For the 2nd time this season in our Toyota High School Game of the Week Baldwinsville and CBA battled to the finish in a classic matchup. This time, in the controlled climate of the Carrier Dome B'ville edged CBA 15-13. The Bees took the early 7-0 lead when Parker Kiff scored from short range just before halftime. In the 2nd half CBA rallied when Tyler Hamblin found Manny Collins, Collins made a spectacular leaping catch at the goal line, setting up a Hamblin touchdown on a QB Sneak, making the score 7-6 after a failed PAT attempt.
B'ville scored again when Bernard Paprocki broke loose for a 44 yard touchdown but what happened on the extra point is what changed the game. Bees QB Casey Colligan had trouble with the snap but with quick thinking he quickly darted for the end zone and made it, giving B'ville a 2-posession lead at 15-6.
That turned out to be huge, because when CBA's Evan Adamo scooped up a punt that was yet to be down and scampered 79 yards for a touchdown, CBA found itself down 15-13, rather than in a 13-13 tie. With time winding down the Brothers narrowly missed a field goal attempt that would have won the game. The kick barely missed, and may have been good if attempted on a high school field where the uprights are wider than that of the NCAA regulations at the Carrier Dome. The Bees will now meet Corning, a new super-team that formed when Corning East and Corning West of the Elmira area merged. That game is set for a 2:30 kickoff Saturday.
In Class B, Cazenovia overcame a one-point halftime deficit to beat Oneida 21-8. The game was close throughout, but with under two minutes to play Caz signal caller Jeff Hopsicker kept the ball on an option play and ran 41 yards for the touchdown, effectively sealing the deal with the 13-point lead. It's Cazenovia's first Section III title since 2007, the proud program now meets Chenango Valley from Section IV in the State Quarterfinals at ES-M High School.
In Class C, undefeated Cato-Meridian met undefeated General Brown for the crown. The teams battled to a 22-22 halftime tie, with Cato-Meridian using big plays like a 75 yard pass from Nick Lalone to Utah Perham to forge the tie. However in the 2nd half the defending champs from the north country pulled away for a 66-36 victory. Cato still has plenty to be proud of, boasting a 9-1 final record, and the town will never forget this season. General Brown advances to the State Quarterfinals meeting perennial power Chenango Forks at 11 am on Saturday
