BIG GAMES: Cortland, 1968

Forgive me but I feel I must bring up something I've carried with me for 50 years. You all, who have shared battles and the ensuing camaraderie of our football days will understand my need to get it off my chest.

It was the Cortland game my senior year, the 1968 season. We had fought brilliantly​ in the first half. The defense was superb, knocking heads and trading blows with a Cortland team that was good, very good. It's hard to single out players for everyone shone, but Joe Ballard, Carl Kuras, Bloomer, Bat, Buntich, Wiedl, they fought and would not give up. We knew that Cortland was a bigger school, that scholarships helped build their team. We were on the field mostly for love of the game. Both teams knew that either one of us could end up victorious. We had beat them in '67.

Late in the half we had possession of the ball, the offense had mounted one of its few drives. We were on their 30 or 40, we had time for one last play before the end of the half. In the huddle, Lipke called, "Fullback screen up the middle."

This play was probably put in the playbook because of me. I think Coach Brogan may have been behind it's insertion. Lipke would drop straight back, ends and backs would run streak patterns or down and outs to scatter the defense backs and linebackers. The line would hold, block as in any pass play. I was the only back left in the backfield to protect the QB. At precisely the right moment, I would step up towards the line and turn to look back at Lipke and he would lob the ball to me.

We didn't use it often. Surprise was a key to its working. So, it was called this last play of the half in this Cortland game. Lipke delivered the ball perfectly, as was his way. I turned up field and, as I write this to you, I can still see the red flag signaling pay dirt. I took off toward it.

The mind is an amazing thing. Traveling that distance to the goal line I see Regan Beers about to level a Cortland player and think, hey, that block shouldn't be wasted. It was not uncommon for our linemen being down field after doing their duty back at the line of scrimmage and I was used to taking advantage of that, lacking the speed of say Nugent or Oyler.

I was hit, blindsided, short of the goal line as the half ended in a 0-0 tie.

Coach D was furious with me, and rightly so. We could have been sitting in the locker room on a 7-0 lead with Tommy Weidl's extra point. This could have made all the difference, momentum being such a part of the game. The defense had been on the field most of the first half, exhaustion and lactic acid taking its toll. Cortland took the second half kickoff into our end zone for a score, I can remember lying face down in the dirt, raising my head and watching that Cortland back cross the goal line and thinking, "It's going to be a long half."

Here's my dilemma, though. It was a long second half, Cortland running up the score to a 73-6 win. Weidl's 2 field goals saving the shut out. I see much of that game in my mind, the pain and humiliation. Yet, upon checking the stats Frank has posted for us, I see we actually lost the game I've been writing about 7-6. I could not have played in the 1969 game.

Have I transposed those games to soften the blow of my not taking us into the locker room at half time with a lead ? Easier to accept my mistake if it didn't matter much in a rout, harder to take in a 1 point loss ? Stranger things have happened.

Thanks for reading, I think I feel better already. We all had hard moments on the field at Brockport, and we all survived, not only survived but flourished. The lessons we learned applied to life. Carry on, my brothers.

Scott Dingman, #42

Sarasota, FL