Due to Jewish New Year, some Section II teams opted to play their Week 2 games tonight. Averill Park may be regretting that decision on the bus ride home.
Spectrum News 1's Friday Night Matchup shifts to Thursday this week due to the holiday for a rematch of last year's Class A final between Averill Park & Niskayuna. Both teams will still be known as the Warriors until their respective district boards choose new nicknames. The way they're dragging their feet, you'd swear they'd need to call the Ghostbusters to speed things along, since the process is so slow.
Niskayuna, the Silver Warriors, won the toss, and elected to receive. It took less than 2 minutes before Isaiah Linyear scampered in from 12 yards out to give the hosts an early 7-0 lead. Averill Park would've tied the game, but the kick return by Shawn Ratigan for a touchdown was nullified by penalty. After a punt, Nisky got the ball back, and Ethan Gilson found Cameron Grasso, son of assistant coach Mike Grasso (who's also the varsity basketball coach) for a 29 yard TD. The ensuing kickoff was squibbed into one of the AP lineman like it was a bumper on a pinball machine, and Nisky was in business again. 90 seconds later, Linyear scored again, this time from 6 yards out, but this time, the PAT was no good. Still, the Silver Warriors were up, 20-0, after the 1st quarter.
The 2nd quarter started the same as the first, with a quick score, as Gilson found Grasso again, this time for 28 yards, extending the lead to 27-0.
Needing a spark, AP turned to their star, Jacob Phelps, who accepted his mission, regardless of consequence, and it was not impossible. Phelps ran in from 27 yards out, and after the PAT, Averill Park went into the break still down three scores at 27-7. What was hurting them? Penalties. Too many of them. The game plan didn't call for them to do Tommy James' "Hanky Panky", or even Madonna's.
In the 3rd quarter, Chase Nappi got in on the act, running it in from 12 yards out with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the frame. After a Averill Park punt, Garrett Gilooley, who had exited with a cramp in the 3rd, opened the 4th quarter with a 18 yard TD catch, Gilson's 3rd TD toss of the night, to bring the scoring to a close at 41-7.
At least Gilooley got to finish the game. Averill Park's Charles Ratigan, though, was not so lucky. Ratigan was forced out with a leg injury in the 1st quarter, and never returned. Niskayuna (2-1) hosts Burnt Hills next week, while Averill Park (1-2) returns home to play Bethlehem. The Eagles blew out Queensbury earlier, 35-7.
We have the following message for the Averill Park fans:
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