Lower Rallies to Upset Middle, 61-14

By Jacob Schaad Jr. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP - Somebody up there must have been looking down on Coach Bill Garrison and his Lower Cape May Regional High School football team Saturday. The Capers staged a gutsy comeback to upset unbeaten Middle Township, 16-14, but it took a prayer in the dying seconds of this bizarre football game to preserve the Tigers' victory. A Middle Township fumble on the Cape May nine yard line with less than a minute to go saved the day for the

Capers.

That, however, was only the climax of a series of weird events, the kind that make coaches wonder if they should have pursued easier careers, like astronatus or Indianapolis

500 racing.

The game starte*d routinely enough as Middle Township, which has looked virtually invincible in its first two games, rolled to a 14-0 lead. Tailback Clayton Palmer powered his way into the end zone from the 12 yard line on the first Middle Township possession. It was a typical Middle Township drive, grinding out 85 yards on 13 plays. A clue of things to come occurred when Harvey Tozer missed the extra point kick, but succeeded on a second chance on a personal foul penalty. THE PANTHERS made it 14-0 early in the second quarter on a 48 yard, eight play drive that ended in a 21 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Gihorski to Mitch Nichols. Again Tozer kicked the

conversion.

Just when most people, except the Tigers, were thinking of a rout, Lower Cape May began its comeback drive on the next series of plays. The word around the Cape-Atlantic .League is that Middle Township has a weakness in the secondary. The Panthers’ first two opponents, Buena and Wildwood, were unable to exploit it because

arterbacks

their quarterbacl

most of their time on the seat of their pants when they tried to throw. Undaunted, Garrison assigned the chore to his quick, tenancious signal caller Bob Chadwick who responded to the challenge admirably, finishing the game with 10 completions out of 15 attempts for 170

yards.

In Cape May’s first scoring drive, consuming 16 plays and 66 yards, Chad-. wick was sacked the only time in the game, but completed six passes out of six attempts. The drive almost died on the Middle Township 33 yard line, but out of a punt formation 6-3 running back Eric Fenwick caught a seven yard pass on the Panthers' 26 for a first down. FOUR PLAYS later, with everybody except the Mid-

dle Township band on his back, Chadwick fired a five yard pass to end Ed Sherretta on the 10 yard line and on the next play as he again attracted a crowd on the northerly side of the field, Chadw-ick threw a touchdown pass to sure handed Bob Bonner who was virtually isolated on the opposite side of the field. The Capers then put themselves back in the game converting a two point play on a pass from Chadwick to Sean Brennan. Seldom has a wilder third quarter taken place in high school football. With momentum now oiv their side, the Capers began an 80 yard drive, sparked by the running of Fenwick and Dave Craig whose 65 yards rushing brought his career total over the 1,000 mark on Saturday. When Chadwick ran the ball four yards to the Middle Township 25, the Panthers were hit with a face mask penalty and on top of that one for unsport-

smanslike conduct.

That placed the ball on Middle’s seven yard line. In two carries. Craig carried the ball to the three and on a fourth and two situation, their team trailing 14-8, Lower Cape May S ent into field goal formalin. The ball, however, was snapped back to Sean O’Brien who fell inches

short of a first down.

On the first play from scrimmage, Middle Township played basketball with the football. The ball bounced around in the end zone and the Panthers’ Jim McBride fell on it (or a Cape MaySaMy,.bringing

the score tol4^10.

Middle Township elected to place kick fo Lower, but it was hardly an artistic success and/ Sherretta, a tight end, carried the ball back 20 yards to Middle’s 33. On the next play, Chadwick, again eluding wouldbe tacklers, threw a pass to Bonner who made a leaping catch on the three yard line. The Bob-to-Bob combination went • to work again connecting as Bonner caught the winning

spent ^ touchdown pass With two

defenders on him. Lower went into scramble formation for .th^ extra point, kicketHt successfully, but was penalized for being offsides. A pass attempt en-

sured, but it failed.

The Capers were still not out of the woods. They moved the ball to Middle’s 42 yard line and oh a fourth and four situation, Coach Garrison ordered a punt, seeking to put the Panthers in a hble in their own

territory.

But nothing in this game was to be easy. A Panthers' lineman got his hand on the punted ball and it only went seven yards to Middle's 35. With some four minutes left on the clock, the Panthers began a retailatory drive, sparked by the running of tailback Palmer who had his best day of the young season. Gihorski

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threw a 13 yard pass to Steve McKaig who caught the ball as he fell to the ground on the 25 yard line. Palmer then carried for three and caught a pass on the 16. Fullback Rich Rhinesmith toted the ball to the 14 and then on a first down play, with the seconds ticking away and the overflow crowd shouting encouragement to both sides, the usually reliable Rhinesmith fumbled the ball and Will Mendo recoveYed for Cape May on the nine yard line. After the game, a relieved Coach Garrison would not say this was the biggest win of his six years at Lower Cape May Regional but he admitted it was "one of my biggest ” Hq said it as he looked to th^sky. Lower Cape May Regional (2-1) 0 8 8 0 16 Miidle Township (2-1) 7 7 0 0 14 Scoring: Palmer (R-12), Toier kick; Nichols (P-20 from Gihorski), Tozer kick; Bonner (P-10 from Chadwick). Brennan catch conversion from Chadwick; Safety for Lower Cape May; Bonner (P-3 from Chadwick), Pass failed.

> i Doth Ward HALFBACK DAVE CRAIG, who went over the 1,000 yard career rushing mark, is tackled by Middle Township’s Harvey Tozer and company during the course of tawer'

May Regional’s 16-14 upset of unbeaten Middtt Township.

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