Sports

Football: Golden Knights Fall to Pelicans 16-13 in First Loss of Season

Nanuet took the early lead, but Pelham came from behind and won off spectacular interception in third.

The Golden Knights fell to the Pelham Pelicans 16-13 in a thrillingly close and hard-fought game Sunday afternoon in Pelham.

Right out of the gate, both teams played excellent, aggressive football.  Solid offense and defense from both sides kept the score close throughout the game.  Though the two teams competed hard from start to finish, it was the Pelicans who would outlast the Knights in a come-from-behind victory.

The Knights came out strong in the first half and took control of the game with a powerful offensive presence.  Though each Pelican displayed tough mental discipline in playing their defensive positions, they could not stop the onslaught from the Knights. 

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Nanuet was immediately aggressive, as Andy Augustin started it off for his team with an 82 yard punt return for the touchdown.  They then cemented their lead with a drive to the end zone which culminated in a one yard touchdown run by Greg Caneparo.  Unfortunately for the Knights, and despite playing solid defense, they could not stop the Pelicans from scoring in order to build a more significant lead on them.

With the Knights leading the Pelicans 13-0 and the clock winding down with just over four minutes, the Pelicans got the ball to start their comeback run.  The Knights played some solid defense, however the Pelicans played better offense.  Pelham hustled to break down the Nanuet defense and quickly get in Knight territory.  They then scored their first touchdown of the game off a long pass to Jesse Costanzo  in the end zone.

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This impressive drive must have fired up their defense, because the Pelicans were then able to shut down the Knights offense and force the punt with time left on the clock for one final drive before the half.  The Knights rallied to stop the drive from reaching the end zone, however they couldn't keep the Pelicans out of field goal range with a little over three seconds to go in the half.  The 27 yard field goal was good to put them within three of the Knights.

Though they now had the momentum behind them, the Pelham offense could not keep it going in the second half.  Fortunately for them, their defense stepped up to win the game.  After the Pelicans returned the kickoff to the 38 yard line, the lock-down defense of the Knights forced them to punt.  Receiving the kickoff, the Knights started off their drive at their own 17 yard line.  After relying heavily on their running game for most of the drive, the pass on third and long was intercepted by Pelham's Joe Miller, who ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown to put his team in the lead.

The extra point was no good, and so, with the score now 16-13 in the third, the Knights still had a great shot at tying or taking the lead.  The game went back and forth after this, with each team making enough headway to maintain possession for a while, but not get close enough for another touchdown or field goal.  Excellent defense from both sides shut down the offensive drives.  The game ended with the Pelicans running down the clock to the cheers of their already celebrating fans.

As is evidenced by the close loss, Nanuet played a solid game on both ends.  They continued to play hard and keep their heads in the game, even after losing the momentum and the heartbreaking, game winning interception by Miller.  The Knights continued to persevere despite this, making it anyone's game through to the very end.  They are now at 1-1 for the season.

The Pelicans showed their own mental fortitude, as they fought back from a disheartening start to the game with a confidence-inspiring victory.  Nanuet is a top-contender and now, the Pelicans have surely shown themselves to be one as well.  They are now 2-0 with a very strong start to the season.

Nanuet looks to recover from this loss and get another win under their belts when they play Putnam Valley at home on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 1:30 p.m.


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