PV XV (Gold 21 - Blue 20)
The 2012 Paul Blank Invitational was one for, and of the ages. The fresh and untested against the seasoned and well-versed. The naively young facing the arthritis riddled old. The Pokémon watching classes that graduated in 2003 and later took on the breast-high pants wearing AARP sponsored classes of 2002 and earlier in what will surely be considered among the most exciting sports events by Tanach scholars of the JDS Rabbinics department for eons to follow. Even the buildup to this epic match of old versus new was exciting, with Gold team captains and class of 2012 graduates Rabbi Jonathan Leener and Michael Feldman exchanging late night discussion on the teachings of Maimonides in health care and the necessity of a modified cover-2 defense. For their own part, Noah Zimmerman and his fellow Blue team captains spent the entire night planning for the game by the light of the familiar olive-oil lamps and with the aid of many a bottle of Manischewitz wine. Even Elliot Totah was excited and joined a conference call all the way from the Sea of Cortez.
Game time crept up faster on the Gold team than the Blue during this inaugural battle of older classes versus younger classes in the fifteenth installation of the Paul Blank Invitational. The inexperience of the Gold team Captains, the massive size advantage of the Blue team, and no clear Gold quarterback led to the Blue team being 13 point pre-game favorites. These factors were all too apparent early on in the game. Gold, after a good kickoff return by Ben Charleton, was able to gain a first down on a rollout completion and a run by Quarterback Jonathan Leener. But two subsequent incompletions and a short run led to a David May 30 yard field goal. The elder statesmen were quick to answer, with Ilan Fulop completing a 30 yard pass to Yossi May for the first touchdown of the game. It seemed to all watching that the experience of the Blue team had the younger years on their heels.
But the game soon settled down, and Gold answered with a steady drive leading to a May 40 yard field goal. The Feldman coordinated defense, after the first long score, was able to shut down the Blue passing game and ultimately held the inept Zimmerman/Fulop QB combination to only 54 passing yards for the rest of the game with three interceptions. The first of these picks was made by up and coming Gold team star Jared Sichel, who returned the ball 15 yards up the middle setting up a short but impressive Leener touchdown run on what had seemed like a broken play. Although David May shockingly missed the extra point, he did convert on a PBI record 60 yard field goal at the closing seconds of the first half (this field goal distance should be considered De’rabanan, and certainly not De’oritah, as no one was there to measure out the 60 yards).
With Gold ahead at half time 15-6, the Blue team was forced to circle the wagons and re-evaluate their game plan. More stunned than the Greeks facing the Maccabees to be trailing at halftime and surprised by the speed of the Leener-coordinated offense, the Blue team received the second half kickoff and after an average return by the older May resorted to the run game. Using their size advantage from the extra years of bench presses and Seder celebrations, the Blue team relied almost exclusively on inside power running to methodically drive the ball down the field, with Noah Zimmerman ultimately scoring on a short rush. Yossi May missed the extra point however, adding to a performance that for the first time would be overshadowed by his younger brother. The Gold team, after switching quarterbacks at halftime to the young Jared Sichel, was unable to orchestrate a drive. A quick interception by Yossi May gave the Blue team good field position, and after several powerful running plays, Yossi May completed his atonement for his missed extra point by being on the receiving end of an Ilan Fulop play action pass for a 1 yard touchdown. Lacking faith in their special team’s abilities, Gold successfully attempted a 2 point conversion, this time with a rare Zimmerman completion to David Ochs.
Game time crept up faster on the Gold team than the Blue during this inaugural battle of older classes versus younger classes in the fifteenth installation of the Paul Blank Invitational. The inexperience of the Gold team Captains, the massive size advantage of the Blue team, and no clear Gold quarterback led to the Blue team being 13 point pre-game favorites. These factors were all too apparent early on in the game. Gold, after a good kickoff return by Ben Charleton, was able to gain a first down on a rollout completion and a run by Quarterback Jonathan Leener. But two subsequent incompletions and a short run led to a David May 30 yard field goal. The elder statesmen were quick to answer, with Ilan Fulop completing a 30 yard pass to Yossi May for the first touchdown of the game. It seemed to all watching that the experience of the Blue team had the younger years on their heels.
But the game soon settled down, and Gold answered with a steady drive leading to a May 40 yard field goal. The Feldman coordinated defense, after the first long score, was able to shut down the Blue passing game and ultimately held the inept Zimmerman/Fulop QB combination to only 54 passing yards for the rest of the game with three interceptions. The first of these picks was made by up and coming Gold team star Jared Sichel, who returned the ball 15 yards up the middle setting up a short but impressive Leener touchdown run on what had seemed like a broken play. Although David May shockingly missed the extra point, he did convert on a PBI record 60 yard field goal at the closing seconds of the first half (this field goal distance should be considered De’rabanan, and certainly not De’oritah, as no one was there to measure out the 60 yards).
With Gold ahead at half time 15-6, the Blue team was forced to circle the wagons and re-evaluate their game plan. More stunned than the Greeks facing the Maccabees to be trailing at halftime and surprised by the speed of the Leener-coordinated offense, the Blue team received the second half kickoff and after an average return by the older May resorted to the run game. Using their size advantage from the extra years of bench presses and Seder celebrations, the Blue team relied almost exclusively on inside power running to methodically drive the ball down the field, with Noah Zimmerman ultimately scoring on a short rush. Yossi May missed the extra point however, adding to a performance that for the first time would be overshadowed by his younger brother. The Gold team, after switching quarterbacks at halftime to the young Jared Sichel, was unable to orchestrate a drive. A quick interception by Yossi May gave the Blue team good field position, and after several powerful running plays, Yossi May completed his atonement for his missed extra point by being on the receiving end of an Ilan Fulop play action pass for a 1 yard touchdown. Lacking faith in their special team’s abilities, Gold successfully attempted a 2 point conversion, this time with a rare Zimmerman completion to David Ochs.
With the score now 20-15, Gold again felt the game beginning to slip through their fingers. Switching quarterbacks again to Ben Hamburger, the more recently Bnei Mitzvahed offense fell flat, and on the next two drives was unable to move the ball. Blue continued to run the ball effectively, accruing 144 rushing yards for the game, but late interceptions by Ben Charleton and Ben Hamburger kept the game close. The most important of these came with a little over 2 minutes left in the game. Blue was driving the ball downfield in an attempt to run out the clock, and the bright-eyed bushy tailed college students of the gold team began to full the pain of defeat in the back of their throats. But like Mordechai did to Haman, their peril became opportunity after a miraculous Charleton interception of an errant Zimmerman pass.
With almost no time to go, David May assumed the quarterback reins for the Junior JDS lions. With his arm well-rested and his arm strong like an Israeli merkavah tank, May drove his team into Blue territory. However, after a stuffed run and two incomplete passes, Gold found themselves at midfield. With fourth down and 8 to go, David May stepped back in the pocket. Expecting a run, Gold had dropped 7 men into coverage and no receivers were open. Tucking the ball, May ran off the right tackle, found himself around the edge, and stretching the ball forward somehow willed himself across the first down marker. A few plays later, with 35 yards to go and time dwindling, May again stepped back into the pocket and heaved the ball down the right sideline. In a moment that will be spoken of by all who were there to their children, and their children’s children, Aaron Schooler found himself open due to Ilan Fulop’s blown coverage, looked up, and seeing the ball spiraling towards him contorted his body and leapt into the air to make the catch. Quoted after the game, Schooler (now a real estate mogul in NYC) said the he simply “climbed the ladder and closed his eyes” to make the impressive catch and take a 21-20 lead.
Although the two point conversion failed, Blue was unable to get the ball downfield, and the last gasp effort extinguished by a Jon Leener interception with ten seconds remaining. The young Gold team paraded off the field, jubilant in their victory over the prideful graduates of earlier JDS classes.
Although the two point conversion failed, Blue was unable to get the ball downfield, and the last gasp effort extinguished by a Jon Leener interception with ten seconds remaining. The young Gold team paraded off the field, jubilant in their victory over the prideful graduates of earlier JDS classes.
