Déjà Vu - Queensbury is Syracuse-bound again

KINGSTON - For the third time in three years, a North Country team will be playing at the Carrier Dome.

The Queensbury Spartans will play for the NYSPHSAA Class A Championship next Sunday after beating the Cornwall Green Dragons 28-21.

Tyrell Adams scored three touchdowns, including a 61 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, to extend the Spartans lead to 28-13.

Cornwall spotted the Spartans a 14-0 lead after Brett Rodriguez set up his one yard touchdown run after somehow catching a 37 yard pass from Drew Wilson with teammate Keegan O'Leary and two Cornwall defenders also vying for the ball.

But the Green Dragons were able to drive down the field, capping a 2:22 drive with Matt Robinson's three yard touchdown run to half the deficit with 52 seconds left in the first half.  The touchdown was aided by Erik Wettersten's personal foul penalty for a hit to the head that gave the Green Dragons bonus yards.  The Spartans ran out the clock on the ensuing drive, and kicked off to the Green Dragons to start the third quarter.

But the Green Dragons were unable to do anything, and the Spartans began a punishing eight minute drive that would wear down the Green Dragons, finished by Tyrell Adams's three yard touchdown run, his second of the game.

After both teams traded six points, including Adams 61 yard run up the left side with Drew Wilson as a lead blocker, the Cornwall Green Dragons clawed within one possession with Kevin Gangemi's three yard touchdown run with 2:20 left to play.

An onside kick attempt failed, as the Spartans were able to retrieve the ball at the 45 yard line.  Cornwall then used all three of their timeouts to stop the clock, but found themselves helpless when Erik Wettersten was able to seal victory with his three yard run for the first down with less than two minutes to play.

Drew Wilson took two knees, and the Queensbury Spartans celebrated their second straight semifinal victory over the Cornwall Green Dragons.

Last year, Queensbury had to hold on, needing a Mitchell Crispens deflection on a two point conversion try that would have given Cornwall a 29-28 lead with over three minutes to play.  Instead, the Green Dragons trailed, and Kody Bruno iced the game with his touchdown run to make it 36-27.

The Queensbury Spartans have won their 25th straight game, and will face Indian River in the Championship at the Carrier Dome on Sunday.  The Warriors beat Irondequoit in the Western Semifinals 49-22.

It is the second straight trip to the Carrier Dome for Queensbury, who last year claimed the Class A title when they beat the Williamsville North Spartans (Section 6) 36-7.  This is Queensbury's fourth trip to Syracuse overall, going in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998.

#2 CORNWALL (11-1):       0   7   0  14  21
#1 QUEENSBURY (12-0):   8   6   8   6   28


1st Quarter:
02:43 - Tyrell Adams (QSBY) - 8 yard run.  (Adams run) - 0-8

2nd Quarter:
03:14 - Brett Rodriguez (QSBY) - 1 yard run.  (kick blocked) - 0-14
00:52 - Matt Robinson (CORN) - 3 yard run.  (Growney kick) - 7-14

3rd Quarter:
0:30 - Tyrell Adams (QSBY) - 3 yard run.  (Adams run) - 7-22

4th Quarter:
09:28 - Kobie Thomas from Jason Bailey (CORN) - 8 yard pass.  (pass failed) - 13-22
05:56 - Tyrell Adams (QSBY) - 61 yard run.  (run failed) - 13-28
02:20 - Kevin Gagemi (CORN) - 3 yard run. (Peddie from Bailey pass) - 21-28

***

The NYSPHSAA Class A Championship

Queensbury Spartans (12-0) vs. Indian River Warriors (12-0)

Sunday, November 30th, 2014 - 3PM

IF YOU GO: The Carrier Dome is on the campus of Syracuse University.  Take the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) Westbound towards Syracuse/Buffalo. 

Take Exit 36 for Interstate 81, Syracuse/Watertown.

Follow Interstate 81 South to Exit 18 (right after Interstate 690), Harrison Street/Adams Street.

Keep left for Adams Street, traveling underneath Interstate 81 for about 1/2 mile.  Take a left onto Adams Street, then look for Irving Street.  Take a right and continue for 1/2 mile until you find the parking lot on the right.

TOLLS: $4.75 from Fonda-Fultonville (Exit 28); $5.15 from Amsterdam (Exit 27); $6.35 from Albany (Exit 24)
PARKING: $10

ADMISSION: $10 (includes admission to the early game - Schalmont vs. Maine-Endwell at Noon) + fees.  [Purchase Tickets Online]

Travel Time: Approximately 3 hours.  Please bear in mind that Sunday is a major return day for travelers from the long holiday weekend, and therefore traffic may be heavier than normal on Interstate 90.

IF YOU DON'T GO: We will have the live broadcast from Syracuse on FOX Sports Radio 1230 beginning at approximately 2:45PM, depending on when the Class B Semifinal game wraps up.  

In addition, there will be television coverage on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, Channel 50 here in the Glens Falls area.

Queensbury Adjusts To Sectional Title

CLIFTON PARK - The Queensbury Spartans made some adjustments during the half.

It only took 1:29 for it to pay off.  After coming out of the locker room up 8-6, the Queensbury Spartans showed off their offensive adjustments, as Tyrell Adams scored on a 56 yard run to extend the Spartans lead to 14-6.

It was the first of 19 straight points for Queensbury as they would win their second straight Class A Sectional Championship title over the Burnt Hills Spartans 34-13.

Queensbury will now travel north to face the Massena Red Raiders, the Section X representative, up at Potsdam High School on Friday, November 14th.

For the first 25 minutes, the game felt like it was going to be very tight and close, like last year's Sectional Championship where the Queensbury Spartans won on a last minute Kody Bruno touchdown to win 14-7.

The first quarter ended with no score, helped by Tyrell Adams picking off John Clayton in the end zone to snuff out a Burnt Hills drive.  But Queensbury was unable to do anything with the ball, and gave it back to Burnt Hills.

Erik Wettersten broke the scoreless tie with his 56 yard run, and Brett Rodriguez ran the ball in for the two point conversion to give Queensbury a 8-0 lead.

Queensbury's next drive ended in their own territory with the decision to go for it on fourth down.  But Brett Rodriguez was unable to make it to the marker, giving the Burnt Hills Spartans the ball at the Queensbury 27 yard line.

A couple minutes later, John Clayton hooked up with Brendan VanAllen for the two yard touchdown reception, but the two point conversion run failed to leave the southern Spartans trailing 8-6.

But the third quarter was big for Queensbury.  After Tyrell Adams's score, Burnt Hills was unable to answer back.  With less than three minutes left to play in the quarter, Drew Wilson fired his first pass to Brett Rodriguez, who scored from 6 yards out to pad Queensbury's lead to 20-6.

In the fourth quarter, Brett Rodriguez scored on a 17 yard run to give Queensbury a comfortable 27-6 lead, which became valuable when Burnt Hills scored on a one-handed Patrick Brown grab on a John Clayton pass to score from 45 yards out to return the game to a two possession lead for Queensbury.

But Drew Wilson's second pass of the game, a 39 yard reception to a wide-open Brett Rodriguez, sealed the victory for the Queensbury Spartans.

For the second straight year, the Burnt Hills Spartans season comes to an end at the hands of the Queensbury Spartans in the Sectional Championship.

And for the second straight year, the Queensbury Spartans will face the Massena Red Raiders in the State Regionals.

Burnt Hills Spartans	0	6	0	7	13
Queensbury Spartans	0	8	12	14	34

1st Quarter:
No Scoring

2nd Quarter:
8:30 - Erik Wettersten (QSBY) - 56 yard run.  (Rodriguez run) - 8-0
3:23 - Brendan VanAllen from John Clayton (BH) - 2 yard pass.  (run failed) - 8-6

3rd Quarter:
10:31 - Tyrell Adams (QSBY) - 56 yard run.  (run failed) - 14-6
2:38 - Brett Rodriguez from Drew Wilson (QSBY) - 6 yard pass.  (pass failed) - 20-6

4th Quarter:
6:10 - Brett Rodriguez (QSBY) - 17 yard run.  (Escamilla kick) - 27-6
4:06 - Patrick Brown from John Clayton (BH) - 45 yard pass.  (Perregaux kick) - 27-13
3:22 - Brett Rodriguez from Drew Wilson (QSBY) - 39 yard pass.  (Escamilla kick) - 34-13

STATS - Stats are those we kept in our radio booth and are not official stats.
RUSHING:
Burnt Hills: Danny Maynard: 19-79 (long: 17); John Clayton: 6-5 (long: 5); Mike Leveroni: 2-1; Tyler Dowdle: 2-12 (long: 7)
Queensbury: Brett Rodriguez: 13-74-1 (long: 17); Tyrell Adams: 13-91-1 (long: 56); Erik Wettersten: 6-86 (long: 56); Chris Goudy: 4-5; Drew Wilson: 1-6; Hunter Scott: 1-(2); James Kassebaum: 1-(5)

PASSING:
Burnt Hills: John Clayton: 13-30-145; 2TD/INT (long: 45)
Queensbury: Drew Wilson: 2-2-45; 2TD (long: 39)

RECEIVING:
Burnt Hills: Tyler Dowdle: 6-37 (long: 17); Patrick Brown: 4-45 TD (long: 45); Brendan VanAllen: 1-2 TD; Mike Leveroni: 2-48 TD
Queensbury: Brett Rodriguez: 2-45 2TD

©2014 FOX Sports Radio 1230/WMML-AM  All rights reserved

Queensbury Pounds (and Passes) their way to Semifinals

QUEENSBURY - It wasn't as easy as their 20th straight win last Friday, but the Queensbury Spartans extended their win streak with their 35-6 win over the Averill Park Warriors in the first round of the Class A Sectional Quarterfinals.

The win improved the Spartans to 8-0, and gives them the right to host Scotia next Saturday in the Sectional Semifinals.

Tyrell Adams scored a pair of touchdowns, with the first coming with over three minutes left, set up by a Chris Goudy 74 yard run to the one yard line, to give the Spartans an 8-0 lead.  He would extend the lead to 16-0 with a 46 yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Averill Park was able to take the ensuing drive in for a touchdown when Garrett Ryan scored on a 59 yard run.

Queensbury's last drive of the first half resulted in a touchdown when Drew Wilson connected with Brandon Kauffman on a 32 yard pass to give the Spartans a 22-6 lead.

Only two plays were needed in the third quarter when Chris Goudy was able to score from 12 yards out to pad Queensbury's lead to 28-6.  Averill Park then marched down the field, but watched as a nearly ten minute drive came up empty as Brandon Cellucci's pitch to Isaiah Moak was fumbled, recovered by the Spartans.

The Spartans helped Averill Park extend that drive with three penalties -- a pass interference, a face mask and encroachment -- all three times on third or fourth down and all resulting in a fresh set of downs for the Warriors.  The fumble ended that drive, and the Spartans converted the turnover into points when Erik Wettersten carried the ball in from 18 yards out to cap the scoring.

Queensbury won without the services of Brett Rodriguez, who was sidelined early with a shoulder injury that saw him leave the field in the first quarter to the bench, and to the locker room before the half.  He was seen leaving in a sling, and was back out on the field to celebrate Queensbury's win in the fourth quarter in that same sling.  Rodriguez could be out for next week's game against Scotia.

They also won despite getting flagged on both offense and defense.  James Kassebaum got nailed with a pair of infractions, including a pass interference call.  So, too, did Tyrell Adams, on offense as he tried to push off to create separation with his defender with Drew Wilson passing.  Erik Wettersten had a huge 60 yard touchdown run called back in the third quarter because of a hold.

Averill Park had their fair share of infractions, but seemed to suffer most when their quarterback, Tim Vermilya, left the game in the third quarter and never returned, speculated to have left in an ambulance.