Monroe-Woodbury 35, Warwick 27
Joe Lafontant, center, holds the John E. Bell Memorial Trophy with his Monroe-Woodbury teammates after they beat Warwick 35-27 for the Section 9 Class AA title Saturday.Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON
By Kevin Witt Times Herald-Record November 08, 2009
MIDDLETOWN — As the seconds ticked off the clock and Warwick hoped to pull off the football upset of the decade, its fans chanted one name.
Rian White. Rian White. Rian White.
The kid already set the Section 9 single-season record with his 31st touchdown. Now all he needed to do was drive 82 yards in 2:17, down eight points and hope to tie the score.
White got to his own 45-yard line, dropped back to pass, then threw a short pass toward Sam Careccia. Except it never got there. Monroe-Woodbury's Zach Perez tipped the ball, then Matt Hefter intercepted it.
One amazing season was over. One amazing streak continued.
Monroe-Woodbury won its sixth-straight Section 9 Class AA title with a 35-27 victory, extending its Section 9 winning streak to 51 games.
Monroe-Woodbury (10-0) led 28-7, but Warwick closed to 28-27 with 5:35 left on White's 35-yard touchdown pass to John Babin. It was White's third touchdown pass of the night and 31st of the season. The touchdown catch was Babin's 19th, also a Section 9 record.
Michael Grace missed the extra point, but that turned out not to be the difference.
Dan Scalo threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Laird with 2:23 left, meaning Warwick (8-2) needed to score, then make the two-point conversion and hope for overtime.
Monroe-Woodbury will play will play the Section 1 champion (New Rochelle or North Rockland) in a state-quarterfinal game at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at Dietz Stadium, Kingston.
New Rochelle (8-0) and North Rockland (8-0) play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mahopac High School. New Rochelle is ranked second in the state. North Rockland is No. 8.
Monroe-Woodbury has played — and defeated — New Rochelle in each of the past three state playoffs. All have been tight battles. In 2006, Monroe-Woodbury won 14-7. Then Monroe-Woodbury won 22-16 in 2007. Last year, Monroe-Woodbury won 10-8.
Monroe-Woodbury led 14-7 at halftime, after trailing 7-0.
White got his team on the board on its first possession, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run. It was White's 15th touchdown of the season.
Monroe-Woodbury tied the score at 7 on its next possession as backup quarterback Ryan Spelman, in as a running back, scored on a 1-yard run. Monroe-Woodbury converted two fourth downs during the drive.
Early in the second quarter, it appeared Warwick was driving for another score — when White fumbled on the Monroe-Woodbury 26. The Crusaders then drove the length of the field, taking the lead on Trevor Officer's 5-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left in the half. That was Officer's 15th touchdown.
Monroe-Woodbury came out flying to start the second half. Officer returned the kickoff 46 yards to the Warwick 41. Then Scalo connected with Patrick Laird on a 41-yard touchdown pass. It was Laird's eighth touchdown catch, and Scalo's 11th touchdown pass. Officer's 2-yard touchdown run gave Monroe-Woodbury a 28-7 lead with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Warwick cut the lead to 28-13 when Babin and White connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass. It was a 28-21 game when Babin found Nick Race for a 37-yard score — and Babin caught the conversion. That touchdown pass tied the record set by Cornwall's Kevin Arduino last year.
kgleason@th-record.com
Monroe-Woodbury's Section 9 winning streak
1. Sept. 3, 2004: M-W 14, Warwick 0
2. Sept. 10, 2004: M-W 38, Minisink Valley 13
3. Sept. 17, 2004: M-W 42, Middletown 12
4. Sept. 23, 2004: M-W 40, Kingston 18
5. Oct. 1, 2004: M-W 24, Cornwall 7
6. Oct. 8, 2004: M-W 48, Pine Bush 7
7. Oct. 22, 2004: M-W 28, Newburgh 6
8. Oct. 29, 2004: M-W 30, Washingtonville 7
9. Nov. 5, 2004: M-W 36, Newburgh 22
10. Sept. 2, 2005: M-W 42, Minisink Valley 0
11. Sept. 9, 2005: M-W 34, Pine Bush 6
12. Sept. 23, 2005: M-W 25, Kingston 19
13. Sept. 30, 2005: M-W 35, Warwick 0
14. Oct. 7, 2005: M-W 62, Middletown 6
15. Oct. 16, 2005: M-W 28, Newburgh 3
16. Oct. 21, 2005: M-W 34, Wallkill 6
17. Oct. 29, 2005: M-W 28, Washingtonville 7
18. Nov. 4, 2005: M-W 34, Kingston 0
19. Sept. 1, 2006: M-W 48, Valley Central 0
20. Sept. 15, 2006: M-W 35, Washingtonville 0
21. Sept. 21, 2006: M-W 20, Warwick 7
22. Sept. 29, 2006: M-W 48, Middletown 12
23. Oct. 6, 2006: M-W 21, Newburgh 17
24. Oct. 13, 2006: M-W 35, Kingston 6
25. Oct. 21, 2006: M-W 32, Pine Bush 13
26. Oct. 28, 2006: M-W 55, Valley Central 0
27. Nov. 3, 2006: M-W 26, Newburgh 3
28. Aug. 31, 2007: M-W 35, Warwick 7
29. Sept. 15, 2007: M-W 28, Kingston 0
30. Sept. 28, 2007: M-W 44, Middletown 0
31. Oct. 5, 2007: M-W 45, Newburgh 10
32. Oct. 20, 2007: M-W 28, Pine Bush 16
33. Oct. 27, 2007: M-W 42, Warwick 7
34. Nov. 3, 2007: M-W 35, Minisink Valley 28
35. Sept. 5, 2008: M-W 24, Cornwall 19
36. Sept. 12, 2008: M-W 17, Pine Bush 7
37. Sept. 26, 2008: M-W 34, Warwick 19
38. Oct. 3, 2008: M-W 42, Kingston 7
39. Oct. 17, 2008: M-W 31, Newburgh 15
40. Oct. 24, 2008: M-W 38, Middletown 14
41. Nov. 1, 2008: M-W 52, Warwick 21
42. Nov. 8, 2008: M-W 16, Newburgh 7
43. Sept. 11, 2009: M-W 17, Minisink Valley 0
44. Sept. 17, 2009: M-W 42, Newburgh 21
45. Sept. 25, 2009: M-W 42, Kingston 6
46. Oct. 2, 2009: M-W 63, Valley Central 18
47. Oct. 9, 2009: M-W 56, Middletown 9
48. Oct. 16, 2009: M-W 49, Warwick 32
49. Oct. 23, 2009: M-W 49, Pine Bush 7
50. Oct. 31, 2009: M-W 35, Minisink Valley 6
51. Nov. 7, 2009: M-W 35, Warick 27
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MIDDLETOWN NY--It was a great night of football on the Twin Towers field in Middletown tonight as the MW Crusaders met the Warwick Wildcats for the second tme this season, this time vying for the coveted Section Nine Championship..jpg)
The Wildcats got on the board first, but Monroe answered with a TD by Ryan Spelman, in as a running back, with Packy's PAT making it 7 all..jpg)
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Babin for the 2-point conversion, making the score a much closer 28-21. .jpg)
