Flying Horses repeat
TROY TOPS LANCASTER FOR 2ND STRAIGHT STATE TITLE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. » Troy High players woke up Sunday 48 minutes away from football history.
They went to sleep with the satisfaction only two-time state champs can know.
Troy’s explosive offense was too much for Lancaster in a 4128 win at the Carrier Dome for the team’s second straight New York State Public High School Athletic Association large school championship. The Flying Horses are the first team in Section II football history to repeat as Class AA state champs. Section V’s Webster is the only other school to accomplish the feat.
“I challenged the kids at the beginning of the year to leave their legacy on the school and leave their legacy on the section,” Troy coach Bob Burns told the NYSPHSAA after the win. “Over the last couple weeks I challenged them to leave their legacy on the state and I think they’ve done that.”
Lancaster (12-1) entered the game undefeated and with a defense that had not allowed a firsthalf score all season. Then again, they hadn’t tried to stop Joey Ward.
Ward was named the MVP of the contest for both his four touchdowns and the thrilling running style that had teammate Dev Holmes celebrating with an imaginary video game controller.
“My mind was to keep calm and let my offensive line do what they’ve done all year,” Ward told the NYSPHSAA.
Ward finished with 38 carries for 233 yards and five receptions for 67 yards. He totalled four touchdowns on the ground and through the air.
Quarterback Joe Casale also put up championship stats of 16-for-21 for 239 yards and two touchdowns and Holmes had 8 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown and a key interception.
The Flying Horses’ fast start on a stout defense set the tone for the game.
Ward became the first to score on Lancaster in the first half this season when he dazzled the crowd with a 10 yard run late in the first quarter. The senior running back pulled a stop-start move to freeze one opponent then used a spin move to cross the plane.
The ensuing point- after attempt was blocked so the Flying Horses settled for a 6- 0 lead.
On Lancaster’s next drive quarterback Ryan Mansell threw incomplete on 4th-and-6 on the first play of the second quarter to give the ball back to Troy on its own 42 yard line.
One play later Troy was in the end zone again.
Holmes fought off a defender to catch a Casale pass over the middle then broke a tackle for a 58yard touchdown. Ward lined up
in wildcat formation and bullied his way into the end zone to put the Flying Horses up 14- 0.
After going down two scores Lancaster pulled out its secret weapon on offense — linebacker Joe Andreessen.
The 6-foot, 220-pound senior is called on to contribute to the offense when needed and the Legends needed a spark early on. The gambit worked as Andreessen rolled off a 28yard run to begin the next drive. After a fourth down conversion by Andreessen, Lancaster was into Troy territory. A 15-yard sideline penalty moved the ball to the 28 and a 12-yard Andreessen run put the Legends in the red zone.
Troy made a stop on Lancaster on 4th-and- 6 but a face mask penalty made it first down on the 4-yard line. After a timeout Andrew Hersey ran the ball into the end zone. Max Giordano’s extra point cut the Troy lead to 14-7.
Troy’s next drive stalled and Lancaster’s Ben Damiani blocked the ensuing punt to set up the Legends in Troy territory. But Holmes intercepted Man- sell on the next play to give Troy the ball back on its own 4-yard-line.
From there Casale engineered a 96-yard scoring drive the put the Flying Horses up 20-7 at the half. Isaiah Burdette, Holmes and Ward each had clutch catches on the drive that ended with Casale’s 5-yard pass to Holmes with 10 seconds left before the half.
The ensuing PAT was low but the Flying Horses’ clutch two-minute offense gave them a two score cushion headed into the second half.
As it turns out they would need it.
Ward took a dump- off from Casale 7 yards into the end zone to put Troy up 28-7 after the first drive of the third quarter.
After forcing a Lancaster punt, Troy committed multiple penalties then Casale lost a fumble deep in his own half to give the visitors life.
Andreessen ran the ball to the 2-yard line but it looked like he was stripped of the football. He was called down, however, and bullied into the end zone two plays later as the Legends pulled to within 28-14.
Ward showed his skills again on the next drive with a key 4th-and-1 conversion deep in Lancaster territory. He then ran it in from 5-yards on a play that included an incredible cutback.
At 34-14 with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter the game looked over. With Lancaster’s explosive offense, however, that was not the case.
Legends quarterback Ryan Mansell found Max Giordano for a huge gain then hit running back Andrew Hershey on a wheel route to cut into the lead. After forcing a Troy drive to stall, Mansell hit Kyle Backert for a 72-yard touchdown the made it 34-26 with 4:56 left.
Lancaster opted to kick deep to Troy and were punished when Holmes returned it into Lancaster territory. From there Ward showed why he was the best player on the field, ending the drive with a 26 yard scamper for the touchdown that clinched the contest.
Jordan Audi made the point-after for Troy’s first successful PAT of the day.
“They just refuse to get beat,” Burns said. “They’re such a tough group of kids. We had some tough games throughout but this group here I would never doubt anything they can do. There was no point in the entire season I though they were going to lose a football game because of the resilience that they have.
We had a couple lapses then found a way to get it done at the end. It’s special.”
It was the final high school game for 26 seniors on the Troy (13- 0) roster, including many of the key members of the group. The group leaves a win streak of 26 straight games to the 2018 squad.
After the contest Luis Virola was given the sportsmanship award, Holmes won the top defensive back award and Matt Ashley was named the top lineman for the Flying Horses for his eight unassisted tackles.