Leading off today: Spencerport salvaged some pride after a winless regular season last fall by winning its finale. On Friday, the Rangers went from salvaging a season to making one by pulling
a 21-12 upset of Victor in Section 5 football action.
Khalize Beamon broke loose for a 79-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Brendan Popielec scored on a 1-yard run to cut Victor's deficit to 14-12, but Spencerport answered right back with Connor Mesh's 18-yard touchdown run to make it 21-12 in the third quarter.
"I told them this takes us to 2-0, it doesn't do anything beyond that," coach John Dowd said. "You know, enjoy it tonight but tomorrow we are getting ready for Gates. It's one win, it's 2-0. We are trying to win each game one at a time."
Sec. 2 status quo: Midway through September, not a lot seems to have changed at the top of Section 2 Class AA in the aftermath of Shaker's 28-14 win over Shenendehowa.
Senior Jake Notarino scored on three short runs to pace the winners. His 4-yard TD in the third quarter capped a five-play, 75-yard drive to restore a two-score lead.
"That first drive in the third quarter was huge," said Shaker coach Greg Sheeler, whose team has won seven consecutive games against the Plainsmen. "Porter Ninstant, behind some really good blocking, had a huge (58-yard) run. Awesome balance. That was a huge part in the game."
Lights-out performance: The lights went out at Somers High School with 2:13 to play, but not in time to stop Yorktown from posting a solid 30-12 victory.
Keith Boyer and Dylan Smith combined for 449 yards of offense as the Huskers outgained Somers 510-195.
Boyer (five catches, 167 yards), stripped of the ball near the goal line to derail a 13-play drive in the early going, opened the scoring with a one-handed grab of a swing pass from Trevvon Johnson and 90-yard jaunt in the second quarter. Less than a minute later, Smith (238 total yards) blew through the defense for a 46-yard touchdown.
Peru comes through late: Peru squandered a 15-point lead before pulling out a 27-26 win over Moriah on Zach O'Connell's 21-yard touchdown pass to Ian Joy with :26.5 remaining. Joy's interception on the first play of the Vikings' clinched the victory.
After an Austin Carpenter 1-yard carry gave Peru a 21-6 lead, Moriah's Maddox Blaise (30 carries, 212 yards) scored twice from three yards out and then put his team ahead with a 15-yard rush with 1:10 to go.
Carpenter then set the Indians up in great field position with a 54-yard kickoff return to the Moriah 28-yard-line.
Strong intersectional showing: Andrew McLaughlin caught five passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns for Horseheads in a 41-14 win over Baldwinsville. McLaughlin scored on a 64-yard catch from Grayson Woodhouse (13 of 19, 335 yards, 3 TDs) in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Woodhouse connected with McLaughlin for an 80-yard TD.
Senior Gavin Elston rushed for 145 yards and three TDs on 14 carries, scoring on a 97-yard run.
The Blue Raiders were coming off a 35-14 winner at home in Week 1 against West Genesee, another Section 3 opponent.
Batavia hangs on: Batavia, a state Class B finalist last fall, took a 13-0 lead at halftime on a 27-yard touchdown run by Terrez Smith and a 4-yard scoring run by quarterback Alex Rood, then held on for a 19-8 win over Livonia.
Rood rushed 17 times for 91 yards and made 10 tackles on defense.
The win may have been costly as senior linebacker Josh Barber, a second-team all-state selection a year ago, left with an ankle injury.
Livonia, which lost QB Micah Ross in Week 1 as well as junior lineman Steffan Gwynn to knee injuries, lost two-way starter Trevor Allen to a sprained an ankle.
