Not many football teams can overcome seven penalties on its first drive and still score a touchdown, but that’s what Guilderland did against LaSalle.
The Dutchmen (1-1) were flagged for seven false starts, but they found the end zone on the first of quarterback Ryan Smith’s four touchdown passes as they defeated the Cadets 28-13 last Friday at LaSalle Institute in Troy.
Guilderland coach Dan Penna said his team might have been a little too anxious to play following the Dutchmen’s opening week 28-13 loss to Saratoga Springs.
I think part of it was that some of the guys were excited to be out there, and a little of it was coming from the [LaSalle] stands, said Penna. `But despite the penalties, they still able to score on that first drive.`
The game was a rematch of last year’s Section II Class AA quarterfinal game, which Guilderland won 34-33 in overtime after rallying from a 27-19 deficit in the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. This time, though, the Dutchmen led throughout.
`It was a nail biter the last time, so it was nice to be up four touchdowns on them this time,` said Penna.
Smith got Guilderland on the scoreboard with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Stanish. Then, Smith threw an 11-yard scoring strike to Dylan August in the second quarter to put the Dutchmen ahead 14-0.
Any comeback hopes that LaSalle (0-2) had evaporated in the third quarter. Smith connected with August on a 22-yard touchdown pass and completed a 23-yard scoring toss to Stanish to increase Guilderland’s lead to 28 points.
LaSalle scored twice in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout, but the Cadets could not avoid their second consecutive loss.
The game won’t have a direct impact on Guilderland’s or LaSalle’s playoff hopes, as it was a cross-divisional game. But Penna said the victory was a good way for his team to put its opening week loss to Saratoga behind it.
`We’re still 0-1 in the [Empire] division, and with five games left, we basically have to win three of the five games in order to make the playoffs,` said Penna.
Guilderland has a chance to get one of those three wins it needs Thursday when it hosts Christian Brothers Academy in an Empire Division game. The Brothers (0-2) are coming off am 18-13 loss to Bethlehem Saturday.
`CBA is a good team,` said Penna. `They’re well coached, and they have a number of threats.`
The Eagles (1-1) needed some fourth quarter heroics by Mike Strohecker to earn their first victory of the season. Strohecker scored on runs of four and 21 yards to give Bethlehem the lead, and he added a late interception to seal the victory.
Mike McLeer returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter for Bethlehem, which travels to Shaker (2-0) Friday for a cross-divisional game.
In other football action last weekend, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk improved its record to 2-0 with a 44-12 Class B cross-divisional victory at Johnstown last Friday.
Cameron Greco scored two of the Indians’ four touchdowns in the first quarter to put away the Sir Bills early. Greco also had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Indians host Cairo-Durham Friday night.
Fonda-Fultonville handed Voorheesville (1-1) a 33-14 loss in Saturday’s Class C South Division game. The Braves (2-0) built a 27-6 lead with a pair of third-quarter touchdown drives to pull away for the win.
Max Schuster recovered a Fonda fumble in the end zone, and Ryan Duncan threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to James Currier for Voorheesville’s points.
The Blackbirds host Coxsackie-Athens Saturday.“
