PV XVI (Gold 20 - Blue 14) - Sweet Sixteen Bowl
The Paul Blank Invitational thanksgiving football game reached another milestone today, celebrating its Sweet Sixteen. It’s a bit hard to believe that our little baby is growing up. It seems like just yesterday that a bunch of Jews signed off AOL and assembled on a rainy field to play a football game. Since then, some of the biggest names in JDS history (literally big names, Benjamin Solomon-Schwartz!) have come to play in the annual event. Turing sixteen is a big deal, marking a coming of age. While many charity sports events across the country come and go, the PBI not only keeps going and going, but also keeps getting better and better. And PBI XVI was better than any party a spoiled teenage girl from Potomac could demand her father to throw. This year’s contest had long scoring plays, bone jarring hits, two goal line stands, and the final outcome not being settled until the last play.
Coming into PBI XVI, Vegas had the Blue team favored to win by 3 points. Most experts, especially Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, thought the teams were equal in terms of talent, but Blue’s youth and superior athletic shape would wear down the old bones of Gold’s roster. The cold game time temperature was another factor the experts calculated would go against the Gold team, whose players would have more wives, girlfriends, and children in attendance who would demand that they “hurry up and finish the game!” While for the past 6 years the football gods had blessed PBI players and fans with warm t-shirt weather, the 2013 contest was played on a chilly 35-degree day.
The game started out very well for the Blue team. After the opening kickoff, Blue scored on their second play from scrimmage, when quarterback David May (’05) threw deep down the right sideline to receiver Ben Charlton (’06) for a 75-yard touchdown pass. After just 1:30 had elapsed in the game, Blue led 7–0, scoring quicker than any team in PBI history. On the play, Charlton caught the ball barely beyond the outstretched hand of Gold defensive back Liav Dahan (’02), then juked safety Ariel Oxman (’99) out of his Chilean loafers before crossing the goal line.
Blue’s early offensive success was only a mirage, and momentum quickly swung in favor of Gold as they would dominate the rest of the 1st half. While the Blue offense failed to move the ball consistently or squandered easy scoring opportunities, the Gold team scored 20 unanswered points behind a time consuming, balanced offensive attack. On the three scoring drives, Gold established control of the line of scrimmage with power running up the middle, while keeping the Blue defense from stacking the line with quick outside sweeps and pitches. The running game’s success allowed quarterback Noah Zimmerman (’99) to pick apart the defense, using short passes spread amongst eight different receivers.
During the course of Gold’s three touchdowns, Blue’s offense sputtered thanks to an inefficient passing performance by quarterback David “Dudi” May (’05), and an ineffective ground game. Blue’s only 2 offensive drives into Gold territory ended with a goal line stand that stopped Blue on a 4th down from inside the 5-yard line, and a missed field goal by May. The missed field goal was a huge blow to Blue’s morale because of May’s legendary status as the greatest kicker in PBI history. Coming into the game May had a career conversion rate of 75% on 12 of 16 field goals in six PBI contests from 2007-2012.
Blue’s early offensive success was only a mirage, and momentum quickly swung in favor of Gold as they would dominate the rest of the 1st half. While the Blue offense failed to move the ball consistently or squandered easy scoring opportunities, the Gold team scored 20 unanswered points behind a time consuming, balanced offensive attack. On the three scoring drives, Gold established control of the line of scrimmage with power running up the middle, while keeping the Blue defense from stacking the line with quick outside sweeps and pitches. The running game’s success allowed quarterback Noah Zimmerman (’99) to pick apart the defense, using short passes spread amongst eight different receivers.
During the course of Gold’s three touchdowns, Blue’s offense sputtered thanks to an inefficient passing performance by quarterback David “Dudi” May (’05), and an ineffective ground game. Blue’s only 2 offensive drives into Gold territory ended with a goal line stand that stopped Blue on a 4th down from inside the 5-yard line, and a missed field goal by May. The missed field goal was a huge blow to Blue’s morale because of May’s legendary status as the greatest kicker in PBI history. Coming into the game May had a career conversion rate of 75% on 12 of 16 field goals in six PBI contests from 2007-2012.
With seconds left in the 1st half, Blue dodged a bullet on one of the zaniest plays in PBI history that could have knocked them out of the game. Gold lined up with Eric Horowitz (’02) at quarterback and 4 receivers to one side, including 6’3” tall Zimmerman. Horowitz lofted a Hail Mary Pass towards the endzone that Zimmerman pulled down at the one-yard line, but before he crossed the goal-line, Blue defensive backs Aaron Schooler (’06) stripped the ball and Henry Baron (’12) recovered it. Blue went into halftime only trailing Gold by 14 points, and still very much in the ball game.
With momentum generated by their defensive takeaway right before halftime, and in need of a good start to the second half, Blue regrouped, scoring quickly on their first offensive possession. Again Blue struck quickly, as May and Charlton teamed up for another long touchdown connection, this time from 50 yards out. The extra point kick by May made the score 20-14.
With momentum generated by their defensive takeaway right before halftime, and in need of a good start to the second half, Blue regrouped, scoring quickly on their first offensive possession. Again Blue struck quickly, as May and Charlton teamed up for another long touchdown connection, this time from 50 yards out. The extra point kick by May made the score 20-14.
With their lead pared to six points, Gold looked to protect their lead by controlling the ball and consuming the clock behind a run oriented game plan. For the entire second half, Gold’s conservative play calling led them to dominate the time of possession, and keep Blue’s offense with few opportunities. Whereas Gold’s offense may have been too conservative, they failed to score any points in the second half, the team’s defense rose to the occasion.
Blue’s offense was stymied for the rest of the half by Gold’s defense. Gold’s defensive backfield, especially Elliot Totah (’98) who batted away 3 passes and intercepted another, blanketed Blue’s feared wide receivers. While Gold’s defensive line and linebackers did not register any sacks, they applied steady pressure on May, and suffocated Blue’s running attack, allowing only 52 yards on the day.
Despite Gold’s dominance on both sides of the ball, Blue still only needed a touchdown to at the very least tie the game. With less than two minutes left in regulation and in their hurry-up offense, Blue finally started to move the ball. May managed the clock perfectly, using all of his timeouts and completing several passes on the sidelines that allowed his receivers to step out of bounds. Blue managed to move the ball to a first and goal on the Gold 10-yard line following a 15-yard Blue run up the middle on a draw play by running back/wide receiver Michael Feldman (’06). After three plays, Blue faced a 4th and goal and one last chance to take the lead or force overtime. On the last play May, under heavy pressure, rolled right and tried to throw the ball a receiver in the end zone, but the pass was knocked away and fell incomplete. Gold had staged a dramatic goal line stand and sealed the victory, 20-14.
MVP: Ben Charlton (’06) – 2 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns, 1 kickoff return for 20 yards, 2 passes defensed and 3 tackles.
Referees
· Crew Chief: Dore Feith (’14)
· Field Judge: Gabe Roark (‘15)
· Head Linesman: Mark Raichel (‘15)
National Anthem: Rav-Hazzan Dr. Scott M. Sokol
Coin Toss: Sara Keller ‘02
Pre-Game Performance: Dramatic reading by Paul Blank of George Washington’s letter to the Newport Synagogue in Rhode Island.
Event Entertainment: DJ Bear - Jordan Solender
Photographer: Jonathan Greene from CES Jewish Day School, Class of 1999
Blue’s offense was stymied for the rest of the half by Gold’s defense. Gold’s defensive backfield, especially Elliot Totah (’98) who batted away 3 passes and intercepted another, blanketed Blue’s feared wide receivers. While Gold’s defensive line and linebackers did not register any sacks, they applied steady pressure on May, and suffocated Blue’s running attack, allowing only 52 yards on the day.
Despite Gold’s dominance on both sides of the ball, Blue still only needed a touchdown to at the very least tie the game. With less than two minutes left in regulation and in their hurry-up offense, Blue finally started to move the ball. May managed the clock perfectly, using all of his timeouts and completing several passes on the sidelines that allowed his receivers to step out of bounds. Blue managed to move the ball to a first and goal on the Gold 10-yard line following a 15-yard Blue run up the middle on a draw play by running back/wide receiver Michael Feldman (’06). After three plays, Blue faced a 4th and goal and one last chance to take the lead or force overtime. On the last play May, under heavy pressure, rolled right and tried to throw the ball a receiver in the end zone, but the pass was knocked away and fell incomplete. Gold had staged a dramatic goal line stand and sealed the victory, 20-14.
MVP: Ben Charlton (’06) – 2 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns, 1 kickoff return for 20 yards, 2 passes defensed and 3 tackles.
Referees
· Crew Chief: Dore Feith (’14)
· Field Judge: Gabe Roark (‘15)
· Head Linesman: Mark Raichel (‘15)
National Anthem: Rav-Hazzan Dr. Scott M. Sokol
Coin Toss: Sara Keller ‘02
Pre-Game Performance: Dramatic reading by Paul Blank of George Washington’s letter to the Newport Synagogue in Rhode Island.
Event Entertainment: DJ Bear - Jordan Solender
Photographer: Jonathan Greene from CES Jewish Day School, Class of 1999