Diesel Fall To 1-1 With Loss At Ithaca Posted: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 11:59 am By Sam Wilson The Southern Tier Diesel fell to 1-1 on the early NFA season with a 17-12 loss to the Ithaca Warriors Saturday, June 8. Just as in their 12-6 season-opening win over Jamestown, the Diesel scored twice through the air, but couldn’t convert the extra point on either touchdown. Quarterback John Evener threw a score to Jason Folland in the third quarter for his third of the season before completing one to Folland’s brother, Pat, in the fourth. Jason Folland finished the game with six catches for 101 yards. Running back Anthony Poole carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards. After an early rash of injuries, the Diesel suffered from a lack of depth on the line, but coach and owner J.R. Bennion didn’t want to use that as an excuse. “We were missing some offensive linemen, so we had to plug some non-linemen into that role,” he said. “It affected the game, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due, and we turned the ball over five times in the game. They took advantage of it” A lack of experience on the offensive tackles particularly hurt against a complex Ithaca defensive scheme. “(Ithaca) does an extraordinary amount of line stunting,” Bennion said. “That’s not the best game you want to be in.” The Diesel’s mistakes, Bennion said, led to their first loss of the season. “Turnovers are drive-killers and we had some other mistakes in assignments and that proved to be the difference in the game,” he said. Bennion, a former linebacker and currently the team’s defensive coordinator, said his unit played well. “There were some mistakes that allowed (Ithaca) to keep some drives alive, but all in all, they played well,” he said. “The defense was on the field for a good amount of the game. They were tired and had some mental breakdowns.” With a roster made with roughly half new players, chemistry is starting to come around for the Diesel. “I think it’s coming together,” Bennion said. “We’ve just got to limit the mistakes, the turnovers, the mental breakdowns and lapses. “Overall, the team is looking really well and it’s just some minor stuff (hurting us). When you add all that minor stuff up, you have a major problem.” This week, the Diesel travel to face NFA West, Division B foe the Chautauqua County Stampede at 5 p.m. Saturday on Dunkirk High School’s field. Following the game, the Diesel play four consecutive games against non-division opponents. “It’s the bigger area teams,” Bennion said of the four-game stretch, including two games in the Buffalo area. “(We’re hoping to) get some momentum rolling and go up there and compete.”
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:46:01 +0000
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