Jeff McDuffie had already endured enough adversity and struggle through the East Syracuse-Minoa football team’s back-to-back home losses to Nottingham and Jamesville-DeWitt.
So when ESM kicked off in Friday night’s game at New Hartford, McDuffie was in no mood to ease up on his fellow Spartans, who entered the night with an 0-3 mark.
McDuffie received the opening kickoff at his own three-yard line. Picking up speed, and picking up perfect blocks from his ESM teammates, McDuffie ran it back all the way for a touchdown, a 97-yard dash that, in mere seconds, struck a decisive blow.
That big play was the launch point as ESM scored 27 points in the first quarter alone, had 46 by halftime and cruised past New Hartford 46-8.
On its first offensive possession, ESM expanded the margin to 13-0 with another big play. Sean Richardson, throwing deep, found Mike Gorney, and it led to a 65-yard touchdown play.
For the rest of the period, ESM kept New Hartford on the ropes and pounded away. Two more drives led to two more TD’s as both McDuffie and Jose Sanchez scored from two yards out.
The second quarter saw more Spartan production. Richardson, again working deep, hit Pat Bryant, and Bryant completed a 65-yard TD reception, just minutes before Gorney returned to catch a 34-yard scoring pass.
Sanchez added the final points, getting a TD from 17 yards out, and all through the second half ESM eased up, bringing in several reserves so the starters could rest up for next Friday’s home game against Fulton, which kicks off at 6:30.
Also on Friday night, Bishop Grimes, like ESM sporting a 1-2 mark going into the week, paid a visit to Onondaga, where it never really got on track in a 35-6 loss to the Tigers.
Casey Evans had a strong effort on the ground, carrying the ball 21 times for 136 yards, 68 of which came on a TD run in the fourth quarter..
Tyler Carbonaro had success throwing the ball, completing 16 of 22 passes for 245 points, going to either Evans (five catches, 118 yards) or Makur Madding (four catches, 119 yards) to set up great scoring chances.
OCS kept turning Grimes back, though, and made its own magic behind running back Nathan Smart, who burned up the Cobras for 201 yards on just 15 carries.
More importantly, the Tigers were able to finish off drives that Grimes could not. Smart scored twice in the first half, on runs of eight and 13 yards, while Jake Russell had a one-yard plunge3, all of which put the Cobras behind 21-0 at the break.
Any hope of a rally vanished in the third quarter, when OCS quarterback Drew Stefanski completed just one of his two passes – and it went to Tyler Wilson for a 76-yard TD reception. The Tigers’ defense prevented anything until the game was well out of reach.
