Class A final: Panthers 20, Vikings 13
Sweet Home surges past Grand Island
Panthers make big plays in second-half rally
Whichever Section VI team was to represent Class A in the Far West Regionals next week, it was going to have quite the tale to tell.
No. 1 large school Sweet Home is the team with the happy ending. The Panthers made a bevy of big plays in the fourth quarter to come from behind and beat Grand Island, 20-13, in Friday night's Class A title game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Sweet Home won its third straight sectional championship and keeps alive its hopes for a second straight state title despite the loss of several veterans from last year's team.
"Last year's team, I had guys that had been here two or three times themselves before they played here [at The Ralph]," Sweet Home coach John Faller said. "I knew that some of our guys today would come out with their eyes wide open, caught up with where they were instead of what they were supposed to do, and it showed in the first half.
"Thankfully we were able to make enough adjustments in the second half and make some plays. That's what it came down to, we made a few more plays than they did."
The Panthers (10-0) will meet Section V champion Aquinas in next Friday's 8 p.m. Far West Regional at downtown Rochester's Marina Auto Stadium. Aquinas (10-0) beat fellow private school McQuaid, 31-17, in Friday night's Section V (Rochester area) final. This will be the third straight year Sweet Home has played Aquinas in the regionals.
Sweet Home outscored GI in the second half, 14-0, packing two touchdowns and two crucial interceptions into the fourth quarter.
Grand Island had a 13-6 halftime lead that it held until Mikal Coleman's 1-yard leap tied the game at 13-13 on the first play of the fourth.
With 5:20 left in the game, Ralph Neasman (21 carries, 94 yards) ran for an 11-yard score to put Sweet Home ahead. The winning possession was set up by an interception by Kyle Luchey. Grand Island faced a third-and-12 at its 14 when Neasman deflected a pass down the right sideline and Luchey grabbed the ball out of midair.
Luchey returned the ball to the Grand Island 11, and Neasman ran the ball in on the next play. The junior running back ran behind some good blocking as he got to the left edge and then torpedoed in for the score.
Grand Island's ensuing drive started very well, as senior quarterback Joel Klock (7 for 20, 119 yards) hit three passes to move the Vikings to the Sweet Home 18 with less than four minutes to play. But a Klock pass to the right side was picked off by Neasman with 3:35 to go. The Panthers were able to run for several first downs and run out the clock.
Sweet Home had three turnovers in the first half as Grand Island took its 13-6 lead. GI got a 14-yard run by Andy LaLonde (eight carries, 80 yards) in the first quarter and a 47-yard pass play from Klock to Pat Gallagher in the second. Sweet Home score came on a 16-yard pass from Pat McMahon to D.J. Nettles.
Prior to kickoff — as they have done for every game this season — Sweet Home's captains came to midfield with DeShanaro Morris, who was paralyzed in a car accident last winter and uses a wheelchair.
Morris, a senior, was a first-team All-Western New York player for the Panthers last season. This year's Panthers have a new quarterback in senior McMahon (7 for 15, 100 yards; 12 carries, 40 yards) and have several other new impact players such as Neasman.
"I'm so proud of my teammates and so proud of how we came together," said McMahon. "We really jelled in the second half of this game. Grand Island took it to us in the first half, but we matured at that halftime. We came together as a team and a family and we did what we had to do to win."
Grand Island (6-4) was trying to avenge its first three losses of the season by beating the same three teams, in the same order, in the playoffs (Williamsville South, Hamburg and Sweet Home).
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments