Spartans’ big start subdues Tartans (photo gallery)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

The big plays and key defensive stops that propelled Scotia-Glenville back into the playoffs were missing Saturday at Hitchcock Field.

Queensbury scored touchdowns on its first two drives, added on top the score in the second half and held the Tartans out of the end zone until the last few minutes in a 27-6 Section II Class A quarterfinal win.

“All of the goals we set up until this game, we met. Our next goal was to win this game,” said second-year Tartans coach Kevin Warren. “We did execute on some things, but we shot ourselves in the foot with a missed tackle here and a miss-step there.”

Scotia-Glenville never got going after its first playoff appearance since 2006 started with two punts, and Queensbury came up with touchdown runs by Alston Moses and Evan Myers. Kalen Minott ran for a third-quarter score, and a blocked punt by Chris Johnson and Chris Goudy’s end zone recovery soon after helped the Spartans extend their advantage to 27-0.

“That’s huge, scoring early. That’s something this team has done in a lot of games, but we knew they had the potential to score quickly,” said Queensbury coach John Irion. “We felt two touchdowns weren’t enough.”

With the way Queensbury played defense, the first two were more than enough.

Scotia-Glenville’s longest plays from scrimmage were a 13-yard run by quarterback Dan Zeglen in the third quarter and a 10-yard pass from Zeglen to Colin Evers three snaps into the game. By the end, the Tartans managed 37 rushing yards, 33 passing yards and six first down, two of them coming on penalties during their only scoring drive.

“They went man [in the secondary], which we haven’t seen too much. They were sending people,” Warren said. “They put pressure on us.”

Scotia-Glenville got on the board when Dontrevius Porter took an end around four yards with 4:28 to go. That touchdown was set up when Minott drilled the ball into the line on a field goal try, and Scotia-Glenville linebacker Nick Schaub picked it up and rambled 47 yards to midfield.

Scotia-Glenville (5-3) had averaged over 32 points in its four-game winning streak that resulted in a No. 2 playoff seed from the Class A Southeast Division.

“We’re not the same team that we were when we started,” Irion said of his defense that has allowed 26 points over the last four games, all wins. “We’ve been really attacking at the line all year, but when teams got past that in our earlier games, they had some success. We’ve gotten better with our security.”

Ends Johnson and Dylan Borkowski excelled defensively for Queensbury (5-3, No. 3 Northwest Division), while J.P. McCaulley III, Mike Lawson and Marc Lambert were among an effective offensive line group that opened holes for 217 rushing yards by the Spartans. Philip Wettersten led the way with 79 on nine carries, and Moses gained 68 on 12 attempts.

“We couldn’t stop their offense. They kept pounding and pounding,” Warren said of Queensbury’s double-wing attack. “We tried to duplicate it in practice, but it’s different when it’s coming right at you.”

Moses capped a seven-play, 32-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Myers finished off a 14-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown surge in the second quarter. That series included a superb 28-yard diving reception by Wetterstren, who made three grabs for 50 yards.

Queensbury went 72 yards on its first drive of the third quarter, and on the ninth play, got an 11-yard TD run by Minott. Runs of 18 yards by Wettersten, 16 yards by Moses and 14 yards by Myers sparked the march.

“Our kids worked their tails off to get here, and in this game, they fought the whole time,” said Warren.

Scotia-Glenville won its last playoff game in 1999, against Queensbury, before a semifinal loss to Amsterdam. Scotia-Glenville lost quarterfinal games in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006 before ending its postseason drought this season.

“The kids should be proud of themselves. They did a lot more than some of the teams in past years. Now they’ve got to keep going,” said Warren. “That’s the whole idea. They put themselves on the map this year. They’ve got to keep pushing forward.”

Queensbury will play at four-time defending Class A champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (7-1, Northeast No. 1) in a semifinal next week. Burnt Hills beat Queensbury in Week 4, 49-14, and slugged Mohonasen in its quarterfinal, 68-6.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us, but like I said, we’re not the same team that we were early in the season. We moved some people around and changed some things, and we’re a better team,” said Irion. “Hopefully, we can put a plan in gear and do something.”

Queensbury 8 6 13 0 — 27

Scotia-Glenville 0 0 0 6 — 6

Q — Moses 7 run (Wettersten run).

Q — Myers 1 run (run failed).

Q — Minott 11 run (run failed).

Q — Goudy recovered blocked punt in end zone (Minott kick).

SG — Porter 4 run (run failed).