By John Schiano
MaxPreps.com
You know it was a special kind of weekend for New York high school football when the No. 1 large school in the state lost – to a winless opponent, no less – and it was only the third most talked about game of the week.
But that’s what happened, as West Genesee’s loss at Fayetteville-Manlius was overshadowed by a colossal individual performance downstate and an almost implausible imitation of the Miracle of the Meadowlands that cost Long Island’s best Class A team a victory.
Without further adieu, here’s the good, the bad and the wretched of Week 5:
A Monster Individual Performance, Again
Nick Finger posted 485 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and a state record for points on Saturday; Millbrook needed every bit of the performance to defeat host Tri-Valley, 66-57.
The senior running back carried 41 times from scrimmage and also ran in five two-point conversions to set a state single-game scoring record as the Mustangs galloped to 615 yards on the ground.
Finger’s 58 points broke the one-game record of 54 by Homer Geoffrion of Buffalo Lafayette in 1929, Don Dougherty of Eastern Military Academy in 1957 and Jason Gwaltney of North Babylon in 2004. Dougherty and Gwaltney hold the record of nine TDs in a game; Finger is at least the 12th player to score eight times in a game.
The yardage total was second in state history to Dale Ross (30 carries for 569 yards) of Westhill in 2007 and marked the second time in eight days that a New Yorker has had a monster rushing game. Maryvale senior Brooks Estarfaa ran for a Section VI record 463 yards and scored seven touchdowns Sept. 27.
Finger, who had a 337-yard game last month, is at 1,364 rushing yards through five games.
What Can Possibly Go Wrong With Six Seconds to Play?
Sean Russell's fourth touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run in overtime, gave Kings Park a 41-35 victory against Sayville, ranked No. 10 in Class A by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
Russell forced the overtime by recovering a fumbled Sayville exchange from center and returning it 30 yards for a TD on the final play of regulation. Quarterback Joe Capobianco ran in the two-point attempt to tie the score at 35 and set up the overtime.
The fumble recovery and return took place on a fourth-down snap with six seconds remaining. Concerned that just taking a knee would leave Kings Park an opportunity to throw into the end zone on the final play, the Sayville coaches opted to run a play rather than take an intentional safety.
"It was just unbelievable," Kings Park coach Mark O'Brien told Newsday. "I couldn't even try to explain what was happening – but it was."
In overtime, Kings Park's Will Harris deflected a pass and linebacker Connor Kelly made the interception to snuff out Sayville’s possession. Kings Park’s Capobianco completed a 16-yard pass to Kelly on fourth-and-eight to set up Russell's winning run.
2007 Class AA Champ Meets Its Demise
Defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA champion and top-ranked West Genesee had its 10-game winning streak ended Friday by previously winless Fayetteville-Manlius, 47-37.
Matt Fallico (105 yards) scored four times on short runs and Matt Taylor carried 24 times for 117 yards and two more scores for Fayetteville-Manlius. Fallico's third TD gave F-M a 33-10 lead early in the third quarter.
West Genesee scored three quick touchdowns, including a 35-yard interception return by Kevin Petrick, to cut the lead to 33-31 early in the fourth. Fallico closed the game out with a 6-yard TD run on a fourth-down play.
The teams combined for 846 yards of offense.
West Genesee quarterback Jim Marks was 16-of-28 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats’ schedule doesn’t get any easier. Next week, they host Syracuse CBA (5-0), which is coming off a 25-0 victory against previously undefeated Cicero-North Syracuse.
CBA overcame 11 penalties for 125 yards. Quarterback Jared DePalma, starting in place of Tyler Hamblin (separated shoulder), was 17-of-29 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown.
More Football: Weekend Heroes
* Dobbs Ferry juggled its backfield lineup to compensate for the loss of Devonte Brailsford to a kidney injury, and senior Rob Alexander shined with 193 yards and four TDs to beat Tuckahoe, 41-14, for its 65th straight win against Section I opponents. Dobbs Ferry entered the game ranked No. 2 in Class C and Tuckahoe was fourth in Class D.
* Byram Hills edged Ardsley, 13-6, in its final tuneup before meeting Class B No. 1 Rye, which is on a 52-game winning streak within the section. Ben Greenberg's fumble recovery set up the deciding score, a 65-yard reverse by Christopher Esposito with under two minutes to go.
* Justin Kreamer caught a touchdown in the first half and led two fourth-quarter TD drives as No. 2 Ossining downed No. 14 Nyack in a key Section I Class A matchup, 20-7. Kreamer threw for 127 yards and ran for 43 and a touchdown.
* Nanuet defeated Pelham, 48-0, to present Rich Conklin with his 200th career victory to go along with the more than 200 he has as a wrestling coach. Tom Hanney threw for three TDs and ran for two.
* Whitesboro’s Tom Schoen picked up his 200th coaching win as Jordan Smith and Adam Greenwell ran for two touchdowns apiece in a 41-8 win over Syracuse Nottingham.
* Also in Section II, Cohoes, No. 19 in Class B, needed three overtimes to put away Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, 13-7. Steve Weaver snuffed out R-C-S's final possession with a sack and then scored the winning TD on a 1-yard run to finish with 24 carries for 201 yards.
* Chris Hughes scored on two long runs and threw two TDs as Watervliet dominated Coxsackie-Athens, 42-12. Watervliet scored four first-quarter TDs, including a 81-yard kick return by Josh Rice.
* Joe McMurray ran 26 times for 252 yards and found the end zone four times as Hudson Falls beat Cambridge, 42-28. The senior scored on runs of 48, 53 and 23 yards in the first half.
* Derrick Pitts set a Bishop Gibbons record with 289 rushing yards to highlight a 67-19 victory against Saratoga Catholic. Gibbons outscored Spa Catholic by 53-0 over the final three quarters.
* In Section III, Baldwinsville topped Class AA No. 19 Rome Free, 27-24, behind 26 carries for 204 yards and three touchdowns by Malik Burks.
* Alexandria Bay dominated Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, 56-12, by rushing 79 times for 631 yards as Vinnie Hoover (12 carries, 177 yards), Brian Sanford (20-145) and Cory Davis (16-94) led the way.
* Section V Class A contender Victor got a nearly flawless game from Chris Rose, who amassed 209 yards on 17-for-19 passing as the Blue Devils, ranked eighth, fought off No. 25 Irondequoit, 41-33. Chuck Beckwith scored three TDs and ran 32 times for 192 yards.
* Junior Jake Meek threw for a school-record 325 yards on 10-of-15 passing and classmate Blair Roberts set a school mark of 249 yards receiving as Bishop Kearney routed Buffalo’s Cardinal O'Hara, 48-12.
* Junior Tyler Fenti threw for 117 yards and ran for 84 to help Honeoye Falls-Lima spring a 26-21 upset of Class B No. 12 Hornell. Fenti's 40-yard TD run in the fourth quarter made the lead 26-14.
* Christian Zemaitis rushed 21 times for 274 yards and four TDs for Spencerport to help hold off Churchville-Chili, 42-33. Zemaitis' carries of 60 and 12 yards in the third quarter put the Rangers in command after the Saints closed to within 21-20.
* No. 3 Gates Chili prepped for season-ending Class AA games against No. 16 Hilton and No. 21 Marshall by thrashing Pittsford, 49-0. Rickey Stevens carried 23 times for 248 yards and three TDs, and Elijah Thomas carried eight times for 93 yards.
* In Section VI, No. 2 Orchard Park had to stop a two-point conversion midway through the fourth quarter to edge Frontier, 14-12. Mark Schuster’s 1-yard run brought Frontier within 14-12, but safety Kyle Robinson stopped Schuster short of the end zone on the conversion attempt.
* Capone Smith ran for 244 yards, passed for 54 and threw for two TDs as No. 4 Lackawanna beat No. 5 Fredonia in Class B, 30-14. Lackawanna scored on its first two possessions and got three TDs from Dwayne Bennett.
* Joe Oliverio threw five touchdowns – four to Alex Nuetz (nine catches, 163 yards) – and Eddie Weiser ran for 245 yards and two TDs as Class A No. 16 Grand Island overpowered Williamsville South, 47-27, with a 546-yard offensive output.
* Monroe-Woodbury senior placekicker Jamie Boyle went 6-for-6 to set the state record for consecutive extra points made. Boyle's work during a 42-7 victory against Kingston gave him 65 consecutive conversions, breaking the mark of 62 by Adolfo Rivera of Wallkill in 2003-04.
* Minisink Valley fumbled five times but pulled out a 28-7 win over Middletown in Section IX. Andrew Haelen and John Behler, playing in place of injured running back James Ferrier, each fumbled in the first half and then scored TDs later.
* Tottenville senior Tramaine Wilson ran for four scores, caught another and finished with 223 all-purpose yards in a 40-22 triumph against Susan Wagner on Staten Island.
* Greg D'Arienzo hit Joe Gregorio for a 29-yard TD on a halfback option early in the second quarter to spark Class A No. 15 Carey to a 24-6 home win over No. 24 Calhoun. Luke Zahradka hit Rob Braun for a 23-yard TD pass with 4:25 left in the second quarter and again for a 32-yard score 41 seconds before the half.
* Gregg Griffo of Babylon was 4-for-6 with 201 yards and three touchdowns to lead a 38-8 rout of Mount Sinai. Jaquan Pate rushed seven times for 73 yards and posted a touchdown, an interception and a fumble recovery.
* Cory Gilbert completed 18 of 22 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns for Stony Brook, which overpowered Hampton Bays, 42-30.
* Riverhead, ranked 22nd in Class AA, got 13 carries from senior Miguel Maysonet for 237 yards and three scores in a 45-0 victory against Copiague. He also had a 45-yard interception return for a score.
* West Islip routed West Babylon, 40-6, as senior Nick Cestaro ran for 162 yards and four first-half touchdowns on 13 carries. Quarterback Scott Mattera went 6-of-7 on passes for 152 yards and a TD as the Lions rolled up 415 yards of total offense.
* Levittown Division sophomore Sean Abbate connected on 13 of 19 throws for 254 yards and five TDs to turn back Roslyn, 35-16.
* William Floyd, ranked fourth in Class AA, ran its winning streak to 37 games with a 31-7 victory over Patchogue-Medford as Vaughn Magee carried 12 times for 101 yards and two TDs.
John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at johnschianosports@gmail.com.