Bison fall short in semis
New Rochelle rallies from 6-point deficit at halftime to top Shaker, reaches state final
Shaker wingbacks Logan Souza and Ravion Burt took turns producing long runs, Joe Toutai deftly executed his fakes at fullback and the offensive line was more than holding its own in a prosperous first-half performance Saturday night against New Rochelle. Needing 24 more minutes to secure the program’s first appearance in a Class AA state title game, the Blue Bison’s offense instead thundered to a halt as the hard-charging Huguenots refused to fold when things were not looking good.
Senior running back Jordan Forrest rushed for 281 yards and three touchdowns, the last covering 65 yards with 9:46 remaining, to lead New Rochelle to a come-from-behind 27-19 triumph over Shaker in a hard-fought Class A A semifinal victory at Middletown High School’s Faller Field.
New Rochelle (11-1), a program that dropped three straight state playoff games against Section II opposition since 2015, needed a superlative effort in the second half to advance to the state final.
“It is a relief,” New Rochelle coach Lou Dirienzo said. “I don’t know if we put our best foot forward. A lot of times when you don’t put your best foot forward, it is because of the people on the other side of the field. My hat is off to Shaker.”
Even through the sting of a career-ending defeat, Shaker senior safety Shane Lavender said, “I think it was a season to remember for Shaker.”
The Blue Bison (10-1) produced 261 yards of offense in the first half, including 24 carries for 249 yards and two touchdowns rushing, in taking a 19-13 edge into intermission. The
second half, however, saw Shaker only generate 45 yards over 27 plays — including only three yards rushing on 15 attempts (with seven plays resulting in a loss).
“Their speed caught up to us,” Shaker coach Greg Sheeler said. “They overwhelmed us at the line of scrimmage. They made some good adjustments and I tip my cap to their coaching staff. Really, they were attacking us up front and we didn’t have an answer for it.”
“We tried to stick to our game plan and execute as much as we can, but their speed caught us at the end,” Toutai said.
The Blue Bison were able to easily get their main threats to the perimeter in the running game. Burt and Souza combined to gain 231 yards on 16 carries in the opening half. The duo picked up just four yards in the second half.
“They clogged up the inside and we just couldn’t get to the edge,” Sheeler said. “They made some nice adjustments and we were unable to create movement up front. It is scheme, but it is also the will of their kids. They made some big plays.”
New Rochelle took a 20-19 lead when senior quarterback Mac Coughlin completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to senior Jordan Dixon-king on a fourth-and-10 play in the third quarter and Joey Celetano