The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Camden Football wins opener
CAMDEN, N.Y. » Camden won its first season opener since 2012 as the Blue Devils beat Oneida 3121 on Friday, thanks in large part to a 21-point second quarter for the hosts.
Junior Josh Mayden led the way offensively for the Blue Devils, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns, including a backbreaking score late in the fourth quarter that sealed the game.
“First game, a lot of adversity,” Camden head coach Jake Bates said. “We battled the whole first half. Feels like we have momentum and Oneida scores again.”
“We have a lot of young guys. I’m very proud,” the Blue Devils coach added.
After each team’s opening drive ended with a punt, the visitors jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a deep pass from quarterback Ryan Chevier to a leaping Henry Froass on Oneida’s next possession. The touchdown capped a 79-yard drive that saw a would-be touchdown pass from Chevier to Scott Potter negated thanks to a holding penalty. Three plays later, on fourthand-15 from the Camden 36 yard line, Chevier found Froass deep down the right for the score.
Camden would waste little time responding to the visitors. On the third play of its second drive, Mayden scampered 26 yards into the end zone. With the extra point successful, the two teams were knotted at 7-7.
Mayden got his team rolling again in the second quarter of play. With Oneida forced to punt after a 3-and-out, the junior Blue Devil returned the punt deep into Oneida territory. The hosts took advantage of the excellent field position, scoring two plays later on a Cody Johnson rushing touchdown to give the hosts a 14-7 lead.
On its very next possession, Oneida marched down the field, with Chevier completing three
consecutive passes, two to Potter and one to Froass, to bring the visitors to the red zone. The senior quarterback barreled his way into the end zone on the next play to once again tie the game, 14-14, with 8:59 to go in the second quarter.
Camden turned the ball over on its next possession as a quarterback-running back exchange hit the turf and Oneida’s Jayson Isabelle alertly jumped on the ball, giving his team a chance to retake the lead with the ball near midfield. Five plays later however, Camden’s Tyler Parent picked off a Chevier throw. With the ball back, the hosts needed just five plays, and a pair of Oneida penalties, before Kaden Gabler found pay dirt, rushing for a third-and-goal touchdown as the Blue Devils took a 21-14 lead before halftime.
Once again, the two teams traded punts on opening possessions to start play in the second half. Camden found its groove again on its next possession, moving the ball deep into Oneida territory yet again, but the Blue Devils sputtered on offense as the Oneida defense f lexed its muscles, keeping Camden out of the end zone and forcing a field goal attempt. The 3-point try missed however, and the visitors were down by a single score with the just over 3 minutes to play in the third quarter.
After starting on their own 19 yard line, Oneida drove the ball near midfield behind a pair of rushing first downs by Chevier, but the drive came to a halt on a fumbled handoff recovered by Camden’s Carter Steria. The very next play, Mayden ripped off a 38 yard run to give Camden first-andgoal, but once again, the Oneida defense rallied to force a field goal try. This time, Camden’s Gavin Vera connected to give the Blue Devil’s a 24-14 lead with nearly the entire fourth quarter left to play.
Oneida reached Camden territory on its next possession but failed to convert on fourth down to keep the drive alive.
The Oneida defense responded by forcing a Camden 3-and-out to keep the game within 10. On the second play of its next offensive series, Oneida used a little trickery to spark their offense and cut their deficit to 3. Albro took a handoff from Chevier near midfield, and as the Camden defense bit on the wouldbe run play, Albro showcased his throwing ability, connecting with Froass for a 51-yard touchdown. After a successful Oneida extra point, Camden’s lead was just 24-21 with 7 minutes left.
Camden would not be outdone. The Blue Devils, buoyed by twenty-five yard catch by Vera, secured their lead minutes later when Mayden scored his second touchdown from 5 yards out to give the hosts a 31-21 lead.
Oneida went 3-and-out on its next possession, and Camden ran the clock out to hold on for the 31-21 victory.
“I think when you lose it’s hard to find positives. The kids played hard,” Oneida head coach Jason Fuller said. “We have to check our resolve and realize this is a tough league.”
Oneida will look to rebound next week against New Hartford on Friday, Sept. 8 before hosting its home opener the following week against Central Valley Academy.
Camden will travel to Mexico for its first road game next Friday.