Leading off today: Three games, three stellar rallies by teams from three sections. That was the headline news Friday night in New York high school football even as several other teams made big noise with very impressive victories that figure to help shape the first set of New York State Sportswriters Association rankings on Wednesday.
McQuaid overcomes slow start: Diminutive running back Mark Passero ran 15 times for 155 yards, caught seven passes for 121 yards and sparked McQuaid to a come-from-behind, 42-37 victory against Canisius.
Passero scored three touchdowns for the Knights. His 55-yard run up the middle of the field with 5:04 remaining after a Canisius three-and-out series gave McQuaid a 42-31 cushion. One of his earlier scores came on a 62-yard pass play.
Canisius bolted to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and forced four first-half turnovers but took only a 24-21 advantage into the intermission after Casey Howlett of McQuaid returned a fumble 63 yards for a TD.
Senior Hunter Walsh (27 of 35, 341 yards, 4 interceptions) threw 19 yards to Passero for a 35-31 lead with 6:51 left to play.
Speaking of rallies: Corning overcame a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to edge Union-Endicott 45-41 on Justin Rodriguez's 56-yard catch-and-run with 2:20 to go.
Down 42-31 with 6:30 to go, the Hawks' Joe Ott, who threw for 301 yards, collaborated with sophomore receiver Max Stansfield (three catches, 189 yards, three TDs) on a 71-yard scoring play. Corning then forced a U-E punt and took over at its 29 with 3:35 to play.
The teams combined for 914 yards of offense and nine of the 13 scoring plays covered 48 yards or more.
And an even wilder rally: Kingston defeated Washingtonville 62-59 by rallying from 26 points down in the second half and winning on junior Chapman Parker's 57-yard touchdown pass to senior Jackson Parker with :45 remaining.
Chapman Parker, who finished 22 of 30, tied a state record with eight touchdown passes (see list) and threw for 552 yards, the No. 2 performance in New York scholastic history (see list). Josh Feyerbend of Unatego set the state yardage mark of 581 in a 2013 playoff loss to Tioga.
All five of the catches by Jackson Parker (245 yards) went for TDs, tying still another state record (see list). Mahki Matthews made nine catches for 183 yards and one TD to go along with his score on a kickoff return.
"I can throw the ball up and trust in my boys," Chapman Parker said. "I felt like I was hitting my targets pretty well. I felt fluid and consistent out there."
A 47-point third quarter included six touchdowns and safeties by both teams. Washingtonville had its biggest advantage at 44-18 with 5:40 left in the quarter.
Kingston closed to 59-54 midway through the fourth quarter. Jackson Parker blocked a field goal attempt, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 23 with about a minute to go. Parker hit Matthews on a 20-yard play and later lofted a long pass over a defender to Jackson Parker in stride for the go-ahead TD.
Vincent Martello of Washingtonville rushed for five touchdowns.
New Rochelle impresses: New Rochelle scored five first-half TDs on just 12 offensive plays en route to a 41-0 win over Scarsdale.
"I feel like everybody should be scared of us,” senior running back Omari Walker said. "We're playing for 'chips.' We're not playing with anybody out here."
Walker ran for one TD and scored another on a reception, and senior running back Jordan Forrest (four carries, 104 yards) scored on carries of 47 and 51 yards on back-to-back drives.
"I've been doing this 30 years and I've never seen a team as big, strong, and powerful as that team," Scarsdale coach Andy Verboys said. "It's like tackling a tree. (Forrest's) calves are the size of my kids' thighs."
Strong debut by St. A's: Two huge early plays carried St. Anthony's to a 34-17 victory over Delbarton, N.J.
Linebacker Jamel Joyner returned a deflected Delbarton pass 47 yards for a touchdown and then the Friars scored on their first possession as quarterback Greg Campisi fired a short pass to Kyle Angus, who jetted down the middle of the field for a 76-yard TD.
Campisi completed 11 of 18 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns.
