Call ‘em the flying Dutchmen.
The Erasmus Hall quarterback Oniel Stanbury really aired out the ball on Sept. 25, piloting the squad to a 24–6 victory over Lincoln. It was the first loss of the season for the Railsplitters and a big-time statement for an Erasmus Hall team that has built a reputation as a run-first offense over the last few seasons. This year, however, the Dutchmen are attacking by land and air.
“It’s tremendous for us because we never get that,” said Dutchmen coach Danny Landberg of Stanbury. “We never get the kind of quarterback to come here and be able to be that balance. He’s doing a better job than I had hoped at the pace he’s bringing.”
Stanbury was an offensive force to be reckoned with, jump-starting the Dutchmen’s (3–0) attack late in the first quarter when he connected with Aron Cruickshank for a 51-yard touchdown strike.
It was all Erasmus Hall needed to take control of the game.
“We knew, if we had a great week of practice, no one was going to be able to stop us,” said Stanbury, who finished with 138 all-purpose yards. “When [Lincoln started] keying in on me, I’ve got to get it to my receivers. I know they can make the plays.”
Stanbury added another touchdown — a four-yard run — in the waning minutes of the half to give Erasmus Hall a 12–0 cushion heading into the break. And Lincoln (2–1) didn’t do much to help its own cause.
Refs whistled the Railsplitters for eight penalties in the first half — and two of those flags helped set up Dutchmen touchdowns.
“We had those issues in practice to be honest, and I told the guys, ‘You play the way you practice,’ ” said Railsplitters coach Shawn O’Connor. “You can’t win a game against a good team with this many penalties.”
Lincoln had several chances to claw its way back into the game, but Erasmus Hall’s defense held strong down the stretch. Herson Telsaint all but wrapped up the victory for the Dutchmen in the final minute of the third, picking off Lincoln quarterback Faruq Shittu in the end zone on fourth and goal. It was the second pick Shittu threw in the quarter.
“I was just well-conditioned,” said Telsaint, who also chipped in 28 rushing yards. “I was playing the ball, and I saw him make the throw and just stepped in to get the pass.”
Lincoln did get on the board late in the fourth quarter, but the squad knew it left points on the field — consistently coming up short against the Dutchmen’s defense.
“That’s our defense. Our defense is always the heart of our team,” Landberg said. “If you can’t score, you can’t win.”
Erasmus Hall’s offense tied a bow on the win with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns — runs by Cruickshank and Jean Claude Kesler — and these Dutchmen are confident the team can attack from any angle.
It’s a major win for Erasmus Hall, but the Dutchmen squad isn’t ready to relax. This team will continue to hit hard on defense and air it out on offense with one goal in mind — a championship.
“We’ve still got to be humble,” said Telsaint. “We know we’ve got to be disciplined and then it’s on to the next one.”
