Football: Pembroke rolls to state's first-ever 8-man regional championship

The Pembroke Dragons have gone from first-time Section V football champions to arguably one of the best 8-man teams in the state.

Pembroke has a strong argument that it is the best, after defeating Groton of Section IV on Friday 36-18 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's regional championship game.

The Dragons (12-1) beat two teams in the state-level tournament, which is currently two rounds. Pembroke probably switches positions with Groton (11-1), which advanced out of the Binghamton/Elmira region or NYSPHSAA section and moves to No. 1 when the final New York State Sportswriters Association state rankings are announced.

Pembroke never trailed Groton in the regional championship game at Union-Endicott High in Section IV.

More:Section V football scores for 2022 season

More:Tyson Totten continues dominance, leads Pembroke to comeback state regional win

Player of the game

Tyson Totten, Pembroke running back: Totten scored touchdowns on runs of 49, 65 and 9, plus was an active member of the Dragons defense with seven solo tackles.

Plays of the game

The score was 6-6 after a Groton touchdown late in the second quarter. Pembroke's answer was swift. Totten scored again on the Dragons' next offensive play, a 65-yard touchdown after taking a handoff from quarterback Cayden Pfalzer.

Groton drove to the Pembroke 26-yard line when it received the ball back. But the Section IV champion turned the ball over downs, when a pass by Ben DeMatteo fell incomplete in the end zone on fourth-and-10.

By the numbers

5 - Yards for a touchdown catch by Groton junior Nick Karandeyev on a pass from DeMatteo on fourth-and-goal that made the score 6-6 with 2:03 remaining in the second quarter.

9 - Length of a touchdown run by Pfalzer, after he dodged defenders on his way to the end zone with 7.4 seconds remaining in the second half.

16 - Pembroke's lead at halftime, 22-6.

24 - Yards covered on a touchdown pass play early in the fourth quarter to a wide-open Chase Guzdek, a senior listed at six feet tall, 200 pounds, from Pfalzer. Pembroke led 29-12 after the conversion kick by Sean Pustulka.

275 - Rushing yards for Totten after 29 carries.

14 - Tackles made by Guzdek, who also plays on Pembroke's defensive line.

8 - Solo tackles made by Pembroke sophomore Octavious Martin, a sophomore listed at 6-3, 275 pounds.

2 - Titles won this season by the Pembroke Dragons: the first Section V championship, 8-man or 11-man, in team history and NYSPHSAA's regional championship.

0 - Number of losses for Section V teams in five years of 8-man regional matchups, according to Section V football committee member Joe Marchand.

They said it

“All the hard work paid off. It's awesome.” - Pembroke junior running back/defensive back Tyson Totten

"It's really exciting making history in Pembroke. It's a big deal to be able to play with my friends, my bros, treat them like family." - Pembroke senior tight end/defensive tackle Chase Guzdek

"It great for the community, great for the guys before us. A great feeling." - Pembroke senior quarterback Cayden Pfalzer

"We all bleed green. Our community has been so excited. I'm just so happy for the boys. A couple of years ago, we had 11 guys sign up for football. The program was left for dead." Pembroke coach Brandon Ricci

What's next

The Pembroke Dragons walked away with a plaque and that feel-good emotion of winning the team's final game of the season.

NYSPHSAA's 8-man tournament remains two rounds in 2023. Six NYSPHSAA sections must each have at least four teams in order for the state 8-man tournament to crown a state champion.

There were four sections that met the requirement this season: Section III (Syracuse region), Section IV (Binghamton/Elmira), Section V (Rochester) and Section IX (Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties).

"This is the first year we've had two rounds," Marchand said.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Football: Pembroke rolls state's first-ever 8-man football title