So that just happened

I'm off for the day - kind of.  I'm working but not working - monitoring e-mail and phone from the house.   Since I'm here I'm out in the back of the house getting a load of laundry going when I get told to grab a camera as there is a hawk sitting in one of the trees out in the back yard.  "OK" says I.

Sure enough - Mr (Mrs?) Hawk out in the back yard.  :)

Click the photo to view it larger | Click here to view it full size

Ominous Skies

....  as seen on route 26 just slightly north of Upper Lisle on my way home from work earlier today.

The trees that still have leaves on them are very vibrant in color these days, and the sky as I was driving in was bordering on being schizophrenic.  Most of the sky was quite ominous and threatening looking, yet off to the west where the sun was on its way down towards the evenings horizon, it was clearer and the sun was popping in and out of cover.  During the moments when the sun did pop out, it really popped and just lit up the sky with that late day glow which was being seriously enhanced by the contrast of the brightly lit trees against the dark and scary opposing sky.  It was kind of cool.  :)

Click the photo's to view them larger.

NV Varsity Football at Owego

The Newark Valley Cardinals Varsity football team travelled down route 38 to take on the hosting Owego Indians in a little localized rivalry.  Valley was coming off of a tough loss to Chenango Forks the previous week and were looking to avenge that loss.  Owego was celebrating it's homecoming, had the home field advantage, and this was a "Friday Night Under The Lights!" affair.  The Indians were equally stoked for the matchup.  The first half of this game was a really good one too!  Both teams scored a couple of times and both teams held the lead for a while as well.  Going into the half Owego was clinging onto a single point lead of 13-12.  This was shaping up to be a pretty good game.

Owego had demonstrated early on that they had a passing game and they weren't hesitant to use it to their advantage.  The Cardinals are loaded with pretty solid runners and with the line providing some good blocking Valley opted to stick with more of a ground and pound game.  Owego's aerial assault was surprisingly efficient on a couple of instances where sheer speed of execution was key. The ball would get snapped and the #21 at QB, Patrick Bilbrey, would just as quickly offload it to one of a couple of different receivers that he had at his disposal.  The shorter, screen type plays seemed to work best for Owego although they did strike paydirt on a couple of longer strikes.  One receiving weapon in particular was the #5 sophomore of Will Gladney.  Keep an eye on him folks - he made a couple of one handed grabs that were really (really) something else - he's a good ball player.  The Indians also had a deceptively speedy and quick back wearing jersey #40 of Stavion Canavan.  This kid looks kind of like a beefcake (stocky) - but he moves like a cheetah.  He was fun to watch and was also a contributor to the success that Owego had on the field.

On the Valley side of the ball - it was turning out to be a night of single digit assassins.  <grin>  The Cardinals captain of the ship, #5 Vinnie Darpino burned the Indians badly on a couple of terrific runs that resulted in TD's.   In special teams play #8 Christian Chase was quickly becoming "the man!" on kick off and/or punt run backs as he repeatedly put the Cardinals into good field position.  Chase also had an interception on the night.  David Crow wearing his #7 also had a big night with some solid yardage gained on a couple of really good runs.  Crow also swung the hammer that drove the very last nail into the coffin for Owego late in the game with a huge interception that sealed the deal on this one. 

I would be remiss not to mention the tandem of Dexter Hamilton and Nick Schermerhorn who both had a huge game.  Sporting the #'s 22 and 20 respectively they didn't work in to my "single digit assassins" motif.  I'll let you guys come up with a nick name for them ...  the "doomsday duo"?  :)  In any case - the Cardinals headed back home with a 33-13 win!

Valley moves onto a 4-2 record for the season now and will be continuing with the road show (?!) going out to Spencer Van Etten for yet another Friday Night Under The Lights game.

I'm hoping to have all of the keepers from this one up to the galleries by sometime this evening (Saturday, 11 Oct. '14).  I'm about half way through the batch now.. 

***** GO VALLEY!!!!!  *****

NV Varsity Football @Chenango Forks

Valley's Varsity Cardinals knew they were going to face a tough competitor today when they traveled out to the home of the Chenango Forks Blue Devils.  Forks is a long time, well established powerhouse in Section IV football around here.  They are multiple times state champions and, in short, they know football and they play it very very well.

Forks senior Ryan Bronson is a beast.  The Cardinals had their hands full today with the Blue Devils | Click the photo to view it larger

Forks won the coin toss but deferred and allowed Valley to have first possession of the ball.  This opening Cardinal drive didn't amount to much and the ball was punted away to the home team.  In short order it looked as though the Blue Devils offensive line was able to create lanes and get the run game going - they scored.  Newark Valley got another crack at it and again were shutdown.  Rinse and repeat - this Forks team was living up to the reputation that Forks teams have a history of - they're very good.

Towards the end of the 2nd half though, the Cardinals discovered - either by design, or by chance - that if they played an up tempo game and went no huddle, or very short and quick huddles, that they could, and did, have some success in moving the ball.  Unfortunately they discovered this to late in the half and the clock ran out on them.  But -- this was something to take with them into the break,

Readers digest:  Forks players are pretty good sized (not huge - but big enough), definitely fast, and they are obviously well drilled on their particular skillset (defensive players, offensive players, linemen, running backs, etc ... ).  When these players with these attributes are all on the same page and clicking, it makes for a pretty impressive display of prowess on the field.  Translation - they just overpowered the visiting Cardinals.

Darpino took charge of this game for the Cardinals and demonstrated why he is the team captain | Click the photo to view it larger

Valley didn't seem to be firing on all cylinders though like they have been for the past couple of weeks.  Team captain and QB, Vinnie Darpino had a big game.  He stepped up in a big way and took over at the helm of a badly listing ship and did everything that needed to be done to get something going for the Cardinals.  Returning to that up tempo offensive, Cardinal wide receiver Blake Novi threw an excellent block at one point in the game while Darpino was running the ball that allowed for a good gain in yards.  Darpino did eventually get into the end zone to put six on the board the the Cardinals.  Colemans kick for the PAT was good making it seven.  These would be the only points allowed for Valley though.

So while CF was firing on all eight cylinders, Valley appeared to be firing on only six or seven ...   hard to say.  The Cardinals will need to lick their wounds and re-group this week as once again they go on the road and take on Owego.  Newark Valley moves onto a 3-2 record now on the season.

All photo's (keepers) from this game are now posted out to the galleries.

*****  Go Valley!!!  *****