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Gloversville’s season comes to an end

Huskies lose to Troy, 28-13

By JAMES A. ELLIS, The Leader-Herald
POSTED: November 1, 2009

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TROY - The Gloversville offense did something few teams have done against Troy this season - they moved the ball. However, when the Huskies got near the end zone, the vaunted Flying Horses' defense dug in.

Three times in Saturday's Section II Class A semifinal football game, Goversville drove inside the 5-yard line and three times were turned back by the Troy defense.

So, the Huskies took to the air for a pair of third quarter touchdowns, but the Troy rushing combination of Jordan Canzeri and Shatiek Lewis provided enough offense for the undefeated Flying Horses as they pulled out a 28-13 victory.

"They are a heck of a football team, but we felt that we were a physical football team as well," Gloversville coach Tom Ciaccio said. "We felt we could come out here and play physical football and we did the whole game long. But, when you get inside the red zone and inside the five three times and come away with no points, you are not going to beat Troy. That is the story of the game - we got inside the five yard line, they stopped us, we didn't get in."

Troy (9-0) advances to the Class A Super Bowl and will face Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (9-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park.

Troy started its first drive of the game on their own 20-yard line and put together a 10-play, 80-yard time consuming drive with Lewis carrying the ball five times for for 51 of those yards including a 28-yard touchdown run. Grady Byrnes kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 5:16 off the clock.

The Huskies (7-2) started their initial series of the game on their 43-yard line and quickly moved into Flying Horses territory with a 12-yard run from Nick DiPasquale. Chad McCloskey connected for an 18-yard completion to Cory Viscosi and followed with a 9-yard strike to Mike Johnston to set the Huskies up with a second-and-one on the two yard line.

Troy dug in and pushed the Huskies back a yard and after an incomplete pass in the end zone, took over on their 3-yard line.

"The thing is, when the got us in short yard situations it kind of played more into our hands," burger said. "We are pretty physical up front. When you are spread out in space you are trying to cover everything. You are taking linebackers out of the box and coach Bob Burns [defensive coordinator] has done a phenomenal job all year and nobody works harder on our staff than he does."

The Gloversville defense held Troy to a three-and-out on the possession and Josh Blauboer punt into a stiff wind traveled 20 yards before being downed on the Troy 30.

DiPasquale opened the drive with an 18 yard run, setting gloversville up with a first down on the Troy 12 yard line. The Flying Horses' defense again stiffened, stopping the drive four plays later and took over on their own 7-yard line.

Lewis moved the ball out to the 15 before Canzeri pushed the line of scrimmage to the 17 before breaking an 83-yard run up the middle for a touchdown. Byrnes' kick made it 14-0 with 9:34 left in the opening half.

"That was huge," Troy coach Jack Burger said. "Once you are looking at the back of number 34 [Canzeri], he is gone. We had the one-two-punch back tonight. We weathered the storm last week with only one of our monsters [Lewis], now we put our two-headed monster back together."

Gloversville started the ensuing series on their 20-yard line and with an 18-yard run from DiPasquale and a 21-yard pass completion from McCloskey to Johnston moved the ball into Troy territory, but turned the ball over on downs on the Troy 35.

The Flying Horses ran 16 plays but three penalty flags and sacks of quarterback Brian Marsh on successive plays by Jeremy Morey kept Troy out of the end zone and sent the teams to the locker rooms with the Flying Horses holding onto a 14-0 lead.

"[Gloversville] spreads you out [defensively] and are a pretty well balanced offensive team," Burger said. "I am not going to take anything away from Gloversville, they played a great game against us. We had a motion penalty and another penalty just before the half and we ended up back on our 30-yard line. Going into the locker room 21-0 is a lot different than going in 14-0, especially when it was like 14-7 because on the first play from scrimmage [in the second half] they throw a touchdown pass. So it is like it is 14-7 at half time."

The Huskies' Kyle Walrath returned the second-half kick off to the Gloversville 39-yard line before McCloskey found Viscosi open over the middle with a short pass that the senior carried to the end zone for an 83-yard touchdown. Jarrett Lucas kicked the extra point to cut the lead to 14-7 13-seconds into the third quarter.

The Gloversville defense kept the Flying Horses in check on their next two possession and when Blauboer's punt into the wind netted only seven yards, the Huskies opened their second touchdown drive on the Troy 38.

Five plays later McCloskey and Viscosi hooked up for their second touchdown strike, this time covering 15-yards. Lucas' kick hit the right upright, setting the score at 14-13 with 4:08 left in the third quarter.

The Gloversville defense stopped Troy on their 47. Still heading into the wind, the Flying Horses lined up for a punt, snapped the ball to Jerrod Heiser, but a fumble on the play was recovered by the Huskies Doug Lopez on the Troy 45-yard.

The Huskies quickly moved the ball behind runs of 9- and 11-yards by DiPasquale and a 24-yard pass completion to Johnston to put the ball on the 1-yard line with 1:10 to go in the third period. An offsides call against Troy moved the ball inside the one.

Troy's defensive line came up with a series of stops, with Mike Leisenfelder and Lewis breaking through to trip McCloskey up as he pulled away from center on a fourth-and-goal to give the flying Horses possession of the ball on their 5-yard line.

"We made some adjustments offensively and a couple little things on defense," Ciaccio said. "We said that when we get the ball and the wind we have to score three times. We scored twice and were on the 1-foot line with six-seconds to go. You have to get the ball in from the 1-foot line. They did their job on the goal-line defense and we did not get the ball in. That is the bottom line."

Seven plays later, Canzeri broke a a 65-yard touchdown run and Byrnes' kick put Troy ahead 21-13.

The momentum change continued as the Flying Horses' defense turned back Gloversville, leading to Stephaun Grinage breaking through to block a punt, and Troy took over on the Gloversville 25. A pair of penalty flags moved the ball back before Canzeri broke away for his third rushing touchdown of the game from eight yards out and Byrnes's kick took the score to the 28-13 final.

"On both sides of the ball, we knew it was going to be a war going in," Ciaccio said. "But as far Gloversville was concerned, we knew we could play with them. No one else thought we could play with them, but we knew we could. I am proud of our kids and the way they fought and how they played today."

DiPasquale finished the game with 82 yards on 13 carries, while Johnston had 32 on seven carries. McCloskey was 9-for-16 passing for 173 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. Viscosi had three catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Troy was led by Canzeri's 261 rushing yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns, while Lewis added 106 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.

"The kids showed a lot of character," Burger said. "It is tough with high school kids when you are used to being ahead and are not used to facing adversity. When you do, it is tough to respond to it. This one is etched in stone, but it doesn't matter if it is a one-point win or a 40-point win, you still have to regroup and we are obviously playing against a great football team next Saturday night."

Troy 28, Gloversville 13

Gloversville0 0 13 0 - 13

Troy7 7 0 14 - 28

First Quarter

T - Lewis 28 run (Byrnes kick), 6:44.

Second Quarter

T - Canzeri 83 run (Byrnes kick), 9:34.

Third Quarter

G - Viscosi 61 pass from McCloskey (Lucas kick), 11:47.

G - Viscosi 15 pass from McCloskey (kick failed), 4:08.

Fourth Quarter

T - Canzeri 65 run (Byrnes kick), 6:40.

T - Canzeri 8 run (Byrnes kick), 1:20.

 
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