Sunday, July 12, 2009

EFL Press Coverage July 12, 2009

Williams assumes QB job

LATE CHANGE: Player returns to position in time for Red &Black opener
By MATT CORDOVA
TIMES SPORTSWRITER
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009
Brian Williams will begin the Empire Football League season as the Watertown Red and Black's starting quarterback, and it's exactly where he wants to be.
The coaching staff has tabbed Williams to take over the position as expected starter Brian Green announced his de parture for a job in Kentucky.
"Brian will be the starter now," head coach George Ashcraft said Tuesday. "He's been taking snaps all preseason anyway."
After two preseason games, Williams assumes the role with a sound understanding of Watertown's offensive philosophies and schemes.
Gary Pelletier, who has returned from the Watertown Revolution, will serve as the backup.
"At the beginning of the year that's the position I was going for," said Williams, who was playing defensive back before the move. "Up until they made the decision on who was going to play QB, I focused on offense, so I'm up to date with everything. I'm excited."
The Watertown High School product has played the majority of his career at defensive back, a position from which he made nine interceptions last year.
But his athleticism lends itself to many other spots on the field, and Williams spent much of last season calling the signals. The Red and Black capped the 3-7, 2008 campaign with Williams at quarterback for back-to-back wins.
Anthony Noel and Williams shared time under center for much of the year, but now Noel will return to his running back spot, where he led the team in rushing with 616 yards and 5.9 yards per touch.
Williams inherits an attack that notched 19.4 points per outing in '08, but struggled to find a regular QB after Green went out with a season-ending shoulder injury.
As stingy as Watertown's defense has been so far, Williams will have to find a way to engineer a more consistent offensive attack. The type of production that translated into six points in six preseason quarters likely won't suffice if the Red and Black wants to make a serious championship chase.
"We really haven't had the opportunity yet, with the athletes we have here, to show what kind of offense we can run," Williams said.
 
Semi-pro notebook
July 11, 2009
 
The Vermont Ice Storm semi-professional football team starts its regular-season tonight by taking to the road for a home game.
The Ice Storm will face the Quebec Titans in a rematch of last year's Empire Football League championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Bailey Avenue Field in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Because of field conflicts, the Ice Storm are splitting their home games between Burlington High School and Plattsburgh. Their first game at BHS is July 18 vs. the Plattsburgh North Stars.
Vermont has gone undefeated in the regular season the last two years, winning the EFL title in 2007 before losing 12-10 to Quebec in last year's final.
The Ice Storm are 0-1 this year, having lost a preseason game to Southern Vermont.

Defense piles up points in debut

RED & BLACK ROMPS: Safety Bossinger leads way with two touchdowns in opening win over Massena
By MATT CORDOVA
TIMES SPORTSWRITER
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2009
Adam Bossinger's opportunities to score points may not be as limited as he thinks, playing defense for the Watertown Red and Black.
He scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns Saturday night.
The safety returned an interception 65 yards, and eight minutes later returned a fumble 18 as Watertown rode a near perfect defensive effort to a 41-0 Empire Football League victory over Massena at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.
Quarterback Brian Williams also rushed for two touchdowns, but the Red and Black made its boldest statements on the defensive side of the ball its regular-season opener, holding the Silver and Black to just 69 yards of total offense.
Published July 12, 2009 06:21 am - Plattsburgh turns back Broome County to kick off regular season.

Stars win EFL=2 0opener


By NICK ST. DENIS Staff Writer

North Stars defensive back Joey Painter (12) holds up Broome County's Sam Whitney (5) as Nick Norris latches on to the receiver's leg Saturday in Empire Football league action at Plattsburgh High School. The Stars defeated the Dragons, 21-13.
Michael Betts / P-R Photo
Saturday throughout the team's Empire Football League season opener at Plattsburgh High School.

Special teams took care of the first quarter, the offense picked it up midway through the game and the defense finished in Plattsburgh's 21-13 victory over Broome County.

"It wasn't pretty," Stars head coach Pat Ke leher said. "But we won."

Zach Blocker jump-started Plattsburgh with a 65-yard punt return late in the first quarter to give his team a 7-0 lead.

Blocker also took some change-of-pace handoffs at running back and finished the game with 28 yards on five rushes.

"There's no substitution for speed and quickness," Keleher said. "Once he ran that kick back and had another big one after, they kicked away from him."

The big special teams' play compensated for a lack offense early.

Plattsburgh quarterback Ken Stay went 0-for-7 on his first seven throws, including an interception that set up Broome County up on its first touchdown drive.

Broome County quarterback Adam Good threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter. He hit Sam Whitney for a nine-yard strike and Bill Smith for a three-yard score.

Stay finally made a completion to Chris Fish on his eighth attempt and had an end-zone ball intended for Matt St. Clair tipped and caught by Kelly Gordon for a touchdown two plays later.

The Stars running game was productive behind starter Brandon Keleher, who rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts.

"I was very pleased with James (Blocker) and Elija Parks leading th e way at fullback," Keleher said.

Plattsburgh's defense was solid all around, particularly in the second half when it held the Dragons to no scoring.

After spending the first half running Ahmeel Kirton on a good portion of its plays, Broome County got heavier in the pass as Plattsburgh held the lead in the second quarter.

Plattsburgh adjusted with a selective pass-rush and eliminated some holes in the secondary with its pass defense.

That approach got Plattsburgh the ball back for a final clock-killing drive when Matt St. Clair picked off Good. Good had defensive ends Kyle Babbie and Kevin Gibson in his face and threw it up for grabs off his back foot.

—

Plattsburgh 21, Broome County 13

Broome County 0 13 0 0 — 13

Plattsburgh 7 7 0 7 — 21

Scoring summary

First quarter

P- Blocker 65 punt return (5:11), Ryder kick.

Second quarter

BC- Good 9 pass to Whitney (5:31), Smith kick.

P- Stay 6 pass to Gordon (12:45), Ryder kick.

BC- Good 3 pass to Smith (13:57), XP no good.

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

P- Keleher 15 run (4:10), Ryder kick.
Individual statistics

Passing

Plattsburgh- Stay 7-21-45-1-2

Broome County- Good 14-28-140-2-1, Haughton 1-2-13-0-0.

Rushing

Plattsburgh- Keleher 22-103 TD, Blocker 5-28, Parks 5-21, Stay 1-(-6).

Broome County- Kirton 12-37, Good 1-(12).

Receiving

Plattsburgh- Fish 1-8, Gordon 1-6, St. Clair 3-33, B. Keleher 7, Blocker 1(-11).

Broome County- Smith 6-80 TD, Kirton 2-13, Whitney 3-29 TD, Kendrick 4-31.

# posted by American Football Association : 6:46 AM


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