Southern
Tier Diesel @ Buffalo Gladiators
June 25,
2011
By Jeff Madigan
Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Buffalo Gladiators used a balanced
attack, scoring in all four quarters, to defeat
the Southern Tier Diesel, 23-8, in Northeastern
Football Alliance action at Strauss Truscott
Field at Nichols School in Buffalo on Saturday
night.
In an unseasonably cold evening in Buffalo, the
Gladiators received the opening kickoff and
scored on that drive on a 13-yard pass. Each
team traded punts after that through the first
quarter before the Gladiators tacked onto their
lead with a 41-yard field goal by Geogre
Eldayrie in the second quarter. On the night,
Eldayrie was 3-for-3 on field goals.
Following a failed onside kick and a facemask
penalty, the Diesel hit the scoreboard on a
2-yard touchdown run by Fred Knight. Prior to
the score, Seth Knight made a nice catch along
the sideline to bring the Diesel into the red
zone. The ensuing two-point conversion was good,
bringing the Diesel to within two points at
10-8.
The Gladiators responded with another field goal
(43 yards), giving the Diesel less than two
minutes to march down the field and attempt to
score before halftime. They came close, as
Folland and Fred Knight each made crucial
catches on the drive (Knight’s came on 4th-and-17),
but the team could not score the go-ahead
touchdown.
“That’s wearing us down mentally,” Diesel
linebacker and coach J.R. Bennion said. “We had
some good drives but we can’t keep coming up
empty. We have to punch it in.”
Bennion said his team’s lack of a coaching staff
– and a solid kicker – continue to plague the
Diesel. Buffalo scored nine points on three
field goals. Take those away and it’s a
one-possession game. The Diesel had
opportunities to increase their point total but
once again turnovers ruined those chances, as
the team committed three total (two fumbles, one
interception).
“We have no play structure,” Bennion said. “I’m
trying to coach the defense from the middle of
the field and the offense from the sideline. I
can’t see everything, and even then the guys are
making their own decisions, personnel-wise and
other.”
Down 13-8, the Diesel were on offense first in
the second half but were forced to punt on their
possession. Fred Knight fumbled on the next
offensive series, leading to another Buffalo
field goal. After another punt by the Diesel,
the Gladiators put the game out of reach with a
28-yard touchdown run by Lee Bates. A
wind-guided pass was intercepted by the
Gladiators on the next drive, and after punting,
the Gladiators recovered a Diesel fumble.
Buffalo proceeded to run out the clock and pick
up the victory to improve its record to 2-2.
Fred Knight ran 13 times for 35 yards and the
touchdown while Jason Folland caught five balls
for 58 yards. Defensively, Brandon Emley had 13
tackles while Bennion and Jason Kaszynski had 10
tackles. Kaszynski recorded the Diesel’s lone
sack.
The entire league is off next week, as the July
4 holiday gives the 12 NFA teams a week of rest.
The Diesel play their first game at Bradner
Stadium on Saturday, July 9 at 5:30 p.m. against
the Lyndonville Tigers (3-1). Lyndonville
defeated the Southern Tier Warriors, 14-0, this
past weekend and have won three straight since
the Week 1 loss against Finger Lakes.
“I’m hoping our guys rest and heal up in the
week off,” Bennion said. “We’ve been hurt by
injuries so far, so this bye week comes at a
good time for us.”
The Tigers and Diesel/Hornell Dragons have met
12 times since 2004, and the Tigers have won all
12 meetings by at least 15 points.
Buffalo will visit Bradner Stadium on Saturday,
Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m
