Senior all-star football game ends with flurry of action
ILION - A last football hurrah for several Section III seniors went to the final buzzer Wednesday as the Mohawk Valley edition of Arcaro Classic senior all-star game's outcome was decided with three touchdowns, an unusual onside kick and a final interception, all in the final 90 seconds.
The Gold team coached by a staff from Rome Free Academy and Canastota defeated the Blue 23-22 at Central Valley Academy's Diss Memorial Athletic Complex. The Blue coaches represented New Hartford Oneida and Camden, and players from schools not competing in sectional finals this weekend were eligible to participate.
More:Little Falls, Herkimer players on winning team at 2021 Arcaro Senior Football All-Star Game
A second Arcaro Classic game for the western part of the section is Thursday in greater Syracuse, and players from these games will be included on the Section III roster for the inaugural Big 44 Ernie Davis/Floyd Little All-Star Classic against a Section IV squad at Liverpool High School Nov. 20.
The Blue team struck first and led 8-6 at halftime. Gold took the lead with a field goal in the third quarter and added an interception return for a touchdown and a 16-8 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter.
That's when the Blue squad rallied. Quarterback Dom Ambrose hit a 27-yard pass to New Hartford teammate Angelo Santomassino and three plays later connected with Proctor's Domante Cook on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Alex Collver, another New Hartford Spartan, on a run for the two-point try and maintained a two-point lead with 1:28 remaining in the game.
In a game without returns on kicks or pressure on kickers, an onside kick is an unusual option. A trailing team's option late in the game is a one-play shot described as a fourth-and-15 play, needing to get the ball from its own 35-yard line to the 50 to retain possession with a new drive starting where that pay ends.
Ambrose hit Santomassino again for a play covering 22 yards and the Blue offense went back to work at the Gold 38. Ambrose sent a pass to Cook streaking along the left sideline for another touchdown on the next play then passed to Camden's Noah Morse for the conversion and a 22-16 lead with 1:02 to go.
The onside kick is not an option with the lead and Gold took possession at its own 35 to try to catch up. West Canada Valley Indian Brayden Shepardson hit passes for nine yards to James Wheeler from Vernon-Verona-Sherrill and 17 to Josh Bigelow from Carthage.
Following a Gold timeout at the 34.9-second mark, Shepardson lofted a pass into the end zone from 37 yards out and Rome Free Academy receiver Jack Lawless wrestled the ball loose from Proctor Raider Joe Gentile on the way to the turf after both had leaped and grabbed for the pass.
The Lawless catch tied the game and his extra point gave Gold its 23-22 lead.
Following the change of possession, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Red Devil Matt Rossi intercepted an Ambrose pass to ensure the win.
The Central New York Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame presented its most valuable player awards to Shepardson and Cook, and the U.S. Army's Warrior Award was presented to Carthage Comet James Gibbons for the Gold and Central Valley Academy's Sam Jacquays for the Blue.
Collver ran 13 yards for the game's first touchdown and Adirondack Wildcat Colin White ran in the conversion.
Bigelow scored on a 17-yard run for the Gold and Lawless missed his first extra point attempt after a holding call nullified the initial two-point conversion; he redeemed him self with a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter. Cazenovia Adams from Cazenovia had the interception return touchdown.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Arcaro senior football all-star game ends with flurry at CVA
