Bombers football team tackles Spackenkill, 20-18

PINE PLAINS — Though this year’s sports season may have changed in regard to COVID-19 restrictions, the Stissing Mountain High School football team’s will to work hard on the field remained intact as it faced off against Spackenkill in an away game on Friday, March 19.

Kicking off at 7 p.m., the game was held at Spackenkill High School, located at 112 Spackenkill Road in Poughkeepsie.

Leading the Pine Plains Bombers on the field, Andrew Speedling had 144 yards rushing on 13 carries and scored a two-point conversion for Stissing Mountain. Meanwhile, Speedling’s teammate, Sebastian Burmester, added 52 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns, while Sid Stracher had 68 yards on eight carries. 

Burmester also led the Bombers’ defense with 10 tackles while Speedling and Stracher had eight tackles each. Pine Plains player Devon Hurst added to the team’s defense with six tackles of his own.

Among the game’s highlights, Stissing Mountain Coach Robert Scott praised the offensive line anchored by Hurst, Jason Michetti, Dalton Burns and Ryan Martin and how it wore down “an excellent Spackenkill defense,” according to the coach.

“I challenged the line all week and they performed very well tonight,” Scott said with pride.

Stracher eventually scored the game-winning touchdown, resulting in the Spartans’ defeat at the Bombers’ hands, with a score of 18-20.

Praising the Spartans for being “a very well-coached team,” Scott said, “Spackenkill is an excellent team and this was an absolute war tonight — two well-coached physical teams going after one another every play of the game. I am very proud of this team — we were gamers tonight.”