Kicking off: Croton-Harmon beat Dobbs Ferry in a wild affair in the 2008 Section 1 Class C semifinals, and the sequel wasn't too bad either.

   Special teams played a big role in No. 9 Croton-Harmon's come-from-ahead, come-from-behind, 25-21 win of the Eagles on Saturday to keep alive its hopes of returning to the NYSPHSAA finals in Syracuse.

   The Tigers, who edged Dobbs Ferry 22-21 a year ago with a late two-point conversion, will take on No. 3 Bronxville in the sectional final next weekend.

   Matt Trialli brought back the opening kickoff 87 yards for a TD to help stake Croton to a 13-0 lead, but back-to-back malfunctions on Croton punts -- a bad snap setting up Devonte Brailsford's 5-yard TD run and John Yozzo-Scaperrotta blocking one to set up a Brailsford 30-yard TD -- helped Dobbs Ferry to a 14-13 lead.

   The Eagles got it out to 21-13 on a 65-yard TD drive to start the second half and thought they hit the jackpot again before Brailsford's 83-yard TD on a punt return was wiped out by a penalty.

   Dobbs Ferry gave the ball away at its own 3 on a mishandled punt snap, and Trialli caught a batted ball from QB Tyler Dorien in the end zone to cut the gap to 21-19.

   Dobbs Ferry was forced to punt again, and this time the snap sailed over Brailsford. Four plays and 36 yards later, Kevin Soares punched it in from the 5.

   First down: Holy Cross linebacker Shaquille Fredericks intercepted a fourth-quarter pass and made a long return to set up a Dean Marlowe touchdown run that put the Knights ahead for good in a 50-38 victory over Class AA No. 10 St. Joseph by the Sea in the CHSFL regular-season finale.

   The previously unbeaten Vikings raced to a 16-0 advantage and let an 11-point lead slip away in the second half.

   Devante Bryant and Barrington Wallace ran for two TDs apiece, and Devon Cajuste caught an 80-yard touchdown. Marlowe went 5-for-10 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

   Second down: No. 13 McQuaid raced to three first-quarter TDs and barely looked back during a 42-20 victory over No. 15 Victor in the Section 5 Class A semifinals. John Jenkins scored three times finished with 12 carries for 209 yards.

   The game sets up a rematch with No. 3 Aquinas, which scored a 31-24 victory in overtime in Week 7 in a huge rivarly game.

   "Another shot," Jenkins told the Democrat and Chronicle. "McQuaid-Aquinas is always a game that has a lot of excitement. Put it in the final, and it will be like a Super Bowl. The last time McQuaid played in the final was against Aquinas.

   "It's going to be like 1978 again."

   That would bode well for the Knights. They dropped their '78 regular-season game to Aquinas 9-0 but pulled out a 19-17 triumph in the rematch.

   Against Victor, Brian Parker capped a two-play, 51-yard opening drive with a 46-yard catch and run. The Blue Devils fumbled the ball away on their first offensive snap, and Jenkins ran in five plays later from 17 yards to make it 14-0.

   McQuaid's next possession covered 72 yards in 11 plays, capped by fullback Phil Tokarz's 1-yard plunge with 1:53 to go in the quarter.

   Third down: Will Crapo connected with Mike Vannucci on an 18-yard TD pass with 1:24 remaining to complete a fourth-quarter comeback and carry Class A No. 18 Plainedge past No. 10 Lynbrook 42-35 in Nassau County Conference III action.

   Adam Kuemmel recovered a fumble with 30 seconds left to put the finishing touches on the fourth quarter, in which

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Plainedge outscored Lynbrook 21-0.

   Crapo finished 16-for-25 fo 220 yards, four TDs and an interception.

   Lynbrook's Tom DeNapoli carried 14 times for 235 yards. His third TD of the day was an 85-yard kickoff return in the third quarter to build a 35-21 lead. His other scores came on a 54-yard rush and a 9-yard pass play in the first half.

   Fourth down: No. 12 Chatham, playing in the semifinals for the seventh straight year and powered by 302 yards on 28 carries and four TDs by Josh Keyes, beat No. 10 Cambridge 31-14 in Section 2 Class A action.

   Cambridge took the lead with two long TD passes in the first quarter, but Keyes ran for two of his own in the second quarter, the second capping a 99-yard drive just 24 seconds before halftime for a 19-14 lead.

   "It was probably the most important drive of the game," Cambridge coach Doug Luke told The Times Union. "It has to get them fired up going into the locker room and deflated us. It really did."

   Keyes' last score was a 32-yard run on fourth-and-3 late in the third quarter. "It was a long battle. A long fight, a total fight," he said.

   Quick kicks: No. 13 Eden reached its first Section 6 Class C final in six years by edging No. 14 Cassadaga Valley 7-6, surviving three lost fumbles that CV was unable to cash in.

   Eden was winless in 2007 and picked up just two victories a year ago. It will match 9-0 records with defending state champion Jamestown Southwestern in the final. Eden has allowed just 18 points this season.

   "It's the best feeling I've ever felt in my life," senior linebacker Jeremiah Gechell told The Buffalo News.

   Gechell made the stop for an 8-yard loss on B.J. Monacelli's first-and-goal run from the 8 late in the first quarter. Three plays later, Brett Ebling intercepted a pass in the end zone to snuff out the CV threat.

   CV recovered two fumbles in the second half, including one at its own 43 with 8:21 left, but the Cougars went three-and-out each time.

   The stat sheet: Delhi running back Jack Fletcher ran for 128 yards and scored two TDs as No. 3 Delhi fended off a game Tioga 20-3 to advance to the Section 4 Class D final vs. No. 11 Groton.

   Rutgers recruit Jordan Thomas ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns as Union-Endicott roared to a 38-15 semifinal win over Ithaca in Class AA. Thomas had 236 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers' 23-0 win over Ithaca two weeks earlier.

   QB Dan Scalo ran 21 times for 170 yards and three TDs, and his only completion in five attempts was a 90-yard TD as No. 1 Monroe-Woodbury stayed on track in Section 9 Class AA with a 35-6 win over Minisink Valley. Scalo threw the TD to Patrick Laird and then had a 22-yard run for a TD in the third quarter to break open a 14-6 game.