Leading off: Bryon Palmer's 30-yard field goal in overtime capped a rally from a two-TD deficit and carried Johnson City to a 17-14 victory over Maine-Endwell on Friday for the Section 4 Class B football crown.

   Maine-Endwell won 6-0 when the teams met two weeks ago on a muddy field.

   "Unbelievable. It's a dream; it really is a dream," Palmer told The Press & Sun-Bulletin.

   M-E led 14-0 after Nate Reynolds ran 27 yards for his second touchdown with 46.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter. On the subsequent possession, JC's Troy Robinson scored on a 68-yard pass play on first down.

   Midway through the fourth quarter, Josh Halladay scored on a 13-yard run, and Palmer added the two-point conversion with a catch off a deflected throw.

   M-E opened overtime with a four-and-out series on a fourth-and-6 incompletion. Johnson City then picked up seven yards on three plays to set up the winning kick.

   Class AA: Union-Endicott used big nights from running back Jordan Thomas and quarterback Mario Carroll en route to a 24-16 victory vs. Binghamton in the Section 4 final for its fourth title in five years.

   Thomas rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown, and Carroll connected on TD passes of 34 and 22 yards to Lucas Ward that gave the Tigers to a 14-0 first-half lead. The U-E defense limited Binghamton to 142 yards.

   In Section 2, Saratoga capitalized on Ballston Spa mistakes by converting four turnovers into 24 points and cruised to a 31-7 victory. Already down 7-0, Ballston Spa mishandled a punt return and Saratoga’s Andrew Brink recovered just outside the end zone to set up Tony DeLoatch's TD run.

   Class A: Nick Mauro scored five touchdowns on 12 carries for 162 yards in Whitesboro's 60-30 upset of No. 4 New Hartford in the Section 3 final at the Carrier Dome.

   New Hartford won 42-26 when the teams met in Week 7.

   Senior Sean Jones hit Mike Sullivan for a 38-yard TD pass midway through the first quarter, and Mauro rambled 37 yards for a 13-0 lead. It was 19-12 in second half before Jones threw another TD pass and the sides traded TDs three times. The final Whitesboto score in the sequence was a back-breaking 80-yard punt return by Mauro.

   In Section 6, No. 1 Sweet Home scored the only two TDs after haltime to rally past Grand Island 20-13 for its third straight crown at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

   Mikal Coleman's 1-yard run tied the score on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Ralph Neasman ran 11 yards with 5:20 to play for the winning score.

   Sweet Home's opponent in the state quarterfinals will be Aquinas for the third straight year. The Little Irish defended their Section 5 championship with a 31-17 win over McQuaid.

   Mike Messina (25 carries, 134 yards) broke open a 7-3 game with a 66-yard TD run midway through the third quarter, and Manny Magliocco threw an in-stride strike to Chris Bostick for 66 yards to start the fourth quarter.

   Messina finished with two touchdowns and credited the blocking. "We've had a great group of guys up there," Messina told the Democrat and Chronicle. "They worked hard in the offseason, and we jelled. We have something good going on."

   In Section 4, Corning East QB Brandon Griffin ran for 177 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown with 1:59 remaining, as the Trojans earned a 44-38 win over Corning West. Griffin ran for two other touchdowns, and his 34-

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yard throw to Jeremy Brenning made the score 24-24 at halftime.

   In Section 9, Cornwall made it five titles in a row by beating Wallkill 26-7. Tyree Smallwood grabbed a pass from Tyler Lawlor and raced 63 yards for a TD just 18 seconds into the game, and Smallwood (19 carries, 129 yards) scored the next touchdown on 16-yard run around the right side late in the first quarter.

   Cornwall held a 362-159 advantage in yardage.

   Class C: Ogdensburg Free Academy scored on its first play, a 35-yard pass from Jared Morrow to Jordan Remi, to start a 25-14 victory against Saranac for the Section 7/10 title.

   Morrow's nine completions generated 242 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score.

   In Section 5, sophomore Chris Nevinger ran for two touchdowns to help Letchworth to a 28-6 victory over Attica. Nevinger finished with 156 yards on 31 carries as the Indians won their first football title.

   Class D: Reigning state Class D player of the year Chris Secky's extra-point attempt sailed wide right with 1:40 to go, allowing Randolph to beat Maple Grove 21-20, avenge a 7-6 loss in the season opener and oust the defending Section 6 and NYSPHSAA champions.

   Randolph controlled the flow with a ground game that churned out 252 yards in 59 attempts. Senior Matt Hettenbaugh ran 30 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

   "It was cool to win it as a sophomore, but as a senior it means a lot more," Hettenbaughtold The Buffalo News. "We have 18 seniors on this team and we don't want to quit."

   In Section 3, Westmoreland rattled off 36 consecutive points and topped Weedsport 43-20. Junior QB Dan Smith overcame a costly fumble on the first series of the game to finish 8-for-9 for 179 yards, all in the first half.

   Westmoreland scored on three straight possessions to conclude the first half with a 29-7 lead.

   Eldred scored 17 points in a 3:28 span of the first quarter and coasted past Chester 45-6 in the Section 9 championship game. Eldred quarterback Bryan Henry went 14-for-16 passes for 268 yards with one passing TD and one on the ground.

   Moriah defended its Section 7/10 title with a 42-12 victory over Ticonderoga as Ron Schofield ran for 165 yards and scored three TDs.

   Brackets: The New York State Sportswriters Association has posted brackets for the NYSPHSAA tournament that begins next weekend, complete with Friday's 14 winners. Click here to get started.