football

Seeing this year's Batavia High School football team go all the way to the New York State Championship game and Notre Dame, my favorite college team since childhood, go to the NCAA semifinal brought back memories of playing football as a kid.

Short memories. Really short memories. You see, my official football career lasted for one week.

When I was a little kid, even at age 6 or 7, I became a huge Notre Dame University fan. I'm not really sure why.

Perhaps it was being Catholic. Maybe it was because my dad liked Notre Dame, although he couldn't really watch any sporting event without getting mad. He had a sixth sense for identifying which team was going to lose and then spending the whole game complaining that “they were getting gypped.”

I actually used to go to my aunts' house to watch sports to get peace and quiet.

When I was very young I was already cutting out articles from the newspaper about Notre Dame and my heroes Ralph Guglielmi, Johnny Lattner and Paul Hornung. When I was 10 in 1957, I watched every second of the Fighting Irish 7-0 victory over Oklahoma (on our black and white TV), which broke the Sooners' 47 game winning streak.

Around this same time I began to play football in the yard or at the park with my little friends. I'm sure the ball was bigger than some of us could hold onto, but we would run and tackle “like the big guys.” Of course, when I got my prized red helmet for Christmas (as described in a previous story) then it was really “game on."

What I'm leading up to here is that as I played and watched football more and more, I started to fantasize about playing for Notre Dame someday. I would drift off to sleep or get through a dull day at school by imaging myself running out of the tunnel onto that oh-so-bright green field at South Bend, Ind.

I would be dressed in my green and gold uniform and I would run and pass for touchdowns that would have the frenzied crowd shouting my name. The week after that 1957 Irish victory over Oklahoma my parents surprised me by taking me to South Bend to see Notre Dame play Iowa.

That whole experience -- the pep rally the night before, the school band playing the fight song, being in the stadium, the sights and sounds of the game -- all solidified my Notre Dame fandom. Even though the Irish lost the game, I was as hooked as a hungry bass chomping on a lure.

As I got older, I grew taller and a bit bigger than some of my friends. When we would play and they would try to tackle me, I would drag some of them along before they could get me to the ground so they started calling me “Tank.” That only boosted my daydream that I could be a real football player.

So, at age 13 as ninth grade approached, I was headed for Notre Dame High School, which in my mind would be the perfect lead in to Notre Dame University. I passed my physical and as the summer ended I arrived at the school with my heart pounding to get my uniform and walk over to the field on Union Street to embark on my football career.

But as happens in life, fantasy and hopefulness were in for a huge dose of reality.

The head coach was a man who had been our physical education teacher at St. Mary's Elementary School. At some point in the first practice coach blew his whistle and told everyone to gather around in a circle. It was time for a fun little activity called “Bull in the Ring.”

The upperclassmen clapped and cheered and seemingly couldn't wait to get at it. I had no idea what was going on, but I found out soon enough. Two players were called out to the center of the ring and essentially would run into each other until the coach decided that one of them had enough.

My opponent outweighed me significantly and went on in his upper-class years to become a team captain and an All-Catholic wrestler. In a minute I went from “Tank” to “Stank” and spent a long time soaking in the tub that night.

Day two brought two more obstacles: going up against way bigger guys and sunburn. Apparently Coach's view of freshman and jayvees was that they were there to be used as punching bags for the varsity.

With a minimal amount of instruction we were lined up on defense for the varsity to run plays against. At a whopping 135 pounds I was placed at defensive end against a senior who was at least 190. Play after play he would just knock me backward into the dirt like a bulldozer would a sapling.

At the same time, the sun was beating down on my red head and fair skin. I don't remember if sunblock was invented then, but even so I didn't have any. So at the end of that practice I made my way home -- head spinning, mouth and eyes full of dirt, skin like a lobster.

In fact, I was burned so badly, that my mom wouldn't let me go to practice on the third day. I can't say I complained because I could barely get out of bed anyway.

Fortunately, it was the weekend and there was no practice on Saturday or Sunday. That gave me a couple days to heal and rest.

On Monday, I made a gigantic mistake. I had my mom write an excuse note for missing Friday's practice. This was comparable to a soldier's mom writing a note to General Patton.

“Dear General, please excuse my son from the war because he had the sniffles.” What was I thinking? As Coach read the note, he looked up at me with an expression of disgust.

“Really kid (he didn't know my name)? Sunburn? I'll see you out on the field.”

So, my mom had no idea, but her note resulted in me running a bunch of laps around the field in the blazing sun while the rest of the team ignored me like lima beans at Thanksgiving dinner.

The last day of my football career really wasn't a surprise. My fantasies of playing quarterback for Notre Dame University had been ground out of my imagination and beaten into the dust of the practice field. At this point, I was just hoping to survive one more practice.

I made it, but not by much.

The final straw was an innocent enough looking punt coverage drill. We lined up in two lines, the punter kicked the ball downfield and we were supposed to take off and go after the receiver. At the end of my line stood Assistant Coach Tree Trunk Arms. His biceps seemed as big around as a normal person's legs.

As I heard the snap count and sound of the ball off the punter's foot I took off.

Suddenly, it felt as though someone had swung a baseball bat and connected with my helmet. But it wasn't a baseball bat, it was the giant fist of Mr. Trunk Arms. Apparently, he was trying to simulate the contact that you would feel from an opposing team member. Yeah, like having a bowling ball dropped on your head would simulate an acorn falling from an oak tree.

Several seconds must have gone by before I realized that my face was in the dirt. My head was reeling and as I lifted it up my vision was blurry. In the cartoons this is often depicted by a bunch of birds flying around the person's head as they stagger away, and stagger is exactly what I did though I can't recall hearing any bird noises.

To this day I hate to admit it, but I think I was crying. The rest of the practice was pretty much a foggy haze in my brain, but I'm pretty sure neither ol' Trunk Limbs nor any other coach asked if I was OK.

That night, when the mist had cleared somewhat from my noggin, I made a decision. I had been working up to it for a couple days. Not only would I never run out of that tunnel in South Bend, I wouldn't be going across Richmond Avenue to the Notre Dame High School field either. I was done.

I don't remember exactly how I quit, but it was certainly no loss to the team.

A couple of the older players made some half-hearted attempts at shaming, words like sissy and coward might have been said, but I was more relieved than sad. Later on, I did letter in cross-country, track and basketball, so I was able to enjoy high school sports after all.

Of course, my childhood daydreams were just that. No player from Batavia, and there have been many good ones at NDHS and Batavia High School, ever played for Notre Dame University. Not to mention the grades needed to get into that venerable college that I didn't come close to achieving.

In fact, St. John Fisher where I did go just had intramural football back then and I didn't even play. A couple teams asked me, but in one swing Assistant Coach Tree Trunk Arms left an indelible ache that killed any notion of football ever holding any glory for me.

Photo  courtesy of Dave Reilly.

Ray Leach's list of records is impressive:

• Section V single season, rushing yards, 3,012;
• Section V single season, touchdowns, 49;
• Section V single season, points scored, 310;
• Section V career record, rushing yards, 6,023;
• Section V career touchdowns, 111;
• Section V career points, 720;
• State playoff record for yards rushing, 474;
• State playoff record for touchdowns, 8 (twice);
• State playoff record for points scored, 50.

So it's no surprise that Leach has been named Football Player of the Year for All-Greater Rochester by the Democrat & Chronicle.

Brennan Briggs, who coached his fourth team in the past five years to a Section V championship. This season was the first time a Briggs-coached team reached the state championship game. 

Also making first team: Joshua Barber and Ethan Biscaro. Taiyo Iburi-Bethel was named to the second team. Alex Rood, Joe Martinucci and Andrew Francis all received honorable mention.

Chris McClinic, Alexander, also made second team. Honorable mentions went to Terrez Smith, Ty Woods, Dylan Busch, Jake Jasen, Ethan Heineman and Hayden Walton.

Honorable mention for Notre Dame: Gabe MacDonald, Keith Szczepanski, Mason Randall, Tim Klotzbach, Tyler Totten.

Honorable mention for Pembroke: Theodore Pintabona, Colby Cerasani, Trent Smith, Trevor Vaughn.

Honorable mention in eight-man football for Oakfield-Alabama/Elba: Colton Dillon, Gage Dieterle, Ty Mott, Kyle Magliocco, Peyton Yasses, Seth Sepalla.

First team in other fall sports:

• Lukas Milligan, Pavilion, boys volleyball
• Maiya Reinhart, Batavia, girls swimming

What if Ethan Biscaro wasn't injured in the first quarter Saturday of Batavia's Class B state championship football game at the Carrier Dome?

Could Batavia have maintained its early lead, its early momentum, and held off Joseph Girard and the Glens Falls Indians, instead of losing 55-32?

We'll never know.

Biscaro's injury certainly isn't the only reason Batavia lost. The Blue Devils made their mistakes and missed their opportunities but, truth be told, Girard is one heck of a quarterback.

To whatever degree last week's game against Skaneateles and their athletic QB Patrick Hackler prepared the Blue Devils to face an athletic, strong-armed QB, it wasn't enough. Hackler was good but he wasn't Joseph Girard III good.

Experienced sportswriters in the press box were raving about Girard by the fourth quarter, the best high school quarterback they've ever seen, some of them said.

Girard showed arm strength, touch, accuracy, and savvy on the field, as well as strength and quickness that enabled to him to turn what looked like sacks for lost yards into gains, into first downs, and even into touchdowns. 

For example, with Batavia leading 14-0 in the second quarter, Girard, from Batavia's 19-yard line, tries a keeper to his right and finds the path cutoff and he appears pinned in a corner near the sideline but he swings out wide into his own backfield and starts running toward the far side with Cam White in pursuit. Just as it appears White would snag his jersey, somehow Girard steps ahead of him and now has the entire defense beat on the far side of the field. He scores to give Glen Falls its first six points.

"He is a great football player, obviously a division one athlete," said Batavia Coach Brennan Briggs. "We had our opportunities, I think, and you know, he was very difficult to get a hold of. We simulated all we can in practice but at the end of the day, you have got to come up your make plays."

While officially, Girard gained only 15 yards on the ground on 15 carries, with two TDs, he was 10-18 passing for 314 yards and two TDs on passes.

All this and it was still a big game for Ray Leach, who for the third game in a row gained more than 400 yards, this time picking up 410 yards on 30 carries. He scored three touchdowns and he was clearly exhausted in the second half and playing on sheer determination.

"He's just a tough kid, he loves football," Briggs said. "He wanted to be out here so he did whatever it took to be out here."

With 1,645 yards over the final four games, Leach ends the year with 2,826 rushing yards, breaking the season Section V record of Hornell's Austin Dwyer, 2,826 yards, set in 2009.

A former Blue Devil who played for Batavia last year when the team opened the season in the Carrier Dome said a factor in that game was the heat on the field. As the game wears on the Dome warms up.

Ironically, the Carrier Dome is not air-conditioned.

Leach said he and his teammates were feeling the heat.

"The temperature was a little different than we've been playing and we had to get used to the heat," Leach said. "It's definitely a big adjustment. We're a little tired. I just had to rely on my line and keep on the ball hard."

Leach could be seen at one point in the third quarter with his hands on his knees. The sign of a winded athlete. Still, Leach went on to break off a couple of long runs in the second half, including an 80-yard touchdown run that avoided contact with every Glens Falls player on the field.

The turning point, if there was one, may have been Biscaro's injury. Batavia went on to score on that drive, thanks to a 46-yard pass from Leach to Taiyo Iburi-Bethel on the first play after Biscaro left the field. But that didn't reveal how unsettled the offense would become without Biscaro.

That score gave Batavia a 14-0 lead but it was clear how much things changed on the next Blue Devils' possession, which began with a successful onside kick. The play calling was slow and a combination of Leach and Alex Rood in the backfield lacked the tempo and organization of a Biscaro-led offense.

The Blue Devils were unable to convert that opportunity into points on the board and with Glens Falls scoring on its next possession, momentum seems to have shifted in the Indians favor.

Briggs said losing Biscaro hurt on both sides of the ball.

"He's a huge part of our offense and our defense so there's no question about it, that hurt a lot but, hey, I'm the football coach and you've got to figure out how to get it done and I didn't do that."

Biscaro did take the field to start the second half but Batavia was still unable to get back in rhythm, and after taking another hit that sent him to the turf in pain, Biscaro was once again lifted from the game.

Briggs tried a few different looks with the offense with Biscaro out -- Leach along in the backfield, Leach at QB with Rood at running back, Rood taking the snaps, along with reverses, flea-flickers, end-arounds, and the offense wasn't able to execute consistently.

One of Batavia's touchdowns in the fourth quarter came after a pass to Andrew Francis bounced off his hands, into the air and toward the end zone. Iburi-Bethel grabbed the pop-up fly, turn, ran and scored.

That and Leach's 80-yard run where among the few bright spots for the Batavia offense without Biscaro.

Briggs blamed himself, not the dropped passes, the fumbled snaps, the miscommunication on the field.

"We ran a lot of wildcat stuff with Ray but obviously everybody's keying on him," Briggs said. "He's not a pure passer back there so we tried to do a few different things. But you know, it didn't totally work out but again we've got to get some stops and you know maybe I should have been a little better prepared for that."

Iburi-Bethel finished with four catches for 82 yards and a TD. Leach had one reception for a 28-yard TD. Biscaro was 5-6 passing for 70 yards and TD.

Besides Girard's heroics for Glens Falls, Trent Girard, one of six Girard cousins in the game, caught seven passes for 183 yards and a TD. David Barclay had two catches for 93 yards and a TD. Aalijah Sampson carried the ball 23 times for 135 yards and four touchdowns.

Batavia had 538 yards and 25:37 time of possession while Glens Falls had 464 total yards and 19:25 time of possession.

For Batavia, Cam White, Joseph Martinucci and Alex Rood all recorded sacks.

Joshua Barber had eight tackles. 

Photos by Jim Burns.

 

For more pictures, click here.

We're just a couple of minutes from kickoff at the Carrier Dome in the Class B state championship game between the Batavia Blue Devils and the Glens Falls Indians.

We spoke with a former Batavia player before the game who played in last season's opener at the Carrier Dome and he said on that September day it got hot inside the dome. Something to watch for this game -- whether the colder November weather helps keep it cooler in here or if it gets hot and then the effect that has on players. Ironically, the Carrier Dome is not air-conditioned. 

Other keys: Can the Blue Devils keep Indians QB Joseph Girard III in the pocket? And if they can, pressure him while the secondary maintains coverage? Turnovers good be key in a potentially high-scoring game.  

On the Batavia side, it's likely all about Ray Leach, who has gained more than 1,200 yards and scored 22 touchdowns in the last three games. Even if Glens Falls slows Leach, Batavia still has weapons in Ethan Biscaro, Alex Rood and Taiyo Iburi-Bethel.

It looks like Batavia comes into the game with the bigger line on offense and defense.

Check back shortly for updates or tune in to WBTA for the broadcast or WBTAi.com for the live stream.

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Opening kickoff to Batavia is out of the back of the end zone. Batavia starts on the 20-yard line. Leach on the first play, six-yard gain. Leach gets the first down on the next play. On the third play, Leach turns the corner and carries the ball to the Indians 23-yard line, with the last 15 yards gained coming while dragging defenders with him. Leach gains just two on his next carry. Holding penalty. First and 20. Pass to Taiyo Iburi-Bethal for a five-yard game. Leach out wide, pass from Biscaro, he gains 10 before an Indian defender grabs his jersey. Leach drags him five yards and then breaks the tackle. Leach breaks two more tackles and scores. Extra point missed. 6-0 Batavia.

Batavia kickoff out of bounds. Glens Falls starts on its 35. Joseph Girard passes on the first play. Dropped by Trent Girard on the far side. Joseph Girard barely backs it to the line of scrimmage after being held in the pocket and trying to run up the middle. Girard sweeps right and on the run heaves the ball far downfield and the pass is incomplete. Andrew Francis with good coverage. Glens Falls punts. No return.

Batavia starts on its own 26. Leach up the middle on the first play. Two-yard gain. Leach has nowhere to go on the second-down play. He barely makes it back to the line of scrimmage. Biscaro on a long pass to Iburi-Bethel. Complete at the 50-yard line. Iburi-Bethel on an end of round, nine-yard gain. Biscaro from shotgun, fakes a pass to a wideout and then darts up the middle for a three-yard game. First down. Biscaro from the shotgun sacked on a blitz. Second and 16. Biscaro on a keeper, collapses before he reaches the line, untouched and is on the field being tended to by a trainer.

Biscaro limps off the field. He was holding his knee. Third and 17. Leach takes over at QB. Snap to Leach and Leach heaves a high-arching pass intended for Andrew Francis, bounces off his hands and Iburi-Bethel picks the ball out of the air and streaks into the end zone. Touchdown. Leach scores on the two-point conversion. 14-0 Batavia.

Batavia recovers an onside kick at the Glens Falls' 45 yard line. Leach starts at QB and runs off the snap for a three-yard game. Timeout Batavia with 2:47 left in the quarter.

Leach at QB, and he hands the ball to Rood, who gains three yards. Leach back at QB. He drops the snap, recovers, breaks a tackle and sweeps to the nearside and gets back to the line of scrimmage. Fourth and 4. Leach on direct snap, sweeps right and gets six yards. Empty backfield, snap to Leach, runs left and gains three. Clock under 20 seconds, direct snap to Leach who tries running to his right and is tripped up in the backfield and flags fly. Holding on Batavia, 10-yard penalty. That's how the quarter ends. 14-0 Batavia.

Second and 19 for Batavia to start the second quarter. Leach takes the snap, long pass intercepted by Girard and he's tackled on the seven-yard line. Girard misses a pass two passes and then scrambling, nearly sacked in the end zone, on the run throws a long pass to Davi Barclay, complete at Batavia's 33-yard line. Handoff to Aalijah Sampson runs left and carries the ball to the 19-yard line for a first down. Sampson gets handoff again, carries the ball to the four-yard line. First and goal. Girard fakes the handoff and tries to run off tackle and stopped at the line of scrimmage. Batavia's defense again blocks up the middle of the line and Sampson stopped for a one-yard loss. Third down. Sampson rolls out to his right and is pursued. Cam White is on his tail and he reverses direction and as White reaches for him he seems to just take an extra step and eludes White, runs to far sideline, down the line, and into the end zone. Touchdown The extra point is blocked by Andrew Francis. 14-6, Batavia still leads.

Kick to Leach on the five-yard line. He returns it to Batavia's 27. Rood is QB on the first possession. Hands off to Leach for a two-yard gain. Incomplete pass from Rood. Intended for Iburi-Bethel. Rood takes the snap, drops back and feigns pass and then decides to run. Two-yard gain. Batavia will punt on 4th and 7. No return. Glens Falls takes over on its 29.

First and 10, Sampson on the carry for four yards. Girard hits Trent Girard the Indians have first and 10 at the 48-yard line. Girard with a completion to Sampson, nine-yard gain. Girard with plenty of time in the pocket, long pass intended for David Barclay but it falls beyond his diving reach. Girard rolls out, forced to turn back toward the right side and is tackled from behind for a loss by Josh Barber of a yard. Fourth and one. Timeout. There is 5:20 left in the half. Girard has to scramble and his pursued through the backfield, he runs right, gets the first down and cuts back to the middle past nearly every Batavia defender. Before he reaches the end zone with a Batavia player close, he dives and looks like he gets the ball over the line but a ref 15 yards away rules him down at the one-yard line. Sampson scores on the next play and then runs the ball in for the two-point conversion. 14-14.

There is 4:55 left in the half. The kickoff goes out the back of the end zone. Batavia's ball on its own 20. Leach drops the handoff and recovers his own fumble on the 17-yard line. Second and 13. Leach up the middle, finds a hole, cuts to his left, gets a good block and finds open field. He stumbles and recovers, three Indians pursuing him, he heads toward the sideline and outruns a lone defender for a score. That's an 83-yard TD run. Timeout before the extra point. Leach on the carry for a two-point try and he's stuffed at the line. 20-14, Batavia leads.

Batavia again tries an onside kick. The Indians get first and 10 from their own 49-yard line. Girard with a pass to Sampson, complete. Leach tries to shove him out of bounds but he stays on his feet and finds some space. He's tackled at about the 10-yard line. Sampson with the carry to the three-yard line. Sampson with the ball again and sweeps to the left, tackled at the one-yard line. Sampson up the middle for the score. Extra point is good for a 21-20 lead for the Indians. The first time all season Batavia has trailed.

According to our photographer on the sideline, Jim Burns, Ethan Biscaro is being taken by his parents for medical treatment. He's out for the remainder of the game.

Batavia takes over on the 20. Leach breaks free for again to the 38-yard line. Leach with the next carry for a five-yard gain. 2:06 left. Batavia has no timeouts left. On a flea-flicker, Leach throws down to the 20, intended for Iburi-Biscaro, incomplete. Leach with the carry. No gain. Flag on the play. Illegal formation declined. Fourth and three, Batavia will punt. Line-drive punt with a favorable Batavia punt. A 47-yard punt, ball down on the five-yard line.

Sampson on the carry from the five, three-yard gain. Girard is sacked, bringing up third and 17 but Glens Falls lets the clock run out on the half.

The half ends with Glens Falls leading 21-20.

During half-time, Ethan Biscaro was warming up. Apparently, in consultation with his parents, the decision has been made to let him play in the second half.

Batavia's kickoff to start the second half goes to Girard at the 20 who brings it back to the Indians 38, first and 10. Movement by Batavia on the line. Flag. Five-yard penalty. First and five. Girard drops back to pass and seems to have plenty of time to pass and then faces pressure and heads toward the far side and steps out of bounds for a short game. Pass for a first down, ball on the Indians 48. Girard rolls out and throws across the middle of the field to Trent Girard, complete to Batavia's 30. Sampson tripped up in the backfield by Batavia, second and 13. Girard drops deep, scrambles and just before reaching the line, throws a bullet at the knees of a receiver who drops it. Girard begins in the shotgun, scrambles, long pass to the far side, pass broken up by Iburi-Bethel. Fourth and 13. Girard's pass into the end zone, complete for a touchdown to Barclay. Francis wants an offense pass interference flag but doesn't get it. Extra point good. 28-20, Glens Falls.

Batavia starts on its own 20. Biscaro is at QB. Handoff to Leach, five-yard gain. Leach stopped at the line. Pass wide to Iburi-Bethel on the nearside, gain to the 33, making it first and 10. Leach up the middle, five-yard gain. Leach bottled up at the line, but gets two yards before being pushed back. Biscaro has Iburi-Bethel wide open down the middle with a pass to the 35 but Iburi-Bethel drops the pass. Batavia in punt formation. High deep punt by Francis. Glens Falls gets the ball on their own 21.

First play, Sampson dropped for a loss. Girard with a bullet to Trent Girard at the first-down marker on the far side. First down. Girard sacked by Iburi-Bethel. Two-yard loss. Girard on the run finds Trent Girard wide open on the 30. Rood makes a shoe-string tackle on the seven-yard line to save a touchdown. Sampson up the middle. Batavia claims a fumble but doesn't get the call. Ball on the two. Sampson again dropped for a loss. Ball on the three. Third and goal with 4:01 left in the third. Girard rolls right with two defenders in pursuit, on the two-yard line, they lunge at him and he sidesteps the tackle attempt and scores. Extra point is good. 35-20. 

Iburi-Bethel with the return. Batavia's ball on the 33-yard line, first and 10. Leach with the carry, out to the 39. Leach breaks two tackles on the way to the Indian's 42-yard line. First and 10. Leach with the ball, picks his way to the 29. First and 10. Leach off the left side, gain of three. Leach looking tired. A blitzer gets past him and sacks Biscaro, there is a fumble but Biscaro recovers. Biscaro passes to Zack Anderson back to the original line of scrimmage. Fourth and 10. Biscaro sacked. He drops the ball. The fumble is recovered by a Batavia lineman and Biscaro is again down on the turf but limps off the field. Glens Falls takes over on downs on their own 37.

Indians call timeout after lining up in formation. Five seconds left in the third quarter.

Trent Girard with a reception for a first down.

End of the third, 35-20, Glens Falls over Batavia.

Girard loses three on a keeper. On the next play, Girard again eludes the rush but his pass falls incomplete. Girard finds Trent Girard 10-yards out, who is wide open and with no defenders behind, touchdown. Extra point is good. 42-20.

OBSERVATION: Girard is a much better QB than what Batavia saw in Patrick Hackler last week, and Hackler is very good. Girard has a better touch, can also throw bullets, throw down the field on the run without under-throwing his targets, and is very hard to contain or catch in the backfield.

On first and 10 at the 15, direct snap to Leach, who eludes all tackles and carries the ball to the 50 before stepping out of bounds. Leach on the next carry, three-yard gain. Iburi-Bethel on the end-around, big gain out to the 30. Leach, direct snap, hands it off to Iburi-Bethel who breaks a tackle in the backfield and gains a couple of yards. Leach on direct snap runs to the outside and gets enough yardage for the first down but flag on the field. Holding on Batavia. Rood in the shotgun, pump fakes, looks downfield. Iburi-Bethel is wide open. The pass is on the numbers. He drops the ball. Third and 12 with 8:47 to go. Rood swings right, pursued by Terrell Bonner-Welch who hits him from behind. Rood lost the ball but he appears to have been down. There is a penalty against Batavia. 4th and 19. Rood drops back, in the grasp of a defender, he spins and tosses the ball down the middle of the field and finds Daemon Konieczny but well short of a first down. Glens Falls takes over on downs at their own 42.

Girard is sacked for an 11-yard loss. Girard sacked again, ball now on the 21. Glens Falls will punt.

With 6:12 left, down 42-20, Batavia starts on its own 43. Leach runs left, picks up about 10 where he breaks a tackle, and he changes direction heading toward the far sideline, picks up a couple of blockers and steps out of bounds at the 21. Leach with the ball, heads to his left and finds nothing but open field to the end zone. Touchdown. Two-point try fails, 42-26 Glens Falls.

Batavia tries an onside kick but a whistle blows at the line of scrimmage. Illegal motion. Batavia will kick again from the 35. The kick fails to travel 10 yards before going out of bounds at the 40. Five-yard penalty on Batavia, first and 10 from Batavia's 35. 

Sampson with the carry for four yards. Sampson with a 25-yard carry but a flag on the play. Block below the waist, 10-yard penalty on the Indians. Sampson again, big gain, to the 22. First down. Great backfield tackle on Sampson sweeping to the left, loss of two. Sampson breaks a tackle and finds some space but Iburi-Bethel catches him and comes over his back, hanging on, trying to strip the ball, and Sampson shakes him off and scores. Extra point is no good, 48-26 Glens Falls.

Time left, 3:44.

Rood at QB, hands off to Leach, sweeping left and a five-yard gain. Ball on the 25. Batavia tries a tricky play, with snap to Rood, hand off to Leach, pitch to Iburi-Bethel who heaves the ball downfield well beyond any receivers or defenders. Rood scrambles stops, turns to throw just pass the line, and lineman T.J. Guy intercepts giving Glens Falls the ball on Batavia's 16.

Sampson on the sweep to the left. Nobody touches him. Touchdown. Extra point makes it 55-26. There was a late flag on Sampson run, a personal foul that will be enforced on the kickoff.

Glens Falls kicking off from Batavia's 45. The kick skips through the end zone.

First play from the 20, Leach with the ball, untouched through the line, all the way to the end zone for an 80-yard TD. Leach stopped on the two-point try. 55-32, Glens Falls.  

Leach is exhausted.

Penalty on Batavia's kick. Try again from the 35. And another penalty. Encouragement. Ball on the 30. After two failed onside attempts, deep kick to Sampson who bobbles the ball but recovers, and carries the ball to Glens Falls 41-yard line. Sampson with the carry, six-yard game. Sampson with a first-down carry. Sampson, no gain. Less than a minute to play. Time will expire with Glens Falls up 55-32.

Here's the hardware they're playing for.

When you're a high school football player, it's something special to get to practice on Thanksgiving Day. It means only one thing. You're playing for a chance to win a state title.

The Batavia Blue Devils (12-0) held a walk-through practice this morning at the Batavia Middle School gym, rehearsing plays and defensive schemes in preparation for that championship match up with the Glens Falls Indians (10-2) at noon Saturday (Nov. 24) inside the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

"It was a special thing to practice on Thanksgiving and my father and I always talked about it, saying, 'wow, you know, think about it, some high school teams are practicing today,' " said Head Coach Brennen Briggs, son of Section V Hall of Fame Coach Jim Briggs. "It's finally us, so you know the hard work has paid off with all these guys and we're excited to get out there on Saturday."

Batavia got to the state final by outscoring the #1 ranked Skaneateles Lakers 54-49.

That game was the first time all season the Blue Devils faced a standout, strong-armed, athletic quarterback, in Patrick Hackler. As they turn their attention to the Indians, they're again facing a top-ranked QB, Joseph Girard III, who has a 63-percent completion rate on the season.

Again, he's big and athletic (he's all-time leading scorer in Basketball for Glens Falls, with 3,306 career points, and just signed a basketball scholarship with Syracuse).

He's also not the only member of the Girard family on the team. He's one of six cousins from a family with 75 years of athletic history in Glens Falls.

Briggs said facing Hackler and Skaneateles definately helped his team be better prepared to defend against Girard and the Indians.

"Obviously it's a very good football team over there," Briggs said. "You know we're game-planning for their quarterback and their skill positions. It's going to be a tough test for us. I think we'll be up for the challenge and you know we're hoping to get another good day of work in tomorrow."

The game plan for Batavia will come as no surprise to Glens Falls Head Coach Matt Shell: Give the ball to Ray Leach and make the Indians stop him.

So far in the postseason, every other opponent of the Blue Devils has found that impossible.

Leach has 1,223 yards rushing and has scored 22 touchdowns over the past three games, including eight touchdown performances against both Cheektowaga and Skaneateles (state playoff records). He was handed the ball 50 times against the Lakers. He set a new state record (breaking his previous week's record) with 474 yards rushing. His 50 points scored is a playoff record for New York.

Leach also intercepted a Hackler pass on defense, with Andrew Francis snagging another key interception to open the third quarter and allow Batavia to extend its lead by two touchdowns for the first time in the game.

The interceptions, perhaps, made the biggest difference and highlight a weakness for high school teams that live by the pass. Even the best high school quarterbacks are more prone to turnovers than top running backs.

Batavia's big line will be ready to pressure Girard and with Leach, Francis, and Taiyo Iburi-Bethel in the defensive secondary, the Blue Devils have the tools to disrupt the passing game.

"If we do what we do by taking care of the football, as we've done, then it should be pretty good for us," Briggs said. "I think that we've got some guys out there that are hungry to get the football once it's in the air so hopefully we can put some pressure on him, contain him, and create some turnovers."

At the end of today's practice, Briggs and his coaches told their players -- enjoy Thanksgiving with their families, be thankful for what they've got, recognize the unique position they're in -- a chance to play for a state championship, take care of themselves and be ready to go on Saturday. 

If you're not attending the game, you can listen to the WBTA broadcast (UPDATE: WBTA will stream the came on WBTAi.com) or check The Batavian for updates.

 

PHOTOS: from Jim Burns.

In big games, big-time players come up big and Ray Leach, for the second time in the postseason, scored eight touchdowns to, quite literally, carry his team, the Batavia Blue Devils, to a 54-49 win over defending state champion Skaneateles to propel Batavia to a state title shot Saturday at the Carrier Dome.

In three games, the Section V championship, the Far West Regional championship, and today's state finals playoff game, Leach has run for 1,223 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. 

"I'm speechless, really," said Head Coach Brennan Briggs after the game. "What he does every single week is impressive. You know, when he really turns it on, I don't know that anybody is stopping him in New York State. So hopefully you know we can put together a great week and hopefully, he can have a great game for us next week along with our offensive line."

Credit to the offensive line for opening holes but Leach was also impressive in his ability to step through small gaps, side-step diving linemen, create space on sweeps, break tackles, and if all else failed, drag one or two Skaneateles players along for a few extra yards.

For the second game in a row, Leach set a state record for rushing yards in a playoff game, hitting 472 tonight (on 52 carries), breaking last week's record of 427 yards.  His eight touchdowns tied last week's record eight touchdowns.

Josh Barber, who was once again a defense stalwart, said Leach helps lift the team's confidence.

"Ray Leach has played great since his freshman year," Barber said. "I knew he could get it done."

As is his habit in post-game interviews, Leach gave credit to his offensive line but he also acknowledged that Briggs expects him to be the man on the field and get the job done.

"I definitely got to come out hear him perform how I'm supposed to, and I just follow my line and things work out," Leach said.

Skaneateles came into the game 11-0, ranked #1, and behind quarterback Patrick Hackler one of the most potent offensives in the state. Hackler is a big kid and impressive when he heaves long passes downfield. With Nick Wamp as a frequent target and Areh Boni in the backfield, the Lakers kept the pressure on Batavia's defense all night.

Hackler was 17-30 passing for 260 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 149 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Wamp caught seven passes for 145 yards and two TDs. Boni ran for 64 yards and a TD.

Both teams came into the game with an unblemished streak of never trailing at any point in any game during the season. Batavia ruined the Laker's out-front run on its first drive, with Leach carrying the ball on all six plays, including the final 15-yard run to score.

Skaneateles would tie the game three times but with Batavia up 28-21 to start the second half, Andrew Francis intercepted Hackler on the first play from scrimmage setting up a Blue Devils drive that extended the lead but was only possible because Ethan Biscaro was able to scramble on a busted pass play, making his way to the far sideline, where he dodged Lakers down the line for a more than 20-yard gain, giving Batavia a first down on what had been a third-and-long play.

"Ethan's a fantastic athlete," Briggs said. He's got a great sense for the game. He knew exactly what he needed to do when he extended the play. He's a great football player."

From the Lakers' 47, Leach sprinted to the five-yard line and then scored on the next play.

Leach also led the team with 9 tackles and he had a key interception near the end of the third quarter.

Skaneateles still had a chance in the fourth quarter, scoring three touchdowns, including one on a 54-second drive that pulled them within five points, but Batavia was, as Briggs preaches, relentless, and answer the Lakers score for score.

"You know he (Leach) is an unbelievable player but up front, they got a job and they got the job done all night defensively," Briggs said. "Obviously there were some holes in there but that's a very good football team. Our kids banded together. They bend but they don't break."

For more game pictures click HERE

TO LISTEN TO THIS GAME, Tune in to WBTA.

Batavia received the kickoff. First play from scrimmage, Ray Leach gained about 30 yards. On the six play of the drive, with Leach carrying the ball on all six plays, Leach scores from the 15. Extra point is good, 7-0 Batavia.

Skaneateles second play from scrimmage is a 15-yard pass by Patrick Hackler for a first down. On the fourth play, Hackler breaks free on a keeper from the 45, carrying it to the Blue Devils' 25. Areh Boni scores on a handoff from Hackler from the 25 after a couple of incomplete passes. Extra point is good; 7-7.

Leach gets the ball on the first play of the drive for a five-yard gain. Leach gets the first down on the next play. Next play, Leach breaks through the line and carries the ball to the Lakers' 11-yard line. Leach again, for six yards. Puts the ball just short of the four-yard line. The Lakes manage to hold Leach to just a one-yard gain making it third and two. Leach scores from the two. Extra point is good; 14-7.

Lakers start next series on the 36. Hackler connects on the first play for 50 yards to Nick Wamp. Hackler on a keeper gains four yards. Hackler tries for the corner of the end zone and misses. Pitch to Areh Boni, held to a short gain. Skaneateles loses 10 yards on a holding penalty. On a fourth-down play from the 34, Hackler has to scramble and fails to reach the first-down marker. Batavia takes over on downs.

From the 28, Leach gains six yards on the first play. Leach stopped for a loss. Ball on the 32. Ethan Biscaro on a keeper. He reaches the 34 bringing up fourth and three. Batavia punts. Wamp receives the punt on the 30 but a flag on the play. The penalty is against Skaneateles. 

The Lakers series starts at their 19-yard line. A two-yard run by Boni. 

End of the first quarter, Batavia 14, Skaneateles 7.

The second quarter begins with Skaneateles on its own 22-yard line, second down. Hackler completes a 10-yard pass followed by a screen pass for a one-yard gain. Boni gains more than 20 yards on a run, putting the ball on the Blue Devils' 46. Taiyo Iburi-Bethel breaks up a long pass, bringing up second and 10. Boni rushes for three yards. Third and seven. Hackler scrambles pursued to the sideline where he dumps it off to Nathan Mulligan for a first down. Ball on the 32. Handoff to Nick Wamp stopped after a five-yard gain. Boni gains three, third and two. Keeper, Hackler for the first down. Ball on the Blue Devils' first down. Heckler on a keeper. Blue Devils close up a big hole quickly and stop him at the 12-yard line. Hackler overthrows William McGlynn. Offsides on the Blue Devils. First down for Skaneateles on the seven-yard line. Boni with the carry, gains two. Hackler on the keeper. Extra point is good; 14-14.

Short kickoff snagged in the air by Zack Anderson, who steps out of bounds at the 42. Leach dragged down from behind after a two-yard gain. Flag on the play. Holding on Batavia. It will be first and 20 from the 32. Biscaro attempts a 30-yard pass, dropped by the receiver. Leach breaks three tackles, gains 70 yards before he's tripped up on the one-yard line. First and goal. Leach scores. Extra point is good. 21-14, Batavia.

Nick Wamp takes the kickoff and is stopped by Leach with a hard-hit at the 34-yard line. Screen pass to Wamp, who picks his way through the defense for a 30-yard gain. Hackler's long pass skips into the arms of his receiver for an incomplete. Wamp rushes for six yards, bringing up third and four. Hackler on a keeper to the 22-yard line for a first down. Hackler tries to connect with McGlynn in the end zone, ball knocked away by Iburi-Bethel. Hackler carries on an option for a first down, first-and-10 at 10-yard line. Hackler's to Wamp on the six is complete. Hackler on the keeper, breaks through the line and scores. Extra point is good; 21-21.

Batavia starts its series on the 39-yard line. Skaneateles calls a timeout. Ray Leach gains 10 on the first play. Leach gains five. Leach gains four. Leach gains five, first down, ball on the Lakers' 41. Leach with another first down. Ball on the 24. Leach just short on his next carry of the first-down marker. Leach tiptoes through the line, finds a small hole, gains four and gets the first down. First and goal on the nine. Leach carries, carrying defenders to the one-yard line. Leach scores. Extra point is good; 28-21.

And the half ends with Batavia up 28-21. The Blue Devils will kick off to start the second half.

Skaneateles starts the half at the 49. First play, Hackler goes long and is picked off by Batavia's Andrew Francis. 

Batavia on its own 18. Leach stopped at the line of scrimmage on the first play. Delay of game, second and 15 at the 14. Leach sweeps to the near-side and gains seven. Biscaro drops back and then scrambles to the far-side and picks his way along the sideline to the Lakers' 47 for a first down. Leach on the next play carries the ball to the five-yard line. Leach from the five, scores. Extra point is good; 35-21. This is the first two-possession lead for the Blue Devils (this is also the first game all year that Skaneateles, who came in at 11-0, has ever trailed).

Leach has five TDs and more than 300 yards on the ground. He has more than 1,000 yards over three post-season games.

Nate Wellington takes the kickoff down to the eight-yard line of the Blue Devils, first and goal. Nick Wamp carries it to the four-yard line. Hackler sweeps right to the two-yard line, but the play is negated by a holding call. Second and 17. Hackler to Nick Wamp for the touchdown. Extra point good; 35-28.

Ethan Biscaro on the kickoff return, brings it back to the Lakers 45. Leach stopped at the line. Leach for a five-yard gain. False start. Third and 10. Leach held to only four yards on his next carry. Brings up fourth and eight. Batavia will go for it. Biscaro's pass is incomplete. Lakers take over on downs.

Skaneateles takes over on their own 43 and Hackler is stopped for no gain on the first play. Hackler passed to Nate Wellington who is hit immediately by Leach, for a five-yard gain. Hackler's next pass falls incomplete. On fourth and five, Hackler completes a pass in the flat but is two-yards short of the first down. Batavia takes over on downs.

Batavia starts on its own 47. Leach pushes through the line for a seven-yard gain. Leach stopped at the line by penetration from the line, Jimmy Liberatore making the initial hit on Leach. Biscaro tries to sweep to the far sideline and comes up short of the first down but he is face-masked and Skaneateles is assessed a 15-yard penalty.  Ball on the 30. Leach is the ball carrier and gets it to the 15-yard line for a first down. Leach gains seven on next run. Leach takes a direct snap and gets it to the first down. Biscaro on the carry to the two. Second and goal. Leach scores. His sixth touchdown on the night. Extra point is good; 42-28.

Skaneateles starts on their own 47. Leach intercepts a long pass from Hackler on the 10-yard line and brings it back to the 25-yard line. 

First and 10, Batavia at the 25.

End of the third quarter, Batavia 42, Skaneateles, 28. Short gain for Leach. Biscaro, looking to pass, hustles out of bounds for a loss. Batavia will punt.

From the Blue Devils' 39, Hackler with a run for eight yards. Hackler connects with Nick Wamp for a first down inside the 10-yard line. Hackler tries a keeper and is dragged down in the backfield. Hackler to Boni in the flat but Boni stumbles and falls, with nobody between him and the end zone, on the five-yard line. Third down. Hackler up the middle, stopped on the two-yard line by Josh Barber. Hackler with a light toss to William McGlynn for the touchdown. Extra point is good. 42-35, Batavia leads.

Skaneateles tries an onside kick and recovers but the ball doesn't go 10 yards. Batavia's ball on the Lakes' 49. Leach carries for nine and then on next carry takes it to the 32 for a first down. Leach gains seven. Leach brings the ball to the 16. First down. Leach scores. That's his seventh TD. Extra point is blocked; 48-35. 

Lakers' ball on their own 42, first and 10. Hackler takes the ball to the 49, second and three. Hackler stands tall in the pocket and finds Nick Wamp in the flat for a first down. Ball on the 34. Hackler to Wamp, 13-yard gain and a first down. Hackler runs, gains six and he makes it out of bounds. Pass to Wamp in the flat, who gets a good block and scores. Extra point is good; 48-42. The drive took only 54 seconds off the clock.

Skaneateles tries another on-side kick, recovered by Andrew Francis, ball on the Lakers' 47, first and 10. Leach stopped in the backfield. Second and 11. Leach breaks free on a sweep for a 48-yard TD run, his eighth TD. Two-point conversion fails; 54-42, Batavia.

Nate Wellington picks up a squib kick and is tripped up on the Lakers' 38-yard line, first and 10. Hackler pass falls incomplete. Hackler to Nick Wamp, putting the ball on the Blue Devils' 34. Hackler sprints out of bounds to the 18-yard line, first down. Hackler's pass into the corner of the end zone, incomplete. Defended by Andrew Francis. Hackler on a keeper up the middle to the four-yard line, another first down. Hackler on a sweep, scores. Extra point good; 54-49.

Batavia recovers another on-side kick. First and 10 at 50-yard line. 2:19 left in the game. No gain on the first play and the Lakes call a timeout. Leach with the carry for six, bringing up third and four. Leach for the first down. Lakers take a timeout. Leach for two yards. Leach for another three. One minute left with a third down play.

BATAVIA WINS, 54-49.

Article by Mike Cintorino, OAE head coach.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Football Team completed a perfect season on Saturday, finishing 8-0 and defeating the Weedsport Warriors 48-6 in the first-ever New York Upstate Championship in Eight-man Football. 

Once again it was the defense, as it has been the last three games for OAE, that truly set the tone for the day. 

After an opening offensive drive stalled for OAE, the defense got the ball right back after a 3 and out. 

Colton Dillon, Section V Offensive Player of the Year, scored the first three touchdowns for OAE. Dillon finished with 128 rushing yards on 13 carries with scores of 2, 6 and 61 yards. 

Gage Dieterle (Section V Defensive Player of the Year) added to his resume, earning MVP honors for the game. Dieterle only carried the ball six times but ran for 119 yards and for two big scores with runs of 50 and 35. 

Ty Mott continued his strong season with 21 carries for 158 yards and a 44-yard touchdown. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Peyton Yasses led the team with 13 tackles while Dieterle had five tackles with two sacks, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Mott and Ty Kornow both came away with interceptions. 

For the third-straight game, the OAE defense held the opposing offense out of the end zone. Weedsports lone score came on a 60-yard kickoff return by Hunter Morgan for a touchdown to open the second half. Jake Maloof led the Warriors with 87 yards on 13 carries.  

This has been an unbelievably successful season for the OAE team. The team overcame adversity with the switch to eight-man, learning to apply everything they have done in 11-man and apply it to this new opportunity. The team is 8-0 on the season, League Champions, Section V Champions, and NY Upstate Champions. 

Photos by Cindy Cassada .

Colton Dillion, #2

Gage Dieterle

Ty Mott

MVP Gage Dieterle

In a record-breaking season the Batavia Blue Devils will continue in the battle for a state championship after their win Saturday over Cheektowaga 28 to 56.

Hours before the game I asked someone from the coaching staff how the Blue Devils did preparing this week. He said he has never seen them so ready. He was right, they were ready. Apparently the Blue Devils are peaking at the right time.  

The offense was about as one-dimensional as it could get in tonight's game, it was all Ray Leach. Leach, tonight’s MVP, rushed for a NYS record setting 427 yards and eight touchdowns on 29 attempts. Don’t think he was all the Batavia offense had to offer, but he was more than they needed to defeat Cheektowaga. 

Leach did not do it all on his own, the front line opened up more than a few holes Leach could have walked through at his leisure and the other key offensive players made selfless blocks and served to distract Cheektowaga’s defense.

Like all true companionship contending teams, the Blue Devils defense was up to the task this evening. They made huge stops in the first half that kept Cheektowaga out of the game. Without stellar defensive plays it may have only been a seven-point game at the half instead of 8 to 36 Batavia. In the third quarter the defense put up a few points of their own with a safety. 

Coach Brennan Briggs congratulated the team after their victory and said “There are only four teams left in the state, why not us? Let's take it to the dome.” 

The Batavia Blue Devils will now face Skaneateles in Binghamton at 3 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 17^th.

For more photos of the game click HERE.

The Alexander Trojans won their first 10 games of 2018 by dominating their opponents, even bigger, stronger opponents.

Today, in Clarence, playing for the Far West Regional Championship, they met a team whose size they couldn't overcome.

The Trojans lost to the Clymer/Sherman/Panama Wolfpack 29-6.

The Trojans made it this far with a multi-player attack ground game and a defense that could stuff the run on the other side of the ball. Today, the Wolfpack outgained the Trojans 271 rushing yards to 148 rushing yards by dominating the line on both sides of the ball.

On defense, the Wolfpack linemen were often in the backfield as soon as the handoff.

On a team where 100-yard games have been common and frequent, only Ty Woods managed to break more than 100 yards rushing. He went for 116 yards on seven carries, but 86 of those yards came on the final play of the game. That's when Woods, who had taken over at QB, broke free on a run and scored Alexander's only touchdown.

"Where we made a living on speed and strength overcoming size and bulk, today we met a team that was our equal or better in the trenches and in the box," said Head Coach Tim Sawyer. 

There were two key moments in the game. In the first quarter, the Trojans advanced the ball to the red zone but a fumble pushed them back and gave them a 2nd and 17. The second decisive play was a third-quarter interception of a Dylan Busch pass.

"You cannot be in second and longs and third and longs against a team like this," Sawyer said.

Alexander was down by only a touchdown and seemed to be mounting a drive when they turned the ball over on the interception.

Sawyer admitted that may have deflated the team a bit.

Chris McClinic, who came into the game with 1,088 rushing yards on the season, an 11.7 per-carry average, was held to only 11 yards on 10 carries. Terrez Smith, who came into the game with 1,022 rushing yards on the season, a 9.55 per-carry average, was held to 20 yards on 10 carries. McClinic and Smith finish the season with 16 and 15 touchdowns apiece after not reaching the end zone once today.

It was a hard day to play football -- cold, made even colder by a strong, unrelenting wind that shortened passes and caused kicks to veer offline. 

With the Wolfpack shutting down the run, the wind and cold made Busch, who has put up great stats all year (49-92 for 907 yards, 15 TDs, and only six interceptions), a less effective alternative. He was 3-11 passing with three interceptions. The Wolfpacks QB, G. Hinsdale, was 4-12 passing with one interception.

The combined program of Clymer, Sherman and Panama gives the three schools a combined 328 student count (or what New York State Public High School Athletic Association calls "bed count." For football, for a team to qualify for Class D, the bed count should be 229 or below (Alexander's is 192). However, the NYSPHSAA used a formula that tallies the bed count of the second or third school in a combined program at 30 percent. That makes CSP's bed count 181.

To purchase keepsake prints of game photos, click here.

Blue Devils running back Ray Leach was named the Section V Class B Player of the Year and Coach Brennan Briggs was named Coach of the Year.

The awards come after Batavia secured another Section V championship Saturday, knocking off the Wayne Eagles, 48-14.

Though Briggs has led four teams in five years to Section V championships, this is his first Coach of the Year award. It's also the first Player of the Year award for Leach, a senior.

On the year, Leach has 127 carries for 1,714 yards, which averages 13.5 yards a carry, along with 27 rushing touchdowns. He has 10 receptions for 361 yards and three TDs. 

On his career at Batavia HS, he has 4,476 rushing yards and 66 TDs. He has 635 all-purpose yards and 90 touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of Batavia High School.

Just as they've done all season, the Alexander Trojans dominated an opponent and came away with a victory, this time for the Class D sectional title.

The Trojans beat York/Pavilion 36-0 in Alfred on Saturday night.

Three backs for Alexander gained at least 100 yards. Fullback Hayden Walton had eight carries for 100 yards. Chris McClinic gained 106 yards on 12 rushes. And Terrez Smith, the game's MVP, ran seven times for 116 yards.

"(Winning the MVP in sectionals) means everything but I'm not the most valuable player," Smith said. "The team helped me a lot to get this trophy. I wouldn't have it without this team. It was a team effort."

It was nearly nine minutes into the first quarter before Alexander scored for the first time, on a 56-yard run by Smith. 

By half-time, York/Pavilion's fate seemed sealed with the Trojans up 29-0 after a 29 yard run by Smith, a McClinic eight-yard run, and an 18-yard pass from Dylan Busch to McClinic.

Busch completed six passes against one interception, on a tipped pass, on the night.

McClinic, Smith, Walton, Busch, Ty Wood, the Trojans are a team with exceptional talent at skill positions. It's something special, McClinic said, to be surrounded by such great teammates.

"You know you don't have to do it all yourself," McClinic said. "You know you have some skill guys around. That's wonderful."

Sawyer agrees it's special but the whole team is special.

"When 11 guys do their job then the team really benefits from that," Tim Sawyer, head coach, said. That's been our formula and guys know what they need to do and that they're accountable to each other. You add to that, they care about each other and makes for a winning combination for sure."

On defense, Jake Jasen had another big game with 15 tackles, Woods 11, Walton 9, plus a fumble recovery, and Nate Luker had eight tackles.

The Trojans won their first sectional title in program history two years ago and that seemed like an incredible team but Alexander hit a brick wall -- like a lot of Section V teams do -- when it came time to play Section VI for the regional championship.

That year Maple Grove came out strong and fast and left Alexander not much of an answer on its way to a 28-0 win.

Coach Sawyer's hopeful this year's Trojan team can succeed where other Section V teams have failed when Alexander takes on Clymer in Clarence next week.

Clymer is 10-0 and ranked #1 in the state so Alexander is meeting a tough opponent again as it tries to advance to the state tournament.

"(Maple Grove) was just a little bit better than we were in the trenches and they dictated the play a little bit more," Sawyer said. "think we throw the ball better now than we did then because of pre-snap reads perhaps. Our defense has come a long way. Our defense is just outstanding.

"Coach McCracken is very thorough. The kids understand the system. Anytime you have a defense like we have it gives you a chance every week, so yeah, we're looking forward to the matchup for sure."

Top Photo: Head Coach Tim Sawyer embraces Terrez Smith as time expires in Alexander's Class D championship win.

Dylan Busch trots into the end zone of Alexander's final TD of the night. Busch snatched the ball out of the air after York's QB was hit from behind as he attempted a pass (next picture).

Chris McClinic

Terrez Smith headed for the end zone.

Chris McClinic

To purchase keepsake prints of photos, click here.

Hundreds of Alexander fans greeted the Trojans when the team bus arrived back at the school at 11:30 last night. The bus received a fire department escort through the village. (Photo submitted by Andrew Young.)

Batavia Blue Devils faced the Wayne Eagles for the Class B Sec V Class final at St. John Fisher College Saturday night. Most everything has been falling Batavia’s way this season and that included the game's coin toss. Batavia won and elected to receive. 

On the game's opening kick Wayne went for an onside kick, or their kicker shanked it, no one was sure, but the play ended with Wayne recovering the ball in Batavia territory. The Batavia defense held Wayne and after three downs they punted but Batavia coughed up the ball again on a fumble. This time Wayne was able to capitalize on the turnover and scored. 

For the first time this season Batavia was behind in a game.

Late in the first quarter, Batavia was able to get up on the board with a touchdown, but in more uncharacteristic play, they failed to convert and missed the field goal. The first quarter ended Batavia 6 Wayne 7.  

After some back and forth Batavia was able to break through and score with four and a half minutes left in the first half, then again with three minutes left and again with 40 seconds left in the half. At the end of the first half Batavia led 28 to 7. 

Batavia made sure Wayne understood they were in charge and there was no way they were going to let them back into the game. Batavia started the second half scoring again only 20 seconds in. Batavia 35, Wayne 7. 

After a few substitutions by Batavia, they led by 49 to 7. Wayne was able to put a few more points up on the board in the fourth. 

The final score Batavia 49, Wayne 14.

Ray Leach hit a season-high with 344 yards and six TDs. Alec Rood ran for 59 yards.

Ethan Biscaro went 5 for 9 passing for 112 yards and 1TD and another interception on defense. 

 Taio lburi-Bethel had four receptions for 110 yards and one TD.

For more pictures of the game click HERE

Press release: 

Leaders from Batavia Downs Gaming offer their congratulations to Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas on his very special #34 jersey retirement tonight at New Era Field in Buffalo.

“It has been and is a pleasure working with Thurman at Batavia Downs Gaming, he is not only a work colleague but has become a good friend,” said Henry F. Wojtaszek, president/CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming WROTB. “Along with our entire Batavia Downs family, I want to congratulate Thurman and his family on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

Thurman Thomas has been associated with Batavia Downs as its Ambassador since 2012. He helped design the 34 Rush Sports Bar that is named after the Hall of Famer and opened in 2013. 

“What really makes this relationship special is Thurman’s wife, Patti Thomas, enjoyed many times at the Downs as a child as her family has been involved in (horse) racing since the 1970s,” said Michael Nolan, chief operation officer of Batavia Downs Gaming WROTB. “Since his football days Thurman has become a great friend and there is nobody more deserving of this great recognition.”

Thomas is widely considered to be the Buffalo Bills' greatest running back, having finished his career as the team's all-time leading rusher, an honor he still holds. Throughout his 12 years with Buffalo, Thomas rushed for 11,938 and 65 touchdowns.

The Buffalo Bills play the New England Patriots at 8:15 p.m.

Photos and write up provided by Mike Cintorino, OA-Elba head coach:

The OAE Football team defeated the CG Finney/Northstar Falcons 55-2 on Saturday night at St. John Fisher College to win the first ever Section V 8-Man Football Championship.

OAE wasted no time, scoring on the first play from scrimmage with a 60-yard run by sophomore Ty Mott, his first of two scores on the night on his way to 160 rushing on only seven carries. Colton Dillon continued his dominance, with 4 rushing touchdowns, all in the first half, on his way to 132 yards rushing on just seven carries. Sophomore Jayden Hughes also had a big night with 104 yards rushing on just four carries, including an 82-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Ty Kropelin added the other score for the OAE Football team who remains undefeated for the season and are ranked #4 in New York State.  

The defense once again held strong holding the Falcons out of the endzone, with their only points coming on a safety late in the game. Sophomores Ty Mott and Peyton Yasses each had 15 tackles while Nick Munger, Jayden Hughes, and Nick Wissinger all had interceptions. Gage Dieterle had four tackles for a loss including two sacks on the night. The OAE team had six total sacks total and forced four turnovers on the cold rainy night.  

Maalik Thomas led the way for the Falcons with 186 yards on 29 carries.  

The Weedsport Warriors will face off against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown in the Section III Championship game next Saturday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. OAE will now face off against the winner of that game for the first ever Upstate New York Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 12th, at 12 p.m. at Pittsford Sutherland High School.

A 325-yard ground game helped Alexander dominate Perry/Mt. Morris in the Class D semifinal playoff game played at Cal-Mum on Saturday, leading to a 45-8 victory.

Chris McClinic rushed 19 times for 108 yards and three TDs. Terrez Smith added another 142 yards and two TDs on 10 carries. Hayden Walton gained 66 yards on nine attempts. Dylan Busch was 3-8 passing for 66 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice.

Alexander's first score came on its second possession in the first quarter when Busch hit Ty Woods over the middle for a 37-yard TD. 

Perry scored on a Cameron Petrie 62-yard kickoff return.

In the top photo, Smith breaks free for a 76-yard touchdown run (scoring on the second photo).

On defense, Jake Jasen had six tackles. J.J. Goodenbury and Ty Woods had five tackles each. Ty Woods forced a fumble and had an interception. Nick Kramer and Nello Paolucci each contributed a sack.

Defense was stellar all night. Jake Jasen led the Trojans with six tackles. JJ Goodenbury and Ty Woods each had five tackles for the Trojans. Ty Woods forced a fumble and had a big interception on the night. Freshmen linebacker Nick Kramer and SR. DE Nello Paolucci each has QB sacks for the Trojans! Trojans will play the winner of the York /Canisteo game. -- Tim Sawyer

York/Pavilion, the #6 seed, beat Canisteo-Greenwood, the #2 seed, 12-7. Alexander and York/Pavilion will face off for the Class D championship at 7 p.m., Saturday at Alfred State University.

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The trouble with averaging over 40 points per game, with the majority of those points usually coming in the first half, is people get nervous when you lead at half time by only 7 points. Even if you made big stops on defense and move the ball on offense better than the other team.

The buzz at the half, in the stands and with those huddled in the concession area trying to stay dry, was one of worry for the Blue Devils. What did they have to worry about? Absolutely nothing. 

Why were the fans worried? Well, at the half there was a little kerfuffle in which both teams stormed the field then stopped short of each other. Then Batavia calmly went off to their own end zone for a quick halftime meeting.

Honeoye Falls-Lima seemed to feel that keeping favored Batavia to only 7 points in the first half was a victory in itself and HF-L celebrated a bit before heading off to the locker room.

To many of the Batavia fans, who expected another trademark Batavia rout by halftime, it seemed HF-L had the momentum and was poised to control the second half. It never happened. Batavia controlled the game as they did in the first half in the second; the difference being they also scored 22 points.

Ethan Biscaro led the team as QB going 4 for 5 with two TDs and a big interception on defense.

Ray Leach wore the HF-L defense down and started the second half with an 84-yard run for a TD that killed any psychological advantage HF-L may have had. Leach had a 175-yard game.

Alex Rood and Taiyo Iburi-Bethel each had receptions for TDs.

Final score Batavia 29, HF-L 0. Batavia moves on in the playoffs to face Wayne.

To see more pictues from the game click here

In the rain, on a muddy track, Notre Dame's offense was unable to find its groove Saturday afternoon and slowly watched its Class D quarterfinal playoff game against York/Pavilion slip away.

The Fighting Irish lost 18-0.

At this time, no stats are available.

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Alexander put on another impressive offensive performance Friday night to advance in the Class D sectional playoffs with a 25-12 win over Red Jacket.

Chris McClinic was back after suffering a leg injury two games ago and gained 81 yards on 12 carries. He scored one TD. Ty Woods scored a TD on three carries for 35 yards. He also have five receptions for 62 yards and a TD. QB Dylan Busch was 10-16 passing for 117 yards and TD with one interception. Hayden Walton also scored a touchdown.

On defense, Jake Jasen had 18 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Walton had 10 tackles. Terrez Smith had four tackles and an interception.

"I give a lot of credit to the Red Jacket staff and players for putting together a very good game plan and going out and executing it," said Alexander Coach Tim Sawyer. "They are very big and tough up front and they chewed up the clock at times in this game.

"We were pushed tonight. I'm proud that my kids and staff didn't blink. We stayed within our own game plan and won the game by 2 scores. But for an 8 seed to come out and fight like that, I give them a lot of credit."

Photos by Steve Ognibene.