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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 20, 2003: White Plains rolled up over 200 yards of offense in the first half on Saturday afternoon, piling up a 34-0 lead at the half, to defeat Mamaroneck, 40-6 at picturesque, steamy Parker Stadium before 500 delighted fans. The Tigers scored two touchdowns on their first plays from series after an opening sequence sputter, with “The New Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside,” Spencer Ridenhour and Ike Nduka rambling 44 yards and 47 yards respectively for spectacular touchdown runs. Later the Dynamic Duo each scored another touchdown.
CLUTCH CATCH BY “MR. LEE”: Mike Devere at left watches Thomas Lee hang on for a spectacular touchdown pass and catch to give the Tigers a 19-0 lead in the early second quarter of Saturday’s game.
Photo by WPCNR Sports
The Tiger line blew away the Mamaroneck line opening six foot holes for the rambling boys to rumble to paydirt, and gave quarterback Mike Devere time to write essays while looking for receivers. Senior Ridenhour and Junior Nduka ran for two “Sixers” each, and emerged, for the first time, as a true two-back running threat.
Ferocious Charge
Playing in 80 degree heat and stifling humidity, White Plains dominated the harbor visitors awesomely.
The charge of the defensive line lead by “The Prosecutor” Ryan Smalls, Chris “The House of” Osher, and Gabe “Press-man” Robles, had the seaside Tigers for lunch. They gave only one first down in the first quarter, piling up three sacks, three pressured punts, pinning backs play after play. Their fierce charge overwhelmed the visitors, making would-be tacklers disappear as if vaporized. Smalls had his most outstanding game on defense of the season.
In Mamaroneck’s first possession, with the paper Tigers going for third and 5 at their 40, Ryan Smalls struck for his first sack of the afternoon, ripping the football from the quarterback’s grasp then pouncing on it. It was a harbinger of things to come.
After two offensive pass interference calls on Ryan Smalls for pushing off the defender, the Tigers faced a third and 18 on the 21, White Plains messed up a pitch back and fumbled it away with Mamaroneck recovering on their 29. The Grandstand Offensive Coordinators in the sun-splashed bowl groaned. But this was the only highlight for Mamaroneck in what was to become a nightmare in daylight.
Mamaroneck was pushed backwards to their 20 and were forced to punt. Their punter shanked the kick and Ryan Smalls returned the ball to the Mamaroneck 44.
One Play, 44 yards, 6 Points! TouchDOWN! TouchDOWN!
Mike Devere handed off to Spencer Ridenhour on first down. The Tiger line parted the Mamaroneck line like Moses parted the Red Sea and Ridenhour rumbled through like a fast freight. Picking up speed, loping, cruising into the secondary headed for the far side. He could go, he might go, he was gone with several blockers riding shotgun on the touchdown convoy and it was 6-0. One play, 6 points! Pablo Siaba booted the point and it was 7-0 halfway to go in the first quarter.
Another play, 47 yards, TouchDOWN TouchDOWN!
After the kickoff, on Mamaroneck’s first play from scrimmage at their 25, Evan McGuire swooped in on the quarterback’s right side and sacked him for a loss to the 20. After two plays gained no yardage, a partially blocked punt (the renowned law firm of Smalls, Robles and Osher filing the motion to block the kick) was downed at the Mamaroneck 47. So far the game had been played entirely in Mamaroneck territory.
Mike Devere handed off to Ike Nduka in the deep backfield. The Tiger line swept aside the slow-to-form interference on the left side, springing Ike around left end and, lengthening his stride he was long gone for a 47 yard touchdown spin. The big bowl was joyous! Pablo Siaba missed his first extra point of the season, and the score was 13-0 with about 3 minutes to go in the first quarter.
Mamaroneck, feeling more like coyotes in a never-ending Road Runner cartoon, warily took the kickoff from Kevin Dulanto (who had a lot of practice today), and had first down on their 29. On third and 2 on the M-38, Ryan Smalls bulldogged the Mamaroneck back in the backfield to make it 4 and out again. Only this time the dashing prosecutor Smalls cleanly blocked the punt and the Tigers took over on the M-28.
Another offensive pass interference on the fiercely competitive Ryan Smalls, set the Tigers back to the Mamaroneck 45 yard line. Spencer Ridenhour picked up 9 yards back to the 36. And the quarter ended.
Touchdown STRIKE to “Mr. Lee.”
At this point it was still a game. Not for long. The Tigers faced a third and 6 on the Mamaroneck 35. Paul Scotman followed the Tigers “take no prisoners” blocking to pick up 8 yards for a first down on the M-21.
Now it was first and 10 on the Mamaroneck 21. Pilot Mike Lefty Devere rolled out to his right paralleling the line, looking, looking, then throwing back to his left under the goalposts just inside the goal line, looking for Thomas Lee who had two Mamaroneck Tigers on his back. The sophomore sank to his knees, caught the strike as he was going down, two defenders on his back, cradling it, mothering it and holding it, hitting the grass and hanging on for the touchdown catch. 19-0, White Plains. Siaba kicked the point and it was 20-0, with most of the second quarter to go.
Four and out again.
Mamaroneck tentatively and in shock took over after the fourth kickoff in 13 minutes at their 20. After going three plays, the Tigers did not rush the punt and Ryan Smalls (there’s that name again), with three Mamaroneckers all around him took the punt at the Mamaroneck 46, deked his way around them, shed three more tacklers as he lit out for the opposite sideline before being pursued out of pounds on the Mamaroneck 30.
One Play, TouchDOWN! TouchDOWN!
Mike Devere had an abundance of options. Who should he give the ball to on first down? How about an off-tackle play to Spencer? Sounds good and it was. Ridenhour blew through the hole, hurtling into the secondary, angling left to the far sideline. They weren’t going to get him and the score was 26-0. Pablo Siaba kicked the point and the Tigers were ahead by four touchdowns with around 6 minutes to go in the half.
Again, Mamaroneck could not make a first down thanks to the prosecutorial team of Smalls and Osher and the Tigers took over the ball in their own territory at their 30 for the first time. No problem.
Ike Nduka followed a convoy of blockers to midfield. Mike Devere hit Mike Johnson and the Tigers were to the Mamaroneck 11. Two plays later, Ike Nduka plowed up the middle for the fifth touchdown of the half, and his second touchdown of the afternoon.
A TOUCHDOWN MOMENT: The linesman signals touchdown as Ike “Nuke” Nduka gores the Mamaroneck line for a 5 yard touchdown score, his second touchdown of the game to make the score 26-0 midway in the Second Quarter. Photo by WPCNR Sports
In the second half, the Tigers added a sixth touchdown fittingly on a 5 yard run by Ryan Smalls.
The Big Band is Back.
The day was highlighted by the return of “The Big Band,” the White Plains High School Marching Band under the direction of Lesley Tompkins, that sounds as good as the Florida Seminoles band. It’s just not football without a great marching band on hand, and the “Big Band” proved it once again.
THE BIG BAND IS BACK: The BIG brass, the crystal clear woodwinds and rumbling, precise authoritative percussion could be heard all over White Plains from “Parker Bowl”. The WPHS band stirring arrangement of Touchdown in the pregame perhaps inspired the tag team of Ridenhour and Nduka. Photo by WPCNR Sports
HALFTIME: the band introduced Neutron Dance and Jakomo. The band is so good to hear, that the spectators stay and listen at halftime! Photo by WPCNR Sports
INTRODUCING THE SYNCHRONIZED CHEERLEADERS: The White Plains Cheerleaders introduced their halftime synchronized rap routine and were precise and “righteous”. Photo by WPCNR Sports
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