by Gary Danforth
I’m not sure the young man knows what he did. Oh, he knows he kicked a game winning 33 yard field goal with 2.9 seconds left in the 2009, Class C, Section II football championship game played at Stillwater Central School’s turf field last Saturday night, November 7, which gave himself, his teammates, including his brother, and Coach Ron Jones a well-earned title. But, he may have helped raise a whole town in a long sinking economy.
The lanky, 6’2” junior calmly lined up the kick, as thousands of people who ringed the field, first screamed and shouted and then collectively held their breaths to see if the football, which was launched off his left instep as he strode from right to left at a forty five degree angle to the goalposts in the back of the west end zone, would get over the crossbar.
A crossbar which looked too far away for Hoosick Falls Central School players with white jerseys, blue numbers and blue pants. And, a crossbar which looked too close for the red-topped jerseys, red numbers and black pants of the players from Chatham Central School. Two 9-0 football teams, Hoosick Falls, champions of the Class C North division, and Chatham, champions of the South division, both nicknamed the Panthers, had been locked in a titanic championship football game. For four quarters the teams had gone at each other like pride, history and a trip to the state quarter finals were on the line. And they were.
The schools were locked in a 14-14 stalemate, when the young lad from Hoosick Falls, a former soccer player, was eyeing his kick. At game time, the weather was a balmy 34 degrees. Lucky for the youngster it had actually been warming up throughout the course of the game. Some in the crowd might have even dared to shed a layer of clothing or take off their mittens. The warmer weather surely may have helped the half frozen football cut into the night air a little easier. I mean it was only thirty three yards, give or take a yard depending on the flight of the football, to the goalposts. So close for Hoosick Falls fans, players and coaches and yet so far away for Chatham fans, players and coaches. Or was it the other way around.
After a large crowd had arrived, and the Chatham players were busy warming up on the field, the HFCS football team was spotted just inside the chain link fence which surrounded the field.
The Hoosick Falls Central School Pep Band, consisting of Katherine Danforth, Molly Fleming, Josh Harrison, Samantha Brewer, Amber Crandall, Lauren Conte, Nathaniel Libby, Amanda Vitro, Justin Mattat, Amanda Middleton, Jason Woods, Samantha Skott, Brennan O’Donnell, Nick Frazier, Angela Slaten, Sarah Middleton, Allison Philpott, Kate Kirkley and conductor Rob Allen, broke into yet another rousing rendition of a peppy song which I wished I could bottle. Thunderous applause, yells, screams and hollers followed as the HFCS football team ran onto the field, ready to do battle with Chatham Central School. And Scratch, the Hoosick Falls Panther Mascot, in real life HFCS student Doug Gardner, did his best to fire up the home crowd as well.
There was almost dead silence on the Chatham side of the field when the Hoosick Falls Pep Band fired up their crowd. One sensed that the Chatham community wanted a pep band of their own like the HFCS Pep Band which time and again had inspired their team and supporters over the course of this 2009 football campaign. Over the year there hasn’t been a peppier, more crisp sound than that of the HFCS Pep Band. Those kids can really play.
At the end it was time for the kick to decide this colossal struggle for Section II Class C football supremacy. After a perfect center and hold, the young lad strode into the ball, smoothly and crisply striking the ball. He hit it perfect. But would it get to the goalposts, some thirty-three yards of cold air and turf away? The crowd on both sides of the field followed the flight of the ball. Then there was that dead silence again. On the Chatham side of the field. And jubilation, hollering, screaming and cheering from fans, players and coaches on the Hoosick Falls side of the field. Quinn Rasmus had done it. He had kicked the HFCS football team into the Section II football record book. His kick, which cleared the cross bar with about four feet to spare, gave Hoosick Falls a 17-14 lead with 2.9 seconds to play. All that was left was for Chatham to take a HFCS kickoff, make one lateral and see the Chatham player tackled to end the game.
Though Rasmus kicked the game winning field goal, this was a total team effort. Had not Hoosick Falls seen Chatham take a 7-0 lead on a 20 yard TD pass and point after touchdown with 1:21 left in the opening quarter to cap a seven play, 31 yard drive.
Didn’t this Hoosick Falls squad immediately respond like champions, driving the ball 63 yards in seven plays for the tying TD on a 34 yard TD pass from junior quarterback Mike Brewster to senior wide out Greg Stifter with Rasmus booting the tying point. There was still 10:02 remaining in the second period. Didn’t HFCS take a 13-7 lead with :01 left in the first half when senior running back Alex Hansen bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out on a fourth down play. Didn’t Rasmus boot the PAT home for a 14-7 Hoosick Falls lead which ended a 16 play, 77 yard drive. Didn’t this well coached HFCS team use wide defensive splits to corral Section II’s leading scorer, and one of its leading rushers, Chatham’s Josh Keyes, an elusive, shifty back with breakaway speed, when no one else could. Didn’t HFCS respond with the game winning drive after Keyes scored on second effort on a fourth down play from the five yard line with 7:24 to play to cap off a fifteen play, 84 yard drive.
And, didn’t Brewster continually hit wide outs like sophomore Tanner Williams and seniors Kevin McMahon, Stifter and Logan O’Brien to complete seven of eight passes on the game winning twelve play, 80 yard scoring drive. Didn’t Brewster also run the ball once on the game winning drive and also pick himself up after being sacked only to hit three consecutive passes after staring at a second and twenty one yard situation. That HFCS offensive line did a great job, and that Panther defense bottled up one of the most explosive offenses in Section II. All night. This Hoosick Falls 17-14 sectional football win was a victory few will forget, if ever.
Under the Goalposts: This is Jones’ third sectional title after winning crowns in 2003 and 2006. Next up for HFCS is the state quarter final game at Stillwater Central School’s turf field on Saturday night, November 14, when the Panthers take on Section X’s Ogdensburgh Free Academy. Game time is 7 pm. In 2003 HFCS went to the Carrier Dome to play in the state Class C title game. In 2006 HFCS lost in the state regional game at Plattsburgh High School to Ausable Valley. Whatever happens from now on is gravy. This 10-0 Panther team has done all it needs to do. It is one of the greatest teams in HFCS football history. Besides, they’ve got a Pep Band, a school mascot and a whole town to cheer them on. Good luck, Panthers.
