Leading off today: Corning West recovered six Vestal fumbles and scored three touchdowns in the decisive fourth quarter for a 27-7 victory in a Class A football game last night between state-ranked teams.
Anthony Nybeck scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter for Corning West, ranked 20th by the New York State Sportswriters Association, then added a 5-yard run to make it a 21-7 game. Greg Riff (11 rushes, 163 yards) capped the victory with a 95-yard touchdown run against the state's No. 16 team as the Vikings rolled up 321 yards on 50 carries.
Wild win for Schenectady: Schedectady scored the game's final five touchdowns to rally from 15 points down and earn a wild, 64-42 victory against Niskayuna in a game featuring back-to-back kickoff returns for scores.
Quarterback Nick Ottati threw for four TDs and ran for another, and Marc Thompson (34 carries, 151 yards) scored four times. The Patriots hadn't allowed a first-half point in their opening two games but fell behind by 42-27 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter courtesy of a Dan Peters (14-for-30, 283 yards, four TDs) TD throw.
Schenectady went ahead for good at 43-42 as Ottati (13-for-18, 264 yards) threw 20 yards to Ozire Murphy and then ran in the two-point conversion attempt with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
Kadeem Miller scored a touchdown for Niskayuna on an 81-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, but Herman Seise retaliated with an 83-yard return of his own.
West Genny triumphs: QB Jim Marks went 15-of-23 for 176 yards and four TDs as West Genesee, ranked No. 1 in Class AA, downed No. 24 Liverpool, 51-34. The Wildcats, defending state champions, never trailed.
Marks threw first-half TD passes of five yards to all-state receiver Joe Fazio, and 32 and 11 yards to Jake Fietkiewicz (six catches, 90 yards). He also rushed for his first varsity TD. Tailback Jeremy Jones rushed 19 times for 165 yards.
Baldwin wins late: Luke Nolan threw 17 yards to Troy Dennis with :06 to play, lifting Baldwin past Farmingdale, 28-21. Baldwin got possession with 1:17 left and two timeouts, then drove six plays to the win the rematch of a 2007 sectional final.
Baldwin, which fell behind by 14-0 in the second quarter, had pulled even with an eight-play, 73-yard drive capped by a 24-yard run by senior Orlando Cooper (11 carries, 116 yards) with 2:50 to go.
Friday's rapid recap: Senior QB Mike Abelard, making his first start in place of Ryan Whitley, out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, ran for 119 yards on 13 carries and threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Malivert as Ramapo downed Suffern, 34-6. Abelard set up the first TD with three straight runs of 20 or more yards.
Suhayb Banks scored four touchdowns, including three in the decisive fourth quarter, as Shenendehowa rallied past Guilderland, 33-23 with two scores in the final 2:40. Banks (22 carries, 171 yards) posted the go-ahead points with a 43-yard run, then plowed in from the 11 again with :59 to play.
Junior Kyle Reilly's 40-yard field goal with :06 remaining lifted Greece Arcadia over Brighton, 23-20. Arcadia got the ball back on downs with 1:48 to go and drove 30 yards to set up the winning score. Senior Clyde Miller carried for 167 yards, bringing his season total to 512 yards on the ground.
Sophomore tailback Dylan Brown ran 10 times for 205 yards and touchdowns covering 24, 38, 54 and 70 yards as Brockport cruised past Spencerport with a 376-yard ground attack, 41-7.
Bishop Timon-St. Jude got a 21-yard field goal from Pat Wanamacher in the closing seconds of a 27-26 victory against visiting Bishop Kearney, ranked eighth in Class C. Chris Kane made five tackles and two interceptions for the winners.
Ben Cook carried for 95 yards and two touchdowns and four other Saratoga backs rushed for scores as part of a 279-yard ground game in a 48-6 thumping of Albany CBA. Tony Deloatch (two carries, 28 yards) returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.