State Playoffs: Peru, Red Storm Take Tough Losses; Moriah Bows

PERU COMEBACK FALLS SHORT TO GLENS FALLS IN STATES

GLENS FALLS 36, PERU 20
After exchanging touchdowns in the first quarter, the Glens Falls Indians used time of possession to grind out two second-quarter scores and, at the time, keep the Peru Indians’ offense off the field. Glens Falls (10-1) scored on its first three possessions of the game, chewing up all but the final 2:08 of the first half, in defeating Section VII Champion Peru 36-20 in the New York State Class B Region II Championship (state quarterfinal). Joe McMahon (20 carries, 181 yards) led Glens Falls to paydirt on the first drive with an 11-yard touchdown carry at 7:28. Zane Bazzano’s eight-yard run countered for Peru (9-2), but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the Indians trailing 8-6 with 36 seconds left in the first quarter. Quarterback Cam Girard hit Jake Dailey with a nine-yard pass after a six-minute drive. After Peru was forced to punt after gaining just eight yards on the next drive, McMahon capped a short possession by Glens Falls with a 43-yard breakaway to open a 22-6 lead at the half. Peru made some effective defensive adjustments at the intermission, which shut down Glens Falls in the third quarter. Tim Remillard (six carries, 44 yards) scrambled the sideline for an 24-yard touchdown run to the end zone and Mackenzie LaRocque’s two-point conversion’s put the northern Indians back within a possession at 22-14. Peru looked to be in good shape to potentially pull even after holding Glens Falls to three-and-out, but then also had to punt on its next drive. Getting the ball back and still up by eight points, Glens Falls went back to grinding down the clock with a 16-play scoring drive from their own 24-yard stripe that put the Indians in a two-score hole, Mike Lanoir (66 yards receiving, 67 yards rushing) hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass to open a 29-14 lead. Remillard kept Peru in contention by finishing the next drive with a three-yard touchdown, but Bret Boyer’s extra-point kick narrowly missed the upright, leaving Peru still down by two possessions at 29-20 with 7:00 left on the clock. Girard carried another five-yard touchdown after a nearly five-minute drive for an insurance score, closing out the scoring at 36-20.

RENSSELAER 50, MORIAH 0
A close 12-0 game at the half, including two missed scoring opportunities for Moriah, quickly turned sour in the third quarter when Section II’s Rensselaer Rams slammed four touchdowns and rammed the Vikings 50-0 in the New York State Class D quarterfinals (Region II Championship). In a scoreless first quarter, Moriah quarterback Cole Gaddor went down with an ankle injury and spent most of the rest of the game sidelined. The fifth-ranked Rams got two second-quarter touchdowns and held off two deep Viking drives with goal-line stands for a 12-point halftime lead. Rensselaer piled up over 200 yards both passing and receiving for 439 yards total. Brothers Seth and Brandon Butler combined for five touchdowns and alternated scoring four of them in the third quarter. Moriah closed the season at 5-6 overall, after claiming their fourth Section VII Class D championship in the past five years.

MORIAH OUTLASTS TUPPER IN N.Y. CLASS D PLAYOFF 12-7

Moriah’s Cameron Wright (32) gets a key block from teammate Taylor Whalen (45) which frees up space along the sideline for a run to the endzone for what proved to be the final game-winning touchdown on the final seconds of the third quarter. Moriah beat Tupper Lake 12-7 in the N.Y. State Region II semifinal.  (Stephens photo)  Game Gallery   NCSN Broadcast

  Tupper’s Mitch Keniston (33) rolls to his left, is met by a Moriah defender but does not go down easily as multiple defenders were needed to take him down. Moriah’s lone second-half touchdown just as the third quarter expired proved to be the final margin for a 12-7 Vikings win.
 

MORIAH 12, TUPPER LAKE 7
Moriah’s Cameron Wright dashed 11 yards to the end zone as the clock expired at the end of the third quarter, giving the Vikings a 12-7 lead. Then the Moriah defense defused two promising fourth quarter drives by Tupper Lake to seal the win in the opening round of the New York State Class D Football playoffs, broadcasted on North Country SportsNet. Wright (34 carries, 159 yards) also carried the ball two yards to paydirt on the game’s opening drive to put Moriah on the scoreboard first at 4:35. The extra-point kick failed, but Moriah held a 6-0 lead. Momentum swung to Tupper Lake which forced three turnovers, uncharacteristic for Moriah. However, the Jacks were only able to capitalize once when quarterback Mitch Keniston floated a 28-yard pass over the Moriah secondary and dropped it into the waiting arms of Blake Tarbox with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter. When Ian Gillis split the uprights with the extra-point kick, Tupper Lake took the lead 7-6. Late in the fourth quarter, trailing by five points, the Jacks got the ball back with 1:19 to play and had a promising drive for the potential win, but after a 27-yard pickup on a pass from Keniston to Gavin Larson, the Jacks fumbled and lost the ball near the Moriah 30. The Vikings knelt twice and sealed the win. Tupper Lake closed its season at 3-7 overall, while Moriah improved to 5-5. The Vikings will now travel to face the Section II Champions, either Rensselaer or Salem next week in the state regional title game.

PERU 35, MALONE 0
The Peru Indians found the Malone Huskies a formidable opponent for the first half of the New York State Class B opening-round game in Massena on Saturday night. But shortly after Section X’s leading rusher and Don Petty League MVP award winner Mitchell Gallagher went down with a right leg injury, a key player was lost to the Malone Huskies for the game, the season and a high school career. Even through the high-powered Peru offense was held to just a 7-0 lead by the Huskies before the half, but began to pull away in the middle of the third frame. The Indians mounted a 72-yard scoring drive that culminated in Hunter Bruno’s two-yard plunge for a 14-0 lead through three quarters. Held to just 104 total yards, Malone’s stellar 8-1 season, including the Section X Championship a week before, slowly slipped away in the fourth quarter. Peru held a usually productive Malone offense to just 104 total yards, including 62 yards by Gallagher before he left the game in the second quarter. Bruno muscled a second touchdown in from the one-yard line at 1:37. Tim Remillard and Rivelino Hendrix added three-yard touchdown runs later in the quarter and sealed up the win with 1:45 to go. But the night got even rougher for the Huskies. Key injuries plagued the Huskies. Starting rusher Tyrek Sneed was hobbled by a leg injury and the game was ended with 1:25 still on the clock after Nate Monette incurred what one official described as “a serious head injury” and was the third Huskies’ player brought away by ambulance. MacKenzie LaRocque carried 13 times for 92 yards, while Remillard added 91 yards on 10 carries to lead the Indians. Peru will travel to Section II’s Glens Falls in the New York State Class B quarterfinals next week.

MORIAH WINS CLASS D TITLE IN 16-6 WIN OVER TICONDEROGA

MORIAH 16, TICONDEROGA 6
After both teams failed to score on their first four drives of the game, before a pair of second-quarter touchdowns and stalwart defense produced a 16-0 lead, all that the Moriah Vikings would need to capture a 16-6 win in the Section VII-Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Class D Championship game at Ticonderoga. Cameron Wright took over the game in the second quarter by scoring the game’s first touchdown on a four-yard run at 6:03 of the period, followed by quarterback Cole Gaddor’s efficient two-minute, end-of-half scoring drive that ended with an eight-yard TD strike to Rainier Arnica with 18 seconds left to build a 16-0 lead. Moriah was able to maintain ball control throughout much of the game by pounding Ticonderoga with a steady diet of Cameron Wright’s rushing game. The junior running back carried the mail a whopping 42 times and racked up 262 years, or more than six yards per carry. Ticonderoga began to gain momentum in the second half. Michael Graney dove in from the one-yard line with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter to reduce the lead to 16-6. The Sentinels (5-4) were then contained the rest of the way, garnering just 51 total rushing yards on 27 tries in their final game of the season. The Vikings will travel to Massena next week to face Section X Class D Champion Tupper Lake in the state regional semifinal at Massena High School, Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

PERU 48, BEEKMANTOWN 0
The Peru Indians have been seemingly getting stronger and more dominating week after week. On Saturday, it took just one play from scrimmage for the top-seeded Class B Indians to take the lead on #2-seeded Beekmantown, in the first of six scores before halftime, en route to a 48-0 romp in the Section VII Class B Championship. Tim Remillard (four carries, 88 yards; three receptions 109 yards) sped 58 yards to paydirt, then Bret Boyer booted the extra-point kick for a 7-0 lead. Remillard scored three more times with a 24-yard touchdown reception from Blake Altizer in the first quarter, a 58-yard aerial hookup in the second frame and a 13-yard run that proved to be the only score of the second half. Peru piled up 475 yards of total offense, including 267 yards on the ground. It included two touchdown runs by Mackenzie LaRocque (six carries, 73 yards) who posted a 21-yard TD run in the first quarter and a 15-yard scamper in the second quarter. The game’s other touchdown came on Altizer’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Boyer who also went 6-for-7 in extra-point attempts. Altizer finished the day 9-for-13 and 208 yards through the air. Meanwhile, Beekmantown was limited to 39 yards of offense in the first half and 108 total for the game. The Eagles finished the season at 6-3. The Indians’ win was their eighth in a row (8-1). They now travel to Massena next Saturday night for a 7:30 encounter with the Malone Huskies (8-1) in the opening round of the New York State Class B playoffs.

WEEK 8 SCORING RECAPS

TICONDEROGA 26, AUSABLE VALLEY 14
Ticonderoga overcame the rain, the field conditions and an early AuSable Valley lead to beat the Patriots 26-14 in a Section VII crossover game, leading up to next week’s Class C and D championship games. The Patriots took their first drive to paydirt, culminated by Kodie Simpson’s 10-yard touchdown run, just 3:00 into the game. Ticonderoga closed within two points when quarterback Mike Graney whistled a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Crowe on the first play of the second quarter. Less than two minutes later, Miles Austin blazed 51 yards to paydirt to put the Sentinels ahead for good at 14-8. Ti’s Tanner Wright found daylight through the line and produced a 23-yard scoring run to build a 20-8 third quarter advantage. But AuSable Valley hung tough, despite losing rusher Dillon Savage’s services due to injury. Michael Thompson (five carries, 64 yards) jetted 48 yards from sideline to end line to draw within 20-14, midway through the third frame. Austin’s 13-yard touchdown run, wrapping up a 14-carry, 114-yard performance, provided an insurance touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and closed out the scoring in a 26-14 Sentinel win. Ticonderoga improved to 5-3 with third fifth straight win, while AuSable Valley slid to 0-8. Both teams head to Section VII title games next week. Ticonderoga will host Moriah for the Class D title bout on Friday evening. AuSable Valley will travel to undefeated Saranac Lake for the Class C Championship at Ken Wilson Field on Saturday.

PERU 70, PLATTSBURGH 0
The Peru Indians scored just 24 seconds into the game, setting the tone for a game-long scoring blitz that rocked the Plattsburgh Hornets 70-0 in the Section VII Class B semifinals. Blake Altizer fired off the game’s first score on a 29-yard strike to Zane Bazzano, then tossed three more touchdowns in guiding the Indians to their seventh-straight win since Week 1 when they fell to Saranac Lake. Peru piled up 21 points in the first quarter when Hunter Bruno added a six-yard catch and a four-yard run. The Indians struck or 28 points in the second quarter on long TD runs of 57 and 29 yards for Mackenzie LaRocque, a 12-yard touchdown catch for Tim Remillard and a 17-yard scoring reception by Bret Boyer. In the 14-point third quarter, Remillard rumbled 83 yards and Rivelino Hendricks scrambled 38 yards for scores. Hendricks closed out the attack with a 29-yard run, just seconds into the final quarter. Altizer connected on 9-of-13 passes for 150 yards and four touchdowns. Remillard finished with five carries for 152 yards. Hendricks added 87 and LaRocque 86 more. Jonas Miller led Plattsburgh with 50 years on the ground. Plattsburgh closed its season at 1-7, while Peru hosts the Section VII Class B championship against Beekmantown.

BEEKMANTOWN 42, SARANAC CENTRAL 6
After a trade of touchdowns in the first nine minutes, the Beekmantown defense put a solid lock on Saranac Central, shutting down the Chiefs’ offense for the balance of the game in a 42-6 victory in the Section VII Class B semifinals. Trailing 6-0, Saranac Central’s Zach LaReau’s pickoff and 60-yard scamper tied the contest. But it would be the Chiefs’ only points of the day. Eagles’ signal caller Zach Myers dealt touchdown passes of six yards and 37 yards to Haydin Fountain in the first and second quarters. Devin Fessette (19 rushes, 154 yards) chiseled out a 24-yard touchdown run to contribute to the Eagles’ 21-6 halftime lead. The third quarter cleared away virtually any doubt of the outcome. Three rushing touchdowns – 61 yards by Justin Stevens, 18 yards by Michael Guerin and 10 yards by Fessette – put the game out of reach at 42-6. Stevens contributed 96 yards overall. Guerin added 62 yards. The Eagles finished the day with 345 total yards rushing. Saranac Central fell to 2-6 overall. Beekmantown earned a trip to the Apple Bowl to face Peru in the Section VII Class B final next Saturday.

WEEK 7 SCORING RECAPS

PERU 52, MORIAH 16
The Moriah Vikings still had a respectable game at the half, down 30-16. However, the daunting Peru Indians defense was unrelenting in the second half, shutting down the Vikings in a 52-16 decision in the final week of the regular season. Blake Altizer connected on four touchdown passes – two in the first quarter and two in the second frame – to account for all but two extra-point kicks, in building the 14-point halftime advantage. Altizer dialed Tim Remillard (106 all-purpose yards) on a 28-yard pass completion at exactly 5:00 into the ball game. He then hooked up with Zane Bazzano on the next two scores – a 14-yard reception and a 55-yard TD catch – to realize a 22-8 lead. Altizer’s 32-yard connection to Noah Phillips capped the first-half scoring for the Indians. Moriah scrambled for one touchdown and a two-point conversion in each of the first two quarters. Down 15-0, Tyler Pratt breathed new life into the Vikings with a 76-yard punt return on the ensuing kickoff. In the second frame, it was Pratt again who got the Vikings rolling with a 74-yard kick return, before he was finally brought down on the Peru 6. Quarterback Cole Gaddor popped a three-yard pass to Rainier Garnica, who also caught the conversion pass, to draw the Vikes with a single possession, 22-16 with 2:39 remaining in the half. Peru shifted its attack plan to the ground game in the second half, pounding out touchdown runs of 13 yards by Hunter Bruno, 61 yards by Bazzano and 22 yards by Rivelino Hendricks to close out the scoring. Altizer racked up 206 yards passing on 12-of-18 attempts. Bazzano finished with 115 yard rushing and 75 yards receiving. The Moriah Vikings suffered four turnovers in the game, which snuffed out drives, including a critical fumble on the Peru six-yard line just before the half. Peru opens the post season hosting Plattsburgh in the Section VII Class B semifinals. Moriah plays a crossover game.

BEEKMANTOWN 14, AUSABLE VALLEY 7
The winless AuSable Valley Patriots gave the third-place Beekmantown Eagles a staunch defensive front and a scare on a sub-freezing Friday night in bowing late 14-7 in a Section VII-Champlain Valley Athletic Conference contest. After a scoreless first half and limited rushing yardage on both sides of the football, quarterback Zach Myers pitched a 27-yard touchdown strike to Justin Stevens to net the game’s first score at 5:37 of the third quarter. AuSable Valley countered in less than two minutes into the fourth quarter when Dillon Savage (17 rushes, 87 yards) rumbled into the end zone from the two-yard line and, after the extra-point kick, the game was tied 7-7. After both teams got another unsuccessful shot at taking the lead, Myers engineered a 70-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a five-yard touchdown pass to Haydin Fountain with just 1:43 left in the contest to regain the lead. AuSable Valley was unable to get within touchdown range in the final seconds. Beekmantown will host Saranac Central in the Class B semifinals next weekend, while AuSable Valley hits the road for Ticonderoga win a crossover game.

TICONDEROGA 34, PLATTSBURGH 6
Ticonderoga flashed its defensive teeth and bit the Plattsburgh Hornets with a 34-6 showing in Saturday’s matchup in Plattsburgh. Twenty first-quarter points for the Sentinels set the tone for the romp, while the defense defused the Hornets’ rushing game, allowing just 13 ground yards for the entire first half. Running back Miles Austin’s one-yard run at 5:36, Jarryn Granger’s three-yard scamper and quarterback Mike Graney’s one yard keeper accounted for a 20-0 first quarter blast. Graney complete all three pass attempts for 87 yards in the first quarter alone. The Sentinels tacked on single touchdowns in the second and third quarter. Granger fired off a 28-yard touchdown pass to Garrison Hughes in the second stanza. Hughes got some quarterbacking time in the third quarter to loft a five-yard TD strike to Jacob Crowe to build a 34-0 cushion. Nate Leopard produced the Hornets’ lone end-zone visit by reeling in a 26-yard touchdown toss from quarterback D’Andre Lemieux. Plattsburgh plays Peru in the first weekend of playoffs next week. Ticonderoga will host AuSable in a crossover game

WEEK 6 SCORING RECAPS

SARANAC LAKE 40, BEEKMANTOWN 6
In a marquee Week 6 matchup, the Saranac Lake Red Storm exploded for 33 points in the middle two quarters to pound the Beekmantown Eagles 40-6. The Matt Phalen-to-Kevin Morgan combination accounted for the game’s first two scores, the first time for six yards in the final 57 seconds of the first quarter, then on a 37-yarder at 4:24 of the second quarter for a 13-0 lead. The Red Storm gained a 21-0 halftime lead on a halfback option pass when Seth Pickreign launched a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan McCabe. The third score was set up by a fumble and a fourth-down offsides penalty assessed against the Eagles. Perhaps the game’s pivotal moment came on Beekmantown’s best chance in the first half when Justin Stevens bolted to the Saranac Lake six-yard line on a punt return. However, the Red Storm’ stout-hearted defensive stand prevented access to the end zone on four straight rushes. In the second half, Saranac Lake needed just 20 seconds to pad its lead. Matt Phalen took the first play from scrimmage to paydirt in 41yards to post a 28-0 lead. Two more scores in the third quarter would close out the Storm surge. Pickreign ran five yards for one score, then McCabe snatched an interception for a 75-yard “Pick Six.” Beekmantown’s only score came with just 1:46 remaining when Jacob Remchuk wired Dustin Pickering on a 49-yard catch-and-run. Phalen finished the day with 10 completions on 13 attempts and 97 yards passing, along with 64 yards on the ground. Lance Ackerson led the rushing corps with eight carries for 66 yards. Remchuk went 7-for-14 passing for 93 yards.

PERU 54, PLATTSBURGH 12
The Peru Indians stacked up seven touchdowns – four by Zane Bazzano – 293 yards of total offense and a 48-6 lead in the first half alone, en route to their fifth consecutive win in a 54-12 pounding of the Plattsburgh Hornets on Friday night. The Hornets got a steady dose of Bazzano who reeled in a touchdown pass of six yards and returned a kickoff 85 yards to score in the first quarter, then TD passes of 38 and 16 yards in the second quarter from quarterback Blake Altizer. Hunter Bruno found the end zone on a six-yard plunge in the second quarter. Tim Remillard (8 carries, 122 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards) wrestled away from several would-be tacklers to leg a nine-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a six-yard score in the second quarter, then played “catch me if you can” from 54 yards out for the lone score of the third frame. Bret Boyer was good on six of eight extra-point kicks. Plattsburgh answered with a touchdown with just 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter when Devin Bryant (16 rushes, 109 yards) escaped along the right sideline for a 51-yard score. But the Hornets would not touch paydirt again till the final six minutes of the game when Ricky Rhodes scored on a six-yard run.

WEEK 5 SCORING RECAPS

BEEKMANTOWN 29, MORIAH 20
Beekmantown chipped away to build a 14-0 lead at the half and 29-6 in the third quarter, then had to scramble defensively to hold off the surging Moriah Vikings for a 29-20 victory. The Eagles posted seven points in each of the first two quarters on touchdown runs of 11 and nine yards by Devin Fessette (11 carries, 90 yards). The Eagles’ defense held the Vikings to just 50 yards advancement in the first half. Moriah jumped on the scoreboard less than three minutes into the second half on Taylor Whalen’s 30-yard touchdown rush. However, Quenton Barber’s 79-yard kickoff return just 16 seconds later pulled the momentum back to the Eagles’s side. Beekmantown added to its lead when Zach Myers (6-for-9 passing for 66 yards) fired off a quick-six pass to Haydin Fountain in Beekmantown’s final trip to the end zone from the six-yard line. While the Moriah defense held, the Viking offense capitalized on Eagle penalties and produced a 38-yard finish to the ensuing drive that took just 67 seconds. Moriah got to the end zone again on Whalen’s three-yard pass to Cole Gaddor, but the clock had been chewed down to just 23 seconds left in the game. Moriah was unable to recover the following onside kick. The Vikings were led by Cameron Wright’s 15 carries for 100 yards. Gaddor was 8-for-14 passing for 79 yards.

PERU 51, SARANAC CENTRAL 0
Seven, 17, 21, 6 was not a play call, but the quarter-by-quarter scoring for the Peru Indians who ran roughshod over the Saranac Central Chiefs in a 51-0 win on Saturday in Section VII. The Chiefs had no answer for Peru halfback Tim Remillard who nailed the first three scores of the game on runs of two, eight and 16 yards by the middle of the second quarter. Remillard’s third visit to the end zone was set up by his own 63-yard carry on the previous play. Behind the work of the offensive line to open the holes, Remillard rushed for a game-best 200 yards. Bret Boyer, who kicked all three extra points after Remillard’s scores, added a 33-yard field goal in the final minute of the half for a 24-0 halftime lead. In the third period, quarterback Blake Altizer fired off three TD passes to different receivers. Zane Bazzano reeled in a 45 yard pass, Boyer snared an 18-yard aerial and Nick Uliva pulled in a 51-yarder from the sophomore signal caller who tossed for 181 total yards. Rivelino Hendricks got just one touch for the day and made the best of it, sprinting 79 yards to paydirt. Saranac Central was missing its leading rusher Matt McCasland, due to injury. They were able to muster just 109 yards rushing and 14 yards passing.

TICONDEROGA 42, AUSABLE VALLEY 6
Ticonderoga did not deliver a quick-strike commanding performance, but a steady, game-long methodical defeat of the AuSable Valley Patriots in a rare Saturday night game. While the Sentinels spread the wealth across all four quarters, they spread the scoring responsibilities as well. Ticonderoga opened the scoring just five minutes into the contest on a one-yard plunge from running back Miles Austin (15 carries, 105 yards). The Sens tacked on two more scores in the second quarter on Mike Graney’s nine-yard pass to C.J. Raymond for a 14-0 lead. On the day, Graney completed 6-of-11 passes for 97 yards. AuSable Valley drew within one possession when Dylan Savage (20 carries, 86 yards) pounded the ball into the end zone on a five-yard run. Ti’s Jarryn Granger (two receptions, 45 yards) restored the margin to 21-7 with a 19-yard touchdown catch, just 47 seconds before the half. Granger opened the second half with an electrifying 77-yard, 16-second kickoff return for a 28-6 lead. Then the Sentinels spotlessly defended the fort in the final 24 minutes with shutout ball. Anthony DuShane’s 16-yard TD catch and Austin’s 50-yard scoring run capped the night’s scoring.

WEEK 4 SCORING RECAPS

TICONDEROGA 18, MORIAH 12
Ticonderoga gained its first win of the season in a hard-fought 18-12 upset of the neighboring Moriah Vikings. The Sentinels’ Miles Austin (21 carries, 181 yards) accounted for all three touchdowns with runs of 64 yards in the first quarter, a 29-yard rush early in the third quarter, then a major 70-yard scamper to the end zone later in the third that proved to be the difference in the game. Moriah tied the score 6-6 in the second quarter when Cole Gaddor slammed the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line. But the Sentinels got a much needed statement and momentum boost from Austin when he busted through a hole in the middle early in the third quarter, giving Ticonderoga back the lead 12-6. Tanner Wright helped open the way for Austin’s final score with a key block. Moriah flashed signs of a comeback early in the fourth quarter when they drove just inside the red zone, only to fumble the ball away. However, Ticonderoga turned it back over on a fumble of their own two plays later. Cameron Wright (31 carries, 206 yards) then carried the ball to the end zone from the six-yard line to draw the Vikings within six points at 18-12. When Moriah got the ball with just over two minutes remaining, they needed to engineer a fast-paced 93-yard drive, but Ticonderoga’s Anthony Costello killed any final hopes of a Vikings’ comeback with an interception.

PERU 21, BEEKMANTOWN 6
The Peru Indians dished out Beekmantown’s first loss of the season, holding the Eagles to just 39 yards passing, 153 yards rushing and one touchdown in a 21-6 win. In a classic defensive struggle, the Indians also managed just two scores from their offensive line with key “Pick Six” interception in the third quarter. Peru launched the scoring with a sustained scoring drive to the two-yard line where Mackenzie LaRocque (23 carries, 72 yards) banged home the first touchdown. Bret Boyer booted the extra point for a 7-0 lead. Beekmantown quarterback Zach Meyers summoned Haydin Fountain on an 11-yard TD pass with 1:40 remaining in the first half, but the extra point was no good, leaving the Eagles a point shy at intermission. Peru’s Zane Bazzano, who sat out the week before with an injury, capitalized on his return to the lineup with a pickoff and untouched 20-yard dash to the end zone to rebuild momentum for the Indians. But with just a one-possession lead, 14-6, the game remained in doubt till the final 57 seconds when Peru quarterback Blake Altizer pitched a quick, one-yard TD pass to Bazzano and Boyer polished off a perfect 3-for-3 day on extra-point kicks. Mitch Cunningham’s interception set up the final score. The Peru defense was also very instrumental in the outcome, not allowing Beekmantown to advance the ball past midfield in the second half.

SARANAC CENTRAL 25, PLATTSBURGH 13
Two third-quarter touchdowns by Saranac Central’s Matt McCasland provided the necessary margin to break a 6-6 halftime tie and propel the Saranac Chiefs to their second win of the season, a 25-13 triumph over the Plattsburgh Hornets. The Chiefs logged the game’s first score at 6:20 of the first quarter when rusher Kevin Jordan bounced off a pair of would-be tacklers and pounded the ball 14 yards into the end zone for a 6-0 lead through the first quarter. Plattsburgh tied the game 6-6 with just 32 seconds left in the half when quarterback Shawn Courson was flushed out of the pocket, but fired off a 10-yard touchdown strike to Jonas Miller (136 yards total recieving). Courson injured his throwing hand on the play and was out for the balance of the game. McCasland, who rushed 12 times but piled up 226 yards delivered two long touchdown runs in the third quarter that built a 13-point cushion for the Chiefs. On both plays, McCasland took the handoff and carried to paydirt – the first for 80 yards and the second for 46 yards. Plattsburgh sophomore reserve quarterback Deandre Lemieux (102 yards passing) took a solid hit just as he released an 11-yard touchdown volley to Robert Matthews with only 1:32 gone in the fourth quarter to cut the margin to 19-13. However, Saranac signal caller Ethan Goslin sealed the victory with a 31-yard TD pass to John Maye on fourth down with 1:41 left to play. With the win, the Chiefs evened their record at 2-2, while Plattsburgh fell to 1-3.

WEEK 3 SCORING RECAPS

MORIAH 15, SARANAC CENTRAL 8
The Moriah Vikings executed last-minute heroics and earned a thrilling 15-8 victory over the Saranac Central Chiefs in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference’s only close contest of the season to date. The teams hit the intermission with the defenses unbending in a taut 0-0 contest. Saranac drew first points off an interception that Matt McCasland (17 carries for 88 yards) turned into points on a six-yard, then added two more points on the conversion for an 8-0 lead. The Chiefs had a chance to add to the lead, but McCasland’s 88-yard touchdown run was wiped out by a holding penalty, in a game plagued by yellow markers against both sides. Moriah tied the game at 8-8 early in the fourth quarter when Cameron Wright broke the plane of the end zone on a six-yard run, then Tyler Pratt hauled in the extra-points pass from Cole Gadder to tie. With the game still locked 8-8, Saranac took possession in good field position at the Viking 38, drove to 27, but then fumbled the potential game-winning drive. With clock winding down under three minutes, Moriah struggled across midfield to Chiefs 46, but faced a critical 4th-and-short-2. Wright (17 carries for 142 yards) took the handoff on a quick draw play, shot through an opening in the defensive line and made a beeline all the way to the end zone. Jessup Calkins’ kicked the extra point to extend the lead 15-8. Pratt sealed the win by intercepting on the Chiefs’ ensuing desperation two-minute drill.  Moriah improved to 2-1, Saranac Central fell to 1-2.

BEEKMANTOWN 29, PLATTSBURGH 14
After Plattsburgh registered the game’s first score late in the first quarter, neighboring rival Beekmantown tallied 29 consecutive points to win 29-14 and improve to 3-0 in Section VII action. Plattsburgh quarterback Shawn Courson dove in from the one-yard line to put the Hornets on top 7-0 in 9:23 of the first quarter. Courson also scored the last touchdown of the day with a 35-yard “Pick Six” interception for score. But in between, the game belonged entirely to the Eagles. Beekmantown’s Mike Guerin delivered the ball from the nine-yard line to tie the game just 1:30 after the Hornets had broken out on top. The two-point conversion put the Eagles ahead to stay at 8-7. Zach Myers launched a 34-yard TD pass to Quenton Barber, then followed with a one-yard quarterback sneak four minutes later to bolster the lead to 22-7 at the half. The second half was dominated by the defenses, with Beekmantown also getting an interception run-in from the 20-yard line from Dustin Pickering. Beekmantown finished with 188 yards rushing, including 13 carries for 101 yards by Guerin. Plattsburgh connected 99 yards rushing and 88 yards passing from Courson.

SARANAC LAKE GAINS 2ND WIN IN 41-6 VICTORY OVER MORIAH

Saranac Lake Red Storm wideout Kevin Morgan (12) reels in a deep pass from quarterback Matt Phalen in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Ken Wilson Field.  The Red Storm opened up a 28-0 lead over the Moriah Vikings in the first half, en route to a 41-6 win, to improve to 2-0.  Moriah fell to 1-1.  (Greg Ferguson photo)  Game Gallery

Moriah senior Jessup Calkins (43) looks for blocks as he takes this punt return 56 yards to the house for the Vikings' only score of the day.   (Greg Ferguson photo)  Game Gallery
 

SARANAC LAKE 41, MORIAH 6
The Saranac Lake Red Storm completely shut down the Moriah offensive game, allowing just 91 total yards – 50 rushing and 41 passing – and only a special teams score in a dominating 41-6 victory over the Moriah Vikings. Red Storm senior quarterback Matt Phalen got another workout racking up 213 yards on just 12 passes and another 76 yards on three carries, two totes for touchdowns. Lance Ackerson made best use of his 44 rushing yards with touchdown deliveries of 15, five and four yards. Phalen capped the Storm’s first quarter scoring drives with touchdown runs of 59 and 16 yards. Moriah’s Jessop Calkins directed the blockers on a punt return for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ only score of the game, 1:30 into the second quarter to make it 12-6. Ackerson then delivered his first two touchdowns, and Phalen fired off a pair of two-point conversion passes before the halftime horn to jack up the lead to 28-0. Ackerson polished off the Storm’s opening drive of the second half with a four-yard run. Kevin Morgan then hauled in a 46-yard pass to round out the 41-6 win. Morgan snared seven passes for 135 yards. Mike Burpoe grabbed four receptions for 74 yards. Cameron Wright led Moriah with 47 yards rushing.

BEEKMANTOWN 22, TICONDEROGA 8
Beekmantown tallied all 22 points in the first half, while holding Ticonderoga to a lone fourth-quarter scored in snagging on opening-game victory 22-8. Quarterback Zach Myers floated a 10-yard touchdown pass to Haydin Fountain at the 1:47 mark of the game’s first drive to launch the Eagles. Beekmantown’s Dustin Pickering (18 carries for 128 yards) slammed into the end zone from the one-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. Fountain snared a 14-yard pass in the final minute of the half to build the 22-0 lead. Defensively, the Eagles held the Sentinels to just 99 yards rushing on 31 carries. For Ticonderoga, Tanner Wright scored from the two-yard line just nine seconds into the fourth quarter. He collected 30 of Ticonderoga’s 99 rushing yards. Ticonderoga quarterback Michael Graney logged seven completions on 19 aerials, with 109 positive yards.

MORIAH 39, PLATTSBURGH 12
Moriah opened its 2012 campaign with a bang, snapping up a fumble on the opening kick return and, within three plays, burying it in the end zone en route to a convincing 39-12 win over the Plattsburgh Hornets. Quarterback Cold Gaddor polished off the drive with a one-yard plunge just 55 seconds into the game. Gaddor finished the Vikings’ second drive with another one-yard keeper less than four minutes later to establish a 13-0 lead through the first quarter. Moriah struck with lightning quickness in the second quarter with two touchdowns in 1:28. Arto Nadeau (11 carries for 57 yards) scampered untouched for 13 yards into the end zone on the first play of the frame, with Cameron Wright (15 carries for 126 yards) banking an insurance touchdown on a 60-yard run just 1:23 later to blow open a 25-0 margin. Wright banged home a second touchdown from four yards out late in the period. Moriah’s Jessop Calkins opened the second half with a 78-yard kickoff return for the Vikings’ final score. In all, Plattsburgh racked up 203 total yards rushing. Plattsburgh mustered a third-quarter score on quarterback Shawn Courson’s one-yard keeper. Ricky Rhodes finished the Hornets’ scoring with a 14-yard end-around to the left, midway through the fourth quarter. Jonas Miller topped the Hornets with 14 carries for 59 yards.