Rondout, like they did all afternoon, couldn’t get anything going offensively. Absolutely nothing. The Ganders went three-and-punt, with Seth Ruggiero — who won last week’s game at Highland with a fourth-quarter field goal — kicking the ball away to the Ganders 46. And New Paltz just went right back to work. It was Clark for six, then Laboy for seven. Then Laboy for 30 yards to the three-yard line, from where Clark bulled it in on the next play. Mazzei hit the point-after and it was 20-0 New Paltz with just 1:03 left in the first quarter.
The New Paltz defense just completely shut down Rondout, and the Ganders couldn’t even capitalize on the Huguenots most egregious error of the game — a bad snap from center that sailed over the head of a punting Mazzei for a 35-yard loss — that gave Rondout a first down at the New Paltz 29 (the Ganders furthest penetration of the day). On the next play Rick Drosdowich stepped in front of Steers’ pass attempt toward Johnny Seils, intercepting at the 25 and returning it all the way back to the 45.
Nothing much happened for the Huguenots in the next series, but Rondout reciprocated the previous New Paltz mistake with one of their own…and for which they, unlike New Paltz, paid dearly. A bad snap from center on a fourth-and-nine punt from their own 21-yard line immediately became a New Paltz first-and-goal from the Rondout six. And in two runs Clark had his second TD of the game, from three yards out with just 0:44 left in the half. Mazzei’s extra point made it 27-0…and that essentially was the game.
Rondout’s defense handled the run better in the second half, but the Ganders were helped along immensely by New Paltz penalties (eight by the end of the third quarter for 60 yards). New Paltz added a fourth quarter score as sophomore quarterback Nick DiMarco hit a leaping Wells in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown.
The final was 33-0, as Clark rushed for 83 yards on 16 carries, Laboy 59 on 10 and Wells 83 yards on nine carries. DiMarco was four-of-six passing for 65 yards.
The defense was led by Kyle Nagel, Kaason Clark, Anthony Tufano, Elijah Dones, Nick Morris, Jay Scott, Terrance Patterson, as well as Darryl Clark, Wells, Laboy, Dixon and Drosdowich. New Paltz is 2-0 overall and in Class B.
New Paltz plays at Red Hook (also 2-0 Class B) next Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
