SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — What a week it’s been in ‘C” world, the realm inhabited by Class C football, soccer and cross-country teams. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) classifies schools by size, but that designation varies from sport to sport. In football and cross-country, Sullivan West, Tri-Valley, Liberty and Fallsburg are all in Class C. But in soccer, Sullivan West (enrollment 311) is Class B by dint of seven extra students in grades 9-11. Liberty is also a “B” in soccer. Eldred was in Class C soccer last year but has returned to Class D. Eldred remains in Class D in football.

Gridiron ‘C’ wars: Sullivan West travelled to Fallsburg for its first league game of the season and trounced the Comets 59-6. Sawyer Erlwein gave new meaning to the word ubiquitous, as he seemed to be everywhere. He ran for three touchdowns, threw for two more (one to Brad Hemmer and one to Andrew Stabbert) and capped off his night with a 100-yard kickoff return. Fallsburg’s defeat came just one week after the Comets’ first-ever win, a thumping of Livingston Manor. The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 (1-0 OCIAA) and will now travel to play Class B Goliath New Paltz. The following week, they host Tri-Valley 2-2 (1-1 OCIAA) in what is shaping up to be a game with huge playoff-berth ramifications. A loss by Tri-Valley would likely eliminate the Bears from this year’s dance. Sullivan West has three league games to go that include Pine Plains (Homecoming) and Millbrook. The Bears outlasted Eldred 20-8 this past weekend as they garnered touchdowns from Jesus Lozada, Brendan Tierney and Justin Swarthout. Eldred trailed 13-0 at the half but scored eight in the third quarter on a 12-yard TD pass from Anthony Margarum to Nik Dilles. RJ Thiele scored on the two-point conversion. Eldred had numerous chances in the game, which it squandered with penalties, dropped passes and poor snaps. Both teams are now 2-2. Tri-Valley hosts Fallsburg in a league tilt under the lights, while Eldred wrangles at home against Liberty, its third Class C opponent in as many weeks. Liberty improved to 2-2 with an impressive 41-6 win over Ellenville.

In girls soccer, Tri-Valley recorded an unprecedented three ties in one week. After battling with Eldred to a 0-0 tie, they went on to a 4-4 deadlock with Burke and a 3-3 tie with Tuxedo. The latter was a league match up. Those games were 100 minutes each, as they included two 10-minute overtime periods. Junior Colleen Jones scored four of the Lady Bears’ seven goals. When asked whether the early week tie with Eldred was better than a loss, 35-year veteran coach Mary Feusner was lukewarm in her enthusiasm. “It’s like kissing your sister,” she quipped. Over her three-and-a-half decade tenure, she has never seen three ties in a week. Fallsburg 0-1 (0-6 OCIAA) lost a 2-1 non-league overtime tilt to Livingston Manor. Taking a momentary segue to the “B” line, Sullivan West’s girls lost 2-1 to Port Jervis and 4-0 to O’Neill. The latter was a league game. The Lady Bulldogs are 4-4 (1-2 OCIAA) as of this writing. Liberty 3-5 (0-3 OCIAA) downed Chapel Field 7-1.

The Liberty boys remain undefeated (7-0) following their 11-1 win over Chapel Field.

In cross-country, Sullivan West’s Kelsey Dutton (20:12) and Reed Scott (16:30) prevailed at a meet at Liberty on September 19. Sullivan West’s Dani Myers (20:20), Corinne VanWagner (20:26) and Courtney Meyerer (20-40) took second, third and fifth respectively. Tri-Valley’s Justin Weintraub (17:02) was second in the boys race, while Monticello’s Joe Klein (17:16) was third. Eldred was not present, nor were Tri-Valley’s top seven girl runners. The latter had turned in a hard-fought race at Bear Mountain just a couple of days prior.

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