WALTON WHIPS TICONDEROGA FOR STATE CLASS D TITLE 64-6

WALTON 64, TICONDEROGA 6
The Walton Warriors, the Section IV Class D Champions and top-ranked Class D team in the state, dominated the line on both sides of the football, racked up three touchdowns in the first 7:06 of the game and scored a record nine touchdowns in delivering a solid 64-6 victory over the Ticonderoga Sentinels in the state title game. Walton eclipsed the previous record of 55 points scored by one team in the 15-year history of the state championship. A trio of stealthy running backs broke loose for 370 yards on 52 carries. On the second play from scrimmage, Casey Killian fired through a gap on the right side of the Ticonderoga defense and jetted 74 yards to paydirt. Richard Fletcher tacked on a pair of quick-strike touchdowns, one from the three-yard line and the other from the nine. The Warriors had pounded out a 22-0 lead in just over 7:00 of play and it was all downhill for the Sentinels from there. In the second quarter, Fletcher, Logan Wood and Anthony Mead all capped impressive scoring drives with touchdown rushes inside the five-yard line, powering the Warriors to a virtually insurmountable 42-0 halftime lead. On the first possession of the second half, Fletcher, who was named the game’s MVP, muscled up the middle into the end zone from the one-yard line. Cody Reed’s seven-yard score in the third quarter and Phil Hanley’s nine-yard sprint to paydirt established the new state championship scoring marks for Walton. Krys Ross’ 18-yard comebacker to the Ticonderoga 38-yard line help set the table for the Sentinels lone scoring drive. Ticonderoga fashioned a solid seven-play, 62-yard drive over a 3:41 span, culminated by Steve Lenhart’s one-yard plunge. In addition to Fletcher, Killian rushed eight times for 94 yards and a touchdown., while Wood ran seven times for 51 yards. Ross led Ticonderoga with eight carries for 46 yards. .
 

GOING TO THE DOME!  TI BEATS HALDANE IN STATE SEMIFINAL!

TICONDEROGA 35, HALDANE 8
Ticonderoga has completed the journey through the regular season and the playoffs and have punched their ticket to the ultimate destination – the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for the New York State Class D Championship vs. Walton, after defeating Haldane 35-8 in the state semifinal. For Ticonderoga, it’s the first-ever team in a state championship attempt in school history! The Sentinels avenged last year’s heartbreaking semifinal loss behind the solid 6-for-6 and 100 yards passing for Matt Streeter who tossed for two touchdowns and scampered for a third score at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Ticonderoga notched all of their 35 points before Haldane got on the board with 0:42 remaining. Streeter dove from one yard out and booted the extra point to gain a 7-0 lead at 1:42 of the second stanza. Krys Ross added to the lead on a four-yard rush to the house. Streeter’s kick gave Ti a 14-0 lead at intermission. Remembering how the semifinal slipped away after leading 19-0 to Tuckahoe at the half last year, the 2007 Sentinels added insurance just 4:56 into the third quarter when Bryant Austin fired off the line of scrimmage from the one-yard line and, on a play-action pass, hauled in Streeter’s pass for a three-possession lead 21-0. The Sentinels’ next drive also ended with a score when Streeter dialed deep on a 43-yard bomb to Jake Taylor. Josh Huestis polished off the Sentinels scoring with a one-yard TD run. The Haldane Blue Devils scored on a one-yard plunge from Derek O’Dell and a two-point conversion to await the shutout. Steven Lenhart again led the Sentinels rushing with 16 carries for 90 yards. Ross ran six times for 67 yards. O’Dell led Haldane with 18 carries for 107 yards.
 

TICONDEROGA TOPPLES FORT EDWARD IN N.Y. QUARTERFINAL

TICONDEROGA 27, FORT EDWARD 16
Ticonderoga tailback Steven Lenhart powered an amazing 284 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 80-yard rush to paydirt, catapulting the Sentinels to a 27-16 win over Fort Edward and a return to the New York State Class D Final Four next weekend at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, NY. After giving up a touchdown on the Forts’ opening drive to make it 8-0. However, two possessions later, Lenhart and the Sentinels got on a roll. After Lenhart’s 37-yard run and a 16-yard pass to Evan Gladding, Josh Huestis polished off the drive with a one-yard dive to make to 8-6. Huestis added 72 yards on 14 carries on the day. On the Forts’ next series, Lenhart stripped the ball for a fumble recovery and, on the very next play, drove 80 yards to paydirt giving the Sentinels their first lead, 14-8, going into halftime. The teams exchanged fumbles on their first drives of the second half. However, the Sentinels scored on a Matt Streeter play-action pass to Bryant Austin over the middle for a five-yard score, 20-8. The Sentinels polished off the game late in the fourth quarter when Streeter bootlegged a four-yard TD run for a score.
 

TICONDEROGA NIPS MORIAH IN COMEBACK FOR "D" TITLE

TICONDEROGA 14, MORIAH 7
The top-seeded Ticonderoga Sentinels were outplayed in several facets of the game on both sides of the football, but rallied on both sides of the football in the second half to snatch a 14-7 win from the upstart #2 Moriah Vikings in the Northern Football Conference Class D Championship on Friday. After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings chewed up 84 yards on a long drive that ate up 8:48, but they controlled the second quarter. James Carlson (nine carries, 53 yards) plunged into the end zone from the one-yard line and Mike Brassard’s kick put the Vikings up 7-0 at the half. The defending Class D champions finally scored in the third quarter when Steve Lenhart (nine carries, 82 yards) delivered the ball 23 and 24 yards on the drive. After recovering a fumble on the three-yard line, the Sentinels’ Krys Ross delivered the mail on the next play, but a mishandled snap on the point after left Ti down a point, 7-6. Proving the coaching theory that good defense wins championships, two huge goal-line stands in the final quarter were the turning point. The Sentinels stopped Moriah after first-and-goal at the Ticonderoga 8 and fourth-and-goal at the one-yard-line. Pumped up by the stop, Ticonderoga then marched 99 yards to produce the go-ahead touchdown. Fill-in quarterback Matt Streeter (3-for-7 for 79 yards passing) drilled Jake Taylor on a 51- yard completion, hit Evan Gladding on a pass play from the Moriah 38 and polished it off with a Josh Heustis four-yard ramble to paydirt with 2:36 to go. Moriah went into its two-minute offense and drove down to the Ticonderoga goal line again on the strength of two big gains by Keith Karlkoski, but the drive and game expired on another major goal-line stop by the Sentinels. For Moriah, Steve Owens carried 19 times for 73 yards.
 

MORIAH OUSTS SETON IN CLASS D SEMIFINAL, 20-7

MORIAH 20, SETON CATHOLIC 7
The Moriah Vikings held Seton Catholic off the scoreboard until the final quarter, including two first half stops inside the red zone, to anchor a 20-7 win over the Knights in the Northern Football Conference Class D semifinal game. The Knights, who finished their season at 3-6, rolled down to the Moriah 4-yard line on their first drive. A penalty sent them back to the 10, where two pass plays later, they turned the ball over on downs. Seton’s next drive brought the ball back to the 10-yard line before Moriah’s Steve Owens (41 years rushing) snatched an end-zone pass for a touchback ending another promising Seton drive. In the second quarter, the Vikings put up the game’s first points when James Carlson (game-high eight carries for 99 yards) muscled through the interior line and rambled 76 years for the touchdown. Owens tacked on another TD carry from the two-yard line with 1:16 left in the half to forge a 14-0 lead at intermission. In the second half, Moriah’s Keith Karkoski (63 total yards rushing) powered along the sideline for a 52-yard run that upped the Vikings’ advantage to 20-0. Seton Catholic put their only points on the board with 7:20 left in the game on a fleeflicker pass from Billy Bower to Matt Seymour. Bower finished his season with a 22-carry, 121-yard performance. The win advances Moriah into the Class D Championship game next Friday against the Ticonderoga Sentinels.
 

PERU MISCUES FUEL SEMIFINAL LOSS IN STATE PLAYOFFS 24-7

RYE 27, PERU 7
The Rye Garnets picked two Tyler Hoey passes and converted them into touchdowns in downing the Northern Football Conference’s previously undefeated Class B Champion Peru Indians 24-7 in the New York State Class B semifinals at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, NY. Peru finishes its season 11-1, while Rye continues to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse to play for the state championship. Rye grabbed the first lead 3-0 on a Sebastion Saunders 37-yard field goal halfway through the first quarter. Peru responded on the next possession with an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by a one-yard quarterback keeper by Hoey to vault the Indians into a 7-3 lead – their only advantage of the game. The game turned for keeps on the very next drive when Rye’s Matt Rix snatched Hoey’s pass at the 35-yard line and ran to paydirt to catapult the Garnets back into the lead 10-7. The Garnets’ next possession dug the hole deeper when James Bosnell snagged a play-action pass for a 65-yard touchdown that resulted in a 17-7 lead entering halftime. The Indians fortunes sank further when the first drive of the second half ended when Rye’s Remy Pinson picked a second interception, setting up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rix in the end zone that doomed the Indians’ drive to the Dome. Hoey went 8-for-18 for 124 yards passing. Peru’s Alec Currier finished with five pass receptions for 47. Peru was held to just 13 rushes for 18 positive yards.
 

PERU USES QUICK START TO WIN STATE REGION II TITLE 21-7

The Peru Indians football captains receive the N.Y.S. Region II championship plaque, game ball and certificates following a 21-7 victory over #4 ranked Cobleskill-Richmondville.
(Kyle Coryea photos)  Class B Regional Playoff Game Gallery

Peru' Alec Currier (1) just misses the catch on a great defensive play from a Cobleskill-Richmondville cornerback.  Currier caught one TD pass for 19 yards on the Indians' opening drive.

Peru's Zach Blocker (24) leaps into the end zone on an 11-yard run for the opening score of the game while teammate Alec Currier (1) signals touchdown.  (Coryea photo)  Game Gallery

PERU 21, COBLESKILL-RICHMONDVILLE 7
Two undefeated Class B champions collided in the New York State Region II Class B Championship in what was billed as one of the best matchups in the opening round of the state playoffs on Friday night. The Northern Football Conference and Section VII representative Peru Indians, 10-0 and ranked sixth in the state, tangled with fourth-ranked, 10-0, Section II representative Cobleskill-Richmondville. It didn’t take long for Peru to start picking apart the Colbeskill defense, scoring on there opening drive when Tyler Hoey fired to a streaking Alec Currier across the middle on a 19-yard touchdown pass just 1:55 into the game. On the Indians’ next drive, Zach Blocker scampered 11 yards and broke the plane of the goalline with 4:42 remaining in the first quarter for the Indians’ second score and a 14-0 lead. The Bulldogs were unable to stop the run on the opening play of the second quarter, when Blocker cut left, then cut back to the right through a large hole and fired up the sideline for a 66-yard score just 12 seconds into the second quarter to jump to a 21-0 lead. Kolby Rawleigh booted all three extra points. Cobleskill-Richmondville’s fortunes got no better in the third quarter when the Bulldogs fumbled on the opening drive. The Dawgs held Peru at bay in the second half, but only managed to gain seven points against the Indians defense when Aaron Christman snagged a 12-pass from Josh Keller in the fourth quarter for a 21-7 final. With the win, the Road to Carrier Dome in Syracuse stops next at Kingston’s Dietz Field on Friday night when the Indians face #1-ranked Rye.

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(Stories for Game Photos in Right Column)

BEEKMANTOWN 14, SARANAC LAKE 6
The Beekmantown Eagles soared for four interceptions, including three picks by Patrick Manor, in capturing a 14-6 upset win the top West-seed Saranac Lake Red Storm in the Northern Football Conference Class B semifinals. The Storm’s first drive fizzled when, just two plays in, quarterback Keegan Muldowney was chased from the pocket and fired into Eagle coverage. Manor grabbed the first of his three picks, setting up shop for Beekmantown at the Red Storm 19. Four plays later, Josh Nephew strode into the end zone untouched. Mitchell Ryder’s kick lifted the Eagles to a 7-0 lead at 6:18 of the first quarter. Beekmantown tacked on seven more points midway through the second stanza when quarterback Ryan Lee rolled off a play fake and spotted Tyler Cook wide open on a 32-yard pass completion for another touchdown. Saranac Lake stormed back on the ensuing drive when Nate Webb ran an electrifying 69-yard kickoff return to the Eagle 19. Three plays later, Muldowney delivered a 20-yard TD strike to Steven Burpoe to had shucked coverage in the back of the end zone. It was 14-6 at the half. But defense dominated a scoreless second half. The Red Storm tried to draw even on their final drive of the game, starting at their own six-yard line. However, after driving to the 41 with the clock under a minute, Manor made this third interception of the day at midfield and carried to back to the Saranac Lake 4 with time expiring. Nephew led all rushers with 83 yards on 17 carries. Pat Davison led Saranac Lake with 32 yards on the ground. Muldowney still went 9-for-20 for 109 yards passing, despite four interceptions.

PERU 40, OGDENSBURG 12
The 2007 Northern Football Conference Class B Super Bowl will go through Peru’s Apple Bowl, after the #1 East seeded Indians rolled past the #2 West-seed Ogdensburg Blue Devils 40-12 in the semifinals. Peru blew the game wide open with 26 first-half points and tacked on 14 more in the third quarter to secure the win. The Blue Devils mustered only a touchdown in the second quarter and another in the fourth. The first 15 minutes of the game essentially decided the outcome. Peru rode into the end zone on their first four possessions and never looked back. Zach Blocker muscled the first touchdown from the six-yard line just 3:20 into the game. Alec Currier caught a 12-yard TD pass from Tyler Hoey (6-for-8 passing, 113 yards) to open a 12-point lead on the next drive at 10:55. Blocker thrust two more scores to the end zone in the second quarter – a five-yard run and a 48-yard punt return. Adam Morley’s keeper with 1:05 left in the half put Ogdensburg on the scoreboard, but the Indians were comfortable at 26-6 at the intermission. Rob Holdridge was the third-quarter luminary, reeling in touchdown passes of 26 and 36 yards. Jordan Trimm’s six-yard run in the 4th quarter rounded out the scoring. Blocker finished with a game-best 92 yards. Colby Rawleigh contributed seven carries for 68 yards. Trimm and Andy Ladouceur led Ogdensburg with 69 yards each.

PERU WINS CLASS B TITLE IN OVERTIME VS. BEEKMANTOWN

The Peru Indians rush onto the field to celebrate in the end zone after Alec Currier reeled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hoey in overtime to lift Peru a 20-17 victory over Beekmantown in a thriller for the Northern Football Conference Class B championship.  (Kyle Coryea photo)  Game Gallery

Peru's Alec Currier (1) spins to avoid the tackle of Beekmentown's Matt Trombly (56) after the reception.  Currier scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime for Peru.

Beekmantown's Paden Vanweort (19) fights for the extra yardage on the ground with Peru's Zach Blocker (7) hanging on.

PERU 20, BEEKMANTOWN 17 (OT)
By Kyle Coryea, North Country SportsNet
The Northern Football Conference Class B Championship ended in an overtime thriller at the Apple Bowl in Peru, but host Peru Indians prevailed over the Beekmantown Eagles 20-17 in a seesaw battle. The game turned into a battle field position and missed chances. The game remained scoreless until the opening play of the 2nd quarter when, after Peru fumbled on their own two-yard line, Beekmantown quarterback Ryan Lee fired into the end zone on the QB sneak for the 7-0 lead. Peru answered with 5:43 remaining in the half on Tyler Hoey’s 23-yard touchdown strike over the middle to J.T. Upton to tie the score at 7-7. Peru struck again before halftime when, with 1:30 left, Hoey hooked up with Alec Currier down the sideline for a 15-yard TD pass to take a 14-7 lead into the break. The Eagles tied the game at 14-14, with 3:29 left in the third, when Ryan Lee hit Andrew Price in stride down the middle for the 73-yard TD reception. The defenses took over the rest of the way in a game that was marred by uncharacteristically sloppy ball handling by the Indians. The Eagles forced four Indian turnovers, but were unable to capitalize in regulation. In the first overtime, the Eagles took the ball first and, after failing to get in the end zone, settled for a field goal. However, Beekmantown gained the lead 17-14. The Indians had a near miss on an incomplete pass at the one-yard line, before Currier’s heroics ended the game. With 3rd and goal at the 12, Hoey rifled Currier the pass in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning score and the celebration was on, as the Indians win 20-17. With the Northern Football Conference Class B title, the Peru Indians advance to New York State Class B Playoffs where they will play the Section II representative Cobleskill-Richmondville.
 

BEEKMANTOWN UPSETS RED STORM IN CLASS B SEMI, 14-6


Beekmantown runningback Allen Fessette (20) manages to elude the attempted tackle by Red Storm's Steve Burpoe (32) while Cody Ecret (21) also pursues closely.  Beekmantown, the #2-East seed took advantage of Saranac lake turnovers, including four interceptions to defeat the #1-West seeded Red Storm 14-6 in the Northern Football Conference Class B semifinals.  (Greg Ferguson photo)  Game Gallery

Red Storm senior captain Pat Davison fights through a stingy Eagle defense and an inadvertent facemask for tough yardage during 4th quarter action at Saranac Lake.

Capitalizing on an early Red Storm turnover, Beekmantown senior captain Josh Nephew (32) finds a hole created by
his line and scores as the Eagles take a 7-0 first quarter lead.

After catching a quick out pass from QB Keegan Muldowney, Saranac Lake's Nate Webb (14) is met immediately by Eagles' linebacker Matt Trombly (56) and defensive end Matt Bull (57)
 

WARRIORS' POWERFUL RUN COMES TO END IN REGION FINAL

 LANSINGBURG 37, INDIAN RIVER 36
He who scored last, won, and in a wild seesaw battle between Section II’s Lansingburg and Section X’s Indian River Warriors, a late interception proved to be the undoing of a perfect season for the Warriors. Lansingburg’s Chris Sawyer foiled the Indian River’s final drive with an interception in the final 14 seconds to put away the Warriors 37-36. The Warriors were in the red zone on the 12-yard line with no timeouts and looking to steal a victory in the closing seconds of a seesaw thriller. But the Warriors also wish one of failed two-point conversions could have connected to make the difference in the outcome. The loss ended Indian River’s season at 10-1. The game began when Lansingburg’s Kenny Youngs plunged into the end zone on a one-yard run. Warriors’ quarterback Josh Straits optioned the keeper for 15 yards to score and take the lead 8-7 after one quarter. For the game, both teams scored back-to-back touchdowns only once. During the 2nd quarter, Lansingburg’s Connor Gallo scrambled for four yards and Marcus Hepp hauled in an 18-yard pass from Gallo to jump ahead 21-8. The Warriors stole back some momentum before the half with a five-yard touchdown run from Tyler Brown, then handed off to Brown for a one-yard score to open the third period and regain the lead 22-21. Curtis Dukes’s 64-yard rush to the house, Straits’ two-yard plunge and Nate Smith-Allen’s two-point conversion pass left the Warriors a point short for their last drive which ended on the interception. Straits finished the game with 121 yards rushing and 60 passing. Dukes ran for 103 yards and Brown 96 yards. Youngs led the game with 134 yards on the ground.

INDIAN RIVER 22, POTSDAM 16 (OT)
The Potsdam Sandstoners’ defense pulled the week’s most stunning performance, holding the powerful Indian River Warrior 52-point-a-game