rhim by Jon Ostrander knocked the ball loose, set up the scoring opportunity.
The Tigers also scored first on a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Derek Adams on the first play of the second quarter, as Chugg added an unusual extra point on a run after the kick attempt was blocked. Adams also had a 15-yard run to open the drive, which also included key carries of 13 by Chugg and 11 by Haynes.
Jamestown answered right back six minutes later on an eight-yard touchdown run by Rhim. The Tigers maintained a slender 7-6 lead as McVay broke through to block the extra point.
The Tigers defensive unit stopped both of the Chiefs’ third-quarter drives on interceptions by Jason Hanna and McVay.
Lyndonville next visits Troy on Saturday in a key NEA contest.Mike Wertman
thejournalregister@mail.com
MIDDLEPORT — Scoring in dramatic fashion in overtime with a touchdown off a botched field goal attempt, the Lyndonville Tigers outlasted the Jamestown Chiefs 20-14 Saturday in a Northeastern Football Alliance game.
Unable to handle the snap, Lyndonville field goal attempt holder Ricky McVay scooped up the ball, turned to his right and behind key blocks by Joel Fidanza and Joey Suhr ran eight yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 5:55 to go in the overtime period.
“That was quick thinking by our holder,” said Tigers owner/coach Harold Suhr. “We had to win it and I think we willed it more than we won it.”
The bizarre game-winning TD play capped a 14-play drive with the overtime kickoff. Runs of 21 yards by Royce Haynes, 13 by Mike McKenrick and 10 by starting quarterback Chris Chugg helped Lyndonville drive to the Jamestown one yard line. However, the Chiefs’ defense stopped three straight running plays cold, forcing the field goal attempt which ended up as a bizarre game-winning touchdown.
”Those are the kinds of plays that usually go against us but this time we got one,” said Harold Suhr, whose Tigers improve to 3-2 as the Chiefs slip to 3-4.
Jamestown forced the game into overtime when quarterback Lamont Rhim, a Medina High School graduate, completed a 17-yard touchdown pass with 7:12 to go in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs added the two-point conversion knotting the contest at 14-14.
Lyndonville grabbed a 14-6 lead three minutes earlier on an 18-yard, fourth-down pass completion from Chugg to McVay. Mat Whiting added the extra point kick.
A fumble recovery by Ryan Ballinger at the Jamestown 20, after a big hit on Rhim by Jon Ostrander knocked the ball loose, set up the scoring opportunity.
The Tigers also scored first on a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Derek Adams on the first play of the second quarter, as Chugg added an unusual extra point on a run after the kick attempt was blocked. Adams also had a 15-yard run to open the drive, which also included key carries of 13 by Chugg and 11 by Haynes.
Jamestown answered right back six minutes later on an eight-yard touchdown run by Rhim. The Tigers maintained a slender 7-6 lead as McVay broke through to block the extra point.
The Tigers defensive unit stopped both of the Chiefs’ third-quarter drives on interceptions by Jason Hanna and McVay.
Lyndonville next visits Troy on Saturday in a key NEA contest.
