By John Schiano
MaxPreps.com
Senior Daeshaune Clark packed a month’s work of work into a single day on Saturday, and it’s why Williamsville South remains undefeated on the Section VI football scene three games into the season.
Clark went 3-for-4 for 77 yards and two touchdowns through the air, rushed nine times for 77 yards, caught five throws for 47 yards and also made two interceptions on the defensive side of the ball as the Billies escaped Lockport with a 28-26 victory over Starpoint, avenging a 38-0 blowout from a year ago.
For good measure, Clark also returned a punt 36 yards.
Starpoint quarterback Joe Scibilia scored on a 2-yard run with four seconds to go in the fourth quarter, but he was stopped by Chris Hauser on a scramble for the two-point conversion that would have tied the game, and then Clark fell on Lockport’s onside kick attempt to close out the contest.
Williamsville South quarterback Joe Licata went 14-for-34 for 179 yards and threw for two TDs, with sophomore Phil Stasiak making scoring grabs on throws from both Licata and Clark, who opened the day as a receiver but moved into the backfield and behind center for a change of pace.
The Billies, coming off a 2-8 season, get a chance to step into the Section VI big-time next weekend with a home game against Sweet Home, the defending Buffalo-area Class A champion and another 3-0 squad this fall following a 29-14 win against Williamsville East.
More Football: Piling Up the Points
Three highly regard upstate football teams rolled up big numbers on the scoreboard, but it’s doubtful any of them came away satisfied with their performances on defense. Still, Schenectady, West Genesee and Marcus Whitman are all 3-0 after taking part in games that generated 284 points.
West Genesee, the defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA champion, won an early Section III showdown with Liverpool, 51-34, as Jim Marks went 15-of-23 for 176 yards and four TDs and also ran for a score. Tailback Jeremy Jones chipped in with 19 carries for 165 yards.
Over in Section II, Schenectady scored the game's final five touchdowns to rally from 15 points down and earn a 64-42 decision over Niskayuna in a game featuring back-to-back kickoff returns for scores. Nick Ottati threw for four TDs and ran for another, and Marc Thompson (34 carries, 151 yards) scored four times for the Patriots, who hadn't allowed a first-half point in their opening two games but fell behind by 42-27 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter.
Schenectady went ahead for good at 43-42 as Ottati (13-for-18, 264 yards) threw 20 yards to Ozire Murphy and then ran in the conversion with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Kadeem Miller scored a touchdown for Niskayuna on an 81-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, but Herman Seise retaliated with an 83-yard return of his own.
And in Section V, Class C contender Marcus Whitman fended off Clyde-Savannah, 52-41. Jamie Murphy ran 15 times for 238 yards and three touchdowns, and his 58-yard TD run answered a 90-yard John Fasano kickoff return that had given Clyde-Savannah a 41-38 lead in the fourth quarter.
“This was like one of the WAC college conference games where each team scores 50, 60 points and the last team with the ball is the winner,” Wildcats coach Brian Wickham told The Daily Messenger. “Just an incredible game.”
The win sets up an interesting Week 4 matchup for Marcus Whitman against Class D Dundee, which has been toying with opponents during a 3-0 start.
Weekend Football Heroes
* Maple Grove positioned itself as the Section VI Class D favorite by routing Portville, 38-8, as Chris Secky threw 65 yards to Jake Larson for a score on the game's second play from scrimmage. Secky finished 8-for-10 for 186 yards and four touchdowns.
* Tailback Josh Rawdin rushed 17 times for 130 yards and senior fullback Jack Vogel scored on a 2-yard run with 8:15 left as Clarence earned a 21-14 upset of Frontier. Clarence took a 14-7 lead on a Vogel 1-yard run one play after Cameron Dimitroff broke free for a 51-yard gain.
* Buffalo Bishop Timon-St. Jude got a 21-yard field goal from Pat Wanamacher in the closing seconds of a 27-26 victory against visiting Rochester Bishop Kearney.
* Gates Chili, still stinging from a loss to the Royal Comets in Section V’s large-school title game a year ago, piled up 460 rushing yards and beat Rush-Henrietta, 41-8. Rickey Stevens rushed for 175 yards in the first half and 272 overall to go along with three touchdowns for the Spartans, who are averaging 48 points a game in a 3-0 start.
* Bill Attridge threw 15 yards to Andrew Morgante and then senior Eddie Marchand (26 carries, 173 yards) plunged in with the two-point conversion as C.G. Finney knocked off Buffalo Nichols in three overtimes, 32-31.
* Rochester Aquinas won its home opener over Buffalo Riverside, 34-8, as third-year starting quarterback Ben Bostick finished 9-for-12 for 108 yards and a touchdown.
* Sophomore Dylan Brown ran 10 times for 205 yards and TDs covering 24, 38, 54 and 70 yards as Brockport cruised past Spencerport with a 376-yard ground attack, 41-7.
* Hilton outgunned Penfield, 56-27, as Duell Smith went 8-for-11 for 218 yards and a TD.
* Chenango Forks edged Chittenango in an intersectional matchup, 7-3, as Ryan Freije scooped up a Forks’ fumble at Chittenango's 30-yard line and ran for a TD with five minutes to play. Chittenango reached Forks' 13 before Mike Jeske made a game-clinching interception with 1:04 left.
* Jamar Smith (nine carries, 153 yards) scored three times and piled up 238 yards of total offense in the first half as Binghamton dominated Ithaca, 56-8. Ahmad Hassanien threw for two touchdowns, and Dorian Feggins and Javon Riddick each returned interceptions for scores. Smith has rushed for 520 yards in three games.
* Corning West recovered six Vestal fumbles and scored three touchdowns in the decisive fourth quarter for a 27-7 victory in a Section IV Class A showdown. Anthony Nybeck scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter for Corning West and then added a 5-yard run to make it a 21-7 game. Greg Riff (11 rushes, 163 yards) capped the victory with a 95-yard touchdown run.
* In Section II, Ben Cook carried for 95 yards and two touchdowns for Saratoga as part of a 279-yard ground game in a 48-6 thumping of Albany CBA. Tony Deloatch returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.
* Suhayb Banks scored four TDs, including three in the decisive fourth quarter, as Shenendehowa rallied past Guilderland, 33-23, with two scores in the final 2:40. Banks (22 carries, 171 yards) posted the go-ahead points with a 43-yard run.
* Zach Dolan completed his first seven attempts and went 12-of-13 for 221 yards and three touchdowns to carry Troy to a 34-0 victory over Scotia-Glenville.
* Rob Alexander registered two touchdowns and 200 all-purpose yards, including an 80-yard punt return, as Dobbs Ferry topped Bronxville, 28-0. Devonte Brailsford added 16 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
* Anthony Gentile was 7-for-11 for 205 yards and two touchdowns as Tuckahoe topped Albertus Magnus, 33-12.
* Sophomore Christopher Esposito scored the clinching TD on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter as Byram Hills rallied past No. 9 Nanuet, 17-7, in a showcase of top Section I teams.
* Senior QB Mike Abelard, making his first start, ran for 119 yards on 13 carries and threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Malivert as Ramapo beat Suffern, 34-6.
* St. Joseph's-by-the-Sea got past Archbishop Stepinac, 31-21, behind Joe Collins' 14-of-16 passing for 137 yards and a touchdown. Andrew Armato (28 carries, 191 yards) and Lyle McCombs (21 for 162) combined for 353 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
* In Long Island action, Corey Caulfield's 4-yard TD run in the second overtime was the margin as Sayville earned a 35-28 victory over Half Hollow Hills West in a matchup of highly regarded Class A programs Sayville rallied in the fourth quarter from a 21-7 deficit.
* Massapequa beat Plainview JFK, 41-17 as Rob Von Bargen went 15-for-21 for 206 yards and Steve Romano caught five balls for 102 yards and a touchdown.
* Charlie Porazzo's 20-yard run midway through the third quarter was the difference for Calhoun in a 21-14 upset of Elmont. Porazzo ran for 40 yards on the drive and finished with 14 carries for 78 yards.
* Dominique Easley's 66-yard touchdown off a fumble recovery highlighted Staten Island Curtis’ 34-0 rout of Boys & Girls. Curtis surrendered just two first downs and 44 yards of offense.
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.
