Ron Moshier: Smash-mouths win championships

So defense wins championships, huh?

 

That may be only half right. The other half of that equation – not stopping the run, but running the football – is just as important. Just ask Section III high school football champions Henninger (AA), New Hartford (A), Westmoreland (C) and Dolgeville (D).

 

In last weekend’s state quarterfinal matchups between Section III and Section IV, those four Central New Yorkers all lost to Southern Tier teams committed – and oh, so good at – running the football. Call it smash-mouth. Call it old school. Call it boring and mundane. Call it what you will. No matter what you call it, Section IV champions Binghamton (AA), Corning West (A), Elmira Notre Dame (C) and Walton (D) were very, very good at it, next to unstoppable. Not coincidentally, those four are all headed to the state semifinals in Rochester.

 

Spread formation, West Coast-type, run-but-more-gun offenses may be trendy, and no doubt fun to play and even more fun to watch, but here’s how those four Section IV teams prevailed last weekend (and why they’re playing on):

 

In Class AA, Binghamton ran for 418 of its 492 yards and beat Henninger 28-20.

 

In Class A, Corning West was 1-for-2 passing and gained 431 of its 456 yards on the ground in a 28-26 win over New Hartford.

 

In Class C, Elmira Notre Dame rushed for 417 of its 430 yards in a 48-21 win over Westmoreland.

 

In Class D, defending state champion Walton (0-for-4 passing, but so what) ran for 395 yards in a 44-21 win over Dolgeville.

 

Section III’s only winner, Class B champion Oneida, never trailed en route to a 27-21 victory over Waverly. Even then, Waverly did all of its damage on the ground, finishing with 324 total yards and going 0-for-2 through the air. The Wolverines’ defense simply had no answer for quarterback Ryan Kramer.

 

Running the football may seem a bit too old school for this day and age. It’s certainly not as glamorous. But when it comes to winning championships? Running the football and stopping the run still appears to be the best way to go. Those four quarterfinal winners from Section IV were successful doing both.