Gridiron Notes: Around Section V from Week 2

By PAUL LIOTTI

By Saturday the oppressive heat gave way to great football weather. Week 2 is in the books and as usual, it didn’t disappoint. The weekend was full of excitement and some outstanding performances.

Let’s get to it.

It’s More Than A Game

For 48 minutes every weekend, high school gridders go to war: They push, shove, and slam each other ground; the bleed, sweat, and ache. But after the final horn, no matter the carnage or the rivalry, opposing warriors know it’s just a game, and share a special fellowship. This was no more exemplified than after McQuaid rallied to beat Canisius.

After the two teams shook hands, the McQuaid captains presented a check for $1,000 to Canisius senior kicker, Tristian Vanderberg.

The reason? Vanderberg is dedicating this season to his 3-year-old cousin, Jack, who as diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia this past July. Through “Alex’s Lemonade Stand,” a national childhood cancer foundation, Vanderberg has spearheaded an online fundraising effort, by asking for one-time donations or donations for every point he has scores this season. His goal this season is 60 points; Friday night he tallied 19 points in the 42-37 loss to the Knights.

A great end to a hard-fought night.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Last-Second Heroics

Arcadia QB Brian Shonitsky – who is just a freshman – ran a naked bootleg around the left side and scampered 4 yards darting just inside the pylon with 10.5 seconds left to give the Titans at 14-7 win over Penfield. Arcadia improves to 2-0, Penfield drops to 0-2.

 

Oooh, that dude is fresh…man. In a tie game with 10.5 seconds left in regulation, @GreeceArcadia Fr. starting QB Brian Shonitsky @Brianshonitsky2 runs it just inside the pylon to keep @ArcadiaFootball an undefeated team on the season. pic.twitter.com/7i6Gm3j9f8

— Matt Trabold (@TrabsMatt) September 9, 2018

Workin’ Overtime

Senior Shawn Benard hauled in a 13-yard pass from D’Ohntae Puryear and Michael Cathey dove in for the two point conversion in the first overtime period to push Edison ahead of Leadership 14-6.  The Inventor defense slammed the door in Leadership’s OT series to seal the deal.

Seriously?

Wilson scored three times in the first 10 minutes against Brighton. It wasn’t the what, but the how. The Wildcats reached the end zone three times while running just one offensive play; getting scores from all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams.

• First offensive play: Desi Floyd 75-yard sprint to paydirt.
• After a Baron 3-and-out: Rickey Gamble returned the punt for 70 yards to the house.
• Next Baron drive: Dante McGowan forced a fumble and Nasir King, Jr. scooped and scored from 18 yards.

Wilson (2-0) won 46-7.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

In 2010, Letchworth completed an undefeated, UNSCORED upon regular season, defeating their opponents by a combined 275-0 margin. It added another shutout in the Sectional Semifinals and won Class C before losing in the State Quarterfinals.  This year Letchworth/Warsaw is 2-0, outscoring their opponents 49-0.

Delayed Start

2018 will see the official start to the 8-man football season. If you like scoring, 8-man football is must-see. Four section V teams will field an 8-man squad. Their season will open this week and each team playing the other teams two times in a home-and-home series for a 6-game regular season.

• CG Finney/Northstar Academy
• Holley
• Marcus Whitman
• Oakfield-Alabama/Elba

Play it Again Sam, ‘er Connor

For the second game in a row, Connor Fingar of Penn Yan intercepted his opponent in the end zone on the last play of the game. This time it wasn’t as dramatic as last week’s when his interception secured PY’s win over Waterloo, 34-28. This week, PY had the game in hand leading Geneva 35-21. But still. Fingar also accounted 10 tackes and two touchdowns by gaining 107 yards through the air. PS: To PY’s opposing coaches: If you’re throwing into the end zone on the last play of the game, don’t throw it in Fingar’s direction.

Taking My Talents To The Hudson River

Wilson senior WR/DB Rickey Gamble announced on Friday his commitment to the University at Albany. Gamble will suit up for the Great Danes, an FCS (Division I-AA) team who compete in the Colonial Athletic Association. Albany will take the field against Syracuse in 2021.

BY THE NUMBERS

Longest Active Win Streaks:

• 6 – East (last 4 in 2017 + 2 in 2018)
• 5 – Attica (last 3 in 2017 + 2 in 2018)

Demolition Men

Most explosive offenses thru 2 games:

• 91 – Aquinas
• 90 – McQuaid Jesuit
• 84 – Wayne
• 80 – Wilson
• 80 – Newark
• 80 – East
• 80 – E.Rochester/Gananda
• 78 – Alexander
• 78 – Clyde-Savannah
• 75 – Canandaigua

 Shutting the Door

Most stingiest defenses thru 2 games:

• 0 – Attica
• 0 – Letchworth/Warsaw
• 3 – Fairport
• 7 – Wilson
• 7 – Victor
• 10 – Newark
• 12 – Alexander
• 13 – East
• 16 – Webster Thomas
• 17 – Irondequoit
• 17 – Hilton

Defenders of the Universe

• Wayne’s Jonah Pullen had 10 tackles, 2 for a loss. Wayne beat Midlakes 49-13.
• York swarmed Bolivar-Richburg’s offense, sacking the QB 10 times.
• Irondequoit’s version of the Steel Curtain limited Athena to -11 yards rushing and 42 total yards of offense through 3 quarters. IQ won 42-7.
• AQ’s defensive tackle Marcus Cox had 11 tackles and Ben Visca had 9 tackles and 2 interceptions. AQ held Binghamton to just 204 yards of offense, winning 49-7.
• Wilson’s Amir Buckhannon notched 14 tackles, one for a loss and one sack. Dante McGowan added 12 tackles, one for a loss and forced one fumble in a 32-0 shutout of Monroe.
• Edison’s Jakari Clark (14) and Keyonte Carree (9) combined for 23 tackles, 5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery as the Inventors knocked off Leadership 14-6.

 Just Give Me The Ball

• AQ’s Caron Robinson touched the ball 3 times on offense, accounted for 177 total yards and all three were touchdowns: 27 and 94 yards on the ground and 56 yards through the air.
• McQuaid RB Mark Passero logged 274 yards of offense – 156 rushing on 14 carries and 118 yards on 7 receptions – and scored 3 touchdowns. The Knights rallied to beat Canisius 52-37.
• Newark’s Zach Ludolph 15-145-3 TDs rushing. The Reds beat Pal-Mac 36-10 to remain undefeated.
• Wayne’s Grayson Zenelovic 10-13-215-4 TDs – in just 2 quarters of action.
• Attica’s thunder and lighting — Edward Strzelec (thunder) and Mason Compton (lightning) combined for 228 yards. Attica shut out Hornell 6-0.
• Bath senior RB Kyle Rinker 17-108. Dansville won 20-12.
• Schroeder’s Luke Lupisella 16-152-2 TDs. Schroeder defeated Spencerport 34-26
• Spencerport’s LeVar Merritt had 20 carries for 151 yards.
• Eastridge’s Matthew Brantley 16-130 and 1 TD in a 25-14 win over Brockport.
• Wilson’s Desi Floyd rushed for 132 yards.

 Arms Race

• Penn Yan QB William Rogers looked like Drew Brees, completing 30 of 40 passes for 388 yards in PY’s 35-21 win over Geneva. In two games this year he is 55-76-644 yards.
• East’s Anthony Gilbert completed 11-13 passes for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns of 85 and 55 yards. East beat Monroe 32-0.
• AQ sophomore Tyler Szalkowski had a perfect passer-rating (if there was one in high school) completed all 5 of his passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns.
• McQuaid’s Hunter Walsh 27-36-325-2 TDs. He ran for one too.
• Letchworth/Warsaw’s Tom Standera completed 10 of 18 passes for 129 yards.
• BK’s CJ Masters went 10-15-140 and 1 TD. Kings dropped a 41-12 decision to Section VI’s Cardinal O’Hara
• Jack Johnston 11-of-16 for 153 yards in a 41-14 win over Rush-Henrietta
• RH’s Patrick Sherron 11-20-207 and 2 TDs

 Better To Receive

• East’s Seven Magee logged 125 yards on 14 totes and a score.
• Wayne’s Anthony Muratore had 4 catches for 108 yards.

Must See Games

Friday

• Letchworth/Warsaw at Batavia, 7:30 pm. L/W is undefeated and unscored-upon. Batavia (2-0) averages 37 points a game. Who blinks?
• Alexander at Geneseo, 7:30 pm. Class D supremacy on the line when these undefeated teams meet.
• Finney/Northstar at Oakfield-Alabama/Elba, 7 pm. What does 8-man football look like?

Saturday

• East vs Wilson, 2 pm, Marina Auto Stadium. RCAC and Class A implications abound. Both teams score at will; both teams shut down their opponents. Which unit cracks first?
• Aquinas at Canisius (VI), 2 pm. Ali-Frazier II had nothing on these two heavyweights
• Livonia at Wayland-Cohocton, 1 pm. Way-Co’s 2-0. Will Livonia rebound after being shut out?

Let’s Play Two

The East-Wilson game is part of a double header Saturday afternoon at Marina Auto Stadium (aka Capelli Stadium, aka Rhinos Stadium). East-Wilson kick off at 2 pm; Edison-Leadership follows at 5 pm.

Full Slate

Friday

Gates-Chili vs. Leadership, 6 pm at Franklin

Spencerport at Irondequoit, 6 pm

Brighton at Brockport, 7 pm

Canandaigua at Eastridge, 7 pm

Churchville-Chili at Victor, 7 pm

Dansville at Lyons, 7 pm

Dundee at S.Seneca/Romulus/Trumansburg , 7 pm

East Rochester-Gananda at Penn Yan Academy, 7 pm

Finney/Northstar at Oakfield-Alabama/Elba, 7 pm.

Geneva at Midlakes, 7 pm

Greece Athena at Webster Thomas, 7 pm

Newark at Waterloo, 7 pm

Wayne at Palmyra-Macedon, 7 pm

Webster Schroeder at Pittsford, 7 pm at Sutherland

Alexander at Geneseo, 7:30 pm

Avon at Bath-Haverling, 7:30 pm

Bolivar-Richburg at Canisteo-Greenwood, 7:30 pm

Hilton at Penfield, 7:30 pm

Hornell at Wellsville, 7:30 pm

Le Roy at Attica, 7:30 pm

Letchworth/Warsaw at Batavia, 7:30 pm

Notre Dame-Batavia at Cuba-Rushford, 7:30 pm

Red Jacket at Clyde-Savannah, 7:30 pm

St. Mary’s (VI) at Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen, 7:30 pm

York/Pavilion at Perry/Mt. Morris, 7:30 pm

 

Saturday

Bishop Timon at BK/Rochester Prep, 1 pm

Honeoye Falls-Lima at Monroe, 1 pm

Livonia at Wayland-Cohocton, 1 pm.

McQuaid Jesuit at St. Joes (VI), 1 pm

Marcus Whitman at Holley, 1:30 pm

Aquinas Institute at Canisius (VI), 2 pm

East vs. Wilson, 2 pm, Marina Auto Stadium

Fairport at Rush-Henrietta, 2 pm

Greece Olympia/Greece Odyssey at Greece Arcadia, 2 pm

Edison vs. Leadership follows at 5 pm, Marina Auto Stadium