Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013: Carthage scores late to advance in Sec. 3 football

   Leading off today: Class A was front and center across the state Friday as sectional football tournaments reached the semifinals.

   One of the two games topping the list for drama was 22nd-ranked Carthage's 43-36 victory over No. 15 East Syracuse Minoa in Section 3 on the strength of two late touchdowns.

   Spartans running back Jose Sanchez (22 carries, 210 yards) scored on a 13-yard run to take a 36-35 lead with 2:30 minutes left, and then the Comets responded with the winning score three plays later as quarterback Bailey Wilkinson broke off a 20-yard TD run. Carthage converted the 2-point play as Wilkinson (31 carries, 236 yards) found running back Josh Capers for a 43-36 lead.

   A final ESM drive ended inside the Carthage 25 as time expired.

   In another high-scoring Class A affair, Wallkill advanced in Section 9 with a 55-47 win over Hyde Park FDR in their rematch of a regular-season game won by the Panthers 35-28 in overtime.

   Wallkill QB Joe Pillitteri completed 9 of 16 passes for 224 yards and needs only 155 yards to break the Section 9 record for passing yards in a season (2,754) set by Warwick's John Garcia in 2011.

   Trailing 48-47 with :40.4 left, Roosevelt went for a two-point conversion, but running back Justin Hoskins (318 yards, three TDs) was stopped at the 1-yard line after Hoskins has tallied on a 4-yard touchdown run. Calculating that the TD was inevitable, Wallkill called let him walk into the end zone.

   Wallkill's Brandon Purdy returned the subsequent onside kick 53 yards for a score.

   Wallkill and Cornwall will meet in the title game for the seventh straight season.

   In a Section 1 game between ranked teams, No. 7 Rye eliminated No. No. 25 Tappan Zee 28-7 to return to the finals for the first time since winning six straight crowns from 2003-08.

   Alex Raynor intercepted a pass and forced a fumble to set up a pair of first-quarter touchdowns for the winners. The Garnets carried a 21-7 lead into the half after Andrew Livingston threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tim DeGraw.

   In Section 2, defending NYSPHSAA champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, ranked fifth, edged No. 24 Troy 24-19 as sophomore John Clayton (7 of 11, 117 yards), a midseason call-up from the junior varsity, threw two TD passes.

   Dan Maynard, who opened the season at quarterback, scored the decisive TD on a 57-yard run in the third quarter before Troy responded with a pair of scores.

   Burnt Hills prevailed 18-12 in four overtimes when the teams met in Week 2. The Spartans ran their winning

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streak in Section 2 playoff games to 17.

   Section 6 developments: No. 3 Alden secured its fifth straight trip to the sectional Class B championship game at Ralph Wilson Stadium with a 21-12 victory over No. 9 Burgard. Sophomore Lyle Grant (20 carries, 86 yards) scored two touchdowns and quarterback Brian Stoldt ran for one.

   “I’ve been waiting to do this my whole life,” Grant told The Buffalo News. “I’ve always gone to the game, saw the other guys playing and just wanted to be there with them, and now I’ll have the opportunity.”

   Meanwhile, the high-flying Jamestown offense continued operating at full throttle with a 69-14 win over Kenmore West as senior quarterback Jake Sisson threw for 404 yards, completing 17 of 21 passes with five touchdowns, and also rushed for two scores.

   In the first game between the schools, Sisson threw for 508 yards in Week 2 during a 50-28 win for Jamestown, which is averaging 55.6 points a game this fall.

   Junior Zack Panebianco caught eight passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns and also recorded an interception that set up one of Jamestown’s six first-half TDs.

   Also noteworthy: Seaford ran for 519 yards during a 42-0 win over Mineola. Justin Cestro had 214 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, and Pat Bizzarro added 168 yards and a touchdown.

   Week 9 scoreboard: You can get a recap of all the Friday scores here.