The late A. Bartlett Giamatti wrote of baseball, "the game is designed to break your heart".
Football does that, too.
This was evident tonight, as Troy High sought to recapture the Collar City Cup from LaSalle after getting blown out of their own building, 42-0, last season. The Cadets were looking to square their record at 2-2, having picked up their first win last week, while Chris Stack's Flying Horses were aiming to remain perfect on the young season.
LaSalle won the coin toss, and deferred to the 2nd half. Bad idea.
Troy QB Michael Dinardo took full advantage, and on the first play from scrimmage, hit Steven Foust with a 68 yard pass play. A few plays later, Dinardo found Justin Gilmore for the TD. Phil "Pip" Ryan added the extra point, and just 71 seconds into the game, Troy was up, 7-0. Unfortunately, it would be a while before they'd be in front again.
LaSalle's offense, with apologies to a defunct brand of soda, had Bott to be good to keep pace.
Matt Bott, that is. The junior, with his offensive line flattening Troy's porous run defense, ran wild on the Troy defense. It all paid off with under 90 seconds left in the quarter, as Bott, after Troy was stopped on downs, took a pitch from QB Adam Myers, and raced 59 yards to the house. Matt Carberg added the extra point, and we were even at 7 after the quarter.
LaSalle's defense made adjustments, and kept Troy off the board in the 2nd quarter, and Bott sent the Cadets into the break with a 15 yard scamper. LaSalle was up, 14-7, at the half. Bott had to carry the offense. Myers, one of LaSalle's stars in basketball last season, didn't throw a TD pass, and was intercepted twice in the game.
Troy tied the game in the 3rd quarter, as Dinardo ran it in himself from 10 yards out. After Ryan added the extra point, Bott and the Cadet offense went back to work. More than 2 1/2 minutes later, Bott struck again, this time from 2 yards out, and LaSalle led, 21-14, heading into the 4th quarter.
But if John Audino and the Cadets thought this was over, they were mistaken. Troy got the TD back, as Dinardo connected with Foust for a 22 yard score. Ryan added the extra point, and we were headed to overtime.
LaSalle won the toss in OT, too, and opted for defense first. Shaker made the same decision last week vs. CBA, but this time, the ending would be a wee bit different.
Dinardo needed just two plays to give Troy its first lead since the first quarter, as he ran it in from 5 yards out. However, Ryan, dinged up as a tight end in the 4th quarter, changed jerseys, which caught the Spectrum broadcast team by surprise, never got to kick the extra point. A high snap forced Dinardo to try to play for a 2 point conversion, which failed.
LaSalle matched Troy's drive, as Bott----who else?----got them in close, and scored from 10 yards out for his 4th TD of the night. Carberg added the PAT, and LaSalle retained the Cup, 28-27. Bott finished just shy of 300 yards rushing (294 for the night), but also did some damage on defense, and as a punter, frustrating Troy.
Tonight's game began a 4 game homestand for LaSalle, which entertains Mohonasen next week. Troy returns to Picken Field to play Averill Park.
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