by Gary Danforth
Well, it has ended up like it should have ended up. Two 9-0 Class C football teams will square off for the sectional championship. And Ron Jones’ Hoosick Falls Central School Panther eleven is one of them. Again. Twice before, in 2003 and 2006, Jones-led Panther teams have gone to sectional title games. And both times they walked off the field with the championship plaque. But, this time, against Chatham Central School, it might be the Panthers’ biggest challenge.
The Panthers earned their way into the title game with a 32-0 shellacking of Granville Central School last Saturday
afternoon, October 31, on Stillwater Central School’s new turf field. It was fitting that on Halloween the Panthers made a nightmare out of this football game for an overwhelmed Golden Horde team. The Horde had entered the contest with a 7-1 mark but they were no match for the Panthers’ tenacious defense or meat grinder rushing attack. On a windy, gusty Indian summer-like 65 degree day at the 2 pm kickoff, the only thing in doubt after a scoreless first quarter was the Panthers’ final margin of victory. Granville was simply in way over their heads, as most every other team which has lined up against the Panthers this year has been.
Both teams were thwarted on their initial first quarter drives before the Horde got a first down on a fourth and inches play at the Panther 38 yard line on their second possession. A stingy HFCS defense forced the Horde into a fourth and twenty-one situation to end the Granville drive.
HFCS took over and immediately went on a fourteen play, 67 yard scoring drive. Junior quarterback Mike Brewster scored from four yards out with 6:11 left in period two, good for a 6-0 Panther lead. Junior Quinn Rasmus booted the point after touchdown to push the Panther lead to 7-0. Hoosick Falls overcame a blocking in the back penalty and a holding penalty to reach the end zone. Those kinds of penalties will get HFCS into big trouble against Chatham in the championship game.
HFCS stuffed Granville’s next drive and promptly went on an eight play, 85 yard scoring drive. Panther senior running back Alex Hansen, again getting excellent blocking from his offensive line, broke free for a 59 yard touchdown run. Once
Hansen broke free over his left side he couldn’t be caught. The PAT was errant to keep the score at 13-0, HFCS. The Panthers will need all the points they can get against Chatham. Extra points are critical in championship contests. The score remained 13-0 in favor of Hoosick Falls at the half, though the sky was clouding up and the weather turning colder.
Hansen and his offensive line put the game out of reach as the third quarter started. Hansen went for four yards. Then he rumbled for fourteen more yards. Then on a first and ten play from the Horde 34 yard line, Hansen got loose and scored. It was 19-0 with 10:42 left in period three. Again, the PAT boot was errant. It didn’t matter in this game but leaving points off the scoreboard is not good in championship games.
Panther senior defensive back Logan O’Brien intercepted a Horde pass on their ensuing drive, setting HFCS up at the Granville 35 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Brewster took a keeper play to the Horde twelve yard line. Then Brewster hit wide out Greg Stifter with a TD strike on the next play. Rasmus’ PAT boot with 9:07 left in period three sealed the deal. It took HFCS but three plays to score.
Granville drove to the Panther 32 yard line on their next series before HFCS stuffed a fourth down run. Hoosick Falls took over and drove 69 yards in six plays for another score. Brewster hit sophomore Tanner Williams with a 21 yard pass and then connected with senior wide out Kevin McMahon for a 24 yard touchdown pass. It was 32-0. Again, the PAT was no good. Another point left off the board. There were :15 left in period three.
Granville took over the football and drove to the HFCS 2 yard line. Three plays gained the Horde no yardage. Hoosick Falls recovered a Granville fumble on their fourth down play. The Panthers ran eleven plays to run out the clock on the game and the Horde’s season.
Under the Goalposts: Granville’s two losses came to HFCS and Cambridge by about 70 points pointing out the gap between the good teams and not so good teams in Class C North division play. Chatham’s Josh Keyes will be a real challenge for the Panther defense. Keyes has been running wild for the Chatham squad, also known as the Panthers. Chatham beat Cambridge 31-14 in the other semi-final. CCS finished 7-2, losing to only the two 9-0 Panther teams. This title game should be a battle. Somehow the Panther defense will need to find a way to stop the elusive, junior, running back Keyes. And the Panther offense will most likely have to grind out enough first downs to keep the ball away from Chatham’s quick strike offense. Extra points and mistake free football will be keys in deciding the title game. Game time will be 7 pm on Saturday, November 7, at Stillwater Central School’s turf field under the lights.