John Jay Loses 55-47 Thriller

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Last year at times, John Jay struggled to score so that had to be a concern among the big opening night crowd at Contest Field. 47 points later, last year became a distant memory. Unfortunately, the total wasn’t good enough.

Pearl River dented the scoreboard for 55, and the Wolves had to settle for a thrilling 55-47 loss.

The game started with good defense, though. After Pearl River got to the John Jay 38 on a pass over midfield by TJ Lanese, John Jay shut down the next three plays.

Taking possession at the 20, the Wolves opened by doing worse than struggling. They went nowhere on three downs, and a long snap resulted in a blocked punt. Pearl River recovered in the end zone and led 6-0.

In response, John Jay did show signs of life. Nick Rinaldi got outside for a first down, Patrick Ryan ran a keeper past midfield, and then the receiver turned QB rolled left to find Colby Cotrone for a nine yard gain. But the drive was stalled by an illegal receiver downfield and a hold.

Even so, the drive officially ended on another long snap. Still, the John Jay defense looked up to the task by forcing a third and nine. Not quite, Lanese hit Kieran Fitzgerald over the middle for a 64 yard touchdown.

13-0, urgency took hold. The Wolves weren’t there just yet, though. After Ryan hit Tesi for a first down past midfield, a Pearl River sack unraveled the drive, and John Jay was forced to punt.

So the defense took the baton and came through. A sack on third and 15 sent Pearl River off, and the Wolf offense arrived.

Two no gains to get out of the way, Ryan hit Tesi for a first down to the John Jay 45, and on the next play, Rinaldi refused to go down. He muscled his way through the line and shook off multiple players to the 12. Two plays later, he was in the end zone, and it was a 13-7 ball game.

In at 9:27, the teams exchanged interceptions on subsequent plays. Chase Carvajal got his at midfield, and Joe Cooney reset Pearl River at the 44. Making the most, Lanese hit a sideline pass to Connolly, Tommy Mahoney rushed to the five, and Lanese connected on the left to get in the end zone at 5:41.

The two point conversion failing, Pearl River now led 19-7, and Jay took their turn. Rinaldi kept the drive alive by converting a fourth and one at the John Jay 39, and Pearl River lent a foot when Tesi was tripped running a sideline route.

First and ten at the Pearl River 38, Ryan did most of the rest. He hit Tesi on the sideline, and then burst through the line for a 30 yard touchdown run at 3:34.

The extra point made it 19-14, and Pearl River continued the offensive onslaught. The Pirates had to convert a fourth and 20 to do it, though.

First, Lanese hit Connolly at the John Jay 44, and Mahoney broke through the middle to the 16. Not so fast, a John Jay sack led to fourth down, but the defense let the Pirates off the hook. Connolly was left all alone in the end zone, and the easy catch sent Pearl River into the locker room with an 11 point lead.

A deflating blow, John Jay didn’t take long to make the miscue ancient history. Tesi’s return started his team at the 46, and Rinaldi followed by rushing 26 yards to the 28. A holding call set the Wolves back, and now John Jay had to overcome long distance. Ryan hit Tesi to the one, and Rinaldi punched it in.

25-21 at 10:30, the scoring string was broken next. With the help of two penalties and a fumbled snap, the John Jay defense prevailed, and Rinaldi was primed. The back ran into a stacked line, bulled his way through and shook off numerous tacklers. 52 yards of grit, John Jay suddenly led 28-25.

The Pirates weren’t impressed, though. Lanese caught Mahoney in stride for a 36 yard gain to the 29, and one play later, Lanese found Danny Fitzgerald wide open for a 33-28 advantage.

No problem, the Wolves stayed in stride. At least at first, Rinaldi and Ryan ran John Jay to a first down at the 13. However, another bad snap put the ball on the ground, and the Pirates recovered.

Nonetheless, the John Jay defense held and the visitors returned the favor. Both defenses mostly done at this point, the Pirates offense re-raised the flag first. Mahoney bumped outside and went 65 yards for a 39-28 lead.

2:40 left in the third, Rinaldi and Ryan again put their team in position. 30 yards away, Rinaldi reached the end zone, but the play was called back on a hold.

So Tesi let go. On a third and 19, he received on the sideline for a first and goal at the ten, and then helped his team overcome another failed snap. Third and 17 this time, the receiver hauled in Ryan’s pass over the middle and willed his way into the end zone.

11:11 left in the game, there was much more to come. Lanese hit Carter Kaichbrenner in stride, and Pearl River was set up with a first down at the John Jay 25. Two plays later on third and six, Mahoney went up the middle for a first and goal, and Kaichbrenner would haul in the touchdown pass.

Connolly caught the two point conversion, and John Jay had under nine minutes to make up 13 points. Feeling lucky, Ryan caught Tesi over middle again at the Wolf 46, but a pair of incompletions put the game on the brink.

So John Jay pulled out the stops. Ryan hit Tesi on the sideline, and he flipped to a trailing Rinaldi. Nothing but empty space ahead, the back ran all the way to the end zone with 6:57 remaining.

47-41, John Jay looked like they held when Lanese overthrew his receiver on 4th and five. Pass interference instead, the defense still forced a third and 15. Not good enough, Lanese found Kaichbrenner for a 25 yard TD pass.

3:47 remaining, John Jay didn’t give in. Ryan connected for a long pass downfield, and Rinaldi ran nine yards for another touchdown. Only 2:23 remaining, an onside kick was on the way.

A line drive kick that was sailing out of bounds, the John Jay wing dove head long to keep the ball in play, and the Wolves the covered. Unfortunately, the refs ruled that the ball was touched prior to going ten yards, and Mahoney ended the game by getting the first down on a third and four.

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