By John Raffel
Dallas Reeser didn’t have a chance to enjoy the Division 6 state championship game in 2013, but he liked the results.
This season, Reeser was healthy and played the entire championship game at Ford Field, much to his delight. The loss to St. Mary Catholic Central was hard to swallow, however.
Reeser was injured last year and missed most of the state final game in which the Yellowjackets defeated Clinton. As the starting running back and linebacker, he was on the field extensively against St. Mary in the tough 22-12 loss that ended Ithaca’s 69-game winning streak.
“It meant everything to be out here,” he said. “We practiced in the summer and came out all year long since last year and [worked hard]. I got a second chance.”
Reese gained 22 yards on seven carries against St Mary. The Yellowjackets had a better game on defense than offense, coach Terry Hessbrook noted, and Reeser especially came through on that side of the ball. He led his team with seven solo tackles and five assists.
“I thought we did great [defensively],” Reeser said. “Our intensity was really going, making stops.”
The offense was struggling, but the defense, Reeser acknowledged, stayed focused.
“The defense stepped up all year long,” he said. “The defense never gives up. The offense doesn’t either. The defense, we have so many studs out there that can make plays happen.
“We knew they were going to run the fullback trap a lot. We know what to expect. We weren’t surprised by anything.”
The loss was disappointing, but the effort wasn’t. “I left it out on the field; the others did too,” Reeser said. “We didn’t capitalize on a couple of drives when we were in the red zone. That’s what hurt us. They gave 100 percent.”
The Yellowjackets trailed going into the fourth quarter but had come from behind to win throughout the season.
“Our heads were in it the whole game until the final seconds were ticking off,” Reeser said.
It was disappointing not to get win No. 70, but Reeser and his teammates realize how much fun 69 in a row was.
“It’s harder than it looks to win down here,” he said.
Reeser realizes 20 years from now how he might remember Nov. 28, 2014, at Ford Field. “Life is not a fairy tale,” he said. “You win some, you lose some.”
But Reeser and the Yellowjackets have obviously won a lot.