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SCHUYLERVILLE - Maybe it was
because it was Homecoming, or maybe it was because
a win would give the team a shot at a tie for the
division title. Whatever it was, the Schuylerville
football team had its game shoes on Friday night,
scoring early and often in a 61-18 rout of
Stillwater in the final regular-season game for
both teams.
The victory was the sixth in a
row for Schuylerville (6-1).
Since an opening-game loss to
Cambridge, the Black Horses have outscored their
opponents by an average of 45-13 per game.
Stillwater finishes the regular season at 2-5.
Running back Anthony Casimano
and his backup, sophomore Brad Lyon, scored three
touchdowns apiece for Schuylerville. Quarterback
Austin Bateman ran for a pair of TDs and threw for
another as the Horses scored the first five times
they had the ball.
"We came out and played
hard," said Casimano, who nearly ran back a
second punt for a touchdown before being taken
down at the 12-yard-line. "The line was
really doing its job tonight. We've got a lot of
young guys who really want to win, and you don't
find that too often. But we can always work
harder."
The young Warriors were hampered
by injuries and the fact that six key players were
not allowed to play until the second or third
quarter. But Stillwater coach Vince Barber made no
excuses.
"Schuylerville has a great
team," he said. "The score is what it is
because we didn't play football tonight. But we
know what we have to do, and we'll be back."
Casimano scored his two
touchdowns from scrimmage on his only two carries
of the night. The first, a 65-yard scamper down
the right sideline, came on the second play of the
game. On the Black Horses' second possession, the
hard-running senior went around left end for 12
yards and another score. Schuylerville's two other
first-quarter TDs came on a 22-yard run by Bateman
and a 37-yard pass from Bateman to senior wide
receiver Schuyler Thomas.
When Lyon ran in from three
yards out five minutes into the second quarter,
the Horses led, 34-0.
At this point, Jake Izzo entered
the game for Stillwater. In his first carry, the
sophomore tailback ran off tackle for 46 yards.
Five plays later, Dylan Dinardo put the Warriors
on the board with a 1-yard plunge. Any hopes the
visitors had of getting back into the game were
dashed, however, when Casimano ran a punt back 56
yards for a touchdown less than a minute before
intermission.
"Anthony's a quality back,
and he took advantage of the few chances he
had," Schuylerville coach Greg O'Connor said
of his senior co-captain. "He's very capable
of the performance he put on tonight. He's tough,
he's fast, he's strong. He's also a very punishing
runner."
O'Connor also had good things to
say about Lyon, who led the team in rushing with
82 yards on nine carries, three of which went for
touchdowns. "Brad is an outstanding running
back, he's going to be very good," said the
Horses' coach. "The second team has worked
very hard, and they deserve their
opportunities."
Stillwater scored twice in the
final period, once a 22-yard run by Izzo - who led
all rushers with 116 yards in 16 carries - and a
32-yard pass from Andrew Bolton to Tim Gethins as
time ran out.
Schuylerville will host an
as-yet-unnamed opponent Friday in the opening
round of sectionals.
SCHUYLERVILLE 61, STILLWATER 18
Stillwater 0 6 0 12 - 18
Schuylerville 27 13 15 6 - 61
First Quarter Schuy - Casimano
65 run (Patrick kick) (10:43) Schuy - Casimano 12
run (kick blocked) (7:46) Schuy - Bateman 22 run
(kick blocked) (4:26) Schuy - Thomas 37 pass from
Bateman (Larkin run) (2:28)
Second Quarter Schuy - Lyon 3
run (Patrick kick) (9:54) Still - DiNardo 1 run
(pass failed) (7:12) Schuy - Casimano 56 punt
return (kick blocked) (0:45)
Third Quarter Schuy - Bateman 24
run (Thomas pass from Bateman) (8:42) Schuy - Lyon
12 run (Patrick kick) (5:42)
Fourth Quarter Still - Izzo 22
run (pass failed) (10:10) Schuy - Lyon 7 run (kick
failed) (1:51 Still - T. Gethins 32 pass from
Bolton (0:00)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING:
Still: Izzo 16-116, J. Gethins
8-(-4), Burton 2-18, Palmieri 4-(-20), DiNardo
2-7, Bolton 4-2.
Schuy: Casimano 2-77, Bateman 4-73, Larkin 1-9,
Lyon 9-82, Ekblom 6-42, Backus 4-13.
PASSING:
Still: Palmieri 1-4-(-4), Bolton
3-5-65-1.
Schuy: Bateman 2-3-50-1.
RECEIVING:
Still: Izzo 2-11, Fuller 1-18,
T. Gethins 1-32.
Schuy: Thomas 1-37, Backus 1-13.
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