MARCY – What has set the Fayetteville-Manlius football team apart from all other area Class A sides this season is the innate ability to put up a lot of points in a short amount of time.
And while it was done many times before, it was never more important than in Friday night’s 40-14 victory over Whitesboro, where the state Class A no. 7-ranked thwarted the state no. 20-ranked Warriors with a trademark fourth-quarter outburst.
In less than three minutes, F-M put up 19 points, scoring three touchdowns as its offense again made big plays, but got plenty of support from a defense that forced two critical turnovers.
As the final period got underway, the Hornets and Warriors were even, 14-14. Other than West Genesee, none of F-M’s previous five opponents had stayed within range this late into a contest.
Possessing the ball on its own 20-yard line, F-M’s first play of the fourth quarter was a run. T.J. Conley took it and, picking up blocks from the Hornets’ superb offensive line, took off 80 yards to the end zone to give the Hornets the lead for good.
When Whitesboro tried to answer, the Hornets’ defense forced a tipped pass that Colin Clark picked off. On the very next play, it was George LaCombe benefiting from F-M’s strong blocking as he dashed 59 yards for a touchdown.
Now trailing 27-14, the Warriors again tried to throw down the field on its next play from scrimmage – and again Clark intercepted a deflected pass, leading to a quick F-M drive where Conley ran 31 yards to set up LaCombe’s 10-yard scoring dash.
More than nine minutes remained, but a tight, tense contest was now out of Whitesboro’s reach, and F-M added a fourth TD in the final period when Denim Hall scored from 10 yards out.
Whitesboro had scored first on a long opening drive that Matt Yardley capped by recovering a Kyle Meier fumble in the end zone, which F-M countered with D.J. Concannon throwing a 24-yard TD pass to Conley.
A successful extra point made it 7-6 in the Hornets’ favor, where it stayed until midway through the third quarter. On fourth down from the Warriors’ 25, Concannon threw to the end zone and found LaCombe to make it 14-6.
Fighting back, the Warriors put together another patient drive that Meier capped off with a two-yard scoring run just before the period ended. That, plus a two-point conversion, tied it – but only set the table for F-M to put it all together.
F-M is back home next Friday to face 2-4 Carthage. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
