WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. November 9, 2002 UPDATED: After an afternoon of offensive frustration, Mike DeVere threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Darrell Mack with 1:30 to go in Saturday’s Riddell Bowl in beautiful Memorial Field, Mount Vernon, to give the Tigers a 12-8 victory, their sixth win of the year in 10 games.
FIRST DOWN! FIRST DOWN! IN THE BAVARRO-SAUER TRADITION: Evan McGuire holds on at the Mount Vernon 19 for a key first down in a posse of purple Knights after executing a clutch 2-hand leaping grab with Knights all over him on Mike Devere’s pinpoint laser strike over the middle for a first down on a 4th and 6 play that began at the Mount Vernon 32. It was the Captain’s second key catch of the 10-play 67-yard drive in the last 4 minutes that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for the Tigers. “I know there were a lot of guys on me, ” McGuire told WPCNR after the game. You bet, Evan, there were two knights hanging on to your waist as you went up for the pass.
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TouchDOWN! TouchDOWN! A BEAUTIFUL THING. Two plays later, Quarterback Mike DeVere rolled out to his left, and found “The Warrior,” Darrell Mack in the flat, after he had executed a perfect 2-second delay, ran a hook pattern into the left flat and took DeVere’s on-target spiral, turned to his right upfield, dashed DOWN THE SIDELINE into the Promised Land. Mack in full stride in center of picture has turned to his jubilant teamates celebrating the clincher. DeVere had made this play work to McGuire earlier for 15 yards to jumpstart the drive giving the Tigers a first down on the Vernon 48. Ryan Smalls forced a fumble in the first quarter and ran it in untouched 32 yards for an early 6-0 Tiger lead at the tail end of the First Quarter.
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The Tigers defense, which had stopped the Mount Vernon Knights all afternoon not allowing them to penetrate past the Tigers’ 30 yard line on any sustained drive, gave White Plains a chance to win stopping the Knights on 3rd and 3 when the secondary knocked down a pass play to the Tiger 45. Tiger ball with 4:56 to go in the game.
Déjà vu All Over Again.
After a punt returned by Darrell Mack to the 37, the Tigers had time for one last drive. White Plains had pushed Mount Vernon all over the field with three drives stalling inside the Knights 15.
MACK ATTACK AS TIME RUNS OUT IN FIRST HALF. Darrell Mack after a reception that gained Tigers a first down on the Vernon 15 as time disappears. Darrell was not to be denied later, when he took a similar pass in for the winning touchdown.
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All three derailed due to the illegal procedure penalties, once at the end of the First Quarter, another at the end of the first half, and another at the close of the Third Quarter, where they ran 16 plays, holding the ball for 8 minutes, only to turn the ball over on downs on a fumbled snap at the Knights 15.
DRIVING AND LOOKING GOOD in the Third Quarter, with a 6-0 lead. Mike DeVere over center. Two plays later, the fumble turned the game around temporarily.
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Stopping the Knights on downs, they began their second third quarter penetration and appeared to to be going for the clinching touchdown, driving to the Knights 20, holding a 6-0 lead, when with 3rd and 10 on the MV 20, Mike DeVere rolled right to the far sideline to pass. The Knights sent the house, chased Mike to the far side line and as he was about to throw, knocked the ball out of his grasp. Melvin Freeman picked up the ball on the 25, and ran all the way the other way, outrunning dogged Tiger pursuers, 75 yards to tie the score 6-6 with about 2 minutes left in the third quarter.
The following two-point conversion put the Knights ahead, 8-6 with a minute to go in the Third Quarter.
CHEERLEADER TIME: That’s Molly Gottshall on top of the pyramid of White Plains Cheerleaders exhorting the Tiger crowd.
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A similar big play in the first meeting between the two teams also turned the game around for Mount Vernon. That time it was a kickoff return by Deshawn Washington. This time a fumble recovery turning a winning touchdown drive into 8 points for the opposition, and it seemed perhaps another tough loss.
Was it going to happen again?
Not this time.
MEMORIAL FIELD GRANDSTAND FANS saw a classic. Close to 500 fans enjoyed the taut defensive struggle.
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The Drive: 4 Devere Direct Connects.
In the long autumn shadows, the Tigers started up again. On the Tigers’ first play from their 37, Devere passed to Evan McGuire for the first of his two completions to Evan that highlighted the winning drive. McGuire working the delay, turned, caught the ball in the flat and raced sideline to the Knights 48 for 15 yards. Spencer Ridenhour lugged it to the 43.
After a running play gained little, the Tigers faced a 3rd and 5. Devere turned and threw to Darrell Mack on a screen play, Mack turned caught the Devere Dart with one hand and turned up field ploughing through Knight interference for a key first down on the 35. After a pass fell incomplete and a running play got 4, Devere hit Tito Smith on third down and 6 for what appeared to be a first down. No! The referee called it back on offsetting interference and facemask penalities. A third down running play failed, and it was still 4th and 6.
Devere to McGuire Time.
The pass went to Evan McGuire on an L- slant-in pattern across the middle. DeVere hit Evan in the hands high. Knights converged, pinched him as he went high for the bullet pass and he got it, coming down and holding on. First Down on the 19. This was one dandy catch in traffic. The Knights were pawing him all the way down, trying to shake the payroll loose but he held on.
The Delay Went All the Way.
A first down run was stymied. Next play, Darrell Mack got the call. According to Levar Wright, WPCNR Bleacher Side Analyst, Darrell worked a 2-second delay pass play. According to Wright, last year’s QB who now attends Westchester County Community College, the end holds his block for 2-seconds to sucker the Knights out of covering him. They fell for it, shifting right as DeVere rolled left, just as they had on the first play of the drive. McGuire shed his blocker raced out five yards, turned back to look at DeVere, and took in DeVere’s graceful overhand southpaw strike in the gut, whirled racing madly to the sideline gathering steam, and down the sideline he cruised as the Knights frantically shifted to pursue. Too late. He dashed into endzone untouched to leaps of joy from his teammates. It was 12-8, Orange and Black, with 1:26 to go.
No Heroics on Kickoff this time.
On kickoff, the Tigers closed the shoot, and Mount Vernon took over on their 45, with no timeouts, carelessly squandered earlier in the 4th quarter. A run gained two yards. A long pass down to the Tiger 10 into double coverage, was played cleanly by Tiger defenders and it fell incomplete. A flat pass fell incomplete, and the fourth down pass fell short. The Tigers ran out the clock and had the win.
Defense Stalwart
White Plains contained the Knights vaunted running backs DeShawn Washington and Lance Jenkins, by punishing gang tackling. Levar Wright called it “closing on the ball,” and it denied the Knights consistently when a clutch stop was needed.
DEVERE DIRECT CONNECT: Mike DeVere holds the game ball next to WPHS Athletic Director, Mario Scarano after the game.
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Devere-to-McGuire. You’ll hear that again, all next year.
What emerged today was perhaps a new direction in White Plains Tiger offense. Junior Quarterback Mike DeVere and Junior End, Evan McGuire, combining intuitively for clutch receptions when needed. They’ll be back.
DeVere’s rangy height and ability to see the field is only going to improve and his accuracy at throwing into tight coverage is unusually precise for a QB of his age. LeVar Wright, commeting on the game for WPCNR, said DeVere can throw the ball 75 yards, unusual for a high school quarterback. McGuire showed poise and fearlessness in holding onto passes in traffic without bodyfear.
GREAT HANDS, KID: Mike DeVere’s Dad catches up with Evan McGuire after the game with a phone call from his Dad, for the young man who made the key 4th and 6 must-catch.
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The Tigers play Archbishop Stepinac next in the Thanksgiving Day game, and have a better record than the New York Jets or New York Giants, at 6-4. Better defense, too. And, no Giants and Jets, you can’t have Devere and McGuire and Mack.
TIGERS CELEBRATE BOWL WIN AFTER THE GAME
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What characterizes this team most, as can be said for all White Plains teams, is their heart. They do not give up. They do not get down after adversity. They never protest an official’s call, no matter how egregious. They try. And try again.
AUTUMN SHADOWS OVER THE GRANDSTAND, A HALF HOUR AFTER THE GAME as fans savoring the memories of a perfect football Saturday are reluctant to leave the field. Memorial Field has seen some classics, and the old green grandstand from a once-and-innocent time evoked a timeless melancholy as another football season of heroes and great plays and testing of character drew to a close.
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