by TYLER HATHAWAY
WEBSTER, N.Y– Webster Schroeder (8-1) used three second-half touchdowns by quarterback Emma Rascoe to pull away and take down previously unbeaten Webster Thomas (11-1) 20-0 on Tuesday night at Webster Schroeder High School.
It’s the Warriors’ first win against their cross-town rivals in years.
“It literally means everything,” Rascoe said about the win. “This is the first time in like four years that we’ve beat Thomas. We knew coming into this game we had to fight hard.”
“Everyone gets up for the game against Thomas,” said head coach Ian Insley. “I get up for it because they’re an amazing team. They’re well coached, they have good players. It’s always fun to play a competitor, and that’s how they always are. We’re going to get their best, and they’re going to get ours.”
Neither side was able to get it going offensively in the first half. Each team came close to finding the endzone, with Schroeder and Thomas each getting it into goal-to-go territory once, but no points were scored.
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Insley met with his team at the half to try and inspire some offense.
“Our big thing is we don’t want to feel pressured,” the coach said his message at the break was. “We say that when you feel pressure, you’re worried about the outcome, and we’re trying to just embrace every moment that we have and go play by play. Really embracing the moment, and knowing that we’ve held our own, and it’s time to just keep playing what we can do, and hopefully it breaks through.”
Schroeder came out of halftime sharp. Rascoe was a perfect 5-for-5 throwing the ball on the opening drive, including a fourth-down contested catch by Nina Amico in heavy traffic. The following play, Rascoe took it 15 yards on a scramble into the endzone to give the Warriors a 6-0 lead.
“Our sideline was hype, Coach just said to keep playing your game,” Rascoe said on what changed after halftime. “They haven’t scored any points against us. Just keep playing your game, throw the ball, use your legs.”
Webster Thomas had to punt on its following drive after Brynn Zoltoski broke up a pass on third and long. Two drives later, Rascoe found Zoltoski for a touchdown, and then Alexandra Burton for the conversion to make it 13-0. After a three and out on defense, Schroeder raced down the field and scored after Rascoe ran it 25 yards for a touchdown. A conversion catch by Isatou Jeng brought the game to its final score.
The defense had sacks by Rascoe and Makenzie Beale, pass breakups by Jeng and Zoltoski, and an interception by Jeng. Entering the game, Webster Thomas averaged 29.2 points per contest. It’s the third shutout win of the season for the Warriors.
“Defense is so important because if you miss one flag, then a player can be running down the field,” said Rascoe, who also plays linebacker. “So if you make a great flagpull and stop them after one to two yards, it puts you in a perfect position.”
“I’m very lucky,” Insley explained. “I have girls that have been playing for a long time, and they listen, and they want to win. They want to do the right thing. So once they’re determined to do it, and they’re acting on it, it’s pretty easy for me to do my job.”
Rascoe, who threw for over 3,000 yards and scored 59 touchdowns last season to help lead the Warriors to the NYS Class B title, was selected by the Buffalo Bills to represent the team at the NFL High School Girls Pro Bowl Showcase in San Francisco this past February.
“It meant everything to me,” the senior said of being selected to go to the event. “Just to see that people saw me and recognized me meant so much. To meet all those girls across the country who are just lights out and amazing. I learned a lot from them.”
“She’s the best,” Insley said of his quarterback. “She’s the most calm, cool, collected kid I’ve ever seen. She always keeps a smile on her face, she loves football, she wants to continue to get better. She’s always asking questions in practice, and she wants everyone around her to play. She just wants everyone to have the same fun and enjoyment she has. So she’s awesome, I can’t say anything bad about her.”
Webster Schroeder has games against Greece Odyssey/Olympia (on Thursday) and Batavia (on Saturday) left before sectionals, where it will look to repeat as Section V Class B champs.
“We have to come in, work hard, run our routes, know our plays,” Rascoe explained of what it will take. “On defense, we gotta pull flags, get interceptions, and that’ll help us win.”
“We want to embrace the moment, and take it play by play,” said Insley. ”We know that every game is a learning experience, so we’re just trying to grow as a team, and not really think about whatever is ahead of us. We’re just trying to take it one day at a time. We’re not really too worried about the sectional championships. It’s not something that we think of. We think about ‘how much more time can we spend together’? And they (his team) just like being together.”
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