by TYLER HATHAWAY
FAIRPORT, N.Y– Victor scored three times in the second half and overtime, with Eli Ricci responsible for two of those touchdowns, as the Blue Devils (5-2) overcame a 7-0 halftime deficit to win 20-13 in overtime over Fairport (2-5) on the road on Friday night.
“It was not great in the first half,” said Victor head coach Geoff Mandile. “We came out in the second half and withstood a couple punches from them (Fairport) and ended up holding on there at the end.”
The Red Raiders led 13-7 with just under five minutes left after a six-minute touchdown drive capped off by a seven-yard run by Dan Roessel. Ricci completed three of four passes on the ensuing drive for 51 yards.
On the final play of the possession, a fourth down, Ricci evaded the pass rush and bought enough time to find wide receiver Jackson Mead with 36 seconds left for a 20-yard touchdown that tied the game.
“(Fairport) did a good job setting the edge on defense,” Ricci said about the game-tying touchdown. “Jackson and I have some good chemistry, I knew he was going to find a way to get open. I got my eyes down field, saw him, and just trusted my arm.”
Ricci finished with a touchdown run, a touchdown pass, and 200 yards of total offense.
“He’s probably our most athletic player and he touches the ball every play,” said Mandile. “It gives him an opportunity to make those plays, and get the receivers the ball.”
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Fairport blocked what would have been the game-winning extra point, and the game went to overtime. Mandile met with his group before the extra period.
“Just told them that each play is a play of its own,” said Mandile. “We got to make one more play than they do. And we did.”
Ricci scrambled on the second play of overtime for 15 yards to set the Blue Devils up with first and goal. Another run by Ricci got them to the one yard line, before Carter Abbate found the endzone from a yard out to make it 20-13 Blue Devils.
“The biggest thing was that we finished drives,” Mandile explained about what changed with the offense in between the first and second halves. “We went to some more two tight end sets to try and make more gaps for our backs, and having Eli (Ricci) is a nice cheat code too.”
“We trusted each other,” said Ricci. “This is a team that has been playing with eachother for our entire lives. We know no matter what happens, that we always have each other’s backs. I trusted in my boys, they trusted in me, and that’s what helped us come out on top.”
The Victor defense then didn’t allow Fairport to get a first down to clinch the game, with Abbate making a pass break-up on fourth and short to clinch it.
“As a group, our defense played really hard and it showed at the end there,” Mandile explained. “They needed two yards, had two plays to get it, and couldn’t.”
It was the fifth time in seven games that the Blue Devils held their opponents to 14 points or less.
“Our defensive staff, and Coach Ojeda, does an unbelievable job at getting them prepared,” Mandile said of his defense. “They buy in and they play hard. I wouldn’t want to play against them.”
One of the biggest things Victor discussed this week in practice was mental toughness, especially in the late stages of games.
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Ricci. “Coach (Frederick) Finter talked this week about mental toughness and how we would respond to the definition of what mental toughness is. He said that mental toughness is how you react in the face of adversity, and I think that is ultimately what helped us win this game.”
Fairport took the lead with two seconds left in the first half on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Marco Provenzano to Shane Illingworth. The Blue Devils opened the second half with a five-minute march to the endzone capped by a 21-yard scamper by Ricci to tie the game.
Victor has clinched a top four seed in the Class A1 sectional bracket and will open the postseason at home. Friday’s win was the third of the season for the Blue Devils against Class AA competition.
“We’re playing in Monroe County Division I, against four AA schools, and we held our own with most of them,” said Mandile. “It’ll be huge come sectionals. I know we have a home game, but the experience from this is great. We got an overtime game tonight, haven’t had one all year, so it’s a good experience for the kids. I think the level of competition we’ve played will show up in sectionals.”
“We just have to take it one week at a time, scout our opponent, and really hone in on the little details,” Ricci said about how they can find success in the postseason. “Try and make a run, but it all starts with the first round. We can’t look past any opponent.”
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