SWC75
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THE FIRST ROUND
It was another horror show for Section 3. After two straight 1-4 years vs. Section 4, we had an 0-5 year, including CBA a team I thought might win us our first state title in 6 years. Ouch!
CLASS AA
CBA was missing, at one point all three of its running backs and had to go to an empty backfield and pass on every play. Their quarterback J. R. Zazzara, was hobbling on an injured foot. Several other players were missing or playing hurt, including star defensive end Aaron Donaldson, who didn’t even suit up. But the “Elmira Express” was a good team, cobbled together from two different high schools, Elmira Free Academy and Southside High School. Their coach, Jimmy McCauley, said of the Brother’s many injuries: “It’s a shame. It’s kind of part of the game. You never want that to happen to a team. CBA’s Joe Casemento: It’s a lot to ask of some young kids. I know they say ‘Next Man Up’ but the next guy is not like the guy that’s there.” Of the Express: “They were better than what we had on the field.” Despite all the injuries, CBA almost pulled it out. They lead at the half, 15-12 and tied the game with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Elmira then drove for the winning score on a 3rd yard run by Eli Thomas, his fourth score of the game, three on runs and one on a pass. The Brothers had two more possession late but they ended with a tipped pass interception and a fourth down incompletion. Earlier, they’d suffered a fumble when Johnathan Stackhouse lost control of the ball diving into the end zone and Elmira recovered. It was just not to be.
Having beaten the #2 team in the state, Elmira will now face #1 ranked Aquinas Institute of Rochester, who beat Jamestown, the state’ highest scoring team in a 48-34 thriller. The Section 5 Little Irish bolted to a 28-6 halftime lead and held off the Section 6 Red Raiders, who came in averaging 54 points per game, in the second half. They twice got within 8 at 20-28 and 34-42 but Aquinas had an answering score each time. Quarterback Jake Zembiec passed for 313 yards and 4TDs for the winners, 3 to Donato Clemente. Jake Sisson passed for 299 yards for Jamestown but only one TD. Zacc Kinsey ran for two scores but his team came up short.
In the other half of the bracket, White Plains of Section 1 had a bye and will face Monroe-Woodbury of Section 9 in the semifinal. They beta the other CBA, section 2’s Albany, 38-25. Kevin Carr rushed for 128 yards and 2 scores for the winners. “CBA scored four touchdowns on drives of four, five, one and two plays“, per the Albany Times-Union. But the winners ground out 421 yards on 71 offensive plays compared to 343 on 31 plays for CBA.
Semi-Finals Match-ups:
Section 1- White Plains 9-1 (308-143) NYSSWA #17 Max Preps 17/1305 0-0 in the state tournament, 1 (poll) title vs.
Section 9- Monroe-Woodbury 11-0 (445-154) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 2/231 11-8, 2 titles
Section 4- Elmira Express 10-0 (406-132) NYSSWA #10 Max Preps 3/278 2-5, 0 titles vs.
Section 5- Aquinas Institute 11-0 (375-103) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 1/161 18-5, 5 titles
Comment: Elmira starting quarterback Rasean Brooks was unamazed that his team beat CBA. “It’s what we do. I can’t really explain it.“ His coach added: “We do the same things week in and week out. We focus on what we do. What we do will take care of what they do. We focus on us. We feel like we can stand up to anyone in the state.” Now do it to the state’s #1 ranked team, Aquinas.
CLASS A
Go figure: Carthage, after avenging their lone regular season defeat vs. Indian River in the Section 3 title game, was 9-1 and ranked #16 in the state by the sportswriters. Union-Endicott was 7-3 and ranked #18 in the state. Then how in the world did Carthage find itself behind 0-36 at halftime? Tiger Quarterback Joey Orlando, who passed for 5 touchdowns, 4 in the first half, may have an answer: “I’ve got so many good receivers, I can go to almost any of them on any play. My line did a great job because I just sat back in the pocket until someone was open.” Running back Sammy Davis caught one of those TD passes and danced for another score. Carthage mustered just 63 first half yards. The Comets didn’t score until the 4th quarter when it was 0-43 and the reserves had long since taken over the game. This is the 21st year of the state playoffs and Section three still has never had a winner in Class A.
U-E will need all those open receivers next week when they face Williamsville North of Section 6, who beat Section 5’s East Ridge in a 23-20 thriller. After falling behind for the first time all day, 16-20 with three minutes to go, the Spartans, (NYS football is full of Spartans), drove 81 yards in 11 plays for the winning score. Ryan Majewski hit junior Zac Kelly from 18 yards out with 43 seconds left.
Since Indian River left Section 10 for Section 33, the Section 2 champions have beaten the Section 10 champions in the Class A playoffs by a combined 243-33 in five games. Three of them have been 42-0 and that was this year’s score. I haven’t been able to find out very many details but I’m not sure if any are needed. The sole article was from Massena’s point of view and contained no box score. Apparently Queensbury dominate don the ground and score 21 points in each half with the first four touchdowns being scored by four different players.
Cornwall of Section 9 had an easy time with Somers of Section 1 for the second year in a row, beating them 34-7 after winning 34-13 last year. Quarterback Mike White threw for 207 yards and ran for another 134, accounting for four scores.
The semi-final match-ups:
Section 2- Queensbury 11-0 (422-124) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 25/1603 5-2, 0 titles vs.
Section 9- Cornwall 10-1 (425-196) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 30/1706 6-8, 0 titles
Section 4 Union-Endicott 8-3 (441-229) NYSSWA #11 Max Preps 18/1347 3-9, 2 titles vs.
Section 6 Williamsville North 9-3 (280-127) NYSSWA #7 Max Preps 29/1701 2-0, 0 titles
Comment: Queensbury beat defending state champion Burnet Hill, who beat Cornwall last year, in winning their section and they are #1 ranked this year. The two western teams were not exactly all-conquering but when a three loss team makes it to the state finals you get tired of picking against them.
CLASS B
If you got to Cazenovia, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of angry people. They think they should still be playing this weekend. They took on the Maine-Endwell Spartans, seeking their 36 straight win and their third straight state title. They’d whipped the Lakers 50-14 last year but were coming into this game with 6 players suspended and were vulnerable. The game went back and forth with Cazenovia taking advantage of a fumble to grab a 7-0 lead, Maine Endwell responding with a long scoring drive and then taking the lead after an interception. Kevin Hopsiker ran 52 yards to set up a tying score but the Spartans took the lead again on a 33 yard run by Kyle Gallagher. A 46 yard run by Andrew Vogel set up another tying score in the third quarter. Kyle Gallagher threw a 38 yard scoring pass to his brother Adam to take the lead for the third time at 21-28. Cazenvoia came roaring back keyed by Vogl’s 24 yard run and Hopskier’s 29 yard ramble. But they turned the ball over on downs at the 2. But the Spartans fumbled it back and Vogl plunged over form the two to tie it again. Maine Endwell drove for what turned to be the winning score, the Gallaghers connecting again for a 12 yard TD pass, making it 28-35 with 4:45 left. But Caz came marching back, scoring on a 12 yard Vogel run with 77 seconds left. Coach Tom Neidl decided to go for 2. Hopsiker ran it in but fumbled as he was going over the goal line. The Lakers recovered for what appeared to be the winning score but the referees declared Kevin’s knee had touched before he went over the line. He was certain that the entire ball and part of his forearm was over the goal when his knee hit. “It was an awful call…It’s the worst way to possibly lose.” Neidl said “We had confidence in that play. As far as I’m concerned, it was a good call. We should’ve walked out of here with a win.”
Maine-Endwell will now play Section 6’s DePew who beat Section 5’s Geneva, 29-9. A stout defense and two third quarter touchdowns gave the Wildcats a commanding 23-3 lead. They got TDs from four different players. On the other end of the bracket, #2 Marlboro of Section 9 topped Pleasantville of Section 1, 23-14. The Dukes scored on a 15 play drive, then on a safety when a Panther punt snap went through the end zone. An opening third quarter drive made it 16-7 and closed it out with a fourth period drive closed out by a 6 yard run by quarterback Ryan Cary. Section 2’s Schalmont had no problem with Section 7’s Beekmantown, 60-6, scoring an incredible 47 points in the second quarter, aided by 5 turnovers. “We had a pretty good first quarter,” Beekmantown coach Jamie Lozier said. “And then that no-huddle offense of theirs, the pace. And they’re so aggressive and so strong and fast.
“In the second quarter it caught us. Our guys were winded, and they just had a huge second quarter…“Their secondary are their best athletes,” Lozier said. “The guys on offense that kill everybody are their secondary guys, and they were all over our guys.” (High School Sports Magazine).
The semi-final match-ups:
Section 2 Schalmont 11-0 (489-37) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 12/1045 5-3, 0 titles vs.
Section 9 Marlboro 11-0 (437-138) NYSSWA #2 Max Preps 38/2207 2-2, 0 titles
Section 4 Maine-Endwell 11-0 (524-122) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 5/582 11-2, 3 titles vs.
Section 6 DePew 9-2 (328-197) NYSSWA #7 Max Preps 33/1937 1-1, 0 titles
Comment: Schalmont comes from the same section as Hoosick Falls, last year’s Class C champs who run up such amazing point differentials but don’t seem to be taken seriously in the playoffs, judging by the rankings. Marlboro better watch out. But Maine Endwell has to be the favorite to repeat, especially if they get their suspended players back.
CLASS C
General Brown had been the only section 3 team to beat Section 4’s Chenango Forks in 10 tries but the Lions came up way short on Saturday. The Devils led 6-28 at halftime and 6-35 going into the fourth quarter. 12 fourth quarter points by the General made it respectable but it was the Little Big Horn until then. GB Coach Steve Fisher: “You’ve got to play every play and we didn’t do that. We didn’t get 11 guys playing every play. They beat us up up front.” CF Coach Dave Hogan: “It’s a total team effort, right to our special teams. Defensively, we played sound. Offensively, it starts up front. It’s become cliché but it’s so true. I think we handled them up front, no doubt.” Forks got big plays from LJ Watson, who ran 39 yards for one score and returned a punt 68 yards for another and Isiah Zimmer, who ran 28 yards for a third. JC Sweeny threw to Andrew Ziegenfus for the other two scores. Ryan Cumberbatch, Jared Christopher and Joe Pitre scored for the Lions but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Forks will next play Section 6’s Cleveland Hill, who topped Wayland Cohockton of Section 5, 46-20. The Eagles opened the scoring with a 31 yard pass on 4th an 8 from the WC 29. Aaron Jackson threw another TD pass in the second quarter and Keon Crawford ran one in for a 22-0 lead, (the Eagles tried for two after every score). WC is also the “Eagles” but they were eaglets in this game. The Eaglets tried to mount a comeback but could never quite get back in it. They were down 6-22 at the half and scored to open the second half but the Eagles’ Brandon Thomas went 80 yards on the first play and it was 12-30. A muffed punt led to another score and the game was out of reach. Thomas ran for 214 yards on 19 carries and two scores while Jackson completed 7 of 11 passes for 107 yards and those two scores.
On the other side of the bracket Rye Neck, (which is a different school from Rye High School, who has won this thing before), of Section, crushed Section 1’s Burke Catholic 47-6. Thomas Pipolo threw for three scores and Dom Brescia ran for 117 yards. “Burke’s Matt Przybocki was limited to 66 yards on 17 carries a week after piling up 453 yards and six touchdowns against James I. O'Neill in the Section 9 championship game.” (Recordonline.com) Three Burke fumbles led to a 27-0 halftime lead for Rye Neck, who outgained this flock of Eagles 372-108. Rye Neck will now meet defending Class C champion Hoosick Falls of Section 2, who beat Ogdensburg Free Academy of Section 10, 27-6. Unlike most North Country schools, OFA gave a good account of themselves until a fumble was scooped up by HF’s David Hardesty and returned 40 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils even led briefly in the first half at 6-3, the first deficit the Panthers had faced all year. HF used a stiff pass rush and screen passes of their own to win. “Those screens were amazing,” Brandon Hodges, who finished with 143 all-purpose yards, said. “They were so much fun and they were just so open. We had blockers down field and it was good to get a few yards out. It was excellent.” He went 52 yards on one of them.
The Semi-Final match-ups:
Section 2- Hoosick Falls 11-0 (405-33) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 43/2486 8-5, 1 title vs.
Section 1 Rye Neck 10-0 404-69) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 26/1632 1-0, 0 titles
Section 4 Chenango Forks 10-1 (463-131) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 24/1589 18-9, 2 titles vs.
Section 6 Cleveland Hill 11-0 (354-78) NYSSWA #4 Max Preps 35/2002 1-3, 0 titles
Comments: All these teams won easily so maybe they can give each other some serious competition. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any one of them win it but you have to like Hoosick Falls’ chances, (despite the fact that Max Preps thinks they are the worst of the four teams). They have won 24 games in a row over two seasons and out-scored their opposition 964-131! (That’s 40-5 per game.) They sure know how to play defense. And Oh, those screen passes!
CLASS D
Section 4’s Tioga is getting to be like Chenango Forks. In the last three years they’ve beaten Section 3’s Westmoreland 55-34, (a game where they didn’t even have to attempt a pass to score those 55 points), Sand Creek 54-13 and now Herkimer 43-13. If you’re going to be a Magician, you need pretty good hands and these Magicians turned over the ball 4 times. They played very good defense for a half, holding Tioga to 8 points at halftime after the Tigers had scored 80 points in their sectional final. But the Magicians could only prestidigitate 60 yards total offense until Austin Mills hit Zach Steele for a 53 yard score in the third quarter to make it 6-15. But Tioga then swamped Herkimer with 4 unanswered scores. Jesse Manuel ran for 3 scores and Brad Jump jumped for 2 more. And with that, Section 3’s football season ended on the first weekend of the state playoffs.
Tioga now gets a rematch with defending state champ Randolph of Section 6, who nipped them 7-6 on the way to the finals last year. Randolph romped over Section 5’s Red Jacket, 49-0. (Did they wind up with the red jacket?) The Buffalo News: “Sometimes a football game does not require 48 minutes.
Sometimes it is a thrashing so thorough, a demolishing so devastating, the halftime horn just as easily could serve as the game’s final whistle.” The game was 28-0 at the half. Red Jacket had gone 3 and out in each of five possessions while the Cardinals had already gained 280 yards. “I don’t care that it’s a ‘Class D’ school,” Red Jacket coach Marc Vitticore said of Randolph. “I used to coach in AA ball at Fairport for years, and that looks like a double A team. So my hat’s off to the Randolph players and coaches. I am humbled by that game, really proud just to be in that game with those guys.” Chris Doubeck ran for 124 yards and scored twice. He now has 2,060 yards on the season and 29 TDs.
In the East, there was a tremendous upset as Moriah of Section 7 topped Section 2’s Cambridge 34-32, the only North Country team to win its quarterfinal match. The Vikings came into the game 6-4 and ranked 20th by the sportswriters, 295th overall by Max Preps, who had them #8631 in the nation. Cambridge was 10-0 and came in at #4 per the writers, #88 in the state and #3261 in the nation, meaning that Max Preps felt that there are 5,420 high school football teams in the country that would beat Moriah but lose to Cambridge. Last year Moriah lost to Rensselaer of Section 2, 0-50 in the quarterfinals. But this time, the Vikings were made of sterner stuff. Outgained by 369-468, they held on tenaciously when it counted, stopping no less than 4 attempts at two point conversions to win. Good kickers are rare in high school ball and the lack of one decided this game. PostStar.com: “It hurts not having a field-goal kicker,” said Cambridge head coach Doug Luke, whose No. 4-ranked team finished its season at 10-1. “When you get in the big games and you need an extra point, it’s nice to have that reliable one point. We have to go for two, and we couldn’t do it. It’s hard to get those 3 yards when everyone’s up on the line.” The last one came after the Indians recovered a fumble when Moriah was attempting to run out the clock with a 34-26 lead. Ethan English passed to Austin Dean 56 yards for what could have been the typing score. Another key came when Moriah switched to running a wishbone in the second quarter. They used it to tie the game at the half, 20-20 and to take the lead they never surrendered in the third quarter. CJ Raymond led the Vikings with 164 yards rushing.
They will face Section 9’s Chester, who beat Section 1’s Tuckahoe 26-21, ending a string of frustrating defeats against the Tigers, who had been 6-0 vs. the “Hambletonians” (yes, that’s their official nickname). Gutsy coach Ron Stover called for a fake punt at Chester’s 38 with 3:43 remaining to hold on to the ball so they could run out the clock with that 26-21 lead and it worked for a 17 yard gain and a first down. Mike Wolkmer rushed for 134 yards for the winners and scored the winning touchdown after a blocked punt by Daniel Wittekind. “They came here on a mission,” Tuckahoe coach John D’Arco said. “They didn’t come here to play the game. They came here to win it. In critical situations, it was apparent.”
The next mission is the Semi-Finals and here are the match-ups:
Section 7- Moriah 7-4 (324-257) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 197/6705 6-11, 0 titles vs.
Section 9- Chester 9-1 (453-98) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 133/5463 2-7, 0 titles
Section 4- Tioga 11-0 (433-122) NYSSWA #2 Max Preps 14/1069 3-2, 0 titles vs.
Section 6- Randolph 11-0 (474-84) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 13/1058 9-2, 3 titles
Comment: The fact that Chester barely held on to beat a Tuckahoe team that is now 5-5 makes me think they are vulnerable despite their impressive point differential. Moriah has managed to make it to the state finals twice- losing to Maple Grove 7-55 in 2008 and to Randolph 0-41. It’s a question of whether the coach will turn into a pumpkin this week or next. Tioga has lost in the semis the last two years to the Section 6 champions and maybe the third time will be the charm but Randolph looks stronger than when they won the state title last year. They finished 11-2 (378-147) that year.
It was another horror show for Section 3. After two straight 1-4 years vs. Section 4, we had an 0-5 year, including CBA a team I thought might win us our first state title in 6 years. Ouch!
CLASS AA
CBA was missing, at one point all three of its running backs and had to go to an empty backfield and pass on every play. Their quarterback J. R. Zazzara, was hobbling on an injured foot. Several other players were missing or playing hurt, including star defensive end Aaron Donaldson, who didn’t even suit up. But the “Elmira Express” was a good team, cobbled together from two different high schools, Elmira Free Academy and Southside High School. Their coach, Jimmy McCauley, said of the Brother’s many injuries: “It’s a shame. It’s kind of part of the game. You never want that to happen to a team. CBA’s Joe Casemento: It’s a lot to ask of some young kids. I know they say ‘Next Man Up’ but the next guy is not like the guy that’s there.” Of the Express: “They were better than what we had on the field.” Despite all the injuries, CBA almost pulled it out. They lead at the half, 15-12 and tied the game with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Elmira then drove for the winning score on a 3rd yard run by Eli Thomas, his fourth score of the game, three on runs and one on a pass. The Brothers had two more possession late but they ended with a tipped pass interception and a fourth down incompletion. Earlier, they’d suffered a fumble when Johnathan Stackhouse lost control of the ball diving into the end zone and Elmira recovered. It was just not to be.
Having beaten the #2 team in the state, Elmira will now face #1 ranked Aquinas Institute of Rochester, who beat Jamestown, the state’ highest scoring team in a 48-34 thriller. The Section 5 Little Irish bolted to a 28-6 halftime lead and held off the Section 6 Red Raiders, who came in averaging 54 points per game, in the second half. They twice got within 8 at 20-28 and 34-42 but Aquinas had an answering score each time. Quarterback Jake Zembiec passed for 313 yards and 4TDs for the winners, 3 to Donato Clemente. Jake Sisson passed for 299 yards for Jamestown but only one TD. Zacc Kinsey ran for two scores but his team came up short.
In the other half of the bracket, White Plains of Section 1 had a bye and will face Monroe-Woodbury of Section 9 in the semifinal. They beta the other CBA, section 2’s Albany, 38-25. Kevin Carr rushed for 128 yards and 2 scores for the winners. “CBA scored four touchdowns on drives of four, five, one and two plays“, per the Albany Times-Union. But the winners ground out 421 yards on 71 offensive plays compared to 343 on 31 plays for CBA.
Semi-Finals Match-ups:
Section 1- White Plains 9-1 (308-143) NYSSWA #17 Max Preps 17/1305 0-0 in the state tournament, 1 (poll) title vs.
Section 9- Monroe-Woodbury 11-0 (445-154) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 2/231 11-8, 2 titles
Section 4- Elmira Express 10-0 (406-132) NYSSWA #10 Max Preps 3/278 2-5, 0 titles vs.
Section 5- Aquinas Institute 11-0 (375-103) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 1/161 18-5, 5 titles
Comment: Elmira starting quarterback Rasean Brooks was unamazed that his team beat CBA. “It’s what we do. I can’t really explain it.“ His coach added: “We do the same things week in and week out. We focus on what we do. What we do will take care of what they do. We focus on us. We feel like we can stand up to anyone in the state.” Now do it to the state’s #1 ranked team, Aquinas.
CLASS A
Go figure: Carthage, after avenging their lone regular season defeat vs. Indian River in the Section 3 title game, was 9-1 and ranked #16 in the state by the sportswriters. Union-Endicott was 7-3 and ranked #18 in the state. Then how in the world did Carthage find itself behind 0-36 at halftime? Tiger Quarterback Joey Orlando, who passed for 5 touchdowns, 4 in the first half, may have an answer: “I’ve got so many good receivers, I can go to almost any of them on any play. My line did a great job because I just sat back in the pocket until someone was open.” Running back Sammy Davis caught one of those TD passes and danced for another score. Carthage mustered just 63 first half yards. The Comets didn’t score until the 4th quarter when it was 0-43 and the reserves had long since taken over the game. This is the 21st year of the state playoffs and Section three still has never had a winner in Class A.
U-E will need all those open receivers next week when they face Williamsville North of Section 6, who beat Section 5’s East Ridge in a 23-20 thriller. After falling behind for the first time all day, 16-20 with three minutes to go, the Spartans, (NYS football is full of Spartans), drove 81 yards in 11 plays for the winning score. Ryan Majewski hit junior Zac Kelly from 18 yards out with 43 seconds left.
Since Indian River left Section 10 for Section 33, the Section 2 champions have beaten the Section 10 champions in the Class A playoffs by a combined 243-33 in five games. Three of them have been 42-0 and that was this year’s score. I haven’t been able to find out very many details but I’m not sure if any are needed. The sole article was from Massena’s point of view and contained no box score. Apparently Queensbury dominate don the ground and score 21 points in each half with the first four touchdowns being scored by four different players.
Cornwall of Section 9 had an easy time with Somers of Section 1 for the second year in a row, beating them 34-7 after winning 34-13 last year. Quarterback Mike White threw for 207 yards and ran for another 134, accounting for four scores.
The semi-final match-ups:
Section 2- Queensbury 11-0 (422-124) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 25/1603 5-2, 0 titles vs.
Section 9- Cornwall 10-1 (425-196) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 30/1706 6-8, 0 titles
Section 4 Union-Endicott 8-3 (441-229) NYSSWA #11 Max Preps 18/1347 3-9, 2 titles vs.
Section 6 Williamsville North 9-3 (280-127) NYSSWA #7 Max Preps 29/1701 2-0, 0 titles
Comment: Queensbury beat defending state champion Burnet Hill, who beat Cornwall last year, in winning their section and they are #1 ranked this year. The two western teams were not exactly all-conquering but when a three loss team makes it to the state finals you get tired of picking against them.
CLASS B
If you got to Cazenovia, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of angry people. They think they should still be playing this weekend. They took on the Maine-Endwell Spartans, seeking their 36 straight win and their third straight state title. They’d whipped the Lakers 50-14 last year but were coming into this game with 6 players suspended and were vulnerable. The game went back and forth with Cazenovia taking advantage of a fumble to grab a 7-0 lead, Maine Endwell responding with a long scoring drive and then taking the lead after an interception. Kevin Hopsiker ran 52 yards to set up a tying score but the Spartans took the lead again on a 33 yard run by Kyle Gallagher. A 46 yard run by Andrew Vogel set up another tying score in the third quarter. Kyle Gallagher threw a 38 yard scoring pass to his brother Adam to take the lead for the third time at 21-28. Cazenvoia came roaring back keyed by Vogl’s 24 yard run and Hopskier’s 29 yard ramble. But they turned the ball over on downs at the 2. But the Spartans fumbled it back and Vogl plunged over form the two to tie it again. Maine Endwell drove for what turned to be the winning score, the Gallaghers connecting again for a 12 yard TD pass, making it 28-35 with 4:45 left. But Caz came marching back, scoring on a 12 yard Vogel run with 77 seconds left. Coach Tom Neidl decided to go for 2. Hopsiker ran it in but fumbled as he was going over the goal line. The Lakers recovered for what appeared to be the winning score but the referees declared Kevin’s knee had touched before he went over the line. He was certain that the entire ball and part of his forearm was over the goal when his knee hit. “It was an awful call…It’s the worst way to possibly lose.” Neidl said “We had confidence in that play. As far as I’m concerned, it was a good call. We should’ve walked out of here with a win.”
Maine-Endwell will now play Section 6’s DePew who beat Section 5’s Geneva, 29-9. A stout defense and two third quarter touchdowns gave the Wildcats a commanding 23-3 lead. They got TDs from four different players. On the other end of the bracket, #2 Marlboro of Section 9 topped Pleasantville of Section 1, 23-14. The Dukes scored on a 15 play drive, then on a safety when a Panther punt snap went through the end zone. An opening third quarter drive made it 16-7 and closed it out with a fourth period drive closed out by a 6 yard run by quarterback Ryan Cary. Section 2’s Schalmont had no problem with Section 7’s Beekmantown, 60-6, scoring an incredible 47 points in the second quarter, aided by 5 turnovers. “We had a pretty good first quarter,” Beekmantown coach Jamie Lozier said. “And then that no-huddle offense of theirs, the pace. And they’re so aggressive and so strong and fast.
“In the second quarter it caught us. Our guys were winded, and they just had a huge second quarter…“Their secondary are their best athletes,” Lozier said. “The guys on offense that kill everybody are their secondary guys, and they were all over our guys.” (High School Sports Magazine).
The semi-final match-ups:
Section 2 Schalmont 11-0 (489-37) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 12/1045 5-3, 0 titles vs.
Section 9 Marlboro 11-0 (437-138) NYSSWA #2 Max Preps 38/2207 2-2, 0 titles
Section 4 Maine-Endwell 11-0 (524-122) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 5/582 11-2, 3 titles vs.
Section 6 DePew 9-2 (328-197) NYSSWA #7 Max Preps 33/1937 1-1, 0 titles
Comment: Schalmont comes from the same section as Hoosick Falls, last year’s Class C champs who run up such amazing point differentials but don’t seem to be taken seriously in the playoffs, judging by the rankings. Marlboro better watch out. But Maine Endwell has to be the favorite to repeat, especially if they get their suspended players back.
CLASS C
General Brown had been the only section 3 team to beat Section 4’s Chenango Forks in 10 tries but the Lions came up way short on Saturday. The Devils led 6-28 at halftime and 6-35 going into the fourth quarter. 12 fourth quarter points by the General made it respectable but it was the Little Big Horn until then. GB Coach Steve Fisher: “You’ve got to play every play and we didn’t do that. We didn’t get 11 guys playing every play. They beat us up up front.” CF Coach Dave Hogan: “It’s a total team effort, right to our special teams. Defensively, we played sound. Offensively, it starts up front. It’s become cliché but it’s so true. I think we handled them up front, no doubt.” Forks got big plays from LJ Watson, who ran 39 yards for one score and returned a punt 68 yards for another and Isiah Zimmer, who ran 28 yards for a third. JC Sweeny threw to Andrew Ziegenfus for the other two scores. Ryan Cumberbatch, Jared Christopher and Joe Pitre scored for the Lions but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Forks will next play Section 6’s Cleveland Hill, who topped Wayland Cohockton of Section 5, 46-20. The Eagles opened the scoring with a 31 yard pass on 4th an 8 from the WC 29. Aaron Jackson threw another TD pass in the second quarter and Keon Crawford ran one in for a 22-0 lead, (the Eagles tried for two after every score). WC is also the “Eagles” but they were eaglets in this game. The Eaglets tried to mount a comeback but could never quite get back in it. They were down 6-22 at the half and scored to open the second half but the Eagles’ Brandon Thomas went 80 yards on the first play and it was 12-30. A muffed punt led to another score and the game was out of reach. Thomas ran for 214 yards on 19 carries and two scores while Jackson completed 7 of 11 passes for 107 yards and those two scores.
On the other side of the bracket Rye Neck, (which is a different school from Rye High School, who has won this thing before), of Section, crushed Section 1’s Burke Catholic 47-6. Thomas Pipolo threw for three scores and Dom Brescia ran for 117 yards. “Burke’s Matt Przybocki was limited to 66 yards on 17 carries a week after piling up 453 yards and six touchdowns against James I. O'Neill in the Section 9 championship game.” (Recordonline.com) Three Burke fumbles led to a 27-0 halftime lead for Rye Neck, who outgained this flock of Eagles 372-108. Rye Neck will now meet defending Class C champion Hoosick Falls of Section 2, who beat Ogdensburg Free Academy of Section 10, 27-6. Unlike most North Country schools, OFA gave a good account of themselves until a fumble was scooped up by HF’s David Hardesty and returned 40 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils even led briefly in the first half at 6-3, the first deficit the Panthers had faced all year. HF used a stiff pass rush and screen passes of their own to win. “Those screens were amazing,” Brandon Hodges, who finished with 143 all-purpose yards, said. “They were so much fun and they were just so open. We had blockers down field and it was good to get a few yards out. It was excellent.” He went 52 yards on one of them.
The Semi-Final match-ups:
Section 2- Hoosick Falls 11-0 (405-33) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 43/2486 8-5, 1 title vs.
Section 1 Rye Neck 10-0 404-69) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 26/1632 1-0, 0 titles
Section 4 Chenango Forks 10-1 (463-131) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 24/1589 18-9, 2 titles vs.
Section 6 Cleveland Hill 11-0 (354-78) NYSSWA #4 Max Preps 35/2002 1-3, 0 titles
Comments: All these teams won easily so maybe they can give each other some serious competition. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any one of them win it but you have to like Hoosick Falls’ chances, (despite the fact that Max Preps thinks they are the worst of the four teams). They have won 24 games in a row over two seasons and out-scored their opposition 964-131! (That’s 40-5 per game.) They sure know how to play defense. And Oh, those screen passes!
CLASS D
Section 4’s Tioga is getting to be like Chenango Forks. In the last three years they’ve beaten Section 3’s Westmoreland 55-34, (a game where they didn’t even have to attempt a pass to score those 55 points), Sand Creek 54-13 and now Herkimer 43-13. If you’re going to be a Magician, you need pretty good hands and these Magicians turned over the ball 4 times. They played very good defense for a half, holding Tioga to 8 points at halftime after the Tigers had scored 80 points in their sectional final. But the Magicians could only prestidigitate 60 yards total offense until Austin Mills hit Zach Steele for a 53 yard score in the third quarter to make it 6-15. But Tioga then swamped Herkimer with 4 unanswered scores. Jesse Manuel ran for 3 scores and Brad Jump jumped for 2 more. And with that, Section 3’s football season ended on the first weekend of the state playoffs.
Tioga now gets a rematch with defending state champ Randolph of Section 6, who nipped them 7-6 on the way to the finals last year. Randolph romped over Section 5’s Red Jacket, 49-0. (Did they wind up with the red jacket?) The Buffalo News: “Sometimes a football game does not require 48 minutes.
Sometimes it is a thrashing so thorough, a demolishing so devastating, the halftime horn just as easily could serve as the game’s final whistle.” The game was 28-0 at the half. Red Jacket had gone 3 and out in each of five possessions while the Cardinals had already gained 280 yards. “I don’t care that it’s a ‘Class D’ school,” Red Jacket coach Marc Vitticore said of Randolph. “I used to coach in AA ball at Fairport for years, and that looks like a double A team. So my hat’s off to the Randolph players and coaches. I am humbled by that game, really proud just to be in that game with those guys.” Chris Doubeck ran for 124 yards and scored twice. He now has 2,060 yards on the season and 29 TDs.
In the East, there was a tremendous upset as Moriah of Section 7 topped Section 2’s Cambridge 34-32, the only North Country team to win its quarterfinal match. The Vikings came into the game 6-4 and ranked 20th by the sportswriters, 295th overall by Max Preps, who had them #8631 in the nation. Cambridge was 10-0 and came in at #4 per the writers, #88 in the state and #3261 in the nation, meaning that Max Preps felt that there are 5,420 high school football teams in the country that would beat Moriah but lose to Cambridge. Last year Moriah lost to Rensselaer of Section 2, 0-50 in the quarterfinals. But this time, the Vikings were made of sterner stuff. Outgained by 369-468, they held on tenaciously when it counted, stopping no less than 4 attempts at two point conversions to win. Good kickers are rare in high school ball and the lack of one decided this game. PostStar.com: “It hurts not having a field-goal kicker,” said Cambridge head coach Doug Luke, whose No. 4-ranked team finished its season at 10-1. “When you get in the big games and you need an extra point, it’s nice to have that reliable one point. We have to go for two, and we couldn’t do it. It’s hard to get those 3 yards when everyone’s up on the line.” The last one came after the Indians recovered a fumble when Moriah was attempting to run out the clock with a 34-26 lead. Ethan English passed to Austin Dean 56 yards for what could have been the typing score. Another key came when Moriah switched to running a wishbone in the second quarter. They used it to tie the game at the half, 20-20 and to take the lead they never surrendered in the third quarter. CJ Raymond led the Vikings with 164 yards rushing.
They will face Section 9’s Chester, who beat Section 1’s Tuckahoe 26-21, ending a string of frustrating defeats against the Tigers, who had been 6-0 vs. the “Hambletonians” (yes, that’s their official nickname). Gutsy coach Ron Stover called for a fake punt at Chester’s 38 with 3:43 remaining to hold on to the ball so they could run out the clock with that 26-21 lead and it worked for a 17 yard gain and a first down. Mike Wolkmer rushed for 134 yards for the winners and scored the winning touchdown after a blocked punt by Daniel Wittekind. “They came here on a mission,” Tuckahoe coach John D’Arco said. “They didn’t come here to play the game. They came here to win it. In critical situations, it was apparent.”
The next mission is the Semi-Finals and here are the match-ups:
Section 7- Moriah 7-4 (324-257) NYSSWA #5 Max Preps 197/6705 6-11, 0 titles vs.
Section 9- Chester 9-1 (453-98) NYSSWA #3 Max Preps 133/5463 2-7, 0 titles
Section 4- Tioga 11-0 (433-122) NYSSWA #2 Max Preps 14/1069 3-2, 0 titles vs.
Section 6- Randolph 11-0 (474-84) NYSSWA #1 Max Preps 13/1058 9-2, 3 titles
Comment: The fact that Chester barely held on to beat a Tuckahoe team that is now 5-5 makes me think they are vulnerable despite their impressive point differential. Moriah has managed to make it to the state finals twice- losing to Maple Grove 7-55 in 2008 and to Randolph 0-41. It’s a question of whether the coach will turn into a pumpkin this week or next. Tioga has lost in the semis the last two years to the Section 6 champions and maybe the third time will be the charm but Randolph looks stronger than when they won the state title last year. They finished 11-2 (378-147) that year.
