By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Considering strong-armed Landon Scott is now in his third season as Brockport High School’s starting quarterback, Section V opponents are well aware of his abilities and tendencies.
He’s not going to surprise anyone when he drops back and airs it out.
“When you’ve got a quarterback who throws the ball, who’s going to get the headlines? The quarterback,” Brockport coach Paul Carella said.
With Scott’s passing prowess, others fly a little under the radar. Which is why Carella said he considers running back Brayden Scaccia to be the Blue Devils’ “secret weapon.”
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Make that considered, as in the past tense, because Scaccia’s not a secret anymore.
The senior was Mr. All-Purpose on Friday night, using different methods to score Brockport’s first three touchdowns, as the visiting Blue Devils spotted Greece Athena an early 7-0 lead and then rolled to a 42-14 victory.
“He blocks, he tackles, he runs the ball, he catches the ball, he scores touchdowns,” Carella said of Scaccia. “I would take 100 of him.”
One was more than enough on Friday. Scaccia turned a short pass to the left flat into a 26-yard catch-and-run TD midway to tie the score 7-7 midway through the first quarter, breaking two tackles along the way.
He then gave Brockport a 14-7 lead with 2:09 remaining in the first half with a five-yard run up the middle before providing a 21-7 lead 3:06 into the third quarter by returning an interception 25 yards for his third touchdown in just 8 minutes and 57 seconds of elapsed time.
Two weeks into the season, Brockport has two comeback victories. The Blue Devils trailed against Spencerport on opening night before rallying for a 28-21 win behind Scott’s four TD passes.
“We never give up,” Scaccia said. “Hopefully that’s how it is all season.”
On Friday, the Trojans (1-1) used their own big-strike passing game to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. On first and 10 from their own 38, quarterback Jason Strebel found Travis Mack alone around the Brockport 35 and the senior wideout raced into the end zone.
The score didn’t change until 5:51 remained in the second quarter. On first down from the Athena 26, Scott fired into the slot to Scaccia, who slipped through two tackles and bolted to the end zone. Isaiah Markel’s point-after kick tied the score.
“That sort of kicked up the momentum a little bit,” Scaccia said.
Indeed, Brockport’s defense stepped up and thwarted an Athena march deep in Blue Devils territory when junior defensive back Ayden Matthews intercepted a pass at the 9 and returned it to the 45.
Brockport then needed just three plays to take the lead. Scott aired it out to Azay Odey on a 45-yard connection, setting up first-and-goal at the 10, and a pair of five-yard runs by Scaccia produced the go-ahead touchdown.
“He’s having the senior year he deserves,” Carella said.
Scaccia then delivered the game-breaking TD, returning an interception 25 yards just 3:06 into the third quarter and Brockport led 21-7.
Scaccia credited the coaching staff for preparing them perfectly for Athena tendencies.
“We watched a lot of film and every time 28 (sophomore running back Travis Portis) lined up in the slot, he was most likely going to get a bubble,” Scaccia said.
Sure enough, that’s where Strebel threw and Scaccia was waiting.
The Blue Devils then forced a three-and-out-punt by Athena and used the ensuing possession to march 50 yards in 10 plays for a 28-7 lead. The biggest play was a 22-yard catch-and-run pass to Scaccia, setting up first-and-goal, and Jayden Taylor then did the scoring honors, finding the end zone from a yard out.
From a 7-0 deficit to a 21-point lead, all before the third quarter was over.
“It’s crazy how it happens sometimes,” Scaccia said.
Athena narrowed the gap to 28-14 on its next possession when James Baker capped a 62-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run.
But Brockport immediately retaliated, needing just three plays to regain the three-touchdown lead as Scott connected with Taylor on a 76-yard scoring pass 2:09 into the fourth quarter.
Ryan Miller scored the final touchdown on a nine-yard run with 5:06 remaining.
“We’ve got an explosive offense so we always feel we’re in the game,” Carella said.
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