BY PAUL LIOTTI
The obvious goal is to win championships. But every game has underlying plots – the story within the story.
For Irondequoit, it’s keeping its perfect record and dream of winning a title one year after coming so close only to be denied.
For Victor, it’s trying to return to the top of the heap and avenge an early-season loss for the second time in the playoffs.
But whatever the reason, the Class A title game will be a well-coached, hard-hitting and extremely entertaining for those who will trek to SUNY Brockport for Friday for the 7 pm title game.
Since the New York State classification beds were first announced, Section V’s Class A earned the moniker of ‘most-competitive.’ Sixteen teams were registered in the class, and when the seven regular season weeks were complete, prognosticators were validated as all eight teams that qualified for the playoffs had winning records. No other class could make that claim.
“Class A had 16 teams and it was going to be a dogfight all year,” Victor coach Geoff Mandile said. “And it was a difficult class to navigate. The two best teams survived.”
Victor has won two titles in the past four years, but was eliminated in the semifinals last year. This year, the task at hand for fourth-seeded Victor won’t be easy. No. 2 seeded Irondequoit (9-0) is ranked fourth statewide by the NYSSWA, is senior-laden, has a salty defense, and tremendous playmakers.
“Irondequoit is 9-0 for a reason,” Mandile said “Their defense is fast, flew around the field and contained East’s speed. We are stressing assignment football where, if everyone takes care of what they are supposed to do, we will be in a good position. We need to stay in our alleys and take care of what is in front of us. They present many challenges for us. And there aren’t many players like Freddie (June).”
Freddie, as in Freddie June, Jr., the all-everything quarterback who can beat you with his arms or beat you with his legs. He accounts for more than 200 yards per game and has scored four or more touchdowns in multiple games this year. In the quarterfinal win over Wilson, he ran 29 times for 110 yards and completed 11 passes for 72 more yards and had a hand in four touchdowns and two conversions. Against East in the semifinals, it was 114 yards rushing, 79 yards passing and four total touchdowns.
If Victor stops June, there’s shifty running back Jaden Turner (142 yards rushing in the quarterfinals) or sure-handed Quinn Simenson as a receiver.
But it’s the defense that has more than likely kept the Blue Devil coaching staff up all week. As in, how do you beat a defense that allowed 33 yards in 34 plays through the end of the third quarter in the semifinals against East? Or held Wilson’s vaunted run game to just 71 yards on 21 rushes in the quarterfinals? Or a team that is seems to get better each week.
“They are well-coached and their front seven is as good a front seven as we have played against and get bodies on everyone,” Mandile said.
And it’s not by coincidence that the Eagles are where they are defensively. They are very experienced, featuring a host of seniors who have several years starting under their belts. And they are hungry for a title, after losing in the Class A final to Wilson last year.
“Our defense takes pride in what they do,” Irondequoit coach Dan Ficher said. “They are very well prepared. Coach (Chris) Battagia teaches them what they need to know — what their calls are, what their reads are — to be successful. And then knowing what needs to happen makes our four down linemen play faster and our linebackers more aggressive.”
The line, anchored by seniors Cameron Martin on the end and Liam Jones in the middle, make life difficult for any opposing running back or quarterback. Then senior linebackers Jimmy Clements and Nick Serce clean up anything that the front line misses.
“It’s been a long season and during the season we never looked past the game that was right in front of us,” Ficher said. “They know what it took to get to this point, what’s at stake and they know what the need to do. We are a senior-laden team so I don’t need to tell them what’s at stake. I can see it in their eyes. I can see it in how they practice. They know what’s in front of them.”
Victor’s added incentive is to avenge a 28-21 loss to Irondequoit in Week 4. The Blue Devils (7-2/No. 16 NYSSWA) have already avenged one of their losses with a 27-7 thumping of previously undefeated and top-seeded Canandaigua in the semifinals. The Blue Devils are looking to make it two in a row this week.
“When we played against them a few weeks ago they made a play or two more than we made at the end and that was the difference. We preach to not waste a failure; but to learn from it. We did that against Canandaigua and are working toward doing that again against Irondequoit.”
While the Eagles bring a lot of weapons to the table, it’s not going to be easy for Irondequoit by any stretch of the imagination.
Victor’s primarily run-dominated offense features a thunder-and-lightning approach with two running backs that can break tackles or take it to the house.
Junior Joey Pezzimenti (the thunder) and sophomore Rushawn Baker (the lightning) can set the stage early. On the third play from scrimmage, Baker’s 55-yard touchdown run broke Canandaigua even before it started. From there, the defense rose to the occasion, holding the Braves – who were undefeated and the top seed in Class A – to just 137 total yards of offense, 47 of which came on one play. Pezzimenti has rushed for 927 yards and scored nine touchdowns while Baker has logged 719 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“Rushawn and Joey are two different runners and our job is to balance the two out during a game. We got each of them 15 rushes against Canandaigua and hopefully we can do the same this week,” said Mandile.
While both coaches believe they have the tools to win the game, both coaches agree that the outcome will be decided
“At this point in the season you can’t point to one thing that will turn the game,” Ficher said. “All matchups are important. It will come down to the team that makes the fewest amount of mistakes.”
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