Matt Clarkson getting ready to touch-down. “Each new game provides a brand new challenge

Rich with opportunities

A time for achievement

A time for purpose

“A time for glory.”

The Garden City Thunder 11-year old football team opened their official 2004 campaign this past Saturday morning, 9/4, in hosting the Huntington Cougars ‘A’ team. Earlier in the week, head coach Bob Jahelka’s Thunder Boys strutted their stuff in taking on the Queens Falcons in front of 6,500 people under the lights at halftime of Hofstra’s season opener against Albany. With the dog days of August training camp behind them, Garden City took to Stewart Field for a tough, early season litmus test in facing a skilled and much bigger Cougars squad.

Steve Jahelka sets to throw a pass. On Huntington’s first possession, the Thunder cornerbacks alternately made spectacular plays in helping the Thunder Boys dodge the first bullet of the season. On their third play from scrimmage, the Cougar’s fullback barreled 60-yards off-tackle in what appeared to be the contest’s first score, but in one of the key plays of the game Matt Clarkson sprinted from the far side of the field to make a desperation touchdown-saving tackle in bringing down the Cougars runner at the Thunder one-foot-line. The next play was just as dramatic. Huntington swept wide right, and a nanosecond before the ball broke the plane, Charlie Garcia poked the ball loose from the runner’s grasp. The pigskin went airborne across the goal-line and bounced toward the back of the end-zone where a hustling Scott “Big Mac” McElroy jumped on it for a Thunder touchback. The euphoria was short-lived though, as a GC three-and-out series was followed by a Cougar 45-yard 8-play scoring drive that ended the first-quarter. Veteran defensive-end, Bill Allen’s solo tackle which negated Huntington’s extra-point attempt loomed large later, and served as the game’s focal point in that the GC offense and defense dominated from that juncture forward. Two-way player, Kyle Johnson’s second-quarter interception ignited a time consuming 8-play drive, the big play an 18-yard pass completion from Johnson to tight-end Austin Kufs. The drive stalled in the red-zone as the half ended with GC down 6-0, but Coach John Garcia’s sophomore season double-wing offense had begun to click.

Dan McCallan leads a swarming Thunder defense. The game’s tide turned on Huntington’s opening drive of the second-half. Facing a 4th-and-four from its own 35-yard line, the Cougar coach elected to go for the first- down rather than punt. This decision proved critical as Brendan Logan, James Wright, and Kufs teamed up to stuff the run and GC took over on downs with great field position.

Big James Wright moving the chains. Behind the blocking of Jeff Bolte, Griffin Eilbeck, Dan McCallan, Jonathan Philippou, Brian Fisher, and Michael Mahramas, GC mounted a 9-play drive, with Garcia running and receiving for first-downs into the red-zone. Moments later, facing a clutch 4th-and-goal from the 4-yard-line, Garcia knifed his way through a crease in the defense on a well executed reverse to tie the game at 6, setting the stage for the game winning extra-point attempt. The right side of the Thunder line, Wright, McElroy, and Kufs blocked down in caving in the Cougar line as Steve Jahelka took the snap from center Matt Slovensky and batter-rammed his way across the goal-line to give GC a 7-6 lead. Huntington’s final three possessions of the game were unproductive, as the Thunder defense lead by Brendan Bishop, Allen, and Clarkson held the Cougars to just one second-half first-down and no penetration beyond midfield. The Thunder offense dominated time-of-possession as backs Johnson, Jahelka, Wright, and Garcia took turns moving the chains on drives of 7, 8, and 9 plays enroute to an impressive come from behind victory over a very good and tough opponent. The Thunder Boys will open their NCYFL regular season next Sunday, 9/12. GO THUNDER !!