Battle Royale: D-Y Dolphins Outlast Red Raiders in Offensive Duel

In any game of percentages, it only pays to roll the dice... sometimes.

Fresh off a 65-0, record-setting, season-opening victory at home last week against Durfee, the Barnstable High School Red Raiders (1-1) saw visions of a "perfect season" evaporate quickly in the fourth quarter of its match-up with the host Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Dolphins (2-0) in a 28-27 loss on the road at Alan Carlsen Field.

The one-point victory for D-Y all came down to Barnstable's decision to go for a two-point PAT conversion attempt wih 2:11 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Theo France (12 carries, 79 yards, 2 TDs) two-yard touchdown made it 28-27. Fellow senior tri-captain D.J. Crook kept the pigskin on the call for a two-point try and in hope of bringing home a victory, but it was not to be as the stoic and relentless D-Y defense stopped him short of paydirt. The play virtually was the end of the game as Head Coach Paul Funk's Dolphins played "clock-control" until the "official" end with bruising fullback Joe Furness pounding the rock up the middle to wind the clock down.

But from another point of view, D-Y appeared to have control of this reinvigorated affair from the outset and some fans were wondering aloud if the table was going to be turned 180 degrees on the Red Raiders from its two-way masterpiece just seven days ago.

In spite of a bolstering 27-yard opening kickoff return by senior Jeremy Hatstat, a D.J. Crook completed pass to sophomore wide receiver Hayden Murphy was knocked loose to open the first quarter, with D-Y picking up the loose ball and taking over on the Barnstable 13-yard line. Furness actually gained nothing on the first ball snap, but QB Mike Montalto then plunged ahead for a six-yard gain, followed by a high-lofting pass to senior wide receiver Damian Johnson to make it 6-0, D-Y, at the 8:46 mark of the first quarter. John Terrio's PAT kick was good, and the hosts enjoyed a quick, 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing three offensive plays for Barnstable, following a Hatstat 11-yard kickoff return, Barnstable gained "0" yards and with the Dolphin defense heavily breathing down senior punter Devin Broadley's neck, combined with a seemingly erratic snap, Barnstable's fourth down punt accumulated just 10 yards.

The Dolphins wasted little, if any time, with Montalto hitting his go-to guy Johnson on a 27-yard completion, followed quickly by a 1st and goal touchdown from Furness to make it 13-0. Terrio's PAT kick was good and the score with 5:12 left in the first quarter was 14-0, Dennis-Yarmouth.

Trying to find an answer to D-Y's momentum and its 14-0 deficit, Barnstable's Crook hit Murphy for a 20-yard gain on 3rd and 9, but a combination of Barnstable's inability to run for substantial gains and a smattering of incomplete passes led to another Broadley punt. It would be another 32 plays combined between both teams, all the way down to the 3:38 mark in the second quarter before Crook (20-37, 293 yards, two TD passes) would launch one into coverage in the end zone on 3rd and 13 to junior Kadeem Bailey only to have Bailey tip the ball to junior Nick Peabody. Peabody's sole reception of the day would prove fruitful, however, as D-Y led just 14-7 at the half (sophomore Tom Mullen successfully kicked the PAT for his 10th straight of the season).

Apparently flustered, D-Y then rattled off just one completion from Montalto to Dylan Hodson for a 22-yard first down before it tossed up four straight incompletions to give BHS the ball. Crook answered with a 29-yard pass to Theo France, before finally connecting with Tedaro France on a 20-yard completion and touchdown to make it 14-13; Mullen's 11th straight PAT in two games then knotted the score at 14-14 with 1:30 remaining in the half.

With Barnstable buoyed by its comeback, D-Y's Montalto seemed unable to retaliate before a gut-wrenching pass interference call on 1st and 10, against BHS, primed D-Y to go for the gold, so to speak, as Montalto hit Johnson again for a score and an eventual, 20-14 halftime lead.

Even though Crook had thrown for 228 yards in the first half alone, the Red Raider running attack could simply not get off the ground. All totalled, Barnstable had 3 yards rushing in the first two quarters of play on 11 carries - seven (7) by Crook and four (4) by Theo France. Montalto, on the other hand, knew his team's chance would be best to put this one away when D-Y received the opening kickoff of the second half.

Hodson ran the ball for a gain of two yards, followed by an incompleted pass and then something happened that seemed magical by junior cornerback Jake Kipnes.

Kipnes, almost two years removed from playing football after a season-ending illness last autumn, an illness that cost the scrappy defensive backfielder his whole season in 2010, decided enough was enough as he picked off a Montalto toss-up on 3rd and 8.

Still, Barnstable could not finalize any plans, impromptu and as positive as they may or could have been.

Theo France rattled off runs of 33 and 18 yards, respectively, only to have a first and goal false start flag cause Barnstable to take five steps backwards. France was then hit hard in the backfield with the ball for a loss of two, bringing up 2nd and 9. Two incomplete passes later and Barnstable looked to Mullen to hit a 25-yard field goal. It would prove to no avail, wide left.

Offsetting offensive stands by D-Y and BHS then saw the guests make every attempt to tie up the 20-14 score. It almost seemed futile until Crook nailed Bailey for a nine-yard TD pass; Mullen followed with his 12th straight PAT kick and BHS enjoyed its first lead of the game, 21-20, with 2:46 left in the third quarter.

A 27-yard Montalto pass to Johnson, though, combined with a 14-yard dump to Hodson then seemed to breathe some hope into the suddenly down Dolphins. Sensing their chance was "now" or never, D-Y struggled for four plays before Montalto ran it home to make it 26-21 in D-Y's favor. The speedy helmsman remained on the field before he got the call, received his marching orders from Funk and Co. and then proceeded to pinpoint a strike to Hodson for a two-point PAT to make it 28-21.

Hatstat, who came close to netting 100 yards on kick returns alone, took the rock 35 yards on the ensuing Dolphin kickoff only to see his team's good fortune once again squandered by a fumble, recovered again by D-Y at midfield.

With time ticking away in the fourth quarter on Barnstable's hopes, and its collective energy being put to the test, D-Y chewed up valuable play-clock minutes in its attempt at yet another score. With 5:16 remaining, BHS found an answer in its Crook-to-Dylan Morris combo and a first down on 4th and 12, with Morris aptly scooting out of bounds to stop the clock, as the junior wideout tip-toed just beyond the "chains."

Crook found Morris again on 2nd and 10 for 9 yards, lost three on an attempted rush himself, gained five on a screen to Theo France, took a tough-to-swallow sack for a loss of 18 yards and then, out of nowhere and under the gun, found Bailey in the seam for a 55-yard reception. Just 3:12 remained on Barnstable's hope for victory. One could have sliced the tension in the air on this crisp late-summer evening with a trainer's tongue depressor.

Theo France then barreled forward for a gain of four yards to make it 2nd and 6 to go on D-Y's 17-yard-line. Crook then found Theo's little brother Tedaro France - who was left all alone - for an 11-yard completion. Barntable could almost taste victory as its sideline licked its collective chops. With a first and goal situation on the hosts' two-yard line, an errant snap followed in a Crook incompletion.

On 2nd and goal, Theo France answered again, this time with a two-yard touchdown plunge that had the Carlsen Field visitors' bleachers rumbling under foot. Cheerleaders sang in unison. The D-Y Marching Band refused to "yield."

The 2500-fans plus chattered, clapped and cursed in seeming unison from opposing sides of the field. Delirium had set in.

With 2:11 to go, the score was D-Y, 28, BHS, 27. Going for all the marbles, BHS opted to go for the "gold" instead of a sure-tie and hopeful overtime, giving the nod to Crook on the keeper. The Dolphin front line said "no chance," and Crook's attempted entry into glory sputtered. The chance for redemption faded quickly into the September night.

An ensuing onside kick was recovered by D-Y's Rufus Hamilton and all it took was D-Y to control the clock and ball to keep its third victory over the Red & White in four seasons, at home.

All totalled, in this 52nd all-time meeting between the two teams (Source: Walsh/BHS Athletic Hall of Fame, Inc./www.redraiderpride.com), Barnstable remains, however, on top, at least historically speaking.

Barnstable leads this Mid-Cape rivalry 40-12 since before Dennis-Yarmouth regionalized and BHS and the Dolphins first met on October 10, 1959 (prior to that date, BHS played Yarmouth High School).

Damian Johnson, the D-Y senior extraordinaire who played his youth football for seven years for the Barnstable Silver Bullets before joining the long-green & white line, proved invaluable to D-Y's offense, reeling in 7 passes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Montalto, D-Y's quarterback, rushed 14 times for 60 yards while passing 11-26 times for 196 yards, one interception and two touchdowns.

BHS next hosts the Sandwich High School Blue Knights next Friday night at W. Leo Shields Memorial Field before it takes on the brunt of a very difficult schedule that begins in earnest against Everett High School, in Hyannis, in two weeks.

Crook, the all-time most prolific passer in Barnstable High School history, already has 495 yards on the still young season, giving him a career tally thus far of 7,317 yards to go along with 69 touchdown passes.

As an aside, this was the fourth "close" game between the two teams since the rivalry was reinstated in 2006. In 2007, D-Y defeated BHS 24-23; in 2009, BHS won, 21-20; last year, D-Y put down the Red Raiders, 41-38, and then this evening, D-Y won again, 28-27, all thanks to its success on a two-point PAT versus Barnstable's inability to score on the same play.

In the seven years since D-Y and Barnstable reinstated its old rivalry, the Dolphins are 5-2.

Defensively, Barnstable's Kevin Hardy, a junior cornerback, played his second straight standout game - this time with a fumble recovery, seven tackles and three broken up pass plays while defensive linemen Sam Holway (senior) and Josiah Dulak (senior) also performed exceedingly well; linebackers Terrence Mudie, Bryan Hardy and Andrew Ellis, a junior captain, also played well for BHS on the defensive side of the ball, while the Dolphins' Joe Furness and Damian Johnson dominated on their side. Others who played solid games all-around included Rufus Hamilton (D-Y); Ryan Litchman (BHS) and in particular, Dylan Hodson for the Dolphins who had 101 all-purpose yards.