By Ryan Nagelhout
Niagara Gazette
BUFFALO —
The Niagara Falls High School defense gave Riverside a rude welcome to Section VI football on Friday night, powering the Wolverines to a 9-2 victory.
In a game where neither team’s offense could generate a score, the Wolverines took an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown from Quandry Gray to open the second half and give the Falls a lead they never gave back.
“We just need a crease,” said Wolverines head coach Don Bass. “If we can get a crease we were hard to handle.”
That crease came halfway through the game, when Riverside kicked short to avoid Dale Stewart deep. The up man was running back Gray, who cut to the right side and picked up blockers to run right down the sidelines. The 80-yard score was the game’s only touchdown, and more than enough help for the Wolverine defense.
“I think our defense played outstanding,” coach Bass said. “Riverside is an outstanding team but we matched them on the defensive side of the ball.” The Wolverines forced four turnovers on the night, including an early interception on Riverside’s first drive of the game; and their air attack wouldn’t surface until late in the fourth quarter. A Frontiers ground attack of Dan Doty and Harold Millender would keep the ball moving for Riverside, but they were unable to get into the end zone.
The Wolverines had their own offensive troubles, starting with a series of bad snaps. After a Stewart fumble and recovery, the quarterback saw the ball sail right over his head and out of the back of the end zone, giving Riverside an early 2-0 lead. Stewart was unable to receive a good snap in the shotgun formation, causing the Wolverines to make a personnel change on the line.
“We didn't have a center who could get the ball back there, so we went in and Jamir Olsen came in,” coach Bass said. “The snaps were perfect and they were strong. That was key for us.”
Neither team generated much offense in the first half, with the Wolverines only getting two first downs. However, Gray’s return touchdown seemed to spark the offense, which looked more polished in the second half.
“The momentum from the kickoff really helped everything,” said running back Quandry Gray, who scored the game’s only touchdown. Gray noted first-game jitters as the cause for the team’s first half confusion, but the offense was able to move the ball more effectively in the second half.
“At halftime we made some adjustments in the line and we were able to at least get some drives and kill some clock and get our defense off the field,” coach Bass said. “That was huge.”
His defense also came up big again. Riverside’s first play following the touchdown was another fumble, and after a punt the Riverside offense set up again at their own 10. Niagara Falls stopped a pair of runs for loss, then pressured Cormack in the end zone on third down and 14. The Riverside quarterback threw the ball away and was flagged for intentional grounding, giving the Falls a safety of their own and a 9-2 lead.
The Falls would force another fumble with 6:07 left to play, but a fumbled snap gave Riverside a chance to tie the game with less than four minutes left. Riverside’s offense suddenly sprang to life, driving down the field with a series of passes over the middle. The Frontiers converted a fourth and 8 with 2:19 left to keep the drive alive, but there the Wolverine defense held firm.
Cormack was sacked on first down and threw two incompletions, setting up a fourth and 17 at the Wolverine 26. The Riverside quarterback floated a pass to the left side of the end zone, but it fell harmlessly to the field turf, giving the Wolverines the win.
“We gave the game ball to the defense,” Gray said. “They did their thing out there.”
