Leading off today: There are more enviable positions to be in than two scores down and defending a first-and-goal situation with 2:20 to play, but that didn't deter Sidney in the NYSPHSAA Class D football quarterfinals Friday.
The Warriors pulled off a huge comeback to tie and then scored a 42-36 victory over Onondaga in overtime to keep their season going.
Dawson Backus' 1-yard run in overtime gave Sidney its first lead since 8-6 and completed a comeback from a 36-22 deficit.
"All I can say is unbelievable," Backus told The Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Nine plays after recovering a fumble deep in their own territory, the Warriors (8-3) Alex Hoskins scored on a 22-yard pass play from Darren Smith (28-for-46, 329 yards, five TDs) on 4th-and-10. Backus ran in the conversion with :47.3 to go.
Reggie Jimenez recovered the onside kick at the Onondaga 41, and Sidney pulled off the hook-and-lateral play two snaps later as Smith threw to Hoskins a the 30 and Backus swooped by to take the exchange and carry the ball to the end zone.
The 2-point conversion try failed after a bad snap, sending the game to OT. Hoskins ended the Onondaga possession with a third-down interception, and Backus then carried twice for 19 yards to set up his victorious 1-yard carry.
Sidney advances to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals against top-ranked Maple Grove, which blanked Alexander 28-0.
Maple Grove held the Trojans to 142 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers. Brad Benson paced the offense wit 26 carries for 172 yards and a pair of scores.
Maple Grove played without injured starting QB Dalton Dubois. Sophomore Easton Tanner started in his place.
"Dalton was in our heart the whole game," coach Curt Fischer told The Buffalo News. "We got really good news yesterday about Dalton -- there's a possibility he may be playing next week."
Ogdensburg advances: Ogdensburg recovered a fumble midway through the fourth quarter and drove 98 yards to the winning score in a 30-27 victory vs. Greenwich in the Class C quarterfinals.
Linebacker Dallas Ashley's fumble recovery set the table for quarterback Joe Dalton's 4-yard TD carry with :20 to play in Massena.
The decisive drive included Dalton (134 yards on the ground) running for a first down on a 4th-and-1 at the Ogdensburg. He also threw to Anthoni Pope over the middle for a sliding, 14-yard reception on a 4th-and-9 snap.
"We made some mistakes tonight. We gave up a special-teams touchdown and we had an interception but we overcame adversity," coach Matt Tessmer said. "And what can you say about a 98-yard drive?"
More NYSPHSAA highlights: Jake Stanko scored five touchdowns for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in a 57-10 rout of Massena in Class A.
• Mike Cirasuolo finished with 143 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries for Whitesboro in a 45-18 win over Union-Endicott to advance to a semifinal vs. Greece Athena.
• Tavon Granison ran for two scores and threw for three as Athena rolled past Buffalo Bennett 41-12 at New Era Field.
"He's a heck of a player," Bennett coach Steve McDuffie told the Democrat and Chronicle. "He hurt us by himself."
