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Gouverneur quarterback Holden Stowell rolls left, fakes the pass, tucks, runs and hurdles over two defenders for the Wildcats’ biggest gain of 27 yards, but the drive ended inside the 25-yard-line. Gouverneur carried inside the opponent's 25 on three occasions, but were stymied each time, falling to Section II's Fonda-Fullerville 22-0 in the New York State Class C regional final, the state's Elite Eight. (Kyton Deon photo)
NYS Class C Regional Championship - at OFA
Fonda-Fultonville (II) 22, Gouverneur (X) 0
Gouverneur quarterback Holden Stowell rolls left, fakes
the pass, tucks, runs and hurdles over two defenders for
the Wildcats’ biggest gain of 27 yards, but the drive
ended inside the 25-yard-line. Gouverneur carried
inside the opponent's 25 on three occasions, but
were stymied each time, falling to Section II's Fonda-Fullerville
22-0 in the New York State Class C regional final, the
state's Elite Eight. (Kyton
Deon photo)
FONDA-FULTONVILLE
22, GOUVERNEUR 0
Gouverneur struggled to find the key combinations to
complete drives that burned out three times deep in
Braves' territory -- so close, but couldn't finish.
First, battling falling temperatures and a driving cold
rain, the Wildcats struggled with several dropped
passes, and were generally contained in the trenches in
the run game. In the first quarter, the Braves struck
first when Peyton Webber took the handoff and was pulled
over the goal line for a Braves touchdown. Gouverneur
stuffed the two-point conversion, keeping the score 6-0.
In the second quarter, on the handoff, Jose Vargas kept
the legs churning, muscling through two defenders to
score. On the two-point conversion, Keegan
Croucher hit Coach Ladd. 14-0 Braves. Vargas scored
again in the third quarter, as Fonda-Fultonville beat
Gouverneur 22-0. Gouverneur finished the season at
8-2.
NYS Class B Regional Semifinal
Peru (VII) 20, Ogdensburg (X)
18
NYS Class C Regional Semifinal
Gouverneur (X) 13, Saranac Central (VII)
10
Ogdensburg's Andrew Loffler
(3) uses his blockers to break away from the Peru
defense to score the first touchdown of the game to take
a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. The Nighthawks jumped
to a 20-12 lead in the fourth quarter. With just 46
seconds remaining, Loffler would punch his way into the
end zone again to cut down the lead to just two points.
However, The Blue Devils were unable to make the two
point conversion and The Peru Nighthawks defeats
Ogdensburg 20-18 in a thriller to advance in the
NYSPHSAA Class B Tournament.
GOUVERNEUR 13,
SARANAC CENTRAL 10
The Gouverneur Wildcats and the Saranac Central Spartans
battled to a scoreless first half of play until the
final 24 seconds of the second quarter. Saranac
Central's Nathan Hamel completed a seven-yard pass to
Zander Daniels for the
Spartans to take a 7-0 lead at the half. Despite controlling the ball in throughout the
third quarter. Saranac Central could not turn a long
drive into a score as their second field-goal attempt
was blocked by the Wildcats' defense. The Spartans
struck first in the fourth quarter as Hamel drilled a
32-yard field goal to extend to a 10-0 lead. With 6:33
remaining in the game, Gouverneur's Holden Stowell
connected with Raine Rumble on a two-yard pass to get the
Wildcats on the board and cut Saranac Central's lead to
10-7. Then with just 22 seconds remaining Holden Stowell
called Rumble's number again, this time for a 12-yard
TD strike to take a 13-10 lead. In a last-chance attempt to
tie the game, the Spartans went for a 40-yard field goal
that fell just short, sailing about three feet below the
crossbar, and the Gouverneur Wildcats
captured the 13-10 victory in a thriller. The Wildcats now will take
on Section II's Fonda-Fultonville in Ogdensburg on
Friday, November 17th.
Section X Class B Championship - at Higher Seed
(#1) Ogdensburg 27,
(#3) Potsdam 0
Andrew Loffler (30) checks
the pursuit as he dashes 35 yards to score his second
touchdown.
OGDENSBURG 27, POTSDAM 0
The steady brisk winds for most of the evening put a
damper on the passing game in the Section X Class B
Football Championship, forcing both teams to rely on
their rushing attack and defensive schemes. When the
initial passing play of the game met with a turnover,
nary a pass was seen for the rest of the half by either
team, and used sparingly by Potsdam in the second half.
Potsdam got a promising start when OFA's first drive
inside the Red Zone was cut short on an Ian VanWagner
pickoff, but Potsdam is unable to cash in. After a
scoreless first quarter, the Blue Devils’ Carson Ramie
stumbled a bit on a left-side sweep, but still scored
the game’s first touchdown on a five-yard run. Parker
Murray was good on the extra-point kick. 7-0 OFA. Late
in the second quarter. Andrew Loffler grabbed the
handoff from the one-yard line, went airborne over the
pileup and crossed the goal line. Ogdensburg led 14-0 at
the half. The Blue Devils added to the lead in the third
quarter when quarterback Madden West called his own
number and drilled up the middle on a four-yard run to
extend the OFA lead to 20-0. Andrew Loffler sprinted 35
yards to the House to conclude the scoring. OFA beat
Potsdam 27-0 to claim the Section X Class B title. The
Blue Devils will face either Peru or Beekmantown from
Section VII in the first round of state playoffs at
Potsdam High School next week.
The Ogdensburg Blue Devils celebrate with their Section
X Class B Championship banner after defeating the
Potsdam Sandstoners 27-0. (Cody Jenne photo)
Andrew Loffler (30) leaps over the pile of Potsdam
defenders to score the second touchdown of the game to
give OFA a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. (Kyton
Deon photo)
Section X Class C Championship - at Higher
Seed
(#1) Gouverneur 55, (#2) St. Lawrence Central 0
Section X Class B Semifinals - at Higher Seed
(#3) Potsdam 36, (#2) Massena 14
(#1) Ogdensburg 41, (#4) Malone 12
Ogdensburg rusher Andrew Loffler sprinted hard along the
left sideline 81 yards to the end zone for the game's
first score in OFA's 41-12 victory over Malone.
(Bob LaRue photo)
Loffler (30) blocks for Camden Griffith (30) , followed
blocks on a sweep to the corner of the end zone for a
13-0 lead.
OGDENSBURG 41, MALONE 12
Malone had opportunities to take an early lead, and
perhaps challenge the Blue Devils’ game plan. On the
game’s opening drive, the Huskies marched down to the
OFA two-yard line, but two plays later had failed to
crack the goal line and turned over the football on
downs, back at the 19. OFA quarterback Madden West
promptly pitched to Andrew Loffler who got an 81-yard
escort to the house. 6-0 OFA. A fumble on the ensuing
kickoff ended another chance for Malone to challenge the
top seed. Two drives later, Camden Griffith followed
blocks on a sweep play to the corner of the end zone. The extra-point
kick was good, and the Devils were up 13-0. West on a
17-yard TD pass to Lucas Labella, upped the lead to 20-0
before halftime. Carson Ramie scrambled for back-to-back
rushing touchdowns to extend the lead to 34-0. Logan
Peck’s pass to Trent Carriero accounted for Malone’s six
points. OFA moves on to the Class B title game with a
41-12 win over Malone.
Senior lineman Owen Siebels (56), who was converted to
rusher for one play, took his first-ever varsity handoff
up the middle for a touchdown. (Cody Jenne photo)
GOUVERNEUR 55, ST. LAWRENCE
CENTRAL 0
The Gouverneur Wildcats completed their 2023 NAC-Section
X run unblemished, with one of the strongest team
efforts in program history. From their first possession
of the season, there was reason to “fear the G” and what
would become its destiny this year. But credit the
banged-up, short-staffed Larries for holding it together
and giving the Wildcats a game, despite being unable to
finish their game a week earlier, due to mounting
injuries. On their first possession of the final,
quarterback Holden Stowell wired Raine Rumble on a
22-yard TD pass to launch the Wildcats. The next drive
culminated in a Vinny Thomas handoff up the middle,
extending the lead to 14-0. Stowell went "fly" to Rumble
again, 25 yards through the air to score TD #3. Thomas’
55-yard scamper to the House, upped the lead to 28-0.
The game produced a key moment for senior lineman Owen
Siebels, who was converted to rusher for one play, took
his first-ever varsity handoff up the middle for a
touchdown. Connor Witherell also scrambled on a sweep
for six more. Gouverneur won the Section X Class C
championship 55-0 and advances to state playoffs on the
road against a Section VII opponent.
Running back Matthew
Schwartzfigure (50) had a career night, rushing for 204
yards and two touchdowns, leading the Sandstoners past
Massena. (Kyton Deon photo)
POTSDAM 36, MASSENA 14
In arguably the biggest upset in NAC/Section X football
this season, the upstart Potsdam Sandstoners ground out
a 36-14 win over the Massena Raiders, in the Section X
Class B semifinals. Potsdam set the tone early by taking
the opening kick and holding possession for the first
9:12, grinding out first downs and refusing the air
game. Matthew Schwartzfigure took handoff after handoff,
including a three-yard finishing rush that put Potsdam
in front 6-0. Massena finally got the ball and needed
time into the second quarter to post its first score.
Gage Charleson on a three yard run tied the game, and
with the conversion, Massena gained an 8-6 lead. At 1:28
left in the half, Connor Eastwood lofts the ball to
Garrett Weir 22 yards for another touchdown for
Massena’s biggest lead 14-6. But Potsdam answered 52
seconds later. Ian VanWagner to Jack Joyce, 10 yards to
the house. With the conversion, the game was tied 14-14
at the half. In the second half, it was all Potsdam.
Schwartzfigure (204 total yards rushing) dashed in from
one yard, then an 11-yard ramble/ Ian Miller-Lynch also
plowed into the end zone on a five-yard run.Potsdam beat
Massena 36-14 to advance to the Class B championship
game vs. OFA.