Football: Heads held high despite O'Neill falling in Class C state semifinal

MIDDLETOWN - Grant Lemler struggled to put weight on his right leg and was offered a ride from the field to the locker room after the game. Seconds later, though, the senior exited the cart and hopped toward the sideline to join his teammates for a photograph.

Several of them were sobbing, their season having just ended in disappointment, but Lemler was among the leaders attempting to console them.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," said the linebacker, whose injury sidelined him minutes before the final whistle. "We're one of the top three teams in program history."

Coach David Moskowitz called him "the heart and soul" of the team. That he still maintained perspective and was able to smile through the pain — physical and emotional — was indicative of the spirit that brought James I. O'Neill this far into the football season.

Because the Raiders, on paper, shouldn’t have been here. After winning a state championship then graduating 17 players from a small-school roster, there would've been a bevy of viable excuses to have a down year.

Instead, this group of underdogs surged in the playoffs and made themselves not just one of the best teams their Highland Falls school has produced, but one of the top Class C squads in the state.

O'Neill even fought through a competitive first half Saturday, but eventually was overwhelmed as Section 2's Fonda-Fultonville dealt them a 33-7 loss in the state semifinal.

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"It always hurts to lose, but there really shouldn't be that much disappointment," quarterback Chad Haley said. "Looking back at the whole run, over four years, I'm happy for my teammates and proud that we've accomplished what we have in that time."

The Raiders have won four consecutive section titles, totaling 33 wins during that stretch, and reached the summit last season as state champions. But, senior Marek Arbogast said, there is as much pride in this campaign as it required a defiance of the odds.

O'Neill (7-6) was rebuilding somewhat and struggled at times in the regular season while enduring growing pains. Adding to that, the "defending state champ" tag carries with it the challenge of being circled on each opponent's schedule.

"After losing so much from last year, this wasn't expected," said Moskowitz, whose team shutout Chester Academy for the Section 9 title then topped Section 1's Bronxville in the regional. "But these kids have so much heart and desire. We couldn't ask anything more of them. To make it to this point, on a tough road, it's very gratifying."

Jose Vargas and Keegan Croucher, a heralded freshman quarterback, each had two touchdowns for Fonda-Fultonville, which snapped an offensive malaise and scored 25 unanswered points in the second half. The Braves advance to the state final for the first time and face Section 4's Waverly next Saturday at Syracuse University's JMA Wireless Dome.

Arbogast took a pass underneath from Haley and eluded defenders for a dazzling 83-yard touchdown that pulled O'Neill within 8-7 with 1:03 left in the second quarter. The wideout set the state record for career receiving yards last month and had another representative performance, exceeding 120 yards in this game.

"It's been a pleasure playing with him and I'm honored to have been a part of him breaking records," Haley said of his close friend, who surpassed 3,800 yards.

That touchdown was the exception Saturday, though. The Raiders were otherwise stifled by a defense with an excellent pass rush.

"Those guys are a handful up front and we've got some young kids starting on the offensive line," Moskowitz said, referring to eighth-grader Sam Gettings and freshman Georgios Fatsis. "They have a lot of potential and will be great, but it's a tough matchup against guys that talented and that much older."

Logan Miller had three sacks and forced a fumble for the Braves (13-1). Colin McLaughlin and Vargas each had an interception, and Aidan Frederick and Jacob Sheldon each added a sack.

Fonda-Fultonville was shut down for most of the first half and punted five times. Lemler and Thomas McGuinness each had a sack, and Jacob Osmon, Beckham Perata and Ethan Rodriguez each made tackles for loss.

But the Braves broke through when Croucher found Karsen Bulan open for a 48-yard completion to the 1. Peyton Webber's short touchdown run put them on the board and Croucher completed a two-point conversion pass with 5:32 left in the second.

They pulled away with explosive plays in the third. Croucher threw a 62-yard touchdown to Bulan and, on their next possession, Vargas slashed through the defense for a 78-yard touchdown run. Croucher's 32-yard pass set up his 2-yard touchdown run that made it 26-7.

"Yeah, they're a great team," Haley said of the Braves. "But I rock with my squad and I'd take these guys over any team in the world. We've formed a brotherhood and made so many memories with each other that'll last a lifetime."

The Raiders will graduate a dozen seniors, passing the torch to a new core, and there is optimism for the future. This group, including the youngsters, have only known success and should benefit from the experience of these deep playoff runs.

"The standard has been set," Moskowitz said. "If we put the work in, and these are the kind of kids who do the work, we should be good. But for these seniors, it's unbelievable what they've accomplished and I'm so thankful for them. They've laid the foundation for this program."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Football: O'Neill falls to Fonda-Fultonville in state semifinal