Leading off today: We play football on natural grass and on artificial surfaces. Saturday reminded us that actual games are not played on paper.
The rematch of last fall's Section 4 Class C championship game had mismatch written all over it as Oneonta (0-6) had to travel to (Newark Valley (5-1), ranked 21st in the state this week.
That went out the window when Ryan Packard made a 20-yard field goal as time expired to carry Oneonta to its first victory of the season.
Newark Valley has now lost back-to-back games for the first times since the 2012 season.
Quite a pinch-hitter: Cam Crosier, moved from the slot to running back after an injury to starter Joe Stewart, scored a Kenmore West-record seven touchdowns in a 49-14 rout of Kenmore East.
Crosier scored on runs of 23 and 4 yards to build a 16-0 lead, He'd follow with four more short TD runs and a 33-yard TD catch. He finished with 17 carries for 147 yards and two catches for 46 yards.
William Floyd dominates: Senior wide receiver/cornerback caught a 64-yard touchdown pass from Trey Berry midway through the second quarter and then picked off a pass and returned it 77 yards for a score as William Floyd defeated Ward Melville 42-12.
Driver hit Matt Wagner streaking for the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession to break the contest open.
William Floyd is ranked first and Ward Melville 10th in the state in Class AA.
Slugfest: Freshman Will Benjamin ran for three touchdowns and sophomore Tyler Szalkowski threw for three more as Aquinas, ranked seventh in the state, outlasted St. Francis 55-49 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Section 5 Class AA tournament.
"It was a very entertaining and kind of fun to coach," Aquinas coach Derek Annechino said. "There were moments that were very hairy, but the kids battled through it and won."
After Xavier Janczylik of St. Francis ran back the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score, Aquinas took a 40-21 lead into halftime thanks in part to Szalkowski TD throws of 28 and 48 yards to Ulysees Russell in the first quarter and two Benjamin scoring runs on the first half.
St. Francis made it a one-score margin three times in the second half but the Little Irish rode it out.
Rueben Torres, who missed Aquinas' game last week with an injury, rushed 19 times for 186 yards. St. Francis QB Jake Ritts completed 28 of 46 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns.
Full day's work: Khairi Manns led Class AA No. 6 New Rochelle over Timber Creek (N.J.) by catching a touchdown pass, forcing a fumble, recording a sack and blocking two field goals, one of which was returned for a Huguenots touchdown.
More Class AA: Archbishop Stepinac scored 21 unanswered points after trailing 17-14 to snap a four-game losing streak by beating No. 17 Monsignor Farrell 35-17. Shawn Harris Jr. caught a 60-yard TD pass and returned a punt 68 yards for another score.
• Alijah James scored on second-half carries of 14 and 3 yards to rally No. 23 Oceanside past No. 20 Farmingdale 19-12.
Class A Sixth-ranked Westhampton posted its 18th straight win by edging No. 13 Half Hollow Hills West 17-13. The Westhampton defense held the Colts to 84 yards and five first downs in the final 4 minutes.
HHHW opened the scoring in the with a 12-play, 74-yard drive capped by Justin Brown's 4-yard run in the first quarter, but Westhampton's Tyler Nolan returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
• No. 30 Fordham Prep edged No. 10 Moore Catholic 35-27 by rattling off the contest's final 20 points.
