NYSPHSAA semifinals: With one big return and 5 TD passes, Somers now one step from goal

MIDDLETOWN - When given a chance last week, after all the drama had unfolded and he'd watched his teammates sweat and sacrifice, Jake Polito took a postgame moment to extend his gratitude.

Thinking back again Friday night, Polito found himself fighting back tears.

And it now means Somers will head to Syracuse with one goal in mind.

The Tuskers, with their leader back in the lineup, sent a resounding message to the rest of the state. They were emphatic, asserting themselves throughout a 35-7 victory over Niskayuna in the Class A state semifinals at Middletown High School.

"We're going back with one goal and one goal only and that's to bring home with a state championship," Fitzsimons said. "We're not going to let last year affect us. That team we played was great, but we played right there with them. This time we're going to come out flying."

Somers, which remained unbeaten, will now have a chance to make amends for its only loss the past two seasons.

"I very publicly said our goal was to win a section championship, but, behind closed doors, this group spoke about that our goal was to get back to the Dome," second-year coach Anthony DeMatteo said. "It just hasn't sat right with the way it ended last year and we wanted to take another shot at it. We're there."

That's largely thanks to the Fitzsimons-to-Dass connection, which struck for the first time on the opening possession. Luke Savino's kickoff to start the game was held up by a wall of wind at the Niskayuna 20 and it was teammate Mac Sullivan who charged down to recover it first. Fitzsimons found a wide-open Dass four plays later.

The Tuskers held a modest 14-7 lead after mistakes muted their first-half dominance, but Fitzsimons connected on three more touchdown passes, two of which went to Dass.

The defense was equally impressive. The unit held the Section 2 champ to 67 yards of offense — 59 of which came on one play.

More:Matt Fitzsimons taking the next step has Somers football back in the final four

Preview:High school football: What's next for Section 1 and 9 champions in NYSPHSAA semifinals

What it means

Somers has earned its chance, 12 months in the making, at redemption.

The Tuskers, who lost to CBA-Syracuse 32-31 in last year's state final, will return to Syracuse at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and will play Section 4 champion Union-Endicott for the state championship.

Somers came a play short last year, losing after its two-point conversion attempt was stopped with 1:19 remaining. CBA has since been bumped to Class AA.

For the Tuskers, it will be their third appearance in the last six Class A finals.

"Actually doing that is not the norm, you know?" Polito said. "We're a very successful program but even still it's not the norm. People assume that's what would happen, we would go back to Syracuse and hopefully win it all. But it takes a lot."

Player of the game

Matt Fitzsimons, Somers. After some pregame notice that the coaching staff planned on throwing the ball, despite some windy weather, Fitzsimons still went 13 of 21 for 219 yards to go with the five touchdown passes.

"At the end of the day, we knew coming into this game that we were going to win it in the air," DeMatteo said. "I've said it over and over again, we're going to put the ball in Matt's hands and he's going to lead us to the promised land."

By the numbers

Somers (12-0) - Highlighted by his three touchdowns, Dass caught six passes for 89 yards. Luke Savino had 17 carries for 83 yards and caught a 30-yard touchdown. Nick Conti also had a touchdown catch. ... The defense allowed just eight yards of offense outside of Niskayuna's lone scoring play. Ryan Cole had a sack.

Niskayuna (10-3) - The Silver Warriors, who scored on a 59-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Linyear in the second quarter, were held to just 14 yards in the second half. They completed just one pass and it went for negative yardage.

They said it

"Not only does it help us physically, but people look at Jake as almost like a figurehead," DeMatteo said of Polito. "He's been around for four years. He's an FBS scholarship kid. When he's on the sideline in a big game, I'm not saying our kids didn't play hard, but it might have been a situation where they may not have felt the same type of motivation in big moments. When he's in there, you just feel good about it."

"He's the glue to this team," Fitzsimons added. "When he's on the field, I feel like everybody just plays better."

"I had a speech with some of the guys. It was just like, 'Thank you,'" said Polito, who missed his team's overtime win over Lourdes after suffering a dislocated shoulder the week before. "They gave me a chance to come back and play at least one more game, and now two more games. It means the world to me."

Josh Thomson is the Sports Editor for The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal and Middletown Times Herald-Record. He can be reached by e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com, on Twitter at @lohudinsider, and on Instagram at @lohudinsider.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NYSPHSAA football: Somers beats Niskayuna in state semifinals