Saturday, September 14, 2013

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Joe Victory ran for 120 yards and the game's final touchdown as New Milford came from a halftime deficit to a 24-7 win over Bogota on Friday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.

NEW MILFORD – The first half went by in a flash. With both teams keeping the ball on the ground, avoiding turnovers and holding each other scoreless in the first quarter, it was not long before New Milford, the home team and a program that was a state sectional finalist last season, was walking across the street to its locker room facing a one-point deficit against Bogota.

“Bogota kids are tough kids. We knew they weren't just going to give us this game, we were going to have to go and take it in the second half,” said New Milford head coach Bill Wilde. “We knew it was going to be a four quarter game, but we also knew that we had more bodies and could wear on them a little bit after halftime.”

If the plan was to wear the Bucs out then it worked as New Milford scored on its first two third quarter possessions strikingly similar plays to take take control of the game on the way to a 24-7 win in the season opener for both teams.

Twice in third-down-and-medium situations in the third quarter New Milford quarterback Robert Bowers looked in the flat for Chaheen Payne and twice the junior receiver made a catch and made something happened. Payne took the first one up the right sideline for a 42-yard score that gave New Milford the lead for good. The second one he took 40 yards up the opposite side for the score that gave the Knights the 18-7 lead they held heading into the fourth quarter.

Bogota QB Austin Urbaez scored with 3:10 left in the second quarter to give the Bucs the lead.

“When Rob threw me the ball I knew I just had to take it and go as far as I could, as fast as I could and the field just opened up for me both times,” said Payne, also a standout on the Knights' basketball team. “The first one was huge because we were behind at the time. It was a bubble screen. I caught it, I made one guy miss and then Andrew McElroy gave me a great block and I had a seam the whole way.”

Bogota head coach Nick DeStefano does not have a large contingent of bench players to call on and when New Milford started to grind out its running game with physical tailback Joe Victory doing some damage, there was not many fresh legs to send out as defensive replacements. The Bucs turned the ball over on downs on its first possession of the second half and then had its next two end via a fumble and an interception, which left his defense further exposed.

“The things that we talked about not doing at halftime are exactly the things that we came out and did in the second half. Penalties and turnovers are the things we talked about and then we turned the ball over three times in the second half and had a couple of false start penalties. We can't start drives with a 1st-and15 all the time,” said DeStefano, who is in his third season as the Bucs' head coach. “But at the end of the game I asked for a show of hands asking how many kids just played their first meaningful varsity minutes and eight hand went up. I expect there to be some growing pains, there were today, but I told them that it can't be an excuse for the rest of the season.”

New Milford quarterback Robert Bowers completed 7 of 12 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.

Although the final score showed a comfortable margin of victory for New Milford (1-0), it was deceiving. The Knights took the lead midway through the second quarter on a Bowers to McElroy 11-yard hookup, but missed the extra point and Bogota answered right back. Using a whole lot of misdirection and keeping the ball in the hands of quarterback Austin Urbaez as much as possible, the Bucs moved themselves into scoring position and then took the lead when Urbaez scored from three yards out. Sebastian Bustamante added the extra point with 3:10 left in the second quarter to give Bogota the 7-6 lead it took into halftime.

It took defensive toughness that forced the turnovers, Payne's two big plays and a steady dose of Victory running behind a solid offensive line to tip the game in New Milford's favor in the second half.

“The whole team gave a great effort. Everybody just got on their guy and kept moving their feet,” said Victory, who also was a run-stuffer from his middle linebacker spot. “We were just trying to get the win. We put in a lot of hard work over the summer and to get a win like this, the way we did it in the second half, shows that hard work pays off.”

Victory carried the ball 21 times for 120 yards and put the finishing touches on the win with the game's final score, a 27-yard scamper around the left edge with 3:14 left to play. He also had a team high 11 tackles. Bowers was efficient in running the offense as he completed 7 of his 12 passes for 145 yards and three scores, two of them to Payne, who had three catches for 97 yards. McElroy racked up 43 yards on three catches, including the touchdown grab that put New Milford on the ball first.

Bogota's Cyrus Crayton breaking up a pass in the end zone.

It's only one game, but it was one that New Milford was looking forward to after losing to Kinnelon in last season's state sectional final. Although the Knights lost a lot to graduation, including running back Dante Tobler and his more than 4,400 career rushing yards, they are still aiming high.

“It's only Week 1 and there is a long way to go, but it was good to get out there and get going,” said Wilde. “We have a lot of things to work on, but this group is willing to put in the time. There is a lot to improve on and we will get better. We have to get better to get where we want to go.”

Where Bogota (0-1) wants to go is in the same direction and the Bucs can take a lesson in recent history to realize that all is not yet lost with just one game in the rear view mirror.

“Last year we lost on Opening Day to New Milford and went on to win four of our next five games and we were right in the playoff hunt right up until the last week of the season,” said DeStefano. “Hopefully we can use this as a learning experience, use this game to get better and put ourselves right back in a position where we can challenge for the postseason.”

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