2015 Chenango Forks Varsity Football
Game
11 vs Utica Notre Dame
Chenango Forks 35,
Utica Notre Dame 8
CF advances to
program's NY State 4 Record 12th Football Final Four
Articles courtesy of the
Binghamton Press &
Sun-Bulletin, Utica Observer-Dispatch,
My Hometown Sports
and the Syracuse Post-Standard
| To Game 10 - Newark Valley |
To Game 12 - Bath-Haverling |
|
Forks smacks Utica foe in 'C' football quarter Chenango Forks wore down a formidable-if-undisciplined Utica Notre Dame squad Saturday to post a 35-8 victory in a Class C state football quarterfinal at Binghamton Alumni Stadium. The top-ranked Blue Devils (10-1) came up with two touchdowns under five minutes apart in response to Notre Dame drawing within 14-8 midway into the third quarter. Forks improved the program’s state-record tournament win total to 24. A most obvious choice as Most Valuable Player was senior Tony Silvanic, who rushed for three scores, passed for another, kicked three extra points and turned in superlative defense from his linebacker spot. In fact, Forks’ defense as a whole was brilliant, holding a Notre Dame squad that averaged 57 points in three Section 3 playoff wins to its season-low output. That previous low? Fourteen put up in a season-opening loss to Newark Valley twice a Forks victim this autumn. Next for Forks is a semifinal against the champion from either Section 5 or Section 6, noon Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Blue Devils defenders were acutely aware of Jugglers do-it-all Jerome Brabham, who through 10 games had rushed for 520 yards and seven touchdowns, completed eight of 11 passes with seven TDs, and made 38 receptions for 773 and 12 TDs. On Saturday, he was limited to 50 rushing yards until
an inconsequential final possession, had one of his two passes
intercepted and did not receive a pass. “We knew they had a player, No. 1, who moved from quarterback to wide receiver to halfback. My main focus was to move around with him, try and slow him down the whole game,” Watson said. Of Watson’s defensive role, coach David Hogan said: “To not let No. 1 make big plays, pretty much. Absolutely mission accomplished. No. 1 was a player, no doubt about it, very explosive and L.J. did an excellent job.” To go with that, Watson rushed for 92 yards and a score. But his largest offensive contribution came on a non-scoring rush seven minutes into the second half. Having just surrendered a 6-yard TD run and two-pointer to Brabham, Forks set up at its 47-yard line and was immediately backed 5 on a false-start penalty. On first-and-15, Watson began a rush inside, cut right, hopped over a defender and continued on to the Jugglers’ 20. Five plays later, Silvanic sneaked across from the four-inch line, kicked the PAT and it was 21-8 a mere 1:56 after Notre Dame’s score. “It was a tough moment because we were on the verge of getting stopped,” Watson said. “I found a little space and ended up breaking loose. That just pumped up the whole team and I think it changed the momentum of the game.” No denying that. Defensive plays made by Brandin Paulhamus, Cody Lamond and Trevor Borchardt, respectively, left Notre Dame a fourth-and-11 punt, after which Forks took over at its 41. On the drive’s seventh play, Silvanic with Grade-A blocking turned a mid-line option into a 28-yard scoring feast and it was 28-8 four plays into the fourth quarter. The Devils’ final TD finished a seven-play, 23-yard
drive aided by a Notre Dame penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct one of
the visitors’ 15 infractions on the day. The 15-play, 66-yard drive to follow featured three third-down conversions, 11- and 9-yard gains around left end by Dylan Studer and Lamond, and Silvanic’s five-feet sneak for points in the final minute of the first quarter. It became a two-TD difference when, with 70 seconds to play in the half, Silvanic delivered a third-and-4 pass to Collin Topa, who made the catch near Notre Dame’s 25 after defender Brabham had slipped to the synthetic turf. The play covered 43 yards, Tim McDonald rushed for two and Forks’ advantage was 14-0 at halftime. That scoring play came on the second consecutive pass called, and the third in a stretch of six snaps. Future Forks opponents: Beware Air Hogan. Meanwhile, six pass completions from two Notre Dame quarterbacks went for a net 3 yards. Two went for negative yardage and another for zero. “First of all, we have some players who understood what we were trying to do,” Hogan said of the defense. “We knew they had two who jumped out as far as great players and we did a pretty job of kind of containing them, no real big plays.” The Blue Devils’ advantage in rushing yards was a mere 192 to 178, but the Jugglers were backtracked 131 penalty yards to Forks’ 20. The Class C outcome left Section 4 squads 3-for-3 and on the pleasant side of a 127-29 scoring differential in quarterfinals against Section 3 opposition Notre Dame falls in state quarters Notre Dame falls to Chenango Forks, 35-8, under
weight of mistakes, penalties But the No. 1 state-ranked Blue Devils flexed their muscles and scored the next three times they got the football to pull away for a 35-8 victory at Alumni Stadium here. Forks, the two-time defending state Class C champions from Section IV, improves to 10-1 and advances to next week's state semifinal game at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Notre Dame, the Section III champion, loses to Forks for a second straight season and finishes 9-2. Forks took a 14-0 lead into the locker room, thanks to a 43-yard pass from quarterback Tony Silvanic to Collin Topa, who was wide open after Notre Dame defensive back Jerome Brabham slipped to the turf. But the Jugglers came out in the third quarter and drove 56 yards in 11 plays to score what would be their only TD of the game on a Brabham 6-yard run from the Wildcat formation. Brabham's two-point conversion made it 14-8 Forks with 5 minutes, 34 seconds left in the third quarter. The Blue Devils took the kickoff and drove 53 yards in six plays - aided by a personal foul, two facemask penalties, and a 38-yard run by L.J. Watson to go up, 21-8, with 3:38 left in the third. "It was way closer than that scoreboard showed," DerCola said afterwards. "Especially after that first touchdown and we got on the board and it was 14-8. I thought we had something going. "Unfortunately, we got a couple of calls that did not go our way - it was questionable," he said. "We did not fight through them too well, but that's football for you." Notre Dame's offense didn't help itself. The Jugglers went three-plays-and-out on its next two possessions, while Forks found the end zone twice more in the fourth quarter for the final margin. SAME TEAM SAME RESULT IN CLASS C STATE REGIONAL-UND
FALLS TO FORKS It was back to back wins for Section IV’s Chenango Forks (10-0) Blue Devils who worked their way past Notre Dame 35-8 in Saturday’s rematch on the turf at Alumni Stadium in Binghamton. For UND fans who rode home back up route 81 shaking
their heads or more importantly for those fans who didn’t watch the game
and just heard the final score take my word for it this game was still a
game until the end of the third quarter as the Jugglers hung tough with
the state’s # 1 ranked Class C team. The big ole “horse pill” that the Jugglers and head
coach Jake DerCola will never be able to swallow comes in the form of
the 15 penalty flags that destroyed successful trips deep into Forks
territory. The penalties took the smooth as silk high-powered offense out of sync for the entire 48 minutes of play. The biggest sin committed was procedure penalty that brought back a 39 yard TD hookup between Jerome Brabham who found Kinsey Williams open in the flat. Williams used his speed to find the end zone only to
have to head back up field with the points taken off the board. The
drive stalled and an early momentum changing lead went up in smoke just
like the smoke that emanated from the semi-tractor trailer trucks that
sped past the playing field all day long on the 81 overpass. Chenango Forks took over on downs and then sent a loud
and clear message to UND driving 66 yards in 15 plays milking 6:34 off
the clock to put six up on the board as Tony Silvanic the Devils
bruising QB stormed in from a yard out to give his team a 6-0 lead with
just:45 seconds left in the opening quarter. Topa’s TD grab capped off a hurry up offensive set as Topa scored with 1:10 left in the first half. The big play capped off an 8 play 71-yard drive that took up 3:35 of playing time as the Devils started to grab control of this highly anticipated rematch. Somehow you knew that Jake DerCola and his staff would get the ship back on course. Kinsey Williams ripped off a 17-yard run to set the
Jugglers offense up in business at the Chenango Forks 6-yard line. On
the following play, Jerome Brabham dialed up his own number, charges
accepted as Brabham found the end zone from 6 yards out to make it a
game. The score came with just 4:56 left in the third. A 56 yard 11 play scoring drive that chewed up 4:50 off the clock. The Jugglers were back in a big way but for how long? The answer is not long as the Blue Devils asserted themselves with a quick right back at you scoring drive that lasted just one minute and 48 seconds as the Forks motored 54 yards in just seven plays as Silvanic dove in from the one as the lead was suddenly 21-8 with 3:38 left in the third quarter. It got out of hand when the new mayor of Chenango Forks Silvanic, # 1 on his jersey and # 1 in the hearts for Blue Devils fans busted 28 yards up the gut to dance one time in the end zone. The dagger in the hearts TD came with 10:48 left in the game to cap a 7 play 53-yard drive that kept the ball away from the hungry Jugglers for 3 and a half minutes. Down 28-8, the Jugglers could find no answers as the
Section IV Champs sealed the deal with 4:12 left as LJ Watson joined the
party scoring on a 3-yard run as the Devils finished things off with the
35-8 win. Jerome Brabham gained 88 yards on the ground on 15 tries and scored the Jugglers only TD in his swan song as a UND Juggler. Despite the 35 points put up by Chenango Forks the always tough UND defense gave up just 229 yards of offense against the high-powered Devils offense. Speaking of defensive prowess how about the fact that Chenango Forks held AT Bianco and Jerome Bramham to just 5 yards passing on 12 tries. Go figure. Bianco was also sacked three times. Chenango Forks moves on to the Class C semi next week at CNS as the season comes to a close for UND. Special Thanks to the Juggler family for allowing MHTS to be along for a fun filled ride through this football season. Back at you next year. |
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | Tot | ||
| Chenango Forks | 6 | 8 | 7 | 14 | - | 35 |
| Utica Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 8 |
- CF - Tony Silvanic 2y run (Silvanic kick missed)
- CF - Collin Topa 43y pass from Silvanic (Tim McDonald run)
- ND - Jerome Brabham 6 run (Brabham run)
- CF - Silvanic 1y run (Silvanic kick)
- CF - Silvanic 28y run (Silvanic kick)
- CF - LJ Watson 4y run (Silvanic kick)
TEAM STATISTICS
| UND | CF | |
| First Downs | 10 | 16 |
| Rushes-Yards | 39-178 | 47-192 |
| Passing Yards | 3 | 50 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 6-12-1 | 2-5-0 |
| Total Offense | 51-181 | 52-242 |
| Punts-Ave yards | 2-34 | 1-33 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 15-131 | 3-25 |
| . |
|
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Utica Notre Dame rushing
Chenango
Forks
rushing Utica Notre Dame passing
Chenango Forks passing
Utica Notre Dame receiving
Chenango Forks receiving:
Preview
Article(s)
Entrenched hip pad-deep atop state football rankings in its enrollment classification. Pursuing a third successive state championship. Unbeaten this year and last by any opponent hailing from beyond the 13760. Unscored upon in all but two first halves this season. Nevertheless, overshadowed within its own county which speaks to the brand of football played and coached within Section 4’s boundaries. Chenango Forks is off on the state-playoff trail for the 13th time in the last 15 years a fact roughly as unfathomable as the following: The Blue Devils have, since their 1995 state-playoff debut, participated in a state-record 32 tournament games, won a state-record 23 of those, and suited up for a state-record eight New York championship games. The program’s record in those Week 13 games under the roof in Syracuse is 4-4. Oh, from Week 8 of the 2011 season to the present, Forks’ record is 46-4. No Section 4 squad is playing better football entering state playoffs than Chenango Forks, which was dealt a crummy regular-season hand. The Devils missed out on games in Weeks 5 and 7. Vastly overmatched squads scheduled to oppose Forks those weeks opted out of football in favor of a weekend off, which was most unfortunate, particularly for all 12th-graders involved. Since that second free pass? The Devils have belted three Section 4 playoff qualifiers by 99-7. In the first halves of those games. How and why? Superiorly guided preparation, outstanding execution and high-grade personnel. For starters, Forks has the best and most dynamic teen-ager in uniform every game day or night against in-class competition, L.J. Watson. Suggestions to the contrary are welcome, but likely contrived or just plain fictional. And the Devils’ every offensive play until mop-up time, anyway is set in motion by one of the finest two-way linemen around, big strappin’ lad named Ryan Ehrets. Heard of too many other three-season starting centers chasing a third state championship? As a junior? Lamond and Borchardt, Studer, Silvanic and McDonald. Osterhout, Hutchinson and Chochishvili. Paulhamus and Aldrich. This roster is stacked. Bodies are large and well-conditioned. The system is rooted in the basics, frills be damned and, a whole lot of times, the forward pass as well. And the varsity coaching staff? Mike Curtis is up top in the booth, David Hogan, Kelsey Green and Dave Chickanosky are heels-to-turf. Kelsey and Chick have, together, overseen about as many downs of high school football as Sonic has served milkshakes. Call it a championship formula, all the way around. “We talk about blocking and tackling. We’re going to keep working on that,” head coach Hogan said after the most recent win, 42-15 over a sound Newark Valley side. “It’s not rocket science, we’re going to keep doing the same things that got us here. We just try to elevate it, try to do it that much better the following week.” And so they have, these four-time defending sectional champions. Come high noon Saturday, they’ll reacquaint themselves with the lads representing Utica’s Notre Dame High School. And here’s guessing the Red Helmets and school name across the jerseys, coupled with the Jugglers’ memories, make it just about a 7-0 Forks advantage during pre-game stretch. See, young men on both sides remember. They need dial it back just one autumn to Forks 57, UND 14. Wasn’t a fair fight. This time around? Notre Dame has lost one game in 2015, by three TDs to an opponent Forks hit up for 76 points in two victories this season. That Newark Valley win over UND came in Week 1, and certainly things have changed since that afternoon. But still … “If we play as well as we can play I think we can make it deep into the postseason like we have the last couple years,” said Blue Devils senior Tony Silvanic, who has settled in comfortably at quarterback since Forks eased away from the L.J. Experiment. Couldn’t resist asking Hogan: If you were an opponent preparing for Chenango Forks … “First of all you better have some players, right?” he said. “I think there’s a lot but you could say that about Utica Notre Dame, there’s a lot we have to stop with them, too. They’ve got an explosive offense, too.” But, here’s the thing: Forks expects to win Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinal. The opponent hopes to. Meaningful difference. Notre Dame football: 'We're ready' for state quarterfinal game The question, again, will be: Can they stop it? After winning their first Section III title since 1999, last year’s Jugglers ran head-on into Section IV powerhouse Chenango Forks and then got run over by the Blue Devils, who steamrolled to a 57-14 victory and two weeks later repeated as Class C state champions. Now, with almost every starter returning from that Notre Dame team whose 9-2 season ended with a thud, the Jugglers (9-1) – knowing all too well what to expect – meet top-ranked Chenango Forks (9-1) in a state quarterfinal rematch at noon Saturday at Binghamton High School’s Alumni Stadium. “They’re a top-notch organization, and they do what they do, year-in and year-out,” Notre Dame coach Jake DerCola said of the Blue Devils. “It’s nothing fancy. They just want to run it down your throat.” Last year, Chenango Forks gained 409 of its 452 yards on the ground, and the Blue Devils led 29-0 in the first half and 50-6 in the third quarter. “They controlled the line of scrimmage,” DerCola said. “They dominated us up front. We’ve got to be able to play with them in the trenches. We can’t get blown off the ball.” Chenango Forks halfback L.J. Watson, a second-team all-state pick last year as a sophomore, returns after rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame. Last week, he ran for 134 of his 176 yards in the first half and the Blue Devils – who never attempted a pass – rushed for 397 as a team while capturing a fourth straight Section IV title with a 42-15 win over Newark Valley. The Blue Devils, beaten only by Maine-Endwell – No. 1 in the Class A state rankings and gunning for its 62nd straight win in tonight’s quarterfinal game against Whitesboro – the last two seasons, also feature all-state honorable mention QB-DE Tony Silvanic (6-foot-1, 225) and linemen Ryan Ehrets (6-3, 250), David Chochishvilli (6-0, 260) and Trevor Borchardt (6-6, 225). Chenango Forks’ regular season included a 28-21 loss to Maine-Endwell and a 34-21 win over Newark Valley, whose Cardinals beat Notre Dame 32-14 in the teams’ “Kickoff Classic” opener at the Carrier Dome. The Jugglers, “a different team now,” DerCola said, have not lost since, and they’re not backing down from this challenge. “This Notre Dame team is not coming off a tough game at the Dome, and nobody is hurt,” senior co-captain Joe Flynt said, referring to the Jugglers’ 32-20 win over Herkimer in last year’s section final, and last week’s 69-32 romp over Canastota – it was 62-8 after three quarters – at the Carrier Dome. “This Notre Dame team is coming off a strong game and we’re not banged up. … We’re ready. “We’re a bigger and stronger team that can actually match up with a very talented (Chenango Forks) team.” Defensively, it starts up front with ends J.P. Gilroy and Devin Smith and tackles Jack Flynt, Bruno Arcuri and IBN Khalif, and linebackers Joe Flynt, Kinsey Williams and A.J. Papa. That’s where the Jugglers will have to match up. “Our D-line knows that,” Joe Flynt said. “They’ve got to go in there and battle.” Despite resting its starters in the fourth quarter of two of three playoff games, Notre Dame is averaging 57 points in the postseason. Senior Jerome Brabham has accounted for 13 touchdowns in those three games, including three touchdown runs, four touchdown passes, two touchdown receptions and a 73-yard interception return. Brabham has 38 receptions for 773 yards and 12 touchdowns, seven of his eight completions are touchdown passes, and he has rushed for 520 yards – averaging more than 10 per carry – and seven touchdowns. Running back and kicker Williams leads Notre Dame in rushing with 1,484 yards and 17 touchdowns – he has scored 20 touchdowns and 174 points – quarterback A.T. Bianco is 105 for 151 passing for 1,604 yards and 22 touchdowns, receiver Nick Sullivan leads the Jugglers with 45 catches for 712 yards and 11 touchdowns, and tight end Smith caught two touchdown passes last week. Defensively, Sullivan (8) and Brabham (5) have 13 interceptions between them, and Notre Dame has 28 takeaways on the season. “These guys know how it felt last year,” DerCola said. “Obviously, they want revenge, but the other thing is we have nothing to lose. They’re the No. 1 team. We’re going in as the underdog. “That’s fine. We don’t mind that. We just want to bring our ‘A’ game and see what happens.” Notre Dame looks for inside muscle in state football playoff with Chenango Forks Notre Dame football coach Jake DerCola had a simple response when asked about the challenge of playing two-time defending Class C champion Chenango Forks on Saturday. Section III faces uphill fight against Section IV champs in state regional football Over the past five seasons, Section III football teams have not fared well against Section IV champions in the state quarterfinal playoffs, winning just seven of 25 games in the five-class system. Five games this weekend - two tonight and three Saturday - at Binghamton's Alumni Stadium will determine who advances to the state semifinals Nov. 20 and 21 at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Last year, only two of the five Section III champions advanced to regional play - Class AA champion Henninger and eventual Class A state champion Indian River. In 2013, none of Section III's teams moved on. In 2011 and 12, one of five champions from this section made it to state semifinal games. What gives? "Section IV has had a good run," said Section III football co-chairman and longtime coach Bob Campese. "It's a cycle. In the early years, Section III dominated." Part of the problem has been high school football dynasties at Maine-Endwell, Chenango Forks and Tioga. "Those programs have killed everybody," Campese said of the run-heavy attacks favored by many of Section IV's top schools. Indeed, Maine-Endwell is on a state-record 61-game win streak stretching back to 2010, when the Spartans last lost - to tonight's Class A opponent Whitesboro - in the state quarterfinals. M-E has won four straight state titles in Class A and B. Chenango Forks, Notre Dame's Class C opponent on Saturday, has won the past two state titles in its class and sits atop the current state rankings. The Forks lost by a touchdown to M-E earlier this season. Tioga, which plays Sandy Creek tonight in Class D, has advanced to the state semifinals four straight years. Paul Sealy, the current Westhill football assistant and a longtime area coach, said Section III champions Whitesboro and Notre Dame will have their hands full against M-E and Chenango Forks. Sealy said M-E's state-record win streak has been one of the big high school football stories for several years. "Who is going to beat them? I don't know. When they finally do lose a game, they better have some (grief) counselors down there," he quipped. While Sealy thinks Section III has a huge challenge in the Class A and C games, he sees the other three as fairly even. Undefeated Cazenovia, ranked No. 1 among the state's Class B teams, will be favored over No. 18 Waverly (8-2), and Class AA champion Liverpool (9-1) is ranked No. 10 in its class, two spots ahead of Section IV champion Elmira (10-0 and No. 12) No. 2-ranked Tioga (9-1) will be the favorite over Section III's Sandy Creek (8-2 and No. 7), but Sealy says that game should be a close one. Binghamton to host state football quarterfinals The sequence of games mirrors that of last weekend’s Section 4 finals, meaning first up at 5 p.m. Friday will be a Class A contest between No. 1 Maine-Endwell and Whitesboro. The Warriors, who have won nine consecutive games, are the last opponent to deal the Spartans a loss. Since that 40-14 setback in the 2010 quarterfinal round, M-E has strung 61 victories and four state championships. The nearest Whitesboro has come to a state title was a runner-up finish to Troy in 1996. The Warriors are coached by Tom Schoen, who in 42 seasons has a record of 256-124-4. Whitesboro was limited to a season-low 214 total yards by East Syracuse-Minoa in the Section 3 final, but did not commit a turnover and intercepted four passes. Junior linebacker Matt Parkinson returned one 49 yards for a score in the opening minute and another 90 yards for points in the last minute of a first half that ended with the Warriors on top 17-0. Similarly top-ranked are the Blue Devils of Chenango Forks, and for them it’ll be a second successive Class C quarterfinal matchup with Utica Notre Dame. Kickoff is scheduled for noon Saturday. A year ago, Forks spoiled Notre Dame’s first state playoff game in 15 years by decking the Jugglers, 57-14. L.J. Watson rushed for 91 yards and scored two spectacular touchdowns in that one. Forks rushed for a 399-yard total, did not punt and led by 44 points five minutes into the third quarter. Notre Dame is fresh off a Section 3 title game-record 69-point showing, during which the Jugglers scored on seven of their first eight possessions and also rang up two defensive TDs. “They can score very quickly just like Newark Valley so we have to be prepared once again to stop the big plays,” said two-way Forks starter Tony Silvanic. A third top-ranked squad, Cazenovia, will align opposite Waverly in the Class B game scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Lakers have outscored their opponents by an aggregate 413-64 this season, and have surrendered six points each of the last three outings. Waverly allowed no more than 14 points for four consecutive games leading to the Section 4 final, and that 48-26 victory over Chenango Valley brought the Wolverines’ second-highest point total of the season. The Class D game, set to begin at 8 p.m. Friday, will feature Tioga Central’s five-time defending Section 4 Class D champions against Sandy Creek. The Oswego County squad regrouped following back-to-back losses on the front end of its schedule to capture a sectional championship for the second time in a four-year span. The Tigers, who’ve not been held short of 43 points since Week 5, have won their last four quarterfinal games against Section 3 opponents by a 29-point average margin. Included was a 54-13 roll past Sandy Creek in 2012. “We're going to have to rely on our experience, both as a team and as a staff and look to keep this thing rolling,” said Tioga coach Nick Aiello. The quarterfinal finale, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday kickoff, pits Elmira against Liverpool in Class AA. Elmira arrived at a 539-point season total with last weekend’s 64-50 win against Binghamton, in which the Express rushed for 610 yards. Liverpool, which has scored 42 or more points in five games this season, avenged an 11-point midseason loss to Christian Brothers Academy with last weekend’s 35-9 victory. STATE FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS (Binghamton Alumni Stadium) Admission: Adults $8; Seniors (65 & over) $4; Children 10 & under free if accompanied by an adult. Friday Class A: Maine-Endwell (10-0) vs. Whitesboro (9-1). Start time: 5 p.m. State rankings: M-E No. 1; Whitesboro No. 12. Up next: 5-Brockport or 6-Buffalo South Park, 8 p.m. Nov. 20 at Cicero-North Syracuse. Etc.: Whitesboro has won nine in a row since opening with 14-10 non-league loss to Class AA Thomas R. Proctor High of Utica. … Warriors have won nine Section 3 championships, second behind 16-time winner Dolgeville. … Whitesboro rushing game headed by Mike Cirasuolo (178-1,106 yards, 17 TDs) and Darnae Camp (113-892, 12 TDs). Class D: Tioga (9-1) vs. Sandy Creek (8-2). Start time: 8 p.m. State rankings: Tioga No. 2; Sandy Creek No. 7. Up next: 5-Bishop Kearney or 6-Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley, 5 p.m. Nov. 20 at Cicero-North Syracuse. Etc.: Tigers coach Nick Aiello brings a 56-9 record into the quarterfinal. … Friday’s win over Deposit/Hancock extended Tioga’s streak of Section 4 playoff victories to 15 games. … Jesse Manuel has exceeded 2,000 rushing yards this season, and Tigers backfield mate Adam Zwierlein has surpassed 1,000. Saturday Class C: Chenango Forks (9-1) vs. Utica Notre Dame (9-1). Start time: Noon. State rankings: Forks No. 1; Notre Dame No. 7. Up next: 5-Bath or 6-Maple Grove/Chautauqua Lake, noon Nov. 21 at Cicero-North Syracuse. Etc.: Forks will make a Section 4-record 14th state playoff appearance. … Blue Devils have scored 44.7 points per game over their last three. … Forks has yet to allow a first-quarter point this season. Class B: Waverly (8-2) vs. Cazenovia (10-0). Start time: 3 p.m. State rankings: Waverly No. 18; Cazenovia No. 1. Up next: 5-Batavia or 6-Cheektowaga, 3 p.m. Nov. 21 at Cicero-North Syracuse. Etc.: Wolverines reached Section 4 championship game for fifth time since 2008. … Quarterback Peyton Miller has passed for 1,693 yards this season, bringing his three-season varsity total to 4,614. … With a 42-6 rout of Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, Cazenovia claimed its fourth Section 3 title in a six-season span. Class AA: Elmira (10-0) vs. Liverpool (9-1). Start time: 6 p.m. State rankings: Elmira No. 12; Liverpool No. 10. Up next: 5-Rochester Aquinas or 6-Orchard Park, 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at Cicero-North Syracuse. Etc.: The Express’ 64 points last weekend against Binghamton marked its second-highest output this season. … Elmira has opposed two other Section 3 opponents this season, and outscored that pair _ Central Square and Nottingham _ by 139-14. … The Express’ season-low came in a season-opening 32-12 win at Union-Endicott. Notre Dame Jugglers (9-1) Vs. Chenango Forks Blue Devils (9-1) In a rematch of last season, Class C regional game the Jugglers again take on the Blue Devils. Chenango-Forks, the defending Class C champs only loss this season was to Class A power Maine-Endwell 28-21. The Blue Devils are led by dynamic running back L. J. Watson who last week rushed for 178 yards and a score in a 42-15 win over a Newark Valley the team that beat the Jugglers in the Dome in week one. The Blue Devils also have dangerous QB in Tony Silvanic who is a steady passer and runner. The C-F defense has been outstanding also this season pitching four shutouts. The Jugglers are also a much better team than their week one performance in the Carrier Dome. Last week Jerome Brabham threw for three scores and returned an interception 74 yards for another in the win. His three TD passes were thrown to three different wideouts, Nick Sullivan, AJ Pappa and Devin Smith who had two TD receptions on the day. AT Bianco was spot on once again, 9-15 for 186 yards and two TD passes. Kinsey Williams rushed for 116 yards on 16 carries with his 71 yard TD run and a 3 yard TD run as well. Mike Johnson 22 returned a Canastota fumble 22 yards for a score in the third quarter. Todd Manolescu threw a 4 yard TD pass to Riley Davis, in the fourth, to wrap up the fun trip west for the Jugglers. Post-game
Midweek
Article(s):
The Jugglers brought a 44.7-point scoring average into the game at Alumni Stadium and were coming off a season-best 69 the weekend before. But Forks defended superbly, holding Notre Dame to its only single-figure total of the season. “Our secondary just played great. Utica Notre Dame is known for their big plays, we didn’t let them get those, we just followed our game plan,” said quarterback/linebacker Tony Silvanic. “Our defense did awesome, couldn’t have asked for anything more.” One member of that secondary took on the day’s most challenging assignment: Covering 6-foot-4 all-purpose offensive threat Jerome Brabham. Where Brabham moved, L.J. Watson followed_ and notably denied him a reception. “L.J. was huge. We knew coming in that No. 1 was their best wide receiver by far and L.J. completely shut him down,” Silvanic said. “He played great defense, he came up and stopped the run, he just did awesome.” On the other side, Forks went against the grain to produce a difference-making second-quarter touchdown. With time winding down, coach David Hogan called for a deep-left pass from Silvanic to Trevor Borchardt, a high delivery that eluded Borchardt. On the next down, Silvanic threw deep-right to Collin Topa, who wound up in the clear when defender Brabham lost his footing. The result was a 43-yard touchdown. Tim McDonald’s two-point rush made it 14-0 with 1:10 to play in the half. “The one just before half was a real big one, we needed that,” Hogan said. As for the last time a Forks QB passed on consecutive downs? “Maybe in our two-minute offense just before half or something like that, didn’t happen often,” Hogan added. “But I thought he was so wide open on the first, why not try it the other way?” |
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