When this week started, the Baldwinsvillle football team was winless. When it was done, it had two wins in the books.
This unusual turn of events had to do with a forfeit of a non-league game originally lost to Corcoran Aug. 31 and then a 31-6 victory over Rome Free Academy at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium spread out over a warm Friday evening and a cool Saturday afternoon.
It all started with the discovery, earlier this month, that Corcoran had used an ineligible player in each of its first two games against B’ville and West Genesee, one that was ejected last year in the Cougars’ sectional semifinal loss to Cicero-North Syracuse and was supposed to sit out one game.
Since the player did not sit, Corcoran had to surrender its wins, which moved the Bees’ record to 1-2 even before a winless RFA team arrived for this Class AA-2 division clash.
A howling wind stifled both teams in the Friday portion of the game, whose kickoff was moved up to try to beat threatening weather. Neither side scored in the first quarter.
The Bees did put together a second-quarter drive that stalled inside the Black Knights’ 10-yard line, but led to Garrett Selover’s 24-yard field goal.
By the third quarter, it was 3-0, but the sight of lightning led to a suspension of play. After a long wait, it was determined that the game would not resume until Saturday at 11 a.m.
When they gathered again, B’ville immediately took charge, moving to midfield and then seeing Dan Stehle break free for a 50-yard touchdown run. Minutes later, the Bees’ defense created points when Dan Fabrizio returned an RFA interception 30 yards for the score.
Just to make sure the Black Knights didn’t rally, the Bees added a second defensive TD on Aiden Walker’s 40-yard interception return. Mike Letiza also found the end zone with an 11-yard run.
John Hernandez led B’ville with 12 tackles, six of them solo. Willie Strong added five tackles as Letiza, on 15 carries, gained a season-best 118 yards.
The Bees take its 1-1 league record to Utica Proctor next Saturday at 1:30. The Raiders started 2-0 before dropping back-to-back league games to Fayetteville-Manlius and West Genesee.
