Top seeds clash for the 2022 Section V Class D Football championship on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
No. 1 seed OAKFIELD-ALABAMA/ELBA AGGIES (10-0/No. 2 NYSSWA Class D)
vs.
No. 2 seed ALEXANDER TROJANS (9-0/No. 6 NYSSWA Class D)
How they arrived here: Oakfield-Alabama/Elba got multi-score wins over No. 8 Geneseo (70-28) and No. 4 York/Pavilion (40-6). Alexander opened with win over No. 7 Clyde-Savannah, 33-0 in the quarterfinals before beating No. 3 Avon 43-13 in the semifinals.
Players to watch for OAE: Noah Currier Sr. RB 1579 rushing yards, 30 rushing touchdowns, 117 rushing attempts, 13.5 yards per carry, 85 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, four receptions, one fumble recovery (60-yard touchdown), one defensive touchdown; Bodie Hyde Jr. QB/LB 1108 rushing yards, 19 rushing touchdowns, 78 rushing attempts, 14.2 yards per carry, 507 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, 26-of-40 passing, two interceptions, 61 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception (68-yard touchdown), one defensive touchdown; Connor Scott Sr. RB/LB 314 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 28 rushing attempts, 99 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, six receptions, 15 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, one sack, four interceptions, six pass breakups, two fumble recoveries; Kyle Porter Sr. WR/DB 225 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns, 11 receptions, 20 tackles, three interceptions; Brayden Smith 76 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, three interceptions, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery; T.J. Andrews Sr. DL 66 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks; Aiden Warner Sr. RB/TE/LB 354 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 25 rushing attempts, 49 receiving yards, two receptions, 57 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one interception (25-yard touchdown), one defensive touchdown, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery; Angelo Penna Jr. DE 45 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, six sacks, one fumble recovery.
Players to watch for Alexander: Ricky Townley Sr. RB 717 rushing yards, 95 rushing attempts, six rushing touchdowns, 11 rushing touchdowns, 58 tackles, two interceptions; Kaden Lyons Sr. FB 393 rushing yards, 42 rushing attempts, 9.4 yards per carry, 192 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, 10 receptions; Benny Merrill Sr. WR 469 receiving yards, 19 receptions, seven touchdowns; Trenton Woods Jr. WR 915 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 45-of-80 passing, two interceptions, 254 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns; Mason Bump Sr. LB 46 tackles, Tyler Marino Jr. CB four interceptions, three defensive touchdowns.
Coaches: Tyler Winter (Oakfield-Alabama/Elba), Tim Sawyer (Alexander)
Keys for OAE:
- Start fast on all three sides of the ball.
- Take care of the football
- Respond to adversity
- Establish themselves at the line of scrimmage
- Create big-time plays
Keys for Alexander:
- Sustain blocks through the whistle
- Tackle well
- Put together long, efficient drives for points
- Be disciplined on offense
History 101: O-A/E is looking to repeat as Class D champs. Oakfield-Alabama won titles in 2004, ’06, ’18 (8-Man) and ’19 (8-Man). Elba claimed titles in 1982, ’89 and 2005. Alexander won titles in 2016 and 2018 when the Trojans reached the finals five straight years.
What’s Next: The winner will go on to play Randolph (VI) in the NYS Class D Far West Regional Championship. The runner-up will earn an at-large bid to the state tournament and face the Section II champion.
A 12 p.m. kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at SUNY Brockport.
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