Flames continue inconsistent play, fall to Bulldogs
Homecoming game
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville East junior Jon Crawford pushes Kenmore East's Mike Doherty (7) out of the way for junior Tyler Dieckman in the Flames' 21-14 homecoming game loss last Saturday at Williamsville East. Photo by Amy Krakowiak Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville East continued its Jekyll-and-Hyde routine with a 21-14 loss to Kenmore East in the Flames' homecoming football game last Saturday at Williamsville East.

At times, Williamsville East looked solid on both sides of the football.

On offense, they had two impressive touchdown drives. The Flames took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a 5-yard run by Mike Langfelder, and set up by a 31-yard playaction pass from Josh Roetzer to Jordan DiBernardo.

Williamsville East's other TD came with 10:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Flames marched 66 yards down the field in four plays — a 33-yard throw from Roetzer to homecoming king Mike Silvestri, an incomplete pass, a 23-yard scramble by Roetzer and a 22-yard playaction pass from Roetzer to DiBernardo in the corner of the end zone — to cut the deficit to 21-12. Roetzer ran in the two-point conversion to make it 21-14.

The Williamsville East defense also looked impressive at times, sacking Kenmore East quarterback Jon Anthony Wiltberger four times and causing havoc in the backfield.

Then there were the mistakes.

Roezter threw two interceptions, his second accidentally tipped from Silvestri to Wiltberger around the Kenmore East goal line, and Wiltberger returned it 45 yards.

Kenmore East's second TD, a 33-yard run to the right by Mike Doherty, was aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty by Williamsville East on the previous play.

Kenmore East's third TD, a 15-yard pass from Wiltberger to Kevin Wagner with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter, could have been avoided if the Williamsville East defense did not allow a 21-yard pass from Wiltberger to Doherty on a third-and-22 and a 1-yard QB keeper by Wiltberger on fourth-and-1 at the Williamsville East 28 to keep the drive alive.

After stopping Kenmore East on the Williamsville East 15, the Flames' offense had one last chance with under a minute to play, but Roetzer threw two incomplete passes, was sacked on third down, and sacked and fumbled the ball to Alec Demske on fourth down with 18 seconds remaining.

"It was a game we should have won," said Williamsville East coach Joe Shifflet. "We 're just not consistent. We make a good play, then we screw up."

"The last time we had a drive before this game where we didn't get a penalty, fumble the ball from center or throw the ball behind on the pitch was the Sweet Home game (two weeks ago)," said Shifflet. "Defensively, we missed too many tackles. Our linebackers were out of position and not getting to curl zones. The kids played hard but mistakes hurt us again."

Langfelder rushed 19 times for 62 yards. Roetzer completed four of 14 passes for 76 yards. DiBernardo had three receptions for 55 yards.

M.P. Joseph recorded 15 tackles to lead the East defense. Langfelder added 10 tackles, and Jon Crawford and Ryan Duggan each contributed nine. Will Kelly, Ben Khechen, Isiah Rifkin and J.L. Ivey each registered a sack.

Doherty had 23 rushes for 135 yards and six catches for 96 yards to help Kenmore East (1-4, 1-3) win their first game of the season. Doherty scored Kenmore East's first TD of the game on a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter. Wiltberger completed 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards.

Williamsville East (1-4, 0-4) looks to break a four-game losing streak when they host Williamsville North (0-5) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a nonleague game.