It is said that revenge is a dish best served cold.
The weather conditions today certainly suggested that old axiom would be a factor in the Section II Super Bowl tripleheader at Ed Picken Memorial Field at Troy High.
For the 3rd straight year, Christian Brothers Academy and Shenendehowa would play for the Class AA championship in the nightcap. Both schools have large fan bases that travel well, ensuring that the bleachers on both sides of the field. The last time Shen played a game on the Picken Field turf, Bob Burns was the coach at Troy High. That was six years ago. Shen coach Brian Clawson hadn't beaten Burns' teams since then until last month at CBA. And, then, there is Burns' ridiculous won-loss record at Picken Field.
CBA won the coin toss, and, uncharacteristically for Burns at Picken Field, opted to receive. After an exchange of punts, the offense started to get rolling. On the Brothers' 3rd drive of the 1st quarter, Donald Jones caught a 14 yard pass from Jake Iaccobaccio. However, the point after failed, and CBA led, 6-0, after the frame.
Shenendehowa took its only lead of the night in the 2nd quarter as they drove the length of the field before Blake Mello punched it in from the 1. With the extra point, the Plainsmen led, 7-6. However, it didn't last. On CBA's next possession, Jones, on the halfback option, found seldom used Lorenzo Lanni all alone in the corner of the end zone. The PAT failed again, and the Brothers went into the break with a 12-7 lead.
If there was one big difference between this game, and last month's clash, it was the loss of Shen's star tailback, Ihsaan Aloize, who left the game with an ankle injury in the 1st quarter, and didn't return, continuing a disturbing trend throughout the tripleheader. QB Michael Whatley had a running back committee, including Mello and Anthony Diaz, behind him, but his biggest problem was throwing interceptions.
The biggest one of the night came just 2 1/2 minutes into the 3rd quarter as Jones----who else?-----picked off Whatley, and raced 96 yards to paydirt. Unfortunately, CBA still couldn't convert the extra point, even on a 2 point attempt. CBA led, 18-7, after 3 quarters.
Back came Shen. With under 5 1/2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Mello punched in his 2nd touchdown of the night, then added the 2 point conversion to cut the lead to 3 at 18-15. Shen had one last chance with a couple of minutes left, but turned it over on downs, and it was Jones who did two kneel-downs to ice the game. For the 3rd straight year, CBA wins the Class AA title with a 18-15 victory.
CBA now awaits the Section 9 champion next week, while Shen, getting an at-large bid, will meet the Section 1 champ. Both games take place November 18, and there is the real possibility that these two teams could meet again, with Section 2 holding at large bids in Classes AA & A this season giving teams in the 518 an extra chance.
Earlier in the day, Fonda-Fultonville defeated Shenendehowa, 31-21, to claim the Class C title.
The opener saw Stillwater look to end the undefeated season of defending Class D champion Lake George-Warrensburg-Bolton-North Warren. As with the Class AA game, the bleachers on both sides of the field were nearly full for a change.
Late in the 1st quarter, Wolverines QB Caden Allen found Jack Welch for a 45 yard TD. However, the PAT failed, and the Wolverines had a 6-0 lead through the 1st quarter, despite losing lineman Max Hohman to a knee injury early in the quarter. Hohman didn't return, and, psychologically, that hurt the Wolverines more than Stillwater's defense did.
Stillwater took over in the 2nd quarter. Jaxon Mueller, son of former Stillwater 3 sport star and current UAlbany baseball coach Jon "Bam Bam" Mueller, punched it in from a yard out. After a Wolverines turnover, Mueller, Stillwater's answer to Donald Jones, hit Lukas Lilac for a 29 yard TD, putting the Warriors up, 14-6.
Lake George-Warrensburg QB Caden Allen brought the Wolverines closer with a 4 yard run, then hit Welch for the 2 point conversion to tie the game. However, Mueller rumbled in from 14 yards out on the Warriors' next possession, and Stillwater led, 21-14, at halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, Lilac scored on a 11 yard run. After an exchange of punts, the Wolverines were pinned back close to their goal line. Brady Burdo picked off Allen for what was credited as a 1 yard pick-six, and the Warriors began to pull away at 34-14, heading into the final quarter. More than halfway through the 4th quarter, Mueller scored his third rushing touchdown, another 1 yard drive. Defense took over the rest of the way, and Stillwater claimed the D title, 41-14.
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