Cambridge’s ‘bump in road’ in rearview mirror
Saturday afternoons during the fall in Cambridge, at least over the last three decades, presented fans of the school’s varsity football team hard-hitting exploits that almost always resulted in victories.
In fact, Cambridge is the program that has recorded the most
Section II wins over the last 30 years — an unparalleled run of success that netted the team 16 sectional titles and four state championships, including a trio of Class D wins at the Syracuse Carrier Dome in 1999, 2016 and 2017.
But things have been different for the Indians since dropping the 2019 Section II Class D Super Bowl
against Stillwater. Winning games is something that disappeared during the altered 2020 season that was actually contested during March and April of this year. CambridgeSalem went 1-4 overall in the spring, the program’s first losing season since 2008 and just the second since 1989.
Saturday afternoon, the Cambridge-Salem was sharp from the outset against Canajoharie-Fort Plain and the team that dropped its Week 0 opener against Class B foe Ravena easily returned to its winning ways.
Cambridge-Salem amassed 400 yards on offense, mixing the run and pass effectively throughout, and cruised to a 48-6 triumph over the Cougars. Saturday’s victory is just the second for the program in eight games. The last time the Indians experienced anything like that occurred in 1989 (three years before the school’s first sectional title) when that squad finished 2-5 overall.
“Last year wasn’t a good year for us,” Cambridge-Salem sophomore quarterback Brice Burr said. “We had a few problems with COVID and stuff. We don’t want to blame it on that. It was a bad season and a bump in the road.”
“It was really tough. We started doubting ourselves,” CambridgeSalem coach Doug Luke said. “It was a different feeling (during the spring). It was one we didn’t like . ... I think we almost forget what it felt like to win.”
Although encouraged by certain elements of last week’s 30-24 setback against Ravena, Luke spent the bulk of his prep time trying to make the passing game more proficient for the Indians (1-1 overall, 0-0 Class D North). The results were positive against Canajoharie-Fort Plain (0-1, 0-0 Class D South) as Burr completed 6 of 11 passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are hardly mind-numbing, yet the threat of the pass and the success going down field helped the offense overall.
Burr connected twice with junior end Alex Luke, the son of the coach, on touchdown passes. Both came in the second quarter, the second happening on an untimed down to end the half following an interference call. Burr rolled to his right, looked down field and tossed across the field to Alex Luke on a delayed crossing pattern.
“My quarterback stepped up and made a perfect throw right into my hands,” Alex Luke said.
“I was just going through the progressions. We worked on that a lot this week in practice,” Burr said. “Mr. Luke has helped me go through the reads and the offensive line just gave us a lot of time to throw the ball and run it. They were blowing open holes a school bus could go through. It was amazing. All the credit goes to the offensive line.”
“He hit a couple of passes early and his confidence started rising,” Doug Luke said said. “He has been struggling and I have really been on him bad. Today, he hit a couple of passes and he realized he can do it. He had a good day and I am really happy for him.”
Cambridge-Salem utilized its defense and running game to establish a 10-0 advantage after one quarter with a safety and touchdown drive following the two-point play.
The Indians extended the lead to 16-0 on the first of two touchdown runs from junior running back Mike Riche (game-high 124 yards) and Burr later found Alex Luke with a 24-yard touchdown strike.
“That was my first one on varsity,” Alex Luke said.
“We need to be able to throw the ball to be competitive against the better teams,” Doug Luke said. “If we can’t throw the ball, good teams will load the box to stop the run and we’ll be in trouble.”
On an afternoon when the Indians’ defense allowed just 99 yards on 33 plays, they did allow one sustained drive by the Cougars featuring the pass. The 85-yard series culminated with a 26-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Zachary Suits to freshman receiver Aiden Bowerman.
Burr proceeded to lead his team down the field and ended the half in spectacular fashion as CambridgeSalem led 32-6 at intermission.
“Instead of a negative after giving up a touchdown (a minute earlier), we went into halftime on a positive. It was a nice feeling,” Doug Luke said.