Fumble recovery key for Uniondale in win
Uniondale High School quarterback #2 Brandon Duncan throws a pass to wide receiver #7 Malcolm Carter (not in frame) for a touchdown. (Sept. 24, 2011) Credit: James Escher
Call the front of Charles Jackson's jersey the black hole. Once the Uniondale left tackle falls on top of the ball, it's not coming out.
It's rare that a fumble recovery by an offensive player is the key play of a game, but Jackson's recovery yesterday felt that way. And Uniondale capitalized, earning a 28-16 win over Plainview JFK in its home opener.
Clinging to a 19-16 lead with just over four minutes to play after Plainview tallied a safety followed by a touchdown, Uniondale faced a third-and-5 on Plainview's 37-yard line. Tyler Desire took a toss left and fumbled, but Jackson was there to fall on the ball, and Uniondale retained possession and punted. The boot was downed on the 1-yard line by Tresean Goodwin, good for a 41-yard net for punter Henry Desire.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Plainview quarterback Derek Schear was flagged for an illegal forward pass in the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 21-16 Uniondale lead. Derrick Ingram then iced the win with a 23-yard touchdown run. But it all started with Jackson's recovery, which he nestled into the bread basket of his black Uniondale jersey.
"I automatically thought I had to jump on it,'' Jackson said. "We're taught that whenever there's a fumble, just stop and fall on it.''
He then added, "it could've been a problem,'' had he not recovered it.
Staked to a 19-0 lead with 5:36 left in the third quarter behind William Stanback's two touchdown runs and a 33-yard TD pass from Brandon Duncan to Malcolm Carter, Uniondale (2-1) appeared to be in cruise control. But pesky Plainview (0-3) didn't give up.
Danny Desimone capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown plunge to make it 19-7 with 1:39 left in the third. Desimone's 15-yard halfback pass to Chris Pastier converted a fourth-and-5 to set up the touchdown.
Uniondale went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, and the snap on the punt sailed over the punter's head, who was tackled in the end zone for a safety. Plainview's next points were scored by Schear, the backup QB, on a fourth-and-goal keeper from the 2. "We're learning to play football,'' Plainview coach Chris Rogler said. "This team's gonna turn the corner.''
That didn't take place yesterday, due in large part to Stanback and the Uniondale defense. The junior running back scored his sixth and seventh rushing touchdowns of the season, while the Knights' defense held Plainview to 130 yards. Uniondale's Tyler Desire had two sacks and Marcus Ratley recovered a fumble.
But the Uniondale offense was sloppy. Duncan threw an interception on his first pass, snagged by Justin Bernstein, and the Knights also lost a fumble and allowed four sacks, three by Joe Hopkins. The most glaring mistakes were Uniondale's seven penalties, including a holding call that negated a 55-yard touchdown run by Stanback. Said Stanback: "We need more practice. We made a whole lot of mistakes.''
Good thing Jackson was there to cover them up.
