Leading off today: Senior Tyler Stranahan went 14-for-27 with 181 yards and a touchdown Saturday to lead host Canisius to its 20th straight victory, a 17-14 win over highly regarded DePaul Catholic from New Jersey.
The Crusaders, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class AA, held DePaul to 226 yards of offense. Canisius gained just three net yards on the ground as running back Cole Burniston sat with an unspecified injury, but built a 17-0 lead and made it stand up.
Stranahan drew penalties that produced four first downs for the Crusaders, three during their penultimate possession that helped run down the clock. Stranahan completed his first seven attempts in staking the Crusaders to a 14-0 lead.
"It's a big statement for us and our whole team," Stranahan told The Buffalo News. "People around here still don't believe in us but we just showed what kind of team we are."
DePaul star running back Kareem Walker (12 carries, 75 yards), committed to Ohio State, had an 80-yard TD carry on the first play from scrimmage called back by a holding penalty, one of his team's 14 infractions in the game.
Cutting it close: A pair of ranked teams were taken right down to the final play but only one emerged victorious.
Noah Barnard kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime to lift No. 25 Greece Arcadia past Greece Olympia 17-14 in Class A action. Barnard also recorded the game-ending sack on the Spartans' fourth down in OT.
The Titans (3-1) scored 14 points in the last 3:16 of regulation to force overtime.
In Class C, Little Falls knocked off No. 16 Holland Patent 22-19 as Derek Raux threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Kobe Jackson with no time remaining. A pass interference penalty in the end zone had given the Mounties an untimed down, and Raux connected with Jackson on a slant over the middle.
Chase Doxtader rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
The day's wildest ride: A backup tailback who hasn't played football in four years made the difference as Utica Proctor edged Syracuse Henninger 52-49.>p>
Proctor scored on all seven of its first-half possessions but still needed some late-game heroics by senior Nick LaBella to rally to victory. Seconds after the Black Knights had grabbed their first lead, LaBella swept left and turned his only carry of the day -- and second of the season -- into the game-winning 76-yard TD with 5:43 to play.
LaBella was called upon early in the second half after Jamarious Morgan (17 carries, 238 yards in the first half), who had scored four touchdowns, was sidelined by nagging leg cramps.
LaBella, a safety on defense, went on to recover a 4th-and-1 fumble at midfield, and Proctor ran out the final 3:55 on the clock.
Defensive battle: Ninth-ranked Nanuet blanked No. 23 Westlake 12-0 in Class B action as Robert Klebetz returned an interception for a touchdown and Connor Breit (21 carries, 85 yards) added some insurance with a rushing TD in the fourth quarter.
"We knew it was going to be one of those rock 'em, sock 'em games," Nanuet coach Phil Carbone told The Journal News. "I don't think we disappointed anybody on either side."
With the game scoreless late in the third quarter, Klebetz stepped in front of a third-down pass from Westlake's Thomas Castro and returned it 37 yards for the game's first points.
Class A: In the battle of Class A Spartans, No. 2 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake scored on its first play of each half and edged No, 17 Queensbury 24-20. Mike Leveroni ran 80 yards on Burnt Hills' first play of the game, and John O'Donnell ran the same play for a 54-yard score to start the second half with a 24-0 lead.
The second of Queensbury's three first-half turnovers on fumbles led to a 35-yard scoring pass from John Clayton to Josh Craig.
"We can't wait until the second half when we're down and turn a switch on," Queensbury senior running back Brett
