Woman Found Dead In Woods Officially Identified

Agnes Kocher

JOHN ERZAR
 Monday, November 19, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3D 





It's a long way from Georgia to Carey Avenue in Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But when Meyers fullback Jermaine Bellamy made the journey, he arrived with
a goal in mind. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``When I first got here, I wanted to win the championship,'' said Bellamy,
who is listed at a believable 215 pounds but a suspicious 5-foot-11. ``I never
thought it would come. When we came together and played as a team, we knew we
could do it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bellamy was a big part of a team effort Friday night when Meyers pulled off
one of the biggest upsets in 10 years of District 2 playoffs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Bus or the Georgia Peach, two Bellamy nicknames heard on the Meyers
sideline, rushed for a game-high 115 yards as the Mohawks upset previously
once-beaten Valley View 10-3 in overtime for the Class 2A title. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Everyone thought we were going to lose (just) like they did last week,''
said Bellamy, who bounced from reporter to reporter after the game the same
way he bounced off Valley View defenders. ``But we knew if we came out and
played team ball, we'd win.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last weekend, Meyers was expected to get hammered by unbeaten Lakeland,
which won the regular-season matchup 66-0. Even when eight Lakeland players
were suspended, no one gave the Mohawks much of a chance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Except, of course, the Mohawks. They scrapped back from a 15-8
third-quarter deficit to win 28-15 as linebacker P.J. McDonough stripped the
ball from a Lakeland receiver and raced in for a 10-yard touchdown. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The score proved to be the game-winner, and when offensive tackle Chris
Walters pounced on a Bellamy fumble in the end zone, the Mohawks were headed
to the championship game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ironically, when Bellamy fumbled the ball to Valley View with 54 seconds
left in regulation, the Mohawks' good fortunes seemed to end. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``My brother always told me if I fumble, keep your head together, keep your
composure,'' Bellamy said. ``Everything will fall into place and we'll get
another chance.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meyers did. Ian Hughes blocked a 27-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in
regulation, and Bellamy amended his fumble by scoring the game-winning
touchdown on a 1-yard plunge in overtime. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And the Mohawks completed arguably the biggest district upset since 1999,
when Valley View defeated Berwick 24-21 at Crispin Field in the Class 3A
semifinals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Moreover, there were no ``what ifs'' attached. Sure, Valley View fumbled
twice deep in Meyers territory and the Cougars had a 356-137 yardage
advantage. But the only statistics that mattered were the final score, and
Valley View wasn't playing with a makeshift lineup like Lakeland. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A no-strings-attached victory. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I can't put it in words,'' Meyers coach Mike Namey said. ``It's a feeling
of great elation. It's a feeling that after all the hard work and all the
adversity you go through, there is some kind of payoff.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Adversity has followed Meyers throughout the season. By week five,
quarterback/kicker Jared Carlo, kick returner/defensive back Ryan McGavin and
wingback/defensive back Marques Cooley were sidelined with knee injuries. Only
Carlo was healthy enough to return, and he was moved to receiver. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For a team with no stars, losing three key players seemed devastating. So
did the week-five 36-27 loss to Mid Valley, the only victory Mid Valley would
register this season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Through it all, Meyers endured somehow when other teams would have packed
it in. Bellamy mentioned ``team'' about as many times as he carried the ball
Friday night. (He rushed 27 times). He wasn't being modest; he was being
honest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To mention Friday night's standouts only would be a disservice. Every
Mohawk - from starters to reserves - has done his part sometime during the
season to get to where they are. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And they will do their part again as they begin an improbable journey to
Hershey for the Dec. 8 Class 2A championship game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Odds are Meyers won't make it that far. St. Pius X presents a formidable
challenge next weekend. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But so did Lakeland and Valley View, so let's not assume anything. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Especially when it comes to Meyers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 John Erzar covers high school football for the Times Leader. Reach him at
829-7183 or jerzar@leader.net &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Champ Mohawks Full Of Surprises