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Bears storm out of the cave,
capitalizing on Gators mistakes
 | | ESCAPING THE CRUNCH...JFK's Cody Elliott barely makes it past a group of hungry Gators during Saturday's competition versus Allegany-Limestone. The Bears recorded their first win of the season and scored more points during the game than they totaled last season, squashing the Gators 35-9. (Times photo) |
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Taking advantage of Allegany-Limestone’s fumbles, interceptions and other errors, JFK rolled over the Gators, 35-9 during Saturday’s non-league football matchup.
Sloppy plays kept both teams from maintaining possession during the opening drives of the game, but it was an Allegany fumble that led to the Bears first touchdown of the game.
Jim Sholley retrieved a fumble off a JFK punt that set the stage for a 57-yard pass from Damien Crance to Sholley for a TD. Crance completed five of his eight pass attempts, three of them good for touchdowns.
Then, on a fluke the Bears ran for a two-point convention. Tom Kowalski’s point after kick attempt hit a group of players then Kowalski nabbed the ball and threw it to Sean Klyczak for two points.
The play must have given JFK all the momentum they needed because the defense was pounding out hits like there was no tomorrow.
Paul Laurie, David Radomski and Tom Binga were slapping Gators around left and right until the Bears regained possession of the ball.
Cody Elliott returned a punt to the Bears’ 43 yard line, and two plays later caught a 45-yard pass from Crance before flying into the end zone with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
However, the second quarter wasn’t looking much better as "butter fingers" plagued both teams.
"We’re both teams that will improve," JFK coach Colin Brinson. "We got better this week, but there is still a great deal of room for improvement."
During their first possession of the quarter, Allegany fumbled the ball not once but twice. The second time, Bears defensive end Nathan Pyzykiewicz dived on the ball, gaining possession for JFK.
"Both teams made a lot of mistakes, we just capitalized better," commented Brinson. "The game was more even than the score indicated."
JFK then struggled to get down the field, and had a fumble of their own that was recovered by Crance. Soon after, the Bears were forced to punt on a fourth down.
After four plays, the Gators were sitting at mid-field, and they would have had a touchdown off a 48 yard pass, but Elliott made a huge tackle, stopping the runner at the Bears’ 11-yard line. However, three plays later, no Bears were in sight so Allegany’s Ryan Grace took the ball in for an easy TD.
The Gators then attempted a two- point conversion, but JFK’s Dennis Frajdofer jumped for the ball, and caught it deep in the end zone for an interception.
Not even 20 seconds later the Bears struck again with a 79-yard touchdown run by Elliott.
Two more plays; Shelton Howard’s 77-yard run in the third quarter and Fradofer’s 35-yard fumble return during the fourth also earned the Bears trips to the end zone.
JFK’s next game is at home on Saturday versus Falconer. Kick off is at 2 p.m.
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