Ron Moshier: Football weekend to remember

Does it get any better than Section III’s football finals? Not this year’s games. No way.

 

New Hartford and Camden played a Class A tennis match of epic proportion, with the Spartans jumping on top 14-0 and the two serving and volleying back and forth the rest of the night. New Hartford was the last one standing, winning a wild one, 42-35. Crazy as it sounds, lost in the razzle and the dazzle was the Spartans’ defense delivering when it had to, keeping Camden quarterback D.J. Forbragd & Co. under wraps just enough to claim a section title for the first time since 1993.

 

Then it was Dolgeville’s Blue Devils doing it again, some how snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and finding a way to win a 15th title by rallying for a 21-14 victory over Watertown’s Immaculate Heart Central in the Class D nightcap. Hats off to head coach Chris Connolly and his staff for their first Section III championship since taking over for Dolgeville legend Jerry Walczak. If there was a monkey on Connolly’s back, it’s long gone now.

 

And Saturday’s Class C championship was something special, too – extra special for Westmoreland senior receiver, defensive back, and kicker T.J. Losowski, who caught three touchdown passes and scored all 24 points as the Bulldogs ended defending state champion Bishop Ludden’s 21-game winning streak with a 24-19 victory.

 

Now, it’s off to Cicero-North Syracuse High School, back to the wild outdoors and the state quarterfinals. Dolgeville (10-0) meets defending state champion Walton (10-0) in a showdown made in pigskin heaven at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by New Hartford (8-2) and Corning West (9-1) in the Class A game at 8. On Saturday, Westmoreland (10-0) plays Elmira Notre Dame (8-2) at noon and Oneida (9-1) meets Waverly (7-3) at 6 p.m.

 

This weekend’s winners head to Rochester for the state semifinals. The guess here is that at least one of those four local teams will be moving on. A New Hartford win would most likely mean the Spartans would be facing defending state champion Rochester Aquinas in the semifinals. Wouldn’t that be something?