Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017: Isn't that special? Kicking units rule the day

   Leading off today: If I were ever to be hauled into Sports Journalism Court, I would have to plead guilty to the charge of fixating too much on offense while doing roundups of highlights in sports such as football.

   That changes now ... for at least a day anyway. Special teams most definitely ruled on the first football Saturday of the 2017 season.

   What a way to finish: Teddy Mouzakitis blocked a field-goal attempt with eight seconds left in a tie game, and Tyriq Phynn returned it 75 yards for the winning touchdown as Yonkers Saunders defeated Riverside 13-7 to start its season.

VIDEO: Saunders' Teddy Mouzakitis blocks winning FG attempt, Tyriq Phynn takes to to the house for the winning TD. pic.twitter.com/y7taekjNXS

— Varsity Insider (@lohudinsider) September 3, 2017

   Also in Section 1:

   Junior Nolan Egan slipped through Ardsley's line and blocked the winning field-goal attempt with :44 to go in his varsity debut to preserve Pleasantville's 7-6 victory.

   Egan also had a sack in the game.

    • James Luciano returned a pair of kicks for touchdowns as John Jay East Fishkill rolled past Fox Lane 46-0. Luciano returned a punt 69 yards for one score and a free kick following a safety 65 yards for the other TD.

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   More special teams: Whitehall blocked two punts and an extra point in a 54-6 win over Cohoes. For good measure, the defense brought back two interceptions for TDs.

    • Maryvale scored the final 22 points of the game, all in the fourth quarter, to open with a 30-24 win over Cleveland Hill Ray Blackwell (eight catches for 126 yards, two TDs) caught the

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go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard throw from sophomore quarterback Connor Desiderio with 1:03 left.

   Dylan Casey's 65-yard kick-return touchdown with 11:38 to play started the rally from a 24-8 deficit.

   Blackwell returned to football for his senior year after taking off the past two fall seasons.

   "This is awesome. ... I'm just grateful to help my team," said Blackwell, who also scored a pair of 2-point conversions.

   Welcome back: Lockport quarterback Javon Ford, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, rushed 171 yards and three TDs and also threw for a score in the Lions' 43-42 loss to Niagara-Wheatfield.

   The Falcons amassed all of their 400-plus yards of offense on the ground.

   What a start: Roscoe Collin Hauschild ran 14 times for 255 yards and six touchdowns and also completed 11 of 17 passes for 184 yards and a score to lead Roscoe past Onteora 54-44.

   Onteora's Miles Eberhard threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns and added 184 yards and two scores on 20 carries.

   Onteora was playing its first varsity game since 2013.

   More big numbers: Senior Khalil Horton carried the ball 15 times for 228 yards and a touchdown as Lackawanna defeated Newfane 22-6, but that wasn't all. Horton made 13 tackles on defense, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. ... Senior QB Devon Hogan ran for four TDs and passed for one as Union-Endicott earned a 36-15 victory over Elmira. Hogan finished with 238 yards on 23 carries. ... McQuaid QB Hunter Walsh was 23-for-34 for 324 yards and four TDs as McQuaid recorded a 42-7 win vs. Rush-Henrietta. Ben Beauchamp made 11 catches for 171 yards and two TDs.

   Scoreboard: With a few Sunday games on the slate, here are the results thus far from Week 1.