Harvey School's Football Team Loses Close Bowl Game

The following game recap is from The Harvey School:

In a rematch against a team that squeaked by Harvey 21-20 in its homecoming game in September, the Cavaliers lost another close one 20-12 to host team Dwight-Englewood Sunday in a Hudson Valley Football League bowl game to decide third place in the conference. The two evenly matched teams were locked in a thrilling battle that was not decided until the final play of the game.

Harvey drew first blood late in the first quarter. On third down and 12 yards to go, junior captain quarterback Tom Smith fumbled the shotgun snap, but senior captain running back Ricky Hicks scooped up the ball and raced down the sidelines 63 yards for the score.

Harvey struck again midway through the second quarter after junior cornerback Jordan Washington forced a fumble on a tough hit and junior Nate Gold recovered it on Dwight-Englewood’s 35 yard line. On fourth down and two yards to go from Dwight-Englewood’s three-yard line, Smith dropped back to pass, saw no receiver open and ran the ball in for the score. Dwight-Englewood drove to Harvey’s 17 yard line but a tough defensive stand stopped them there. When Dwight attempted a field goal, Harvey junior Mike DePass blocked it, sending Harvey into halftime with a 12-10 lead.

Dwight got the ball to start the second half but was forced to punt. When the ensuing kick was fumbled by Hicks, Dwight recovered it on Harvey’s 15-yard line. The turnover led to Dwight’s first score on a 30-yard TD pass midway through the third quarter. Dwight took the lead late in the third on another 30-yard TD pass, putting the host team up 14-12.

In the fourth quarter, it looked like Harvey might have a chance to go in front when the Cavaliers drove the ball deep to Dwight’s 30 yard line, but a fumble by Hicks turned the ball over. A 34- yard pass on third down and long put Dwight into Harvey’s territory. Dwight scored again three plays later on a 46 yard run. Harvey’s junior captain Javen Stepp-Davis blocked the extra point to keep the game within a touchdown with six minutes left.

Harvey again drove the ball down the field and pushed deep into Dwight’s territory but an interception on Dwight’s three-yard line stopped the drive. Harvey’s defense came up big, forcing Dwight to punt. When a ferocious Harvey defensive rush forced the punter to attempt a pass, it was intercepted by Stepp-Davis on Dwight’s 22-yard line with 16 seconds left. But Smith was sacked on the next play, and with no timeouts, the clock ran out before Harvey could get off another play.

Harvey rushed for 248 yards on the day with Hicks leading the team with 117, followed by Smith with 64, sophomore Teddy Little with 45 and senior Dillon Singleton adding another 15. With Harvey relying on the ground game, Smith made only seven throws with no completions. Little led the defense with seven tackles and two sacks, with senior Chauncey Dewey collecting six, and senior captain Jared Finkel and Stepp-Davis with four each. Senior Jameson Scarsella had four tackles and a sack while Gold, Washington and DePass had four tackles each.

Harvey ends the 2014 season with a 2 -5 record.

Photo: Running back Ricky Hicks led his team’s ground attack with a 117 yards rushing in Harvey’s 20-12 loss Sunday, Nov. 9, to Dwight-Englewood (NJ) in a Hudson Valley Football League bowl game. Photo credit: Gabe Palacio