2019 Week 12 (New York)

2019 Week 12 (New York)

My week was fairly tame by comparison. Just a trip up to Orchard Park for the five NYSPHSAA Section 6 Finals at New Era Field. I drove up with a friend. I’ll keep this mostly short, since not a lot of new travel happened.

On Friday afternoon, we stopped at Meeder’s for lunch. A small mom-n-pop restaurant in Ripley, New York. If you can believe it. Great food. Had a grilled chicken salad that might have been a tad small. But their homemade blackberry pie was incredible. Definitely a new place to stop when shunpiking the New York Thruway.

#49 Maritime/Health Sciences v. Albion

This was my second time seeing Maritime/Health Sciences. They have a much longer name. But, for me personally, I keep it short and simple. They’re Western New York Maritime Charter. But with the co-op, that’s just a tad wordy. Last year, I was at their game with South Park, a game that finished 12-0. This year, they put up a few more points. Winning easily over Albion Purple Eagles, 34-20.

#50 Orchard Park v. Lancaster

My 50th game of the year, was a great one. Lancaster Legends, three-time defending Section 6 champion, playing spoiler for the homestanding Orchard Park Quakers. After a single field goal in the first half, the scoring opened up in the second half. Lancaster took the lead, finally, 14-10 after a 14 yard TD pass. But, Orchard Park answered in the fourth with a 3 yard TD run. And that’s when Lancaster’s fortunes turned. Driving down and getting a game-tying field goal from 29 yards with 3:34 left. And then after an Orchard Park turnover, scores on a 1-yard TD run to take the 23-17 lead with 51 seconds left. A lead that they’d hang on to and win the Section for the fourth straight season.

#51 Franklinville/Ellicottville v. Clymer/Sherman/Panama

The first game Saturday was a mouthful. Two co-ops, one featuring probably my favorite team in New York, the CSP Wolfpack hailing from the small southwestern outposts of Clymer, Sherman, and Panama were going up against the once rivals, now Titans, of the co-op Franklinville and Ellicottville. CSP won the state title last year, and have been undefeated in games I’ve attended. Not too surprising as they’ve only lost one game since the end of the 2017 season.

The game opened with a long TD pass, 67 yards worthy of Sportscenter Top Ten, to take the lead they’d never relinquish. 6-0 held up through the end of the first half. Finally a late 3rd TD pass of 69 yards pushed it to 14-0 and a one yard TD run in the fourth salted the game away. 22-0 for the wolves on a warpath. They play Batavia Notre Dame next weekend.

#52 Buffalo South Park v. Buffalo McKinley

After the CSP game, I took the next game off and watched from up top. I wasn’t expecting much of a game, honestly, despite the undefeated records facing off. And,unfortunately I was right. South Park jumped out with 3 quick touchdowns in the first quarter, and two more in the second to lead 38-0 and grind the game out in the second half to hold the same score, 38-0 for the final.

#53 Southwestern v. Wilson

Next game was back on the sideline for the nightcap. A potential upset by Wilson Lakemen going up against the juggernaut Southwestern Trojans. 7-7 after 1, 14-14 after 2, and then the floodgates opened. Wilson kept it close, but three third quarter touchdowns won it for Southwestern. And three more touchdowns in the fourth just made it look easy. #19 for Southwestern, Tywon Wright was a phenomenal running back for the Trojans and they’re ride him as far as he’ll take them in the playoffs.

After that, it was a long drive home and then head right back out to Cleveland for the Browns game in the afternoon. Hosting Buffalo. Where I had just come from just 16 hours earlier.

Browns actually managed to win this week. I know. I’m shocked, too. No turnovers, very few penalties, a bit of redzone issues, but an overall good game against a winning team.

And seeing The Best Damn Band In The Land is always a highlight of any football game.

For the weekend, it was a fun week of games in New York. The Empire State might not get a lot of credit when it comes to high school football, but the games have always been just as entertaining, if not more so, than anywhere else in this crazy world.

Next week, I’ll be in Iowa for twelve games. Just sitting in the stands as a fan for them. The state semifinals of Iowa. The third game on Friday will be my 1,000th lifetime varsity football game. That game will be Bettendorf v. West Des Moines Valley. Both teams I’ve seen previously. But, still, interesting that the UNI-Dome, one of my all-time most watched games at stadium, will be where the 1,000th game occurs. After next Saturday, I’ll be up to 39 games at the UNI-Dome. My third time seeing games at the venue.

Thursday
8M Gilbertville Don Bosco v. Jackson Junction Turkey Valley
8M Remsen St. Mary’s v. Audubon
3A Council Bluffs Lewis Central v. Epworth Western Dubuque
3A Sergeant Bluff-Luton v. Solon

Friday
A Grundy Center v. St. Ansgar
A Moville Woodbury Central v. Britt West Hancock
4A Bettendorf v. West Des Moines Valley (1,000th game)
4A Cedar Rapids Kennedy v. West Des Moines Dowling Catholic

Saturday
1A Iowa City Regina v. Van Meter
1A Inwood West Lyon v. Hawarden West Sioux
2A OABCIG v. Algona
2A Williamsburg v. Waukon

For the weekend, it will be 11 new teams. Which would put me up to 1,129 all-time different teams if all goes well.

2019 Statistics
53 Games
101 Teams
43 Stadiums
13 States

56 new teams
35 new stadiums

1,118 different teams (new: Albion, Wilson, McKinley, and Franklinville/Ellicottville)
335 different stadiums (new: none)
993 games

Photos of the Week

For more, and larger, photos from this weekend, click HERE.

For photos from previous weeks and seasons, visit http://www.flickr.com/sykotyk/sets/

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