When Albany Academy needed a big play, Dion Lewis provided it.
Lewis gained more than 250 all purpose yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Cadets to a 28-7 victory over Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk in last Saturday’s class B Reinfurt Division game.
The loss dropped the Indians into third place in the division and earned them a road trip to Broadalbin-Perth for a class B quarterfinal playoff game Friday night.
They’re (Broadalbin-Perth) a quality club. We’d better come out with our helmets on, or else we won’t be back here in two weeks, said RCS coach Gary VanDerzee.
The Indians (2-2 division, 5-2 overall) played evenly with Albany Academy for most of the game. The only difference was the Cadets came up with several big plays, while the Indians could not finish off their drives.
After quarterback Zach Deering scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter to give RCS a 7-0 lead, Lewis went to work. The junior tailback found an opening and ran 51 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. A.J. DeLago added the extra point to tie the game at 7.
RCS continued to move the ball on the ground behind tailback Pat Filkins and fullback Jared Fortier, who combined to rush for nearly 170 yards. But just as the Indians built some momentum, Albany Academy’s defense tightened to stop them well short of the end zone.
The Indians’ inability to finish drives caught up to them in the third quarter. RCS punted the ball deep into Albany Academy territory and thought it had pinned the Cadets. But on third-down-and-long at the Cadets’ 25, Pat Lyman threw a sideline pass to Lewis. Lewis slipped one tackler and took off for the end zone for a touchdown. DeLago’s extra point put the Cadets ahead 14-7.
A bad bounce set up another Albany Academy touchdown later in the third quarter. A Cadets’ punt bounced off Deering, who had set up near his own 40-yard line for a return. Albany Academy fell on the ball to retain possession. Three plays later, Jarid Hotaling caught a 41-yard scoring strike from Everett Tune on a halfback option pass to increase the Cadets’ lead to 21-7.
`That hurt,` VanDerzee said of the punt deflecting off Deering. `But again, us not stopping the home run play hurt us more.`
Lewis completed the scoring late in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run to seal Albany Academy’s victory and the Reinfurt Division title ` the Cadets’ first championship since returning to Section II in 2004 following several seasons in the New England Prep League.
Lewis finished with 137 rushing yards and 115 receiving yards, while Hotaling contributed 54 rushing yards for Albany Academy. Filkins gained 111 yards on 23 carries for RCS.
Blackbirds fall; gain eighth seed
In last Friday’s football action, the Voorheesville Blackbirds lost to class C South Division champion Canajoharie 12-7, while Bethlehem suffered a season-ending 37-7 defeat to Shenendehowa in a class AA game.
Voorheesville (5-2) took a 7-6 lead on Tim Robinson’s 20-yard touchdown reception and Matt Miller’s extra point late in the first quarter, but Chris Shineman’s 5-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter gave Canajoharie (6-1) the victory.
The Blackbirds are the No. 8 seed in a highly-competitive class C Sectional tournament. All of the other teams in the field have at least one loss, including top-seeded Stillwater, which Voorheesville plays Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bethlehem (3-4) fell out of playoff consideration with its loss to Shen. The Eagles entered the game with a chance to tie Columbia for third place in Division II, but they couldn’t contain Plainsmen running back Jason Bedard. The junior rushed for a career-high 264 yards and scored all five Shen touchdowns to lead the Plainsmen to their first league victory.
Dave Plummer threw for 63 yards, and Peter Berquist had a 1-yard touchdown run for Bethlehem, which plays Niskayuna in a class AA crossover game Friday.“