by Steve Bradley
Last Saturday the Hoosick Falls Panthers made a run up the Northway to play the Saranac Lake Red Storm. It was cold with a bit of a breeze, but the fans made the almost three hour trip. Everyone must have been dressed for the thirty degree temperature, as everyone stayed in their seats until the end.
The Storm came into the game with a 9 – 0 record and the stats to back it up. On paper they were a good passing team and an average running team. Saranac Lake and Hoosick Falls are familiar foes who only meet as sectional champions, so it’s always a good game.
The game got off to a slow start. Each team struggled to move the ball in each of their first couple of possessions. Yellow penalty flags were flying through the cold air on a regular basis.
After a Storm punt, the Panthers took over at their own 15 yard line with their third possession. From there they began an 85 yard march into the Storm’s end zone. Connor McCart started the drive with a couple receptions, and an Austin Pitt scamper for 25 yards brought the ball to the Storm’s 12 yard line. From there quarterback Garrett Wright took a keeper to the three yard line, where he was slowed by the Storm defense. With a little help from his friends, mostly his linemen, Wright and his teammates won the ‘Push of War’ against the Storm defense and Wright fell into the end zone. With Damon Dubois’ extra point kick tacked on, the Panthers led 7 – 0. A lead they would never relinquish.
It’s always good to get that first lead. It gives you a little breathing room, along with the freedom to do things you can’t do if you’re tied or behind. The officials were not giving the Panthers any leeway, and this seven point lead helped insulate the Panthers from that.
After the defense allowed the Storm nine yards total for their next two possessions, the Panthers once again took over deep in their own territory. Starting on the 16 yard line, the Panthers methodically worked their way down the field. Twelve plays later the Panthers were on the Storm 14 yard line, where Pitt ran through and over a couple of defenders for a touchdown. It was a dominating, in your face, 84 yard drive. Seventy-four of the yards came on the ground, accomplished with the offensive line combinations of Pascal Wilkins, Evan Hand, Shayne Richard, Logan Hoyt, Alex Hull, Shane Barss and Mark Hackett. The offensive line was crushing the Storm’s defensive line.
With the first half winding down, the Panthers started a drive on their own 40 yard line. Moving down the field mostly on the back of Colby Davendonis, the Panthers came to a fourth down on the Storm’s ten yard line. From there Dubois kicked a 27 yard field goal, giving the Panthers a 17 – 0 lead. This remained the score into the halftime break.
The 17 point halftime lead looked pretty good. The Panthers were moving the ball on offense, and the defense held the Storm to 55 total offensive yards, 25 of which came on two plays just before the half. The Panthers had eight first half penalties. All the time the Panthers’ long drives were taking was time lost to the Storm. It’s hard to score points if you don’t have the ball.
The Storm came out after the break and got some momentum going their way. On their first possession, the Storm moved downfield into Panther territory. The drive stalled at the Panther 28 when the Storm failed to convert on fourth and nine. When the next Panther possession stalled at midfield, the Storm took over after the punt at their own 25 yard line. From there they put together a 13 play drive that ended with a 22 yard touchdown reception. They ended up with six points after the extra point kick try was blocked.
The Panthers scored on their next possession on a four yard run by Pitt after a seven play, 56 yard drive. The drive stared at the Panther 44 after a nice kickoff return by Pitt, who also had the play of the drive with a 33 yard run. This made the score 24 – 6. This touchdown took the wind out of the Storm’s sails.
At this point in the game, over the next several minutes, the referees called an interception by Shane Richard an incomplete pass, didn’t call a blatant face mask penalty and decided that a late hit by a Storm player on Davendonis that could have gone either way wasn’t late enough. The Panthers ended the game with 16 penalties.
The Panthers gained 445 yards total, 363 coming on the ground. Austin Pitt rushed for 171 yards, and Colby Davendonis had 155. From the quarterback position, Garrett Wright had 10 carries for 20 yards, and was 7 of 9 for 82 yards passing. Connor McCart had five catches for 47 yards. There was little need for the pass with the run game gaining over six yards per attempt.
On defense, with 12 tackles – three for a loss, McCart was a force of his own the entire afternoon. Evan Hand and Mark Hackett each pulled down the ball carrier eight times.
McCart was named Overall Player of the Game. Pitt was named Offensive Player and Hand was name Defensive Player of the Game. The Most Important Players of the Game Award goes to the offensive and defensive lines for their play in this game.
The Panthers will put their 11 – 0 record on the line this Saturday, November 22, at 11 am against the 8 – 2 Millbrook Blazers, a Section IX team. Millbrook is a running team using a double wing formation. Regardless of what type of offense they use, bad teams don’t get to the State semi-finals and the Panthers will have to be prepared.
The game will be at Deitz Stadium in Kingston, NY. Travel time is a little less than two hours from Hoosick Falls. The stadium can be reached using Exit 19 off 87 South, then get on Washington Avenue immediately after exiting the toll booth.
The winner of the game earns the right to play the following week on Saturday, November 29 at 3 pm in the Syracuse Carrier Dome in New York State Class C Championship game.