Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019: Jericho scores soccer win over PSAL powerhouse

   Leading off today: Anthony Cammisulli scored in the closing seconds of the second overtime to give Jericho a 3-2 boys soccer victory Saturday over PSAL power Martin Luther King.

   Jordan Miller drew two players into the corner and crossed to Cammisulli, who connected on a one-timer against MLK, ranked third nationally by the United Soccer Coaches.

   Miller had knotted the score for Jericho off an assist from Ari Chananya with four minutes left in regulation.

   Paolo Martino also connected for Jericho (8-1-1). Jake Levy made 11 saves in goal.

   Cross country: Section 2 teams scored victories in three of the six major team races in the McQuaid Invitational in Rochester's Genesee Valley Park.

   Pittsford Mendon senior Sam Lawler posted the day's top time, clocking 14:54.7 for three miles in the AA seeded division. The top girls performance came from senior Savannah Roark of Beavercreek, Ohio, with a 16:56.3 showing in the AAA seeded race.

   The Shenendehowa girls won the large school team title by a 63-71 margin over Beavercreek, who traveled without top runner Taylor Ewert. Niskayuna (104), Liverpool (119) and Corning (127) rounded out the top five in a highly competitive team race.

   The other Section 2 triumphs came from the Guilderland boys in AAA seeded by a 66-87 margin over Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in boys seeded AA.

   East Aurora and Burnt Hills also fell just short of pulling off doubles. The East Aurora boys placed second to Burnt Hills and the girls won their seeded AA race, with Burnt Hills taking second.

   The seeded A races went to the Saranac Lake boys by a 76-81 margin over Beaver River and Newfane girls.

   Mendon's Lawler was coming off an impressive win a week early in the pre-state meet at SUNY Plattsburgh.

   "He's showing control at points of races and then showing aggression at points of races," coach Chris Compson said. "He's really come into his own, not only with training, but really learning the nuances of racing a 5K effectively."

   More cross country: Adirondack senior Tyler Fauvelle defended his title in the in the boys small school division of the E.J. Herrmann Invitational at Thomas R. Proctor Park in Utica, covering 3.1 miles in 16:49.6.

   Fauvelle edged Gitch Hayes of LaSalle Institute by 1.5 seconds.

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   The day's fastest time came from Nathaniel Sletten of Rome Free Academy, who won the large-school race in 16:42.8. Suffern scored a 38-41 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse for team honors.

   Hannah Ielfield (18:39.6), Lexi Bernard and Brynn Bernard locked down the top three places in the girls small-schools race to pace South Lewis to victory.

    • The girls team races in the Suffolk Coaches Invitational at Sunken Meadow were nail-biters. In Varsity A, Sachem North edged Brooklyn Tech 87-88. In Varsity B, Riverhead defeated Connetquot 94-95.

   Girls soccer: Fourth-ranked Queensbury downed No. 12 Averill Park 2-0 in a game between state-ranked Class A squads from Section 2.

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   Sophia Keshmiri and Brigid Duffy scored the goals, with Kaileigh Hunt making four saves for the shutout.

   Pinch-hitter: With regular Burke Catholic kickers Stephen Harrison and Ryan Manna unavailable because they were playing varsity soccer Saturday, football coach Aaron Hasbrouck called up a replacement from the JVs -- Harrison's sister Victoria -- for a game against Rondout Valley.

   After missing two extra-point attempts, Harrison split the uprights early in the fourth quarter after QB Jackson Hoovler hit senior Brendan Tierney with a 60-yard touchdown pass in what would be a 35-20 victory.

   "I was very nervous, but I knew the team had my back," Harrison said. "Everyone has been rooting for me."

   Harrison, also a member of the girls soccer team, said the idea of playing football began innocently enough one day at home.

   "One day I was outside and there was a football and I kicked it. My mom said, 'Oh, you should play football.' I thought she was joking. But I decided to go out for tryouts and I made the team."

   Welcome back: Luke Pecovic's 5-yard touchdown run late in Washingtonville's 27-7 loss to Newburgh Free Academy was a victory in itself.

   "It was amazing," he said. "Honestly. Scoring, I almost started crying."

   Pecovic suffered a seizure on June 29 and was rushed to a hospital, where he had brain surgery to remove a parasite that had gotten infected and swollen. The parasite had lodged itself on the surface of the brain, making the surgery invasive but not harmful to Pecovic's long-term outlook.

   He was given the OK to practice Sept. 16 and learned Thursday that he would play the next night at Newburgh. He finished with 22 carries for 105 yards and the touchdown.

   Extra points: Cardinal O'Hara forfeited Saturday's scheduled football game vs. Binghamton due to a lack of healthy players. O'Hara had previously forfeited its opener against Bishop Ireton of Alexandria, Virginia, and has been outscored by a combined 86-0 in two losses.