MAHOPAC – The Blue Devils' dream season came to an end on a rainy Friday evening in Mahopac, as they lost to the Croton-Harmon Tigers 42-20. Croton-Harmon scored touchdowns on their first four possessions, with the Ellenville defense unable to stop the first-half onslaught. However, it was early mistakes, including a fumble and a blocked punt, that doomed the Devils. They finish the year 9-2 overall, and this year's team will be long remembered as a sleeper, who many felt at the beginning of the season was destined for mediocrity, only to discover the fighters who led the team to victory in the sectional championship.

The Devils got off to a shaky start when QB Sebastian Constable mishandled the snap on the first play from scrimmage. Croton-Harmon recovered the loose ball and, with excellent field position, put together a 40-yard, five-play scoring drive, making it 7-0. The Devils were able to move the ball to midfield on their next possession, but were eventually forced into a fourth-and-six situation, with Ellenville coach Tony Boriello electing to call a fake punt. Eric Thayer couldn't convert, however, and was stopped about a foot short of the first down.

The next sequence was highlighted by Tigers' QB Nick Mainiero's 69-yard TD toss to receiver Joe Tralli, who made a dramatic finger-tip catch, to make the score 14-0. The Devils' next possession added insult to injury, as kicker Matt Rogers had his punt blocked, which gave the Tigers a first-and-goal from the Devils' three yard line. Croton RB Dan Luntz had no trouble punching the ball into the end zone for the Tigers' third TD, making the score 21-0.

The Tigers added a fourth TD before the Devils began to find their rhythm late in the second quarter, when RB Donald Exner scored on a three-yard run. The Devils then recovered an onside kick that gave them good field position with 40 seconds left in the first half. But Constable was intercepted on the first play, dooming the Devils' hopes of adding a second late TD. The Tigers led 28-6 at the half.

The Devils looked much sharper in the second half, limiting Croton to just two touchdowns, with Ellenville matching the Tigers with two touchdowns of their own. But the damage had been done, and the Devils found it impossible to climb out of the hole that had been dug in the first half.

Despite the loss, RB Donald Exner had another terrific performance, rushing for 123 yards on 27 carries, two of which were short-yardage runs for TDs. Exner finishes the season with 1,948 yards rushing — the second most in school history behind the 2,066 yards the late Walter Moseley accumulated back in 1981, and the second most in Section 9 this season — as well as 23 TDs. Eric Thayer also had another solid game, picking up 83 yards on 17 carries, including an amazing six-yard lunge that saw him break several tackles before managing to push the nose of the ball into the left pylon for the touchdown. Thayer played almost every snap despite the fact that he was clearly favoring is left knee.

Prior to Friday's loss, the Blue Devils managed finally to climb into the state rankings for class "C" — all the way to #10 — an honor many, including Ellenville Booster Club President John Burns, thought was overdue given the Devils' 9-1 record. In June, the members of the team will gather and hoist another banner into the rafters of the gym, a memento of a season worthy of remembrance.

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