The 3-1 Fredonia Yellowjackets traveled to the 2 -2 Cherryvale Chargers Stadium with the intention of spoiling the Charger's homecoming Friday night. But Cherryvale had plans of their own as the Chargers took the opening drive and matriculated down the field with a balanced run and pass attack and scored the first touchdown, keeping Fredonia off balance most of the drive.
Then the Chargers went for two and were successful in an unorthodox formation called by some as "the swinging gate." The formation forces the defense to know their assignments as there is the ability to run a run-pass-option play or conventional option play, but more importantly, it forces the defender to make an open field tackle on a ball carrier with a running start. The problem is that it is tough to get everyone up on the line when everyone is spread out and false starts are what happens most of the time I've witnessed a team attempt the formation, including a couple of teams I played on. Cherryvale did take a timeout to make sure they got it right, and it was a time out well spent as the formation worked to perfection. Enabling the home team to jump out to a 8 - 0 lead.
The Chargers had another trick up their sleeve and the Yellowjackets, still reeling from the opening drive, allowed the Charger's onside kick attempt to bounce into the air and watched as the boys in blue fortuitously pounced on the loose ball giving the Chargers the rock with a short field and Fredonia wobbling. But the Yellowjackets swarmed and gathered themselves and managed to put a helmet on the ball as the Chargers were inside the five looking like they were going up by two scores. The ball squirted like a cork out of a champagne bottle and the Yellowjackets avoided a huge hole early.
The game was closer than the final would suggest as both QBs managed to post pick-sixes on each other. Meaning while playing defense Joel Dutton for Fredonia picked off Jackson Knight of the Chargers and Dutton brought it back for a td and Knight, while playing defense took his interception of Dutton's pass to the house as well.
