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WPCNR HEALTH NEWS. From Weschester County Department of Health. September 2, 2004: The results are in and, for residents of Westchester County, the health-risk indicators are looking good, according to a report of the New York State Expanded Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS.)  The newly released Expanded BRFSS report shows that residents of Westchester County are less likely than those of other counties to engage in some behaviors that put their health at risk and more likely to take actions that protect their health.

One key area in which Westchester’s report card is exemplary is smoking prevention.  Outside of New York City, Westchester has the lowest number of current, everyday smokers in the State (as a percentage of population) and the highest number of smokers attempting to quit.  Westchester is also third highest in the State for the number of people reporting that they have never smoked.

 

“This is a very encouraging report card,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County.  “The tremendous energy and resources we put into helping people stop smoking, or avoid starting, has paid off.  In the long run, this will bring dramatic returns in reduced health care costs and improved quality of life for our people.”

In recent years, Westchester County spent millions of dollars in programs to discourage smoking, earning the County an A-grade from the American Lung Association for its efforts.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls tobacco use, “the leading preventable cause of death,” resulting in more than 440,000 deaths and over $75 billion in direct medical costs each year in the United States.

 

Lowest Number of Smoke-Free Homes

 

 

Particularly gratifying is the fact that Westchester has the lowest number of residents in the State (including New York City) who smoke at home.  This is important since smoking in the home adversely affects non-smokers in the building, especially children.  In 2002, Westchester won a national competition, sponsored by the National Association of Counties, to see which county could generate the most pledges from its residents to keep their homes smoke-free.

“We took this campaign to heart,” said Dr. Lipsman.  “Not just for the sake of winning a competition but as an opportunity to promote the concept of smoke-free homes.  It seems to have helped.”

 

Second in Cancer Screening

 

Another area in which the Westchester County Health Department efforts have paid off well has been in the promotion of cancer screening.  Since 1999, the Health Department’s Colorectal and Prostate Cancer Initiative has provided extensive screenings and cancer prevention education to the community. Home-testing kits to detect colorectal cancer have also been made available free of charge to eligible residents.

The Expanded BRFSS report card ranked Westchester second highest in the State (including New York City) for the number of residents over the age of 50 who ever had received a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. The County also ranked third highest in the State for the number of men aged 40 and older receiving the Prostate Specific Antigen Test (for prostate cancer) within the past two years.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, with 146,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed this year in the United States. If detected early enough, the survival rate is over 90% but, in its early stages, colorectal cancer offers no obvious symptoms. This is why routine screening is essential.

Prostate cancer is also more easily treatable in its early stages and many lives can be saved through routine screening with a quick and painless blood test. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, claiming 30,000 lives each year.

“Cancer screening saves lives,” said Dr. Lipsman. “You can’t beat having workers out in the field, at church groups and health fairs, reminding people to get checked; making appointments for them; or giving screenings on the spot.  It works.”

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 4, 2004, UPDATED WITH MORE PIX,  COMPLETE COVERAGE 11:30 P.M. E.D.T.: White Plains overwhelmed Saunders, 52-0 Saturday afternoon, playing a flawless football game and forcing Saunders in numerous miscues and turning them into touchdowns. Kevin Avery made an impressive debut as the new Tiger signal caller, throwing two touchdown passes, one to Mike “Night train” Lane on his second play from scrimmage for a 40 yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 6-0 within 3minutes, and another 26 yard TD strike to Gary Morello to put the game out of reach midway in the second quarter. 

 Lane also picked up a Saunders pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown within the next minute to make it 14-0 inside the first  three minutes.

One Pass. Six Points: Mike “Night Train” Lane in center of picture next to the black jersey, legs into coffin corner after taking a pass from Kevin Avery in the right flat and cruising like an express train for the Tigers first TD of the season in Yonkers Saturday afternoon.  Photo by WPCNR Sports

The Tigers’ inaugural contest was no contest. Coach Mark Santa-Donato expressed worries that his new line would make mistakes in their first game. They did not make any. Saunders made them all.

 

From the opening drive, the Tigers forced Saunders into game-breaking mistakes with solid pad snapping hits, gang-tackling, swift pursuit and superb conditioning in 85 degree heat.

 

The first series was the only time Saunders moved the ball all day. Showing a shotgun attack and flooding the Tiger secondary with receivers, unbalanced the Tigers a little getting a first down on their first play from the 27. A long pass to the 50 fell incomplete.

 

On second and 10 from the 27,  the new Tiger Dee made its first big play of the day.  Junior Tackle Khaly Merot doggedly swooped into the backfield and dragged down the Blue Devil Quarterback for a 10 yard loss back to the 17. On third and 20, Conor Gilmartin-Donohue and Shawn Jamison combined for another sack forcing a punt.

 

Mike Lane took the punt at his own 45 and returned it 12 yards to the Saunders 43. Set up at the Devil 43, Kevin Avery ran his first play from scrimmage as the official Tiger quarterback.  Gary Morello lugged the ball to the 40.

 

First Pass.  First Touchdown.

 

Then Avery ran his second play. He drifted coolly back, looking left, looking left then  looked to his right out in the flat and smoothly whisked the ball to Mike Lane behind the line of scrimmage. The “Night Train” left the station rumbling, stumbling on a clear angle alley towards the end zone. Saunders shifted right could not catch up and Lane weaved his way into paydirt for 6 points.

 

Pablo Siaba’s try for point was muffed when the snap was fumbled but  Gary Morrello, the holder got to his feet and to show you what kind of day it was going to be for White Plains flipped the ball to Conor Gilmartin-Donohue in the end zone for 2 points. It was 8-0, Tigers with 9 minutes to go in the first quarter.

 

Lane Has a Lot of Leg.

 

Mike Lane kicked off for the Tigers, the first of seven kickoffs on the day that stunned this scribe.

 

Mr. Lane can kick! Every kickoff he made today sailed to the goalline except for one that he purposely kicked to the 20 (for practice apparently). Lane is easily the best kickoff man this reporter has ever seen on the high school level. He drives such a hard ball, that the Tigers could not get downfield in time to cover on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Saunders on their own 35. (Later in the day, we believe Coach Santa-Donato requested him to kick it a little higher allowing the posse of Tigers to get down field. He made the adjustment!)

 

The Night Train Makes another Run in Daylight.

 

Saunders, stung by the early TD, again began to throw to get back in the game.  The Tigers collected a dual sack pushing the Devils back to their 25 a loss of 8. A short run collected 3 yards.

 

The Saunders Mike Vitaj tried to get it all back. The Devils sent out 3 wide receivers flooding the Tigers seasoned secondary. Vitaj had time, with fully 6 seconds to locate a receive he could not find one and threw over the middle,  high.

 

Not high enough!

 

Mr. Big Play, Mike Lane playing free safety in centerfield got a bead on it,  leaped  high, extending both hands, coming down with the “pick” at the 35 yard line keeping his feet and he was off again, dodging and deking two receivers to his right and he was gone untouched for the Tigers second touchdown  in less than a minute. Pablo Siaba added the first of six consecutive extra points and it was 15-0 Tigers with 7 minutes and 25 seconds to go in the first quarter.

 

Saunders was undone.

 

Another Jarring Jimison Gem.

 

On Lane’s ensuing kickoff, the Devils returner, Tim Patton behind good blocking split the Tiger return coverage up the middle and had one Tiger to beat for  100 yard touchdown run. Patton came at Shawn Jimison at full speed at the 35 yard line.

 

Jimison came up to meet the challenge, set himself, hung low refused to be deked and got Patton thigh high taking the full force of the collision heard throughout Yonkers and bulldogged Patton to the dust, saving a touchdown. It was a great, fearless openfield tackle, reminiscent of Gino Marchetti. A huge play, otherwise Saunders would be back in the game at 15-6.

 

Deflated, Saunders ran two plays, then on a run, their halfback inexplicably fumbled (how can you fumble in 85 degree dry heat?) and Mike Lane fell on it, giving White Plains a first on the Saunders 30.

 

 

 

They’re Not Gonna Get Him: Ike NUKE NDUKA Number 28, after taking handoff from Kevin Avery, right, gets a block by we think Paul Scotman and accelerates to the endzone for the third Tiger TD of the First Quarter. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

 

After Ike Nduka picked up 5 yards, Avery handed off to Paul Scotman who rumbled Jim Brown-like to the Saunders 10, the “inexperienced” Tiger line brushing the Devils aside. Avery, pivoting with grace, precision and ballet-like choreography  laid the ball in Ike Nduka’s hands around left end, and Ike brushed past a lone Devil for the third Tiger TD in the first quarter. Pablo converted to make it 22-0 with 4 minutes to go in the first period.

 

Saunders got a drive going but fumbled away at the Tiger 50, and the Tigers took over at the Devil 47 as time ran out in the first quarter. Avery, conducting the offense like Leonard Bernstein handed to Paul Scotman who scattered Devils to the 38. Then to Nduka for a first down on the 35. and Nduka again for little gain. Mixing it up he handed off to Lane who moved for a first down to the 25.

 

 

 

Just Like Fred Astaire: Gary Morello (22) Spins on a dime after taking Kevin Avery’s pass at the Saunders 15, faking the Saunders defender, and is about to cruise into the end zone for the clinching touchdown, a 26 yard pass and run play in the second quarter. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

 

A penalty after no gain pushed the Tigers back to the Saunders 35, and Avery went back to pass again in his deliberate Bart Starr style. The tall tactician looked left, he looked right spotting Gary Morello at the 15 and locked in on him laying it in perfectly. Gary faked a Saunders secondaryman out of his cleats and dashed into paydirt to give White Plains a 28-0 lead with 9 minutes left in the first half. Pablo made it 29-0.

 

As Warner Wolf says, “you could turn off your video cameras,” there. The Tigers seemingly could score at will.

 

Ike Nduka scored on a 30 yard run to make it 36-0. The Tigers added a safety before the half, to go to the shade at halftime with a 38-0 lead.

 

In the second half, Ike Nduka scored his third touchdown on a 50 yard run to make it 44-0, and Mickey Morello added the longest touchdown run of the day (56 yards) for the final score 52-0. It was not that close, folks.

 

Press Box Observations

 

Quarterback Kevin Avery was impressive as was his “Four Tigers Backfield” of Nduka, Lane, Morello (Gary), and Paul Scotman. Avery, playing Elvis to the Jordanaires, was perfectly in sync with his backs, extraordinarily so for the first game of the season. He did not rush things. He held his fakes, he showed poise.

 

The I of the Tigers: Kevin Avery at the helm with Nduka, Lane and Scotman in the backfield. Photo by WPCNR Sports

 

“Ave” throws a nice soft football too. His passes were accurate on route and thrown at what appeared to be just fast enough to get to the receiver in a good spot, but not so hard they bounce off the receivers’ hands or pads.  He also is tall enough to see the field.

 

There were none of the collisions in the backfield or confusion in the handoffs that plagued Saunders, in the Tiger offensive backfield Saturday.

 

A more aggressive pass rush will test Avery and his defenders, but he has a good arm, capable of airing it out 50 yards without underthrowing. He appears unflappable. Workmanlike. I liked his pivots, his concentration, and precision handoffs. He takes care of the football.

 

Introducing “The Four Tigers” 

 

Santa-Donato has four formidable threats this year who hit their holes, can get away from tacklers and can cruise with speed. Paul Scotman caused havoc up the middle. Mike Lane has game-breaking ability. Ike “Nuke” Nduka can get outside or take it inside. And Gary Morello is both a run and pass threat. And the Tigers have more killer backs, Mike Morello, Thomas Lee and Joe Henry on the bench to throw in.

 

The line did its job today, and show good speed and pursuit when they need it. There were few Tiger penalties.

 

Not enough can be said about the Tigers’ conditioning. On a sweltering day, the Tigers never appeared tired. They were ready to play. Saunders was not.

 

The Tigers will need to deploy those assets against the explosive Gorton Wolves next Saturday at 1:30 in Parker Stadium.

 

TIGERS AND TIGERRETTES Celebrate the Opening Win. Photo by WPCNR Sports

 

THE TIGERRETTES CAN CATCH TOO! Photo by WPCNR Sports