High School Football: Taconic Hills pulls away from Cohoes
CRARYVILLE — Friday night’s crossover matchup between Taconic Hills and Cohoes ended with a score of, 24-8, with the Titans on top, and keeping Cohoes winless on the season.
Cohoes (0-8) looked to start the game off right when they picked off a pass from Taconic Hills QB Markus Rosien early on but did not benefit from the turnover. The Titans’ defensive front was great at stopping the run game for the Cohoes Tigers, and they could not get the ball moving offensively.
The Titans took an early lead at the 7:02 mark in the first quarter, when running back Zach Colwell broke for a 24-yard TD, and Aidan Flaum followed it up with a 2-point conversion to make the score, 8-0.
Taconic Hills (3-4) had two consecutive plays for big gains that were negated by penalties later in the first quarter.
Early in the second it was more of the same for Cohoes as far as their lack of running room was concerned, and the Tiger were now running into their own blockers. There was then an overwhelming amount of holding penalties called in this quarter which really interrupted the flow of the game.
The Titans had a scare when quarterback Markus Rosien failed to get up after a sack, but he only got the wind knocked out of him and he returned under center shortly after catching his breath.
The Tigers’ high point of the game was reached when they blocked a punt by Taconic Hills and took over on downs. Unfortunately for both teams, their rosters are very small, so the Titans players that were just on offense, had to stay on the field and play defense after the blocked punt, with no time to rest.
The Tigers were finally able to capitalize on this turnover, and scored on a sneak by QB Leon Poulin, and tied the score at 8-8 on a two-point conversion via the read option with 3:28 left in the 1st half.
The third quarter began with the score still knotted at 8-8, and was marred by penalties, deflected passes, and fumbles. Taconic Hills forced a punt that was already deep in Tiger territory, and it did not help Cohoes at all that this punt ended up netting 3 yards.
The Titans took advantage a few plays later, and recaptured the lead on a direct snap to Aidan Flaum who took the ball in the end zone for a two-yard TD. They went to Ed Smith on the two-point conversion attempt, and he delivered to make the score 16-8.
This gave Taconic Hills the lead for good, as they continued to play very good defense, and held Cohoes to those eight points.
In the fourth quarter, Cohoes stepped up their play defensively, and got a few offensive possessions, but they could not drive the ball down to score or generate enough offense to extend the drives.
As time wasted away, the Titans scored another rushing TD on a Jets’ sweep by Colwell, and gave it back to Smith for another two-point conversion to make it 24-8, and seal the deal with 1:05 left in the contest.
“It was a total team effort. Guys were playing positions they’re not used to playing, and they helped each other out with assignments on the go,” Titans’ coach Mark Anderson said. “Our focus next week is going to be getting to a .500 record.”
The Titans close out their season with a home game against Hoosick Falls on Friday at 6 p.m.
Chatham 43,
Mechanicville 0
MECHANICVILLE — Casey Sitzer threw three touchdown passes to Jayshawn Williams as Chatham tuned up for its Section II Class D playoff game against Whitehall with a 43-0 victory over Mechanicville in Friday’s cross-division game.
The Panthers needed just 21 seconds to get on the board as Sitzer hooked up with Williams for a 23-yard TD pass with 11:39 to go in the opening quarter.
Later in the stanza, Thomas Van Tassel tackled a Red Raiders player in the end zone for a safety, then Sitzer and Williams teamed up again, this time on a 16-yard pass play to put the Panthers up 16-0 entering the second quarter.
Chatham added two more scores before halftime on a one-yard run by Jacob Sorros and a 37-yard pass from Sitzer to Williams.
A 73-yard run by Quinten Kastner and a two-yard run by Konur Barlow in the third quarter closed the scoring for the Panthers.
Sitzer completed 8 of 12 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.
Williams had three catches — all for touchdowns — for 76 yards. Kastner had four catches for 73 yards and Barlow one cagch for 16 yards.
Kastner led Chatham’s ground attack with 97 yards and a TD on five carries. Sorros had 45 yards and a score on six carries and Barlow 18 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Jacob Rippel converted five of six extra points attempts.
Defensively, Sean King had one solo tackles, four assists, one sack and one fumble recovery. Tyler Kneller had three solos and two assists; Justin Geerholt one solo, three assists and one sack; Williams two solos and two assists; Jayson McKay one solo and two assists; Sorros three assists; Barlow one solo and two assists; Van Tassel two solo and one assist; Mateo Talbott one soloa dn one assist; Joseph Reed two solos; Noah Fowler one solo; Matt Radley one assist; Mike Lynch one solo; Anthony Schiffer one solo; Kyle Nehmans one assist; Nate Dyer one assist; Graham Newton one assist; Kastner one solo; Sitzer one interception.
Chatham (6-2) plays Whitehall in the Class D semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Schuylerville High School.
Glens Falls 49, Hudson 13
GLENS FALLS — Glens Falls scored on three of its first four plays from scrimmage and went on to defeat Hudson, 49-13, in Saturday’s Section II Class B quarterfinal.
The Indians, the defending Class B state champions and cureently ranked No. 1 in the state, scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter and one on the first play of the second.
Aalijah Sampson was a part of the Indians’ first three scores, on a 64-yard run and on passes covering 40 and 22 yards from quarterback Noah Girard.
Griffin Woodell scored on a seven-yard run in the opening quarter and on a one-yard run to begin the second. Jamal Rawlings added a 19-yard TD catch from Girard in the second stanza to give Glens Falls a 420 lead at halftime.
The Indians added a defensive touchdown in the third quarter on a 70-yard interception return by Rawlings.
Hudson scored twice in the final quarter on a four-yard run by Zyonn Clantn and a five-yard run by Zach Bernockie.
Girard finished 4 of 4 in the passing department for 94 yards and three touchdowns. Sampson had three catches for 75 yards and two TDs.
Sampson had 64 yards rushing on one carry and Woodell finished with 53 yards and two TDs on six carries.
Clanton and Deandre Smith each had 75 yards rushing for the Bluehawks. Caleb Romano added 14 yards.
Romano completed 4 of 11 passes for 53 yards and had three passes picked off.
Smith led the Bluehawks’ receiving corps with two catches for 42 yards.
Hudson (3-5) will close out its season with a crossover game at home against Niskayuna on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Lansingburgh 48,
Ichabod Crane 6
LANSINGBURGH — Vinny Tario scored four touchdowns to power Lansingburgh to a 48-6 victory over Ichabod Crane in Friday’s crossover game.
Tario scored all four of his touchdowns in the first half as the Knights took a 28-0 lead by halftime. He scored o runs of seven, nine and 50 yards and returned a punt 60 yards.
Burgh added three more scores in the second half on a seven-yard run by Jacob Lapham, a 12-yard run by Dan Riley and a six-yard run by Yasir Green.
Austin Walsh completed 3 of 13 passes for 26 yards with one interception and rushed for 26 yards on eight carries.
Haydon Broockmann rushed for 26 yards on four carries, had two catches for 10 yards and picked off a pass and returned it 23 yards on defense.
Zach Ebel rushed for 26 yards on four carries, Joe Penzabene had 21 yards on nine carries, Connor Pesce 12 yards and a touchdown on two carries and Nick Trossbach five yards on nine carries.
The Riders host Johnstown in a season-ending crossover game on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Helderberg Valley 19,
Coxsackie-Athens 14
COXSACKIE — Helderberg Valley completed a Hail Mary on a flanker option pass on the final play of the game to stun Coxsackie-Athens, 19-14, in Friday’s crossover game.
The Indians (1-7) host Mechanicville on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Hoosic Valley 46,
Catskill/Cairo-Durham 0
SCHAGHTICOKE — Gavin Giordano acounted for three touchdowns to spark Hoosic Valley to a 46-0 victory over Catskill/Cairo-Durham in Friday’s crossover game.
Giordano completed 6 of 10 passes for 88 yards and two scores and also rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
Catskill/Cairo-Durham (0-8) wraps up its season with a crossover game at Cohoes on Saturday at noon.
