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Wayne Valley became known as the "Cardiac Kids" this season because the Indians pulled so many football games out in the fourth quarter. But in the first round of the New Jersey state playoffs, it was 7th-seed Sparta who rallied from behind, topping the 2nd-seeded Indians 14-10 and ending their season.
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Wayne Valley had a forgettable first quarter where they looked confused on both sides of the ball. They had to use two early timeouts to gather themselves. Sparta took advantage on a nifty running play that went for 44 yards by fullback Mike Radeloff.
Wayne Valley finally settled down and started to look much more cohesive to start the second quarter. Taking advantage of a short field after a fumble, the Indians' quarterback Pete Savastano connected with Colton Callaghan for a 34-yard TD pass. The Indians seemed to have the sports momentum going into the locker room.
Wayne Valley picked up where they left off and on the kickoff, Ryan Durr's hard-hitting tackle gave Sparta a long field to work with. Wayne Valley forced a 3-and-out, giving the Indians great field position. Wayne Valley drove to the 3 yard line but the Sparta defense denied them the touchdown, and the Indians had to settle for a Matt Dietz field goal that made it 10-7.
The Indians started the fourth quarter with a tough stand, taking over on downs. Unfortunately for them, they gave the ball right back on a punt. The Spartans took advantage, using a long pass to move the ball into the red zone and then scoring on a 5-yard run by Zach Passarelle to take the lead.
Late in the game, the Indians got the ball with good field position after blocking a Sparta punt, but on the next play gave it right back by throwing an interception. Sparta used up the clock running the football and iced the game.
Indians’ Coach Brian O’Connor said, “People thought this was a rebuilding season but we just reloaded and I’m proud of our kids.”
O'Connor expressed optimism for 2009. “We have a bright future with underclassmen coming back next year and I look forward to it." --Emir Liguori for Jersey Sports Now
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