The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Oneida musclesway to Class B East crown
Unbeaten Oneida muscles past stateranked New Hartford
NEWHARTFORD, N.Y. >> For the first time since 2008, Oneida is the Class B East champion.
In a battle of unbeaten, state-ranked teams, Oneida controlled the line of scrimmage in a gritty, wire-to-wire victory over New Hartford, 137.
“We prepared to win. We knew it was going to be a tough game. They are a good team. We are a good team. They have good defense. We have good defense. It was a great high school football game. I am proud to be a part of it,” Oneida head coach Jason Fuller said. “Our kids don’t ever give up. They fight. They claw. They are my junkyard dogs. They are not afraid. They will go and do anything I ask themto do. They work hard all week. They have a lunchpail mentality. I cannot be prouder of them.”
Oneida’s “sick nasty defense” reared its head again in the title-clinching win, holding a New Hartford offense averaging 31 points per game under head coach Jim Kramer to a single touchdownwhile adding two fumble recoveries by junior Hunter West and an interception by junior Jordan Clark.
“We preach sick, nasty defense all the time. It’s ourmantra. We pride ourselves in it.
All phases of the game, we played well,” Fuller said. “Defense is something we pride ourselves on.”
Offensively, Oneida’s three-back stable of senior Stephen Cafalone, senior Zander Farr and junior Andrew Smith took advantage of another strong performance fromits offensive line. Farr and Smith each rushed for a touchdown, while Cafalone added another 100-plus yard game to his resume this season.
“It’s amazing. These guys block so well. They work hard in practice. They deserve everything they got today,” Smith said of running behind the Oneida line.
“Our offensive line is great. Most of them are juniors. They have been working since February, hitting the weight room every day. They have had Sunday practices since the beginning of the year. We have had to work on our line a lot, but they have turned into some big dudes. They don’t let anyone get past them,” Farr added. “[Running behind them] is a big confidence booster. If we see green field, we can’t wait to hit it hard.”
Oneida looked like it was ready to run away with the game midway through the first quarter.
After a nine-yard carry by Farr on first down, Cafalone broke free for a 48-yard sprint on second down to set Oneida up a 1st-and-10 from the New Hartford 16yard line. Following an offsides flag on the Spartans and run for no gain, Farr took a third-down handoff from quarterback Jordan Clark and exploded through the line for an 11yard touchdown and a 7-0 Oneida lead at the 8:30 mark.
Following a 3-and- out on its first possession, New Hartford did not fare any better on its second possession. Following an Oneida sack and a short completion, Clark picked off New Hartford junior Tyler Potocki on a pass deep down the right sideline to give the visitors starting field position in Spartan territory. New Hartford’s defense rallied though, forcing an Oneida punt.
The hosts took advantage of the defensive stand, putting together an eightplay scoring drive on their next possession. Junior New Hartford running back Vinny Fanelli, bottled up for most of the evening, found some breathing room against the Oneida defense to move the ball to the Oneida 40-yard line. After a two-yard pickup by Potocki, Fanelli gouged Oneida for 18 yards to set up first down at the Oneida 20. Then, the New Hartford drive began to sputter. Three straight plays shut down for a minimal gain left the Spartans facing a 4th-and-5, prompting Kramer to call a timeout. Out of the stoppage, Potocki fed tight end Logan Kraft down the middle for a 15-yard New Hartford touchdown. Oneida senior defensive back Will Merrell blocked the extra point try to keep his side on top 7-6with 1:42 left in the first.
Oneida’s next drive advanced as far as the New Hartford 28-yard line, but the Spartan defense did not buckle. After forcing a 4th-and-10, New Hartford swarmed a screen pass to Cafalone to force a turnover on downs. The two teams traded punts on their next possessions before New Hartford wound down the clock to close the half with Oneida leading 7- 6.
Neither side was able to sustain a drive in a third quarter that saw five punts, but Oneida regained its footing on its first possession of the fourth quarter. After forcing a punt, the visitors took advantage of a pair of key third down runs. Facing a third down at the 50-yard line, Farr bulled his way through tackles for a nine-yard first down run to keep the Oneida drive alive. Two plays later and facing 3rd-and-long from the New Hartford 35, Smith galloped down the right sideline for a touchdown to push the Oneida lead to 13-7 with 6:38 remaining in the contest; however, the New Hartford defense stuffed Oneida’s two-point try to keep it a one-possession game.
Oneida nearly dashed New Hartford’s comeback a play later. On 1st-and-10 from the Spartan 20-yard line, Oneida senior defensive end BenWright sacked Potocki, knocking the ball free in the process. Oneida recovered but was unable to take advantage of the field position, turning the ball over on downs with 4:57 on the clock.
Once again, the hosts had an opportunity to tie the game and force overtime. Six plays and two first downs later, NewHartford had a first down at the Oneida 44 with just under three minutes left in the contest. The Oneida defense had one more turnover in them though, forcing the Spartans’ second fourth quarter fumble. West emerged from the heap yet again with the football. New Hartford’s sideline was irate, arguing that the runner was down before the ball came free to no avail.
New Hartford had one final opportunity to regain possession with 1:21 and Oneida poised to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Spartan 14-yard line, but a Spartan offsides flag gave Oneida the first down and allowed senior quarterback Ty D’Arcangelis to kneel out the clock and spark an Oneida celebration not seen since Bill Carinci’s time as head coach.
“It means a lot to me because Bill Carinci was my neighbor across the hallway for many years. I know he’s sitting out there watching right now and very happy for Oneida. It’s nice to bring it home for the community. They support us. We had a great crowd out here. The parents have been great. They support us. The community has been great. They support us. I have a great stable of coaches and wonderful players. They are so much fun to be around. I am kind of in awe right now,” Fuller said. “It’s great. It’s been a wonderful road, and I cannot wait to start the second season.”