Last Friday night before the Class A semi-final at Dietz, a former coach remarked, “I was at the Port Jervis (preseason) scrimmage. You know who I thought looked the best?”

Although it was most likely a rhetorical question, I quickly offered my opinion since I had been there, too. “O’Neill and Eldred.” Almost surprised at my sudden outburst of football insight, he pronounced, “You got it!”

Our shared opinion may seem a bit bizarre since PJ and Sullivan West were also participating that day, but look who is and who isn’t playing for sectional titles this upcoming weekend!

O’Neill got off to a rough start following that scrimmage, however. The Raiders opened with a modest come-from-behind, 14-8 win over Chester as QB Aaron Kilner had a big night. Then they hit a three-game losing streak in games where their opponents turned out to be the toughest three teams on their schedule: Pascack Hills (NJ), Highland and New Paltz. But five straight subsequent victories, the last coming against New Paltz in Saturday’s Class B semi-final, followed.

O’Neill got shut out by Highland in week three, 12-0, as Josh Duggan scored on a first quarter run while defensive back Dylan Ose returned a tipped pass 19 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter. Then in week four Jamaal Clark scored on a 95-yard kickoff return, FB Logan Peterson pounded for 95 yards and scored New Paltz’s other TD while standout DE Gordy Pine harassed Kilner with three sacks.

In last Saturday’s semi, however, O’Neill stopped Peterson and Clark and kept Pine from sacking Kilner. The Raiders won, 13-6, on a long pass to start the game and on plenty of defense. Church Pfeil’s second quarter TD run, which proved to be the margin of victory, was set up by a sack and fumble recovery at the NP 15. The Huguenots, again without QB Jon Diaz, scored in the fourth quarter after a blocked punt was recovered at the O’Neill two.

“There’s no doubt that Diaz’s absence made a difference,” said O’Neill coach Tim Hendershot. “But overall our defense has played better and better each week since that game. We’ve tightened things down, and we’re playing tougher.”

The Raider defensive line standouts have been three-year starter Marquis Camper (5’9 265 senior) and R.J. Shrieve (6’ 210 senior). Hendershot also has praise for senior Chris Outing (6’5 250) who has “come on strong these last few weeks.” But they see a lot of action on both sides of the ball while Highland’s 43-man roster has plenty of depth despite season-ending injuries to Mike Fallatik and Josh Duggan.

So the big question is can O’Neill’s offense score at least two TD against the veteran and suffocating Highland defense? As we said, the Huskies shut out the Raiders in their first meeting. This year Highland has pitched four shutouts and has allowed an average of only 4.2 points per game. All but eight of the 38 points it has yielded have come these last three weeks as Husky coach Carl Relyea, not wanting to unnecessarily risk any more injuries to front-liners, has pulled his starters with the game under wraps.

“Duggan caused a lot of havoc last time. I guess he won’t be playing this time, but he‘s not their whole team” Hendershot said of the linebacker-running back.

“In that first game we held them to 6-0 until they got that tipped pass for a touchdown late in the game. But they wear people down. They have some tough kids over there. (Senior) Rocky Perry is the best lineman we’ve seen this year.”

So what’s the game plan, Coach? Will you be having Aaron Kilner, the section’s #2 all-time leader in career passing yardage, throwing the ball all over the lot?

“We tried that last time and didn’t have much success. I think we ran the ball only 15 times in the first half.”

Still Highland will be vigilantly aware of Kilner who has completed 88-of-182 passes for 1,504 yards (second only to Rian White this season) and 11 touchdowns. The problem has been the 12 interceptions the senior has thrown along with his 48.6% completion rate. Hendershot thinks that last year’s season-ending injury has probably impacted his four-year starter’s delivery.

“The bottom line, though, is that this game will be a straight-up battle for every two or three yards on both sides of the ball. It will be a war of attrition.”

While Kilner will be looking for his favorite receiver, senior Patrick Doty (23 catches for 686 yards and eight TD), senior Church Pfeil (6’2 195) will get plenty of carries. Pfeil’s stat line reads 107 lugs for 570 yards and five TD. Dax Gerber and Darryle Griffin will also get a fair share of carries.

Turning the ball around, we see that the Highland offense has averaged 27.5 ppg. Duggan and Fallatik provided a powerful one-two punch very early on. Then came the knee injuries, the first one sidelining Fallatik before mid-season.

“But they have that big roster and can rotate in six or seven quality backs,” Hendershot countered.

At last week’s semi-final, it was offensive MVP Kairi Alston (24 carries for 148 yards and three TD) and newfound RB Scott Bolstad (8 x 103 x two TD) doing the damage as the Huskies, attempting but four passes, stuck to the ground.

Highland’s offense has been relatively dormant in the first half of late. But then it awakens after intermission. We’ll see how all that pans out this week and possibly beyond.

Upsetting state-ranked Highland in the Class B title game will be a major challenge for O’Neill.

“We can handle it,” Hendershot concluded. “It’s all a matter of who’s going to play tougher.”

--- PHIL DUSENBURY