If patience is a virtue, perseverance ought to be worth something slightly more. The visiting Ellenville Varsity Football team was more than patient last Saturday afternoon in their hard-fought 6-3 win over Goshen. The Blue Devils showed a doggedness that is most often associated with winners, and for their efforts they were rewarded with a win.

Coach Tony Borriello and his boys had their work cut out for them as they faced the Goshen Gladiators, a Class A school looking to regain their own football successes. Goshen was playing its first-ever home game on a newly renovated field and had support from an energized crowd. After only four minutes of play, Goshen had kicked a field goal to cap a seemingly easy four-play drive to put the hosts up 3-0.

It would have been very easy for the Blue Devils to hang their heads after their first drive went three-and-out and their next seven drives produced no points. The Blue Devils had two first downs and only 29 total yards in offense in the first half.

But there were some positive things happening and they were all happening under the defensive side of the ball. The Blue Devils defensive group was putting on a classic “bend but don't break” performance, causing the Goshen offense to experience the same frustration as Ellenville's.

The Ellenville defense was so dominant that Goshen not only would not score again, but the Gladiators' inability to move the ball resulted in 11 penalties for 170 yards. Several of the Goshen penalties were for unsportsmanlike behavior, a direct result of their frustrations with the swarming Blue Devils' defense.

The Blue Devils, trailing 3-0, began their ninth offensive drive from the Goshen 49-yard line, with only 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. For much of the day, senior running backs Tom Maerling, Jason Lutz, Eric Thayer, and Donald Exner had carried the ball with limited success. The team's passing had similar results.

However, this drive showed progress as the Blue Devils used a series of short runs and out passes to get to Goshen's 28-yard line.

Exner then broke an 11-yard run and the Blue Devils seemed to be in business with a first and 10 from the Goshen 17. An unsportsmanlike conduct on the Blue Devils pushed the ball back and the Blue Devils were facing first-and-10 from the Goshen 27. The Gladiators returned the favor on the next play with a pass interference call that left the Blue Devils with a first-and-10 on the Goshen 1- yard line. Exner gained three on a run to the left. And on the next play, the Blue Devils got all the offense they needed when Burns hit wideout Pedro Rivera with a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Blue Devils up 6-3, with only 3:38 remaining. The PAT failed when a bad snap could not be handled and holder Sebastian Constable was tackled.

Coach Merrill Conner runs the Ellenville offense and was happy to see the team put a drive together when they had to.

“We had opportunities the whole game. We just couldn't put it together. We had some dropped passes. But the offense did a good job and our running game picked up when it had to,” said Conner.

The defense had to hold Goshen for two more nerve-wracking possessions. After Goshen gained 36 yards on three runs, Ellenville safety, Andrew Hyatt picked off a pass and ran the ball back to the Ellenville 43-yard line. The Blue Devils were forced to punt after three runs and two Goshen timeouts.

There were 19 seconds left on the clock when the Goshen punt returner muffed the punt. When the pile cleared, Constable had recovered the ball and the Blue Devils had their opening day win.

Head Coach, Tony Borriello said, “It feels good to be on this (the winning) side. Getting a win against a Class A school should give us some confidence when we face our conference schedule. The defense did a great job.”

Blue Devils Bits: The team won its third game in a row dating back to last season…Ellenville's defensive line dominated Goshen, batting down passes, pressuring the Goshen quarterback, and stuffing the run…The Blue Devils will have a tougher game next week when Class B, Division I Marlboro comes to town next Friday night. The Dukes were Section 9 finalists last season. Game time is 7:00 p.m…The team celebrated their victory over Goshen by traveling to the Mid-Hudson Chinese Buffet in Kingston last Saturday night. How would you like to be operating an “all you can eat buffet” when the Blue Devils walk in with A.J. Borriello (271 lbs.), Jarrid Blades (285 lbs.), Anthony DeAraujo (250 lbs.), Frank Casamento (270 lbs.), T.J. Bell (210 lbs.), and Ed Lewis (233 lbs.)?...The Blue Devils are hoping for a huge home crowd this Friday night at their first home game…All four Ellenville home games this season will be played under the lights.

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