Saratoga scores late to edge Shaker
The Saratoga Springs varsity football team faced its toughest test all season against Shaker in the Class AA semifinals.
But quarterback Wes Eglintine scored in the final minute and the Blue Streaks escaped with a dramatic 28-22 victory.
Saratoga Springs (9-0) moves on to the Section II Class AA final against Troy (9-0) in a matchup of the last two undefeated AA teams. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at UAlbany.
Eglintine said that getting the win and leading his team to the final was huge after he missed last season with a torn ACL.
“Being out last year just gave me more appreciation for the game,” Eglintine said. “I don’t take any snaps for granted now. Walking off the field with a ‘W’ with a sectional playoff win, it is huge.”
Saratoga Springs coach Terry Jones returned his team to the final for the second time in three years. The Blue Streaks won sec-
tionals in 2015 then went on a run to the state final. Last year, however, was a rebuilding year.
“I couldn’t be happier for this group of kids with how hard they worked,” Jones said. “We lost a day of practice out here on Monday, everybody got sent home, the school was on lockout, we couldn’t practice. Mother Nature hit us with torrential rain at the beginning of practice on Tuesday, but these kids have faced adversity at times this year and they have never backed down.
“This was a great game. We knew it was going to be a tough, physical game. (Coach Greg) Sheeler does an outstanding job at Shaker and we knew it was going to be this kind of game. We were fortunate to come out on top.”
The Blue Streaks haven’t had to play from behind much this season, but that changed when the Blue Bison scored first.
Eglintine threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 27 to end Saratoga Springs’ first drive and the visitors took advantage with a punishing ground game.
Ravion Burt fell forward for runs of 6, 7, 2 and 4 yards before Akap Takor set Shaker up in the red zone with a 35 yard scamper. Burt finished off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Shaker after one quarter.
The Blue Streaks came out on the on the first drive of the second quarter to even the score. Eglintine hit Avery Mickle for a 45 yard pass to start, then Eglintine then completed a 12 yard pass to Christian Kondo and a nine yarder to get the touchdown to make it even at 7-7.
The Blue Bison answered right back, however. Shaker moved down to the four yard line with runs from Burt and Joe Toutai and an 11 yard pass to Mahoney. Toutai bullied it into the end zone to make it 14-7.
Eglintine went to work again, however, finding Kondo for a 30-yard touchdown after runs from Carter Steingraber and Mickle. After Jake Williams missed the point after attempt the score was 14-13 Shaker.
After forcing Shaker to punt on its next possession, Saratoga got the ball at its own 45 yard line. Saratoga then managed to work the ball deep into Shaker territory. Kondo caught a 6-yard pass, Mickle caught an 11yard pass, Kondo caught a 34-yarder and then Steingraber made a catch over a defender for a touchdown. That made it 19-14 at the half after the Blue Streaks missed the two-point conversion.
Eglintine said it was a great catch by Steingraber to get them ahead.
“That ball was kind of questionable,” Eglintine said. “The way he went up and got that and came down with it, gave us that momentum going into halftime and that momentum really is very good for a team.”
Shaker was set to receive to start the first half, but fumbled the ball. Andrew Zilka recovered the ball for Saratoga at its own 30 yard line. Eglintine ran it four straight plays, Mickle ran for two yards and Eglintine ran for another two but the drive stalled there. That set up Williams for a 20-yard field goal that made it 22-14.
Shaker tied it up on their next drive, when Joe Clausi hit Jack Bush for a 15-yard score and converted on the 2-point conversion with a pass to Wil Pepe to make it 22-22.
It remained tied until near the end of the fourth quarter.
Shaker had one big opportunity to take the lead after getting the ball after an Eglintine fumble. Shaker moved the ball down field and had a third and 24 after penalties. Clausi threw it down field, but Mickle managed to bring down the interception.
Eglintine connected with Steingraber on another great catch for 30 yards to move it to Shaker’s 32 yard line.
“(Steingraber) has done it all year,” Jones said. “Sometimes we just call the play, go here and he is going to throw the ball up to you and go get it. He has done it all year long. The kid is just amazing on some of the throws Wes has made this year.”
Saratoga was then called for a false start, but Eglintine took the next play for eight yards to get it down to the six yard line. Eglintine then dove into the end zone for the game winner with 24 seconds left in the contest.
Eglintine said the guys in front of him made the touchdown possible.
“We had a good push from our line,” Eglintine said. “They really fought hard all game and I told them we need this one last play to get in the end zone. They pushed for me and I had a good lead block with Ashtone Capone and got in the end zone.”
Jones said that the final drive was a tough one to manage.
“Once we got in field goal range, we felt comfortable enough,” Jones said. “We really didn’t want to leave any time on the clock for them, but you are never going to turn down a score. We felt we were in at least field goal range and our goal was to punch it in, but if not we were going to run that clock right down to a second and kick that field goal on fourth down.”
Shaker got the ball back, but on the first play of the drive threw an interception to Lewi Clarke and Saratoga ran the clock out to win the game.
Jones said that games against Shaker always seem to be a battle.
“We played them in the Section II finals two years ago, we went into halftime at 19-14 and that was the score today,” Jones said. “I would have been quite content with the score staying that way like it did then, but I will take this outcome as well.”
Eglintine said he isn’t done yet.
“I am not satisfied yet,” Eglintine said. “That was a good win, but we still got to win a sectional championship.”