Semipro football: Machia, Red and Black stay focused during road swing

Watertown got off to a fast start despite the nearly four-hour bus trip to the Capital District. The Red and Black scored the first 13 points of the game and were sharp in all phases of the game.

“Whether it’s home or away, you treat it like a business trip,” Machia said. “We go there to win and don’t go down there to lose.”

Machia and the Red and Black defense were front and center in the win over the Greenjackets. He helped pace Watertown with 12 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery, as the team limited Glens Falls to 26 yards of total offense in the first half.

“Our defense is solid and we’re getting better on both sides of the ball,” Red and Black assistant coach Jerry Levine said. “I think we’re just going to keep getting better every week.”

The Greenjackets got back into the game in the second half, but the Red and Black made key plays down the stretch to seal the win. Derrek Dalton’s interception with 1:42 left in regulation helped ensure the victory. Watertown head coach George Ashcraft praised Dalton and fellow linebacker and former Indian River standout Connor Brown as two great defensive players.

“Those guys are the best two linebackers in the league,” Ashcraft said. “I’m just looking forward to them coming back and seeing what they can do every week.”

The Red and Black defense has a solid mix of younger players and veterans. Machia is in his second year with the team and is more comfortable this season. He and the other veterans have been assisting some of the first-year players that are still getting used to the schemes.

“This year we do have a lot of new players and we do our best to try to help them along,” Machia said.

Watertown also fought through some adversity in its win over Glens Falls. The Red and Black had some big plays called back via penalties, including a pair of touchdowns. However, the coaching staff was impressed with how the team handled everything throw at them.

“They didn’t let those penalties get inside their head,” Ashcraft said. “There was no bickering on the sidelines and it was onto the next play.”

The Pride is one of two new teams to join the league, along with the Binghamton-based Broome County Stallions. Auburn and Watertown were in the Northeast Football Alliance together during the Red and Black’s short time in that league. However, the Pride is a different team from the one the Red and Black faced years ago.

“We saw a little bit of film and they’re hard-hitting and play good defense,” Levine said.

The two teams share similarities as both teams have strong defenses and like to run the ball. All of the elements spell for an old-fashioned game with lots of physical play on both sides of the ball.

“It’s going to be more of a smash-mouth game than it was last week,” Machia said. “We’ll have to see how our defense does against them.”

Tonight’s game will mark the halfway-point of the Red and Black’s four-game road swing to open the season. Some teams would be concerned about not having a home game until the midpoint of the season. However, the Red and Black, which will have just one more road game after the four-game string is done, doesn’t mind.

“Once we start playing home, the fans will know we’re home for the rest of the season,” Ashcraft said.