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Potsdam’s Will Coleman (11) is sacked by Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Eric Dillon (8) during the second quarter of the New York State Class A quarterfinal. Burnt Hills broke away from a 7-0, first-quarter lead with three touchdowns in the second frame. The Spartans beat Section X's last surviving team 42-0. (J. LaRue photo) Game Gallery NCSN Broadcast
N.Y. State Class A Regional Championship
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (II) 42,
Potsdam (X) 0
N.Y. State Class D North
Country Regional
Moriah (VII) 12, Tupper Lake (X) 7
N.Y. State Class C North
Country Regional
Saranac Lake 42, Ogdensburg (X) 12
N.Y. State Class B North
Country Regional
Peru (VII) 35, Malone
(X) 0
Saranac Lake senior defensive tackle Taylor Pellerin
(51) busts through the Blue Devils' offensive line to
pressure quarterback Nate Angel into making an errant
throw that was intercepted by Kevin Morgan. Saranac Lake
defeated Ogdensburg 42-12 in the opening round of the
State Class C playoffs. (Ferguson photo)
Game Gallery
NCSN Broadcast
After slicing through the Blue Devils' defensive front,
pesky Red Storm running back Seth Pickreign slips past
O.F.A. defensive back Nick Perrigo and finds the end
zone to stake the Red Storm to a 42-6 lead late in the
third quarter of the New York State North Country Class
C Regional Championship.
SARANAC LAKE 42, OGDENSBURG
12
The renewed rivalry between Class C competitors Saranac
Lake and Ogdensburg began to shape up as another
classic, but after the first set of matching drives, the
New York State Class C regional playoff opener turned
into a game of capitalizing for the Red Storm and missed
opportunities for Ogdensburg. While the Blue Devils
appeared to have the better part of play between the
20-yard lines in the first half and Saranac Lake stacked
up an uncharacteristic pile of penalties, Ogdensburg was
unable to convert the chances for points inside the Red
Zone. By the time the dust settled on a first half
disrupted by numerous flags and a half-dozen injuries,
big-yardage plays had propelled the Red Storm to a 35-6
halftime lead, before cruising to a 42-12 win. Saranac
Lake put up points first when quarterback Matt Phalen
tossed a 14-yard touchdown to Kevin Morgan. Seth
Pickreign’s extra-point kick completed a successful
opening drive at 7-0. Ogdensburg countered with a first
drive equally as impressive. Nate Angel’s eight-yard
scoot went untouched through a large right-side hole for
the Devils’ first six points. But the rest of the half
essentially determined the outcome. Phalen finished the
first quarter with a 66-yard catch-and-run floater to
the sideline that Morgan crossed up the Devils’ outside
defensive with a crossover route back through the middle
and a rush to end zone. In the second quarter, Lance
Ackerson carried the pigskin to paydirt with touchdown
runs of 15 yards and three yards. Phalen and Ackerson
each ran successful two-point conversions to account for
35 first-half points. Pickreign, who bounced back from a
sideline injury in the second quarter, returned to haul
in a 34-yard scoring completion for a 42-6 bulge with
five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Ogdensburg
employed Zach Sharpe in the final frame to grind out
strong rushing yardage and a three-yard touchdown to
close out the scoring in the fourth quarter. Phalen
connected on 12-of-14 passes for 256 aerial yards and
three touchdowns, while legging out three keepers for
another 26 yards. Pickreign put up 73 yards rushing on
nine carries and had two catches for another 49 field
stripes. Morgan’s day included three catches for 87
yards and two TD scores. Quarterback Nate Angel closed
out his senior season with a 99-yard game, including 50
yards rushing on 15 totes and 49 yards passing. Sharpe
provided 49 yards on seven carries and Alex Farrell
provided the early spark with 44 yards carried on 15
attempts. The Saranac Lake win sets the stage for a
rematch with Section II’s Hoosick Falls, back at AuSable
Valley at 1:00 p.m. next Saturday. Ogdensburg closed its
season with an overall 4-5 record.
Potsdam’s Adam Lewis (30) gets block from teammate
Will Coleman to get around Massena’s Justin Bestor and
pick up a chunk of yards from scrimmage. After a
scoreless first quarter, Potsdam opened a 16-0 lead at
the half, on their way to a 40-0 win over the Massena
Red Raiders in the Section X Class A Championship.
(Casey Stephens photo)
Game Gallery
Massena’s Jordy Mitchell (21) gets a nice gain yards
against a cluster of defenders after breaking into the
secondary of a stingy Sandstoners defense. Potsdam
steadily pulled away with five touchdowns and completed
all two-point conversions in cruising to a 40-0 win over
Massena in the Section X Class A title game.
(Casey Stephens photo)
Game Gallery
POTSDAM 40, MASSENA 0
One spark and the Potsdam offensive fire was lit.
Sandstoner defensive back Shawn Clark jumped on a
Massena fumble on the final play of a scoreless first
quarter. Potsdam opened the second period with a 53-yard
march to paydirt that jump-started the Sandstoners to a
40-0 shutout for the Section X Class A Championship and
a berth in the New York State Region II Championship
game for the second time in three years. Potsdam finally
broke onto the scoreboard in the second quarter when
O’den Robertson, back after suffering a leg injury late
in last week’s Section X Championship game, dove into
the end zone from one yard out to put Potsdam ahead 6-0.
Garrett Kilgore snagged the two-point conversion pass to
improve the lead to 8-0. Robertson, who rushed for a
game-best 131 yards, polished off Potsdam’s second
scoring drive just before the half with a three-yard
touchdown carry and the extra-point conversion for a
16-0 lead at the break. Robertson completed a TD
trifecta for the lone score of the third quarter,
bouncing off tackles and spinning to the end zone from
the Massena 28. In the final frame, Potsdam’s goal-line
stand stopped Massena’s best scoring chance on downs a
the two-yard line. The Sandstoners then returned the
ball 98 yards on nine plays, culminating with a 17-yard
Shawn Clark touchdown reception. Trevor Keleher score
the final touchdown on a 20-yard scamper, followed by
the two-point add-on. Clark and Adam Lewis also had
completed two-point conversions for Potsdam. The Red
Raiders were led by J.P. Reagan who carried seven times
for 44 yards. Quarterback Justin Bestor completed four
of six passes, also for 44 yards. Massena completed its
season at 5-5. The Sandstoners (9-1) will now face
either Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake or Amsterdam from
Section II next Friday night at 7:00 at Massena High
School.
Potsdam’s David Adams (8) maneuvers his way through
would-be tacklers from Burnt Hills. Potsdam ventured
into Burnt Hills territory several times, but then found
the yardage at a premium, getting into the red zone just
once. On the final play of the game, Shawn Clark caught
a Will Coleman pass on a slant route to the Spartan
3-yard line. Burnt Hills beat Potsdam 42-0 in the
State Class A playoff. (J. LaRue photo)
Game Gallery
Broadcast
BURNT HILLS-BALLSTON LAKE 42,
POTSDAM 0
The Section X Champion Potsdam Sandstoners closed out
their 2012 campaign falling to the Section II Champion
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Spartans for the second time
in three years in the New York State Class A
quarterfinals (Region II championship) 42-0 at Mike
Nicholas Field in Massena. After holding Burnt Hills to
a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the Spartans erupted
for three scores in the second quarter to take a 28-0
halftime lead and we well on their way to their fifth
straight appearance in the New York State Final Four.
The Spartans (10-1) were led by quarterback Ryan
McDonnell and rusher-receiver Eric Dillon (four catches,
52 yards) who connected on touchdown strikes of 23 yards
and five yards in the second frame to build the 28-point
cushion at the break. Dillon put an exclamation point on
the victory in the third quarter by blocking a punt,
scooping it up and dashing 23 yards to the end zone
untouched. David Newell added a one-yard touchdown dive
and Josh Quesada a six-yard TD carry. Potsdam junior QB
Will Coleman passed for 97 yards and rushed for 41 yards
to lead Potsdam. He was named Potsdam’s Offensive MVP
while Dan Devine was named the team’s Defensive MVP in
ceremonies following the game.
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)
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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.
Tier I Championship
(#2) Malone 25, (#1) Potsdam 14
Tier II
Finals
(#5) Massena 18, (#6) Tupper Lake 9
Tupper Lake’s Brock Tarbox (40) receives the pass near
midfield against Massena defensive back Tyler Simms
(88). Massena pulled away from a slender 6-3 halftime
lead to down the Lumberjacks 18-9 in the Section X Tier
II Final game. Massena improved to 5-4 overall, while
Tupper Lake slipped to 2-7. (Casey Stephens photo)
Game Gallery
Massena’s Jeremy Malone (33) receives the pass downfield
on one of several Raider catches on the night as
Tupper’s Elliot Kerst (16) tries to cut off on defense.
After leading 6-3 at the half, Massena notched a
touchdown in the third quarter and another in the
fourthframe to break open an 18-3 lead before a late
Lumberjack score in an 18-9 final.
MASSENA 18, TUPPER LAKE 9
The Massena Red Raiders capitalized on two turnovers and
a missed field goal to pull away from the Tupper Lake
Lumberjacks 18-9 in the Section X Tier II final. After a
scoreless first quarter, the Raiders took advantage of a
Jacks fumble and took the ball to the end zone on a
two-yard dive to open a 6-0 lead. Ian Gillis booted an
18-yard field goal to put Tupper Lake on the scoreboard
6-3, just before the half. Tupper Lake fumbled the
opening kickoff of the second half to put Massena in
good field position at the Tupper 38. The Raiders then
scored on a 34-yard pass completion from Justin Bestor
to J.P. Reagan (18 carries, 179 yards) to spread the
lead to 12-3. The Lumberjacks missed a field goal
attempt late in the third quarter. Reagan carried 68
yards to the house to extend the lead to 18-3. In the
middle of the fourth quarter, Tupper Lake quarterback
Mitch Keniston (8-for-17 passing, 16 carries for 283
total yards) delivered a nine-yard touchdown pass to
Brock Tarbox (four receptions, 80 yards) for the game’s
final score with only six minutes left. Massena travels
to Potsdam next week for the Class A Championship, with
the winner to advance past Section VII which has no
Class A schools and directly to the New York State
quarterfinal to be played Saturday in Section X. Tupper
Lake advances to the first round of the New York State
Class D playoffs to face Moriah from Section VII at
Massena High School, 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Potsdam’s Oden Robertson (20) is shirt and ankle tackled
from behind as Malone’s defender Jake Perry (21) makes
the initial contact in the backfield.
Then#2-seeded Huskies scored twice in the fourth-quarter
to gain the lead 25-14 and hand Potsdam its first loss
of the season in the Section X Football Championship.
(Casey Stephens photo)
Game Gallery
NCSN Broadcast
MALONE 25, POTSDAM 14
Malone’s Mitch Gallagher rolled up 144 rushing, slammed
home three short-yardage touchdowns and helped anchor a
Huskies’ defense that limited Potsdam to just one score
in each half to deliver the Section X Football
Championship in the first year after the former Northern
Football Conference. The Huskies avenged a
regular-season loss to Potsdam by allowing very few
big-yardage plays from the Potsdam rushing corps that
was held to just 121 yards on the ground. Malone’s
relentless defensive stunts got penetration to stop
Potsdam’s running game on short yardage. After both
teams went three downs and out on their first two
drives, the first potent drive of the game brought
Malone to the Potsdam four-yard line. Gallagher called
his own number and scampered to paydirt for a 7-0 lead
at 8:57 of the first quarter, following Harvey Smith’s
extra-point kick. Potsdam quarterback Will Coleman
(9-for-15 passing for 105 yards) led the Sandstoners to
within inches of the goal line, then snuck the ball
across on a keeper just 15 seconds into the second
quarter. The two-point conversion to Adam Lewis jumped
Potsdam into an 8-7 lead. The Huskies answered with 1:28
remaining in the half after stopping a promising
Sandstoner drive. After sustaining the drive to the
two-yard line including a key 29-yard rush to set up the
TD score, Gallagher muscled the ball to the end zone to
put Malone back on top 13-8 just before intermission.
Potsdam produced the only score of the third quarter to
regain the lead with 40 seconds remaining. O’den
Robertson carried the ball from one yard out, after
Malone was flagged twice on the drive with
pass-interference penalties. However, Malone owned the
fourth quarter. Malone’s shifty back Tyrek Sneed (nine
carries, 119 yards) found a crease and jetted 46 yards
to the Potsdam 2, where Gallagher delivered the go-ahead
touchdown that proved to be the game winner on the first
play of the fourth quarter. On the ensuing drive, Smith
plucked a Coleman pass at the Malone 20 – the only
turnover of the game – which the Huskies turned into an
insurance score with 5:00 remaining when Sneed sped 26
yards to the house. For Potsdam, Shawn Clark reeled in
eight passes for 104 yards. Following the game,
Gallagher was named the Don Petty Award winner for top
overall football player in Section X. Potsdam moves on
to host Massena next week for the Class A Championship,
with the winner to advance past Section VII which has no
Class A schools and directly to the New York State
quarterfinal to be played Saturday in Section X. Malone
advances to the first round of the New York State Class
B playoffs to face the winner of the Peru-Beekmantown
matchup in Section VII.
Tier I Semifinals
(#1)
Potsdam 52, (#4) Ogdensburg 8
Tier II Semifinals
(#5) Massena 41, (#8) Canton 7
(#6) Tupper Lake 21, (#7) St. Lawrence Central 6
Tier I Semifinals
(#2) Malone 35, (#3) Gouverneur 21
Potsdam’s Kyle Martens (66) tackles Ogdensburg’s
Jordan McCormick (11) mid-air, during the first quarter
of Friday night’s Tier-I semifinal. Potsdam dominated
the line of scrimmage and took advantage of the Blue
Devils’ four first-half turnovers en route to a 38-8
lead at the half and a 52-8 victory in the semifinal. (John LaRue
photo)
Game Gallery
Ogdensburg’s Nate Angel (28) carries the ball himself in
the second quarter of Friday’s game against the Potsdam
Sandstoners. Potsdam forced Ogdensburg into four
turnovers, then cashed them all in for a 30-0 lead in
the first half. The Blue Devils' lone score came in the
second quarter.
POTSDAM 52, OGDENSBURG 8
The Potsdam Sandstoners made several adjustments after
last week’s nail-biting 30-28 win over Ogdensburg,
especially on defense – and the defensive line came up
big in the opening 13 minutes of play in a Sandstoner-Blue
Devil rematch in the Section X Tier I semifinals.
Potsdam forced four turnovers and fashioned touchdowns
from all four take-aways, in blowing open a 30-0 lead by
the first 32 seconds in the second quarter and cruising
to a 52-8 win over O.F.A. With the score still tied 0-0,
the flurry of mishaps began with a punt snap that sailed
over the Blue Devil kicker and was recovered by
Potsdam’s Oden Robertson on the O.F.A. three-yard line.
On the very next play, Rian McFadden took it to the
house for a 6-0 Potsdam lead. On first play of the Blue
Devils’ ensuing drive, Potsdam’s Kyle Martens recovered
a fumbled snap, setting up the second score when
Robertson (11 carries, 88 yards) spun into the end zone
for a 14-0 lead. On the next drive, O.F.A. quarterback
Nate Angel was by Potsdam’s Will Coleman, who took the
first play from scrimmage to the house, 22-0 Potsdam.
After a fourth turnover, Coleman hit Shawn Clark on a
sideline touchdown for Potsdam 30-0. Ogdensburg
delivered the ball to paydirt when Nate Angel saww Josh
Liebstein for an eight-yard touchdown pass on a
fourth-down play call, Jordan McCormick (11 carries, 59
yards) punched in the two-point conversion. Garrett
Kilgore restored Potsdam’s margin, 38-8, when he
returned an interception 19 yards to paydirt, just
before the half. Potsdam’s final two scores, both in the
fourth quarter featured a 13-yard TD run for Adam Lewis
(10 carries, 60 yards) and a 21-yard quarterback keeper
by backup quarterback David Adams, who also added the
two-point tack-on. Potsdam (8-0) advances to host either
Malone or Gouverneur for the Section X championship next
Friday night. Ogdensburg will now advance to the first
round of the New York State Class C playoffs in two
weeks. The Devils await the winner of the AuSable Valley
vs. Saranac Lake game to be played next Saturday.
TUPPER LAKE 21, ST. LAWRENCE
CENTRAL 6
St. Lawrence Central got on the scoreboard first on an
11-yard touchdown pass from Devon Euto to Todd Ramsdell,
but the rest of the game’s scoring was owned by Tupper
Lake. After the Larries’ score, the St. Lawrence ground
game was held to just 29 yards total rushing, while
Devin Euto responded with nine aerials for 82 yards. The
#6-seeded Lumberjacks scored a touchdown in each of the
final three quarters to defeat the #7-positioned Larries
21-6 in the Section X Tier II playoff at Tupper Lake.
Tupper gained the lead before the half when Jeremy
Roussel (20 carries, 82 yards to lead the Jacks) muscled
in from two yards away, then Ian Gillis booted the first
of three extra-point kicks to log a 7-6 advantage. In
the third quarter, quarterback Mitch Keniston (16
carries, 80 yards; four passes for 48 yards) scampered
nine years to pay dirt to open a 14-6 margin, then
plucked a 22-yard interception for a Pick Six score in
the fourth quarter to ensure the victory. For St.
Lawrence Central, David Plante had five receptions for
53 yards. Tupper Lake, improving to 3-5, will travel to
Massena next week for the Tier II final game. St.
Lawrence closed out at 1-7 overall.
Gouverneur’s Adrian McShane (15) carries the ball in
the second quarter of Saturday’s Tier I semifinal at
Crowner Field in Malone. The #2-seeded Huskies were
solid throughout, capitalizing on the Wildcats’ missed
chances to win 35-21. Malone advances to play Potsdam
for the Section X title next Friday. (John
LaRue photo)
Game Gallery
NCSN Broadcast
Malone’s Mitch Gallagher (15) stiff arms would-be
tackler Troy Gates of Gouverneur (87) in the third
quarter of Malone’s 35-21 semifinal win over the
Wildcats. The built a 35-7 lead early in the third
quarter through a well-blended mix of passing and
running. (John LaRue photo)
Game Gallery
NCSN Broadcast
MALONE 35, GOUVERNEUR 21
The Malone Huskies defeated the Gouverneur Wildcats
35-21 in the Section X Tier I semifinals. For the
Huskies, the next stop on the 2012 campaign trail is
Potsdam for the conference championship next Friday
night at 7:00 p.m. For the Huskies, the end of the
season will be a reflection of chances missed in the
semifinals. After both teams were unable to move the
ball on their opening drive, Harvey Smith gathered in a
Gouverneur punt, nimbly spun off a pair of Wildcat
defenders and rolled toward the sideline, dodging a
handful of tacklers before being brought down at the
three-yard line. Quarterback Mitch Gallagher pounded the
ball into the end zone on a sneak and the Huskies had a
quick 7-0 lead. After forcing the Wildcats to punt
following a sack and a grounding penalty, Franklin
Academy’s Tyrek Sneed reeled in the punt and dashed 41
yards to the Malone 19, before capping the drive with a
one-yard, end-around score. Gouverneur’s Levi
Love-Tupper blocked the extra-point attempt to hold
Malone to a 13-0 lead. In the second quarter, Sneed
broke loose on a cross-field scamper 87 yards to the
house that provided enough cushion, 21-0, to leave the
Wildcats clawing for recovery. Three minutes later,
Gouverneur had an answer. Mark Horne flipped a 10-yard
pass to Troy Gates, who caught the ball falling
backwards in the end zone to put the Wildcats to cut the
lead to 21-7. However, any congratulatory celebration
was short-lived. Shawn Mulverhill grabbed the ensuing
kickoff and shot through a seam in the defense and raced
78 yards to the end zone just 14 seconds later to
restore the 21-point advantage – 28-7 at the half.
Gallagher flashed his arm in the third quarter by
launching a bomb that sailed 51 yards through the air
and dropped neatly into waiting arms of Harvey Smith who
scampered the remaining 11 yards into the end zone. The
Wildcats had several opportunities to play catch up, but
were turned back by a sturdy defensive stand inside the
red zone. Gouverneur’s biggest break came when Mark
Horne intercepted Gallagher and returned the ball to the
Huskies 7. On the drive, the Wildcats was marked down
within grains of sand of the goal line twice, but were
driven back trying to sneak into the end zone both
times. Adrian McShane showed strong second-half rushing
that produced a pair of touchdowns – a four-yard run and
a 17-yard dash just 29 seconds apart, but both in the
final 1:15. When Malone’s special teams fell on a second
on-sides kick, the curtain came down on the Wildcats’
improved season at 5-3 overall, their first winning
season since 2005. Horne completed nine passes for 132
yards. Gates led the rushing corps with four carries for
67 yards. Malone improved to 7-1 overall. Sneed led the
Huskies with three carries for 91 yards. Gallagher
tossed five completed passes for 106 yards and threw his
first and only interception of the season.
Massena’s Jeremiah Reagan (44) carries the ball into the end zone early in
the second quarter of Friday’s Tier II playoff game
against the Canton Golden Bears. The Red Raider offense
clicked early, gaining a 28-7 lead at the half, en route
to a 41-7 victory in the matchup of 5th and 8th seeds.
Canton’s Hunter Yerdon (1) is wrestled to the carpet by
Massena’s Sam Sprague (52). Massena defeated Canton 41-8
in the Section X Tier II semifinal and advances to host
Tupper Lake next week. (John LaRue photo)
Game Gallery
MASSENA 41, CANTON 7
The Massena Red Raiders repeated their quick start in
back-to-back weeks against Canton, delivering the final
knockout to the Golden Bears’ injury-plagued season with
a 41-7 victory in the Section X Tier II semifinal. The
Raiders delivered three scores to the house in the first
quarter to build a 21-0 advantage. Justin Bestor (10
carries, 180 yards; eight passes, 84 yards) set the
stage early with a pair of touchdown scampers – one from
43 yards on Massena’s second offensive play and the
other from 26 yards away with 3:48 to go in the first
period. Canton produced an effective 69-yard scoring
drive on a series of screen plays, set up by Hunter
Yardon (eight carries, 69 yards) and ending with Jay
Proulx’s one-yard dive to score. Jeremiah Reagan had a
pair of touchdown scores. Bestor added a third-quarter
score. Isaiah Perry punched in a touchdown. And Connor
Paquin added Massena’s final touchdown late in the game
when he pounced on a teammate’s fumble in the end zone.
Massena improved to 4-4 and will host Tupper Lake in the
Section X Tier II final. Canton closed its 2012 campaign
at 0-8.