by Steve Bradley
The HFCS Panthers took on the Stillwater Warriors last Friday night, September 21, on the turf in Stillwater. The Panthers jumped out to a 14 – 0 first quarter lead and never looked back. Brad Burns scored both touchdowns, one a 51 yard pass and another for 8 yards on the ground. The Panthers led 27 – 0 at the half.
By the end of the game, Brad Burns had scored 5 touchdowns, 4 on the ground and one in the air. Billy Pine had thrown 9 passes, completing 6 for 159 yards, including a beautiful, on the money, 49 yard TD pass to Randy Tutunjian. Tutunjian had a nice game, catching 4 passes for 103 yards. On the defensive side, Grady Beck and Brad Burns, with 9 tackles, and Bryan Sherman with 8, kept Stillwater reeling throughout the game.
The Kicking Game
Eric Kaufman, along with fellow sophomore Damon Dubois, give the Panthers a potent kicking game. Kaufman has made 17 of 18 PATs. Brad Burns as the snapper, along with Randy Tutunjian as the holder, make this a lethal point producing combination. If you’ve followed Panther football over the past few seasons, you know how important these points can be. Dubois, handling the kickoff duties, regularly puts the ball into the end zone for touchbacks. This weapon consistently forces opposing teams’ offenses to start deep in their own territory.
Next Up – A Real Test
This Friday, September 28, the Panthers face their first real test of the season. They will be traveling up Routes 372/29 to face the Schuylerville Black Horses (2 – 2) on their turf field. The game will be under the lights with a 7 pm start time. Schuylerville is now a Class B football school. Playing a team that may actually lift their fists and punch back will be good for the Panthers. It’s an opportunity to toughen up and get ready to play teams of the caliber they will face in the later part of the season.
Schuylerville was originally named Saratoga. The name change occurred in 1831 when Schuylerville incorporated. In Mohawk Indian tongue, it is believed “Sa-ragh-to-ga” means “hillside country of the quiet river.”