Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018: Garden City runs the table for third straight season

   Leading off today: Garden City extended its winning streak to 36 games by beating Lindenhurst 19-0 to capture its third consecutive Long Island Class II football championship Friday.

   Garden City produced a touchdown on its first possession and never looked back. Quarterback Colin Hart drove the Trojans 63 yards in 11 plays and scored on a 3-yard keeper midway through the first quarter.

   "This was his team and he did a great job,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. "His decision-making was almost flawless. And he learned how to manage the game and made me a look good a lot. He knew when to check down in his read, when to throw the ball away and when he should change a play into something that had a chance to be successful."

   Garden City's defense allowed just 64 first-half yards en route to its fourth shutout. Steven Moscatiello and Christian Sullivan made 14 and 11 tackles, respectively and each recorded a sack.

    • Ray Costa threw a pair of fourth-down touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Danny Striano rushed for 215 yards and three TDs as Cold Spring Harbor rolled past Shoreham-Wading River 42-20 in the Long Island Class IV title game.

   Cold Spring Harbor had not won a Long Island crown since 2005.

   CSH forced a punt on the first Wildcats possession and then went on a seven-minute, 80-yard drive for a TD and two-point conversion to start a barrage of six scores in seven possessions.

   Class A: Amin Woods scored from a yard out with :53 remaining to snap a tie, and Alex Suarez made an interception with 19 seconds left to end West Seneca East's hopes as Cornwall earned its first state football title with a 21-14 victory.

   Woods finished with 34 carries for 205 yards as Cornwall piled up 424 yards of offense. Woods dragged multiple defenders from the 25-yard line down to the 6 with just under two minutes to play, setting up the game-winning play.

   West Seneca East took a 14-7 lead on the first play of the second half as senior Zach Arnone threw 25 yards over the middle to Shaun Dolac, who then legged out the final 40 yards of the play. Cornwall responded midway through the fourth quarter as freshman QB Aidan Semo hit Louie Francese for a 15-yard scoring play.

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   Class D: Clymer/Sherman/Panama wore down a stubborn Moriah team and won the NYSPHSAA Class D final 26-6.

   The fourth-year combined program overcame three turnovers to take a 7-0 lead into halftime and then outscored Moriah 19-6 in the fourth quarter to earn its first championship.

   C/S/P took the lead for good on a 32-yard pass play from Gerrit Hinsdale to Cam Barmore 47 seconds into the second quarter.

   The back-breaking play came in the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-19 snap as C/S/P executed a flawless hook-and-trailer down the left sideline. Hinsdale (14 of 26 for 240 yards) found Barsome on a quick hitch and Barmore immediately lateraled to John Swabik flying by to take the ball to the

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end zone for a 13-0 lead with 10:42 to go.

   Derek Ecklund paced the winners with 18 carries for 101 yards.

   Class C: Quarterback Jarred Freije ran for 104 yards and three scores as Susquehanna Valley downed Dobbs Ferry 27-6.

   The Sabers, who began the season at the Carrier Dome with a 28-19 win over Jamesville-DeWitt, finished 13-0 and outscored opponents 614-106. They held nine opponents to single digits on the scoreboard.

   "I'm proud of the kids, proud to bring them back to our school and Saber Nation is going to be very happy," SV coach Mike Ford said.

   Susquehanna Valley scored on its first possession and tacked on a touchdown apiece in the second and third quarters to take command.

   Memorable games: It's too soon to judge whether Cornwall's victory over West Seneca East deserves a spot on the next version of the list, but my column this week for PressConnects.com takes a stab at identifying the 10 most memorable championship games from the first 25 years of the NYSPHSAA football tournament.

   Not surprisingly, Syracuse CBA vs. New Rochelle in 2004 ended up topping the list. The early feedback I received after the column was posted was that I needed to have included the 1995 battle between Dover and Syracuse CBA, which was my first alternate.

   That Class C contest went to two overtimes after Dover rallied from eight points down in the fourth quarter to win 32-26. After trading touchdowns in the first OT, Dover's defense held the Brothers on downs to begin the second overtime and then Willie Peel won it with a 2-yard TD run.

   Former coach dies: Dave Giordano, a longtime assistant woman's soccer coach at Nazareth College who previously coached the boys and girls programs at Palmyra-Macedon, died Nov. 10 following a brief illness. He was 65.

   Giordano also was involved in the sport for much of his life. He was an all-conference player at SUNY Geneseo and was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 1991.

   "Dave was a special soul with the ability to lift your spirits with his smile," said Nazareth coach Gail Mann. "Our lives are better for knowing him and loving him."