Even with injuries all over its backfield and a short week of work following its Sept. 22 defeat to Cicero-North Syracuse, the Fayetteville-Manlius football team had little trouble getting back in the win column.
Visiting 0-4 Rome Free Academy Friday night, the Hornets broke out for 21 points in the second quarter, going on to defeat the Black Knights 48-6 and improve to 4-1 overall.
F-M was without the likes of Mitch Seabury, Zach Page and Trevor Fallon, but still got plenty of production from the likes of Tim Shaw, Jack Nucerino and Evan Welling.
It was Shaw scoring the Hornets’ lone touchdown of the first quarter on a three-yard run, but F-M would proceed to put away the Black Knights with 21 points in the second period.
Nucerino scored from 22 yards out, followed by Shaw’s second TD on a five-yard run and Owen Neumann throwing a seven-yard scoring pass to tight end Trevor Porzucek just before halftime.
Welling’s third-quarter TD on a five-yard run was followed by Nucerino scoring from two yards out and Charlie Josephson going 28 yards for six points. John Egnaczyk made six of seven extra-point attempts.
Next Friday’s Homecoming game, where F-M faces West Genesee, likely determines second place in the Class AA-2 division and a first-round home game in the Section III playoffs.
At Alibrandi Stadium Friday night, Christian Brothers Academy finally got its first win of the season, proving quite impressive as it defeated the Henninger Black Knights 30-6.
Like the Brothers, Henninger had started 0-3, but then had defeated Nottingham on Sept. 22, so it had some momentum – which CBA promptly stifled with a defense that scored 14 points by itself.
It was the Brothers’ defense scoring the only points of the first quarter on a safety, and in the third quarter Tim Denham added more points when he returned a Black Knights interception 39 yards for six points.
As if that wasn’t enough, Cade Bacon stepped in front of another errant Henninger pass, bringing it back 20 yards for a TD in the final period.
On offense, it was Denham’s running that did the damage, with 177 yards on 21 carries. He scored twice on short scoring runs of four and two yards to extend CBA’s lead to 16-0 by halftime.
Even with a 1-4 overall record, the Brothers are only 1-1 in the AA-1 division, and could gain its own advantageous playoff position if it wins next Friday at Corcoran.
