Panthers Avenge a Painful Loss by Beating Glens Falls

The Pleasantville football team walked onto the turf at soggy Faller Field in Middletown Saturday afternoon in search of some revenge.

The Panthers wound up finding plenty of raindrops — and then a lot of redemption.

Facing an undefeated Glens Falls team that had demolished them by 35 points a year ago, the Panthers used their potent running game, some timely passing and a stifling defense to turn the tables. With Charlie McPhee rushing for 197 yards and scoring the game’s first touchdown on a fumble recovery late in the opening quarter, Pleasantville dethroned the defending state champions, winning 20-7 in a rain-soaked Class B state semifinal.

“You know what, I’m just thrilled for these kids,” said Panthers head coach Tony Becerra moments after time had run out on Glens Falls and its two-year-long winning streak. “Myself and the rest of the coaches, we wanted it so bad for these kids, and they deserve it.”

For the second week in a row, the Panthers rose to the occasion and were able to oust an undefeated sectional champion from the state playoffs. And now they’ll have a chance to knock off yet another one, Section 4’s Chenango Forks, on Sunday at noon at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

In becoming the first team in school history to reach the state’s football finals, the Panthers managed to contain Glens Falls quarterback Joseph Girard III, who, as a sophomore last year, had tossed five touchdown passes in the Indians’ 49-14 rout of P’ville. This time, though, he was sacked eight times and his only touchdown pass came in the final minute with the outcome long since decided.

“I mean, he’s so elusive when he’s flushed out,” said Becerra about Girard, who did most of his running east and west as he tried to avoid the relentless Panther defense. “So it’s almost like playing an option team. You have to be disciplined. Disciplined, disciplined, disciplined. And the guys were. They (the Indians) got their big gains, they moved the chains, but overall the kids did their jobs defensively.”

The game had started with Glens Falls providing early hints that the Panthers might be in for a long afternoon similar to last year’s in Kingston. Aaron Sampson returned the opening kickoff almost to midfield, then Girard immediately found his cousin, Quinn Girard, for a 36-yard pass completion down to the P’ville 16-yard line.

But on third and 10, Girard got his first taste of things to come from the Panther defense, getting sacked for a big loss. His fourth-down pass fell incomplete and Pleasantville, averting an early crisis, took over on downs.

“It was huge,” said Becerra about the early momentum swing, “because it was like a repeat (of last year), you know, with the kickoff, big return, and giving them the short field. Guys dug in their heels there.”

Pleasantville picked up a couple of first downs on its first possession of the day, but eventually had to punt. The Indians soon relinquished the football again as a long pass from Girard was intercepted by Declan McDermott. When the Panthers were forced to punt for a second time, good fortune was just around the corner.

That’s because Jack Howe’s punt rolled to a stop at the Glens Falls 8-yard line and on first down Girard pitched the ball to Sampson, who lost control of it into the arms of Howe. An instant later, Howe was in the end zone, the Panthers were on the scoreboard and Glens Falls was in shock. The point-after kick by Howe gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter.

Becerra admitted later that he really didn’t notice what caused the costly turnover by the Indians.

“I just saw the ball in the air and then Charlie going that way,” he said. “So I knew something good happened.”

On the first play of the second quarter, the Panther defense sacked Girard again on third and three near midfield. The Indians’ punt rolled to the P’ville 9-yard line, but a false start on first down pushed the ball back five more yards. Undeterred, the Panthers quickly moved the ball down the field on three consecutive plays as McPhee ran for a 19-yard gain, quarterback Howe connected with McDermott for a 33-yard pass completion and then Howe ran for another 18 yards to the Glens Falls 24.

Another Howe pass to McDermott, this time in the left side of the end zone, was ruled out of bounds. Then, two plays later, McPhee ran for an apparent first down to the Indian 12. But the ball squirted free during the pileup and Glens Falls recovered it, even though the Panthers argued the fumble came well after McPhee had been tackled.

But Glens Falls could not take advantage. Girard was sacked by James Daniele for another big loss on second down and the Indians quickly punted again. A 28-yard scamper by McPhee moved the ball to the Indians’ 17-yard line, but when the drive stalled with a couple of minutes left in the half Howe was unable to convert on a 34-yard field-goal try.

Another Panther scoring opportunity disappeared shortly after Danny Melillo’s leaping deflection and interception of a Girard pass with a minute to go before halftime. On first down, Howe bolted 25 yards to the Glens Falls 45. But with just 15 seconds on the clock and the ball at the 25, Howe fumbled the ball away and the teams went to the locker room with the Panthers clinging to just a seven-point lead.

“Definitely should have scored a couple more times,” said Howe, who finished the day with 113 rushing yards and another 78 passing. “We had the ball first half in their territory most of the time.”

“We knew we needed to extend the lead against a team as explosive as Glens Falls,” said Becerra. “Even at halftime we didn’t think it was gonna hold up. So we knew we needed to get on the board again. And that drive coming out after halftime was huge. Getting it past one score and eating clock, that was the plan.”

The Panthers emerged from their locker room to start the third quarter and immediately took a big step in their quest for a first-ever trip to Syracuse. They opened up the half by marching 80 yards in a 14-play drive that ate up nearly seven minutes. Twice they converted on fourth down before Howe finally tossed a perfect pass to McDermott for a 27-yard touchdown. The PAT stretched their lead to 14-0.

The third quarter ended with Glens Falls threatening, but Girard getting sacked for a seven-yard loss back to the P’ville 25. On fourth down, Girard’s pass into the end zone to Aalijah Sampson fell incomplete.

Pleasantville then proceeded to hold the ball for another five minutes with an eight-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by Nick Salzarulo’s 21-yard run to midfield and Howe’s 17-yard run to pay dirt that all but sealed the outcome.

“After my touchdown,” said Howe, “my friend came up to me and said, ‘We’re going to the Carrier Dome!’ It hit me. It’s always been a dream to play there.”

Glens Falls managed to avoid being blanked when Girard threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Sampson with just 35 seconds remaining. By then, it had been apparent for a while that the Indians’ 24-game winning streak was coming to an end. As the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Panthers began to celebrate, their district’s superintendent looked on with pride and disbelief from the sidelines, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“The kids just willed it,” said Becerra, still dripping from their celebratory bucket of water on his head. “Whether we had to grind it out on the ground or get some key passes through the air, the kids executed. I’m numb. I can’t believe it’s happened. I mean, I’m so lucky to be a part of this. Just so lucky and blessed.”

Andy Jacobs

Andy is a sports editor at Examiner Media, covering seven high schools in the mid-Westchester region with a notebook and camera. He began there in the fall of 2007 following 15 years as a candid photographer for the largest school picture company in the tri-state area.

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