In one 13-minute stretch of game time, Bethlehem’s shot at advancing in the Section II, Class AA football playoffs was over.
LaSalle scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1.5 seconds left in the second quarter and tacked on three more touchdowns in the third quarter to defeat the Eagles 40-14 in last Friday’s Class AA quarterfinal in Troy.
Bethlehem (4-4) tied the game at 14 late in the second quarter when Sean Murphy capped a series with a five-yard touchdown run and Randy Bowers threw a two-point conversion pass to Sam Gallup. But LaSalle (6-2) quickly drove down the field and scored when Mike Murphy connected with Lou DiNovo on a four-yard touchdown pass. The Cadets misfired on the extra-point attempt, but they entered the locker room with a 20-14 lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Bethlehem in the third quarter. LaSalle tailback Marquis Terrell took off on a long run on the first play from scrimmage and scored a short time later on a five-yard run to make the score 26-14. Then following a Bethlehem punt, Terrell put LaSalle in scoring position with another long run deep into Eagle territory. Terrell capped the series with a 15-yard touchdown run to give the Cadets a 33-14 advantage.
After another Bethlehem punt, LaSalle came up with one more quick-strike touchdown. Murphy connected with Vinnie Planz on a 36-yard touchdown pass, and Josh Terry added the extra point to put the Cadets ahead 40-14.
Bethlehem’s offense never got going in the second half. Bowers had a tough time hitting his receivers, and LaSalle’s defense bottled up Murphy and Eagle tailback Casiem Maxwell. When it was over, Bethlehem managed 190 yards of total offense less than Terrell’s individual effort (237 yards).
Bowers did throw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Niehaus on Bethlehem’s first offensive series of the game, which gave the Eagles a 6-0 lead. The senior quarterback completed five passes for 83 yards, while Murphy rushed for 96 yards on 16 carries.
LaSalle meets Saratoga Springs in the Class AA semifinals Friday, while Bethlehem faces Columbia in a crossover game.
Indians get another home game
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk won’t have to hit the road for this weekend’s Class B semifinals, thanks to Hudson.
While the Indians (6-2) disposed of Cobleskill-Richmondville 48-0 in one quarterfinal last Friday, Hudson (3-5) surprised Schalmont 13-12 in another quarterfinal to set up a rematch between the two Reinfurt Division teams Friday in Ravena.
R-C-S is peaking as it heads into the semifinals. The Indians dominated both sides of the ball against Cobleskill, racking up 435 total yards of offense while limiting the Bulldogs to 118 yards.
Defensively, we came off the ball really well, played our gaps and handled our responsibilities well,` said R-C-S coach Gary VanDerzee.
Tailbacks C.J. Murray and Mike Garza each rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Indians. Quarterback Keith Hoyt threw for 117 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns including a 60-yard scoring strike to Jameel Caldwell, and Nick LaMountain added a touchdown run.
VanDerzee said the offensive line helped R-C-S pile up the yards against Cobleskill.
`The offensive line is a fairly new group, and it’s only the second or third game (this year) where they’ve played together,` said VanDerzee. `So, they’re still getting better.`
A victory over Hudson Friday would propel the Indians into their fourth Class B Super Bowl in the last five years.
`Any time you’re one of the four teams left playing, you feel pretty good (about your chances),` said VanDerzee. `We just have to keep on improving.“