The Daniel and Michelle Larkin Family - Shane's 2008 Football Season
 

Horses run all over Horde 53-8
By PETE TOBEY
tobey@poststar.com
Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:03 AM EDT
GRANVILLE -- Giving a talented team like Schuylerville the ball and a short field is a recipe for disaster in football.

Granville did just that Saturday, and the result was a rapid succession of first-half touchdowns that led to a 53-8 Class C North victory for the visiting Black Horses.

The Horses, who improved to 3-0 in the division and overall, racked up 25 first downs and 497 total yards. Big Shane Larkin rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Austin Bateman added 93 yards and four scores on the ground to lead Schuylerville. Bateman also passed for 112 yards.

"They're a tremendously talented ballclub; they should go very far this year," Golden Horde head coach Mario Torres said.

"They're much bigger and better in person than on film. We had to play mistake-free football, establish the line of scrimmage and protect the ball, and we didn't."

Schuylerville held Granville (1-2, 1-2) to 90 total yards and five first downs, but most of the Horde's yardage came in the fourth quarter against the Horses' second team. Granville had six yards and no first downs in the first half. The Horde did not gain a first down until 11:38 remained in the game. Leading rusher Nick Dunbar was held to 6 yards on 10 carries.

"We did what we had to do and the kids kept their intensity up," Schuylerville head coach Greg O'Connor said. "We've come out two weeks in a row and played a full 48 minutes."

All the Horses needed was one 6 1/2-minute slice of the first and second quarters to turn the game into a rout.

Leading 7-0 with 3:04 left in the first quarter, Schuylerville needed just four plays to go 53 yards to Bateman's second touchdown run of the game, from 1 yard out.

Getting the ball back on an unintended onsides kick recovered by Duke Ekblom, the Horses rolled 55 yards in seven plays to Larkin's 1-yard scoring burst and a 20-0 lead.

Granville promptly fumbled the kickoff, with kicker Dan Ladd recovering at the Horde's 27.

Three plays later, Bateman sprinted 31 yards around left end for the touchdown with 9:29 left in the half.

"Our offensive line has looked good all year, and this game proved it," Larkin said. "They were blocking the best I've seen them yet."

Brad Lyon later returned an interception 41 yards for a score and a 34-0 halftime lead. Lyon also rushed for 90 yards in the game.

Granville avoided the shutout, scoring with 13 seconds left on a 23-yard pass from Andrew Dirga to Greg Gould -- the first touchdown allowed by Schuylerville this season.

"If that was a moral victory, I'll take it," Torres said. "Our kids didn't pack up the tent."

Torres said he viewed the loss as an "eye-opener" for his players.

"This is not a step back at all," he said. "This was a learning experience. We got a good gauge of where we are, and a real good gauge of what we do well and what we don't do well. I'm not disappointed."

Schuy. (3-0, 3-0) 14 20 7 12 -- 53

Granville (1-2, 1-2) 0 0 0 8 -- 8

First Quarter

S -- Bateman 8 run (Ladd kick), 4:46

S -- Bateman 1 run (Ladd kick), 1:38

Second Quarter

S -- Larkin 1 run (pass failed), 11:23

S -- Bateman 31 run (Ladd kick), 9:29

S -- Lyon 41 interception return (Black kick), 2:49

Third Quarter

S -- Bateman 1 run (Ladd kick), 5:59

Fourth Quarter

S -- Backus 6 run (kick blocked), 11:54

S -- Ladd 4 run (run failed), 3:35

G -- Gould 23 pass from Dirga (Garrone pass from Dirga), :13

TEAM STATISTICS

Sch Gran

First downs 25 5

Rushing-yards 52-384 17-16

Passing yards 113 74

Comp-Att.-Int. 6-11-1 7-17-2

Punts-ave. 0-0 4-31.3

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 6-59 2-10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING ­ -- Schuylerville: Larkin 17-125, 1TD; Bateman 10-93, 4TD; Lyon 10-90; Ladd 7-39, 1TD; Backus 8-37, 1TD. Granville: Osborne 3-15, Dunbar 
10-6, Bucciero 2-(-2), Dirga 2-(-3).

PASSING ­ -- Schuylerville: Bateman 6-11-1, 113 yards. Granville: Dirga 7-17-2, 74 yards, 1TD.

RECEIVING ­ -- Schuylerville: Backus 3-84, Lyon 3-29. Granville: Osborne 2-23, Garrone 2-2; Gould 1-23, 1TD; Foster 1-14, Hicks 1-12.

MISSED FIELD GOALS ­ -- Schuylerville: Ladd, 24 (short).

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