Monday Morning Quarterback Utica Proctor Football

    You would expect nothing less than excitement from the state's oldest rivalry, a last second field goal gave RFA their first win and the raiders their second loss. RFA and Utica Proctor first met on the grid iron in 1891, the players and equipment have changed over the years but the drive to win has never changed. Unfortunately at the end of the night one team came up just short. Head Coach Jerry Fiorini, "All in all we were able to execute our game play to what we wanted to do. We knew that they were gonna control the ball they have a big line. We got what we wanted, you know first and long, they just made the plays, couple of missed assignments and it changed the game." There's no debate what cost the raiders the game and it was evident to not only coaches but players. Senior Maurice Mills said, "The mistakes cost us the game on offense and defense, so if we didn't make those mistakes we would've won the game." Only three points separated these two teams leaving one feeling victorious and the other bitter. Post-game speeches are never easy but they can be even harder during rivalry games. Coach Jerry Fiorini knew just what to say. "It doesn't count towards the playoffs, we want the right to say we won that game, we don't have that this year, and we've got to move on from that. For our kids it's important to move on from that. We've got a big game coming up Friday and we can clinch a playoff spot, we still have a shot at the home field advantage for the playoffs and those are the things we have to focus on now, not what we did last week." Coach Fiorini's message from here on out is simple. "Winning! we've got to win the games here that we need to win and we need to get into the playoffs, everyone's got a good game in them somewhere down the road. You never know what happens come playoff time, but you have to get there." The Raiders do go on the road the last two games of the year so clinching home field is no walk in the park.