ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Twice Hilton erased one-score deficits in the opening 24 minutes of play Friday night, but the Cadets didn’t have any answers in the second half.
Section IV’s Union-Endicott outlasted Hilton, 28-14 in the New York State Football Class A West Semifinal.
“We had a shot, but ran into a team that was a little better tonight,” said Hilton head coach Rich Lipani whose team celebrated its first NYS Far West Regional championship in program history earlier in the week.
Jeffery Broadnax capped a 58-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run and Hilton quarterback Colton Thorp connected with Robert Lowry on fourth down for another Cadets’ score, but it wasn’t enough.
TD!! Jeffery Broadnax. @HiltonCadets go 58 yards in seven plays to tie the score at 7 with 4:04 remaining in the first. pic.twitter.com/sa6xiqzXw0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 25, 2022
“We were running the ball,” Hilton senior lineman Karl Khuns said. “We were running really well. Something happened where they figured out how to stop it. Credit to them because no one had been able to do that until now. They’re a good team that just got the best of us in some areas.”
On 4th and 8 from the 14, Colton Thorp hits Robert Lowry in the end zone. PAT is good. 14-14 with 2:55 to go in the half. pic.twitter.com/GLGvHTqC3p
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 25, 2022
Hilton scored on two of its first three drives of the game, but Max Sementelli hit Jaheim Jackson on a 25-yard strike for a 21-14 Union-Endicott lead with 1:35 remaining in the first half.
“We played pretty good for about a quarter and a half,” Lipani noted. “Then they just wore us down. Their speed was tough for us. We didn’t tackle well. That’s probably because they are pretty good, though.”
Hilton went three-and-out on its first drive of the third quarter then stopped U-E on downs on the ensuing possession. The Cadets, though, could not convert on the other end.
Thorp had runs of 16 and 23 yards on the first drive of the fourth quarter to set up Hilton inside the Union-Endicott 20-yard line. The Tigers defense eventually stopped the Cadets on fourth down.
Third and 10 from 38, Colton Thorp goes for first. pic.twitter.com/d7fqSmvhga
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 26, 2022
“It was 21-14 at halftime; that’s probably what it should have been,” Lipani noted. “We had a shot to cash in early in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get it in. We had some breakdowns.”
Hilton (12-2) opened the season with a 21-14 loss to Webster Schroeder. The Cadets avenged that defeat with a 40-7 thrashing in the Section V Class A1 championship to give the Warriors their only loss of the season. Hilton also handed Brighton its only two defeats of campaign. On Monday, Hilton dismantled reigning regional champion Jamestown, 49-34.
Lipani had excuses at his disposal. The Cadets had a short week of preparation after a snowstorm forced the regional game to be rescheduled from Saturday to Monday. Friday’s state semifinal was played on Union-Endicott’s home field (a predetermined site) and the Cadets were saddled with pair of questionable calls for illegal contact on the Hilton sideline late in the first half.
The longtime Hilton coach brushed all of that aside.
“Those guys are good football players,” Lipani said of Union-Endicott. “They’re the reason we had the breakdowns, I’m sure. You can blame it on our guys for missing a block, but I’m sure they caused it. It’s always what happens. You hate to admit it, but that’s the truth.”
Nicholas Lang scored a pair of U-E touchdowns. The senior halfback hauled in a Sementelli pass for the first touchdown of the game and then scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Tigers a cushion. U-E (11-1) will face Somers of Section I in the Class A championship game.
First play from scrimmage of the fourth quarter, Anthony Lang finds the end zone to give Union-Endicott a 28-14 lead. pic.twitter.com/5D3Gsu6EzR
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 26, 2022
“That team is excellent,” Lipani said. “They’re quick. They’re strong. They deserved to win tonight’s game. We had chances, but they deserved to win. I couldn’t be prouder of our guys. We’ve had a fantastic year, a lot of great performances.”
Hilton had a chance to take the lead in the second quarter. After Luke Lockhart knocked down a Sementelli pass on fourth down, Thorp hit Nic Castellana to put the Cadets in U-E territory.
On fourth and five from their own 38, @HiltonCadets defense gets the stop. Luke Lockhart with the pass break up. pic.twitter.com/jOXaj05PWA
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 25, 2022
A Latrail Jones strip on the next play along with return and a penalty gave the Tigers the ball on the Hilton 28. Two plays later, Cooper Hughes scored from 19 yards out.
Hilton’s sectional title was its first since 1994 and the state semifinal appearance was a first in program history.
“We just bought into what Coach Lipani was saying,” Khuns said of the Cadets’ run. “We just came to work every day no matter what the weather was like, no matter what kind of adversity we were going through. We just kept fighting for him.
“Only a select few can play for Coach Lipani. It’s just an honor. It feels like a lifetime because I’m having so much fun with my boys that I’ve been playing with since I was four years old. It’s just a pleasure.”
Mike Heise says
Thank you for outstanding coverage of Hilton Football this year.
Well done.