SECTION IV FOOTBALL: DRYDEN HANGS ON; TOPS SVEC, 14-7 (24 PHOTOS) (2018-09-15)

By TIM BIRNEY
For Tioga County Sports Report
CANDOR - Defense ruled the day in Dryden's 14-7 win over Spencer-VanEtten / Candor here Saturday afternoon in Section IV non-divisional football action.

The Eagles were limited to 164 yards in total offense, including just 77 rushing yards on 37 carries, while the Purple Lions had 186 yards of offense, as well as a game-changing 80-yard kickoff return for a TD.

"Hats off to our defense," said first-year SVEC head coach Mike Chaffee. "They kept us in the game, and gave us a chance at the end. They played a heck of a game, especially in the second half, but we need to get better offensively.

"(Dryden) had our number today," he noted. "The things we were trying to do, they were able to shut down.

"We didn't capitalize on opportunities we had to score," added Chaffee. "It's a very disappointing loss."

The first half was especially one-sided as Dryden piled up 180 yards of offense and all 10 of its first downs, while SVEC had just 36 yards and two first downs - both on its first possession of the game.

The lone score of the first half was Joey Mack's 36-yard TD pass to Ashton Hodges to give Dryden a 6-0 lead with 3:24 remaining in the first half.

The Purple Lions moved the ball consistently, but fumbled the ball away three times deep in SVEC territory - at the 13, the 26, and the 10.

"I felt good with where we were at going into the half," said Chaffee. "We called the guys out at halftime, and told them to look in the mirror, that we needed them to step up.

"We weren't getting it done up front. We couldn't run the ball, and we couldn't get our guys out into space," he noted. "We weren't able to do the things we wanted to do.

"We started to do a little of what we were looking to do in the second half, but we got down near the goal line with first-and-goal, and couldn't get it in the end zone - that really hurt us," Chaffee added.

Dryden's Brady Marsh delivered a crushing blow to open the third quarter, returning the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a TD. Garrett Marsh added the two-point conversion run to make it 14-0 just 13 seconds after the intermission.

"That was a dagger, but I liked the way our guys responded," said Chaffee. "They were able to brush it off, and focus on what we could control, but that return was the difference - it really hurt us."

The Eagles took the ensuing kickoff and marched from their 25 to the Purple Lions 3 on 17 plays in a drive that chewed up nearly nine minutes of the game clock. The big play on the drive was a 28-yard run by senior Christian Haynes, who led all rushers on the day with 81 yards on 21 carries.

SVEC's defense, which allowed just six yards of total offense and no first downs in the second half, forced Dryden into a three-and-out, and senior Cameron Fitzgerald returned the punt 28 yards to the Purple Lions 20.

The Eagles squandered the field position, however, and turned the ball over on downs at the 13 four plays later.

Once again, SVEC forced a punt, and Fitzgerald again set the Eagles up in great field position, this time returning it 43 yards to the Dryden 5.

On SVEC's first play, Haynes broke a pair of tackles and stretched the ball across the goal line for the score. He also added the PAT kick to trim the deficit to 14-7 with 9:05 left in the contest.

After another punt, the Eagles took over at their own 46. Three plays later, facing a 4th-and-11, sophomore QB James Sutherlin connected with junior Noah Mack on a 20-yard reception for a first down at the Dryden 35.

Four more completions by Sutherlin, with a 5-yard run by Haynes mixed in, moved the ball to the Dryden 15, where SVEC was tasked with a fourth-and-1. The Lions defense stuffed a QB sneak attempt and took over on downs.

The Eagles would again force a punt after a three-play possession, but their chances ended when the punt was muffed and the Purple Lions pounced on it near midfield.

"I'm proud of the way our guys battled," said Chaffee. "They stayed together, and they fought until the end."

Sutherlin completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards and was intercepted once. Noah Mack had five receptions for 46 yards, senior Shawn Watson had five grabs for 28 yards, and senior Nathan Mack added two catches for 13 yards.

Dryden's Joey Mack completed 7 of 11 passes for 105 yards and a TD. He was 0-for-1 in the second half. Hodgson led Dryden with three catches for 63 yards and a TD.

Marsh led Dryden with 44 yards on 15 carries, and Cody Senecal added 29 yards on 11 carries.

SVEC, now 1-2, travels to Newark Valley Saturday for a Division IV match-up.

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IN PHOTO 1: SVEC's Cameron Fitzgerald. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.