COLONIE — Sometimes all it takes is one big play to provide a spark.
The Niskayuna football team just happened to pull one of those off on its first snap, and never looked back in Saturday night’s Section II Class A championship game against Averill Park at CBA.
Dahvion Wimberly scored on a 69-yard pass play 19 seconds in, and Niskayuna produced touchdowns on its next three possessions, too, in a historic 35-6 triumph.
“That gave us all the momentum in the world,” Niskayuna senior offensive tackle David Trahan said of the key play that kick-started the Silver Warriors’ first Super Bowl win. “We all knew that we were going to run that play, and it was going to work.”
Ethan Gilson threw the first touchdown pass and had another scoring toss to DeAngelo McGlothlan. Cameron Grasso, Isaiah Linyear and McGlothlan ran for TDs, as well, and the Silver Warriors continued a string of standout defensive performances against an Averill Park squad that had done serious offensive damage during a four-game win streak leading up to the Super Bowl.
“We knew going in we were going to play the best team. We won it with a team effort,” Niskayuna coach Brian Grastorf said. “Our defense was shut-down again. The offense made big plays. Our special teams was awesome. It was great to see.”
It was a trick play that got it all started, though, when Linyear took a handoff and headed up the middle, stopped, and pitched back to Gilson. The sophomore quarterback fired the ball deep and Wimberly, who had gotten by a defender, juggled it before sucking it in just shy of the end zone.
“Coach [Mike] Grasso came up with that,” Wimberly said of Niskayuna’s first-year offensive coordinator. “He said this is a money play, and we’re going to do it. All week long he said, ‘Be ready.’”
“We hit it every time in practice. We were confident in it,” Grastorf said. “Ethan made one rusher miss, and Dahvion made a little bobble and hauled it in.”
Niskayuna’s only previous title-game appearance in 1996 ended in a 38-0 Class A loss to Troy.
Averill Park had made it to two championship games before Saturday, and lost Class A finals in 2016 to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 24-6 and in 2005 to Amsterdam 42-14.
“It’s unbelievable,” Trahan said in reference to his team’s 1-2 start and subsequent eight-game win streak. “When we started the season, no one thought we’d come close to this.”
Niskayuna (Grasso Division No. 1, 9-2) set a program record with its ninth win, and its defense had much to do with it. Averill Park (Capital Division No. 1, 7-4) had averaged over 35 points across that four-game win streak leading up to Saturday’s contest, but managed its lone touchdown on a 22-yard run by Jacob Phelps after Wimberly scored.
Averill Park came up short on a 2-point conversion try, and although it managed a few decent gains, it never seriously threatened after that.
“We weren’t surprised with anything they did,” said Niskayuna senior linebacker Gavin Pendergast, whose sack curtailed a fourth-quarter drive by Averill Park. “We knew they liked to run and we knew their tendencies. A big part of this win was our scout team. They gave us good looks.”
“We gave up one big play,” Grastorf said. “I’ll have to look at that on film and see what happened.”
A lot of the game film will be of Niskayuna highlights, several provided by Cameron Grasso, the team’s only freshman, who scored on a 30-yard run in the opening quarter after taking in a lateral screen pass from Gilson.
“We kept on fighting,” said Wimberly, a senior receiver and defensive back. “We knew we had to leave it all on the field. That’s what we did.”
McGlothlan scored on a 19-yard run in the second quarter and the versatile senior caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the back right corner of the end zone on Niskayuna’s next possession after Hudson Rariden recovered a fumble to give the Silver Warriors possession.
Linyear, who led Niskayuna’s ground effort with 87 yards on 15 carries, scored his TD in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard run.
“I’m excited for these guys,” Grastorf said, “for all the work they put in in the weeks leading up to this.”
“The momentum we got from that first play was huge,” Pendergast said. “We knew we were running it, and the momentum carried us through the game. We all played great.”
Cameron Grasso’s 44-yard scamper set up McGlothlan’s second-quarter TD run, and he also made catches covering 15 and 35 yards.
Senior kicker Cooper Harvey nailed all five of his extra point attempts after going 4-for-4 on PATs in last week’s 28-0 semifinal win over La Salle. Harvey was the star the week before that with three field goals in a 9-6 win over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake that clinched the Grasso Division title.
Niskayuna will play Canandaigua (9-2) in a regional game Friday at 7 p.m. at Shenendehowa. Canandaigua beat East/WOI (10-1) in the Section V A2 final 28-6.
“It’s great to be playing meaningful games in November,” Grastorf said.
After the game Linyear broke away from Niskayuna’s celebration pile at midfield and tracked down Averill Park quarterback Justin Matthews as he headed toward the far end zone.
“We’re both sophomores. Both of us have been grinding all season to get where we are,” Linyear said. “I told him to keep pushing. I’ll see him next year.”
- Averill Park 0 6 0 0 — 6
- Niskayuna 14 14 0 7 — 35
- N — Wimberly 69 pass from Gilson (Harvey kick)
- AP — Phelps 22 run (run failed)
- N — Grasso 30 run (Harvey kick)
- N — McGlothlan 19 run (Harvey kick)
- N — McGlothlan 23 pass from Gilson (Harvey kick)
- N — Linyear 3 run (Harvey kick)
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