Cousins Kevon and Jayson Johnson provided the biggest plays of the night for the Colonie football team.
Kevon Johnson ran 68 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:10 left in the fourth quarter, and Jayson Johnson sacked quarterback Seamus Kelly in the final 10 seconds to seal the Garnet Raiders’ 34-28 Liberty Division victory at LaSalle Friday.
“They (the Johnson cousins) work well together,” said coach Bill Roemer, who won his first game at Colonie after taking over for Mike Ambrosio this season. “They both give great efforts, and they play to the final whistle.”
The Garnet Raiders (1-0) rallied from a 21-7 deficit with three consecutive touchdowns, the last of which came on quarterback Devon Edwards’ 5-yard scoring strike to tight end Jacob Holt with 1:15 left in the third quarter. Jayson Gayle’s two-point conversion run put Colonie ahead 28-21.
The lead didn’t last long, though. Gabriel Smith took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a LaSalle touchdown, and Mitchell Connolly added the extra point to tie the score at 28.
LaSalle (0-1) was searching for the go-ahead scoring play late in the fourth quarter when Colonie’s defense stopped the Cadets on downs at its own 30-yard line. Two plays later, Kevon Johnson found a hole down the right sideline and exploited it for his long touchdown run that put the Garnet Raiders ahead by six points.
“I was so happy. I just wanted to run forever,” said Kevon Johnson, who finished the game with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns. “I’m just so thankful for my offensive line.”
“He doesn’t get the opportunity too often to turn on the jets, but for a big guy (6 feet, 210 pounds) he’s very fast,” said Roemer.
LaSalle made one last push to tie the game at 34. The Cadets marched from their 23-yard line to Colonie’s 13-yard line in less than two minutes, but Jayson Johnson ended the threat by sacking Kelly with seven seconds left. Since LaSalle used its last time out prior to Johnson’s sack, the clock ran out before it could get another play off.
“I hit (Kelly), looked at the scoreboard, knew they had no time outs left and knew we won the game,” said Jayson Johnson.
Edwards made three big plays other than his touchdown pass to Holt. The junior had runs of 49 and 58 yards in the first half — the latter of which set up Gayle’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left in the second quarter — and he intercepted a Kelly pass in the third quarter which led to Colonie’s fourth scoring drive of the game.
“He (Edwards) didn’t start the game (at quarterback), but he definitely finished it,” said Roemer.
Edwards finished with a team-high 121 rushing yards, and halfback Wayne Burt added 108 yards for Colonie. Smith paced LaSalle with 165 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns.
