SECTION 4 FOOTBALL: HORSEHEADS EDGED IN SECTIONAL FINAL AS U-E RALLIES FROM 12-0 DEFICIT (24 PHOTOS) (November 13, 2026)
BY BRIAN FEESSouthern Tier Sports ReportHORSEHEADS — After taking a 12-0 lead on Friday the Horseheads offense struggled to get much more going as they fell to Union-Endicott 16-12 in the Section IV, Class A championship game.
Union-Endicott used a nine-minute drive in the fourth quarter to help put the game away as the Tigers defense limited Horseheads to just 52 yards in the second half.
“We struggled a little bit after those first scores,” Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said. “Just couldn’t move the ball and get any rhythm offensively. I thought defensively we played well. Just kind of ran out of gas at the end. Have to give credit to U-E. They played a great game. They finished at the end. They had that long drive at the end of the game to really seal the win. I have to give them all the credit in the world. They deserve it. They are sectional champs and good luck going forward.”
It was Horseheads that started fast. On their first drive they got a 25-yard pass from Lyncoln Bennett to Jack Patchett and a 32-yard pass to Jahvee Meisner, before Bennett ran in fro two yards out with 8:01 left in the first to go up 6-0.
The Tigers got off to a slow start, going three-and-out on their first drive and then on the second drive fumbling on the first play with Bryce Thomas recovering and then Thomas getting a 24-yard touchdown at 7:10 to make it 12-0.
Horseheads had 94 yards on those first two drives, and 129 the rest of the game.
“Super proud of them,” Union-Endicott coach Tommy Baleno said. “Started out pretty sluggish. Gave them two touchdowns. Then we kind of got a little momentum going and got the rust out the armor and we started hunkering down and we played some outstanding defense.
“They are an outstanding offensive team. They have a lot of great athletes. It was a hard fought game. It was great high school football.”
Union-Endicott punted on their next drive and Horseheads looked like they were going to add to their lead. They started at their own 24 and quickly moved inside Tigers’ territory.
U-E had back-to-back penalties for 20 yards that had Horseheads at the 44. An eight-yard run by Bryce Thomas set the Blue Raiders up first-and-10 at the U-E 34. However, after netting one yard on the first two plays, the Blue Raiders got a five-yard run from Thomas on third-and-nine and then weren’t able to convert on fourth-and-fourth at the 28.
The next Tigers drive featured nine straight carries by standout running back Roberty Mabry Jr. However, Mabry Jr. went down with an injury and the Tigers completed the drive with a three-yard scoring run by Colin Azzarella with 3:41 left in the half. Cooper Morgan hit the extra point and it was 12-7 Horseheads.
Mabry Jr. wouldn’t return to the game, but the Tigers were able to get good production from others to get the win.
“Losing our big horse is kind of difficult, but e have a lot of grit,” Baleno said. “He also got injured in the middle of the season and we had to play without him, so we are used to it. We hope he’s going to be back. He makes things easier for us, and he’s such a great kid.”
Horseheads got inside the Tigers 24 on the next drive, but a penalty pushed them back to third-and-long and the drive stalled at the U-E 17. After the Blue Raiders defense forced a three-and-out the Blue Raiders got 13-yard run from Aiden Culshaw and a penalty by the Tigers with no time left in the half gave Horseheads and untimed down where they lined up for a 29-yard field goal attempt. However, a penalty on Horseheads brought an end to the half without the kick being taken.
Penalties and turnovers stalled a number of drives for the Blue Raiders on Friday.
“We talked about that,” Hillman said. “We couldn’t have that stuff. The things that put us behind schedule it’s things that’s not going to give us a chance to win games. WE have a chance to kick a field goal at the end and we kind of uff the snap a little bit. Just things like that. Those things they just hurt and they’ll come back to bite you, especially in a championship game like this.”
On the Tigers first drive of the second half they got a 36 yards pass from Ayden Matthews to Larkin Bianco and then two plays later the two connected on a seven-yard touchdown with 7:48 left in the third to go up 13-12.
A big kick return by Jaxson Burchard started the next Horseheads drive in Tigers’ territory and a 14-yard pass to Buchard had them inside the U-E 30. But, the Tigers got a tackle for a loss and then a sack to push the drive back.
Aiden Culshaw intercepted the first pass by the Tigers on the next drive, but a 3-and-out gave the ball back to the Tigers. Bennett boomed a 52-yard punt to push the Tigers back to their own 13. After the defensive came up big, the Blue Raiders again got the ball in good field position, but went 3-and-out.
That set up a nine-minute, 16-play drive by the Tigers that ended with a field goal by Morgan with just 1:31 left in the game.
For the Tigers the offensive line helped open up holes as every play of the drive was on the ground.
“The offensive line, they don’t ever really get much credit,” Baleno said. “But, they deserve a round of applause. They open those holes for our running backs. We have a stable full of backs and they kept the ball going.”
For Hillman the drive by the Tigers is what you need to do to win a championship.
“Bottom line, that’s what championship teams do,” Hillman said. “They have a moment like that to put the game away and they did it.”
The Blue Raiders last hope ended with an interception by Connor Wahila to seal the win.
For Horseheads it’s tough to say goodbye to the seniors.
“It’s awful, I’m going to miss them,” Hillman said. “Tough to see them have to walk off the field like this. It breaks my heart. But, I can’t say enough about them. I love the, and I wish we could have gotten it for them.”
For the younger players the game is something that Hillman hopes motivates them for next year.
“That’s what you hope,” Hillman said. “You kind of take it and learn from it. I think that’s what these guys (U-E) did. They took that loss early in the year and drove them into this game.”
For the Tigers it was important for them that they didn’t let the early deficit get them down.
“They have a lot of grit,” Baleno said. “We kept the believing. It was a team of two tales right there. We didn’t look good in the first quarter, in the second quarter we turned it around.”
Bennett threw for 103 yards, with three grabs for 64 yards going to Meisner and Patchett had a 25-yard catch, while Burchard had a 14-yard catch.
Thomas ran for 73 yards and a score and Burchard ran for 33, while Culshaw ran for 27.
Azzarella ran for 107 yards for U-E and Mabry Jr. ran for 84, while Marty Foley ran for 38. Matthews threw for 49 yards and a score, with all three catches for 49 yards going to Bianco.
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UNION-ENDICOTT 16, HORSEHEADS 12 U-E 0 7 6 3 — 16
HHDS 12 0 0 0 — 12
FIRST QUARTERH: Lyncoln Bennett 2 run (2 pt. failed), 8:01
H: Bryce Thomas 24 run (2 pt. Failed), 7:10
SECOND QUARTERUE: Colin Azzarella 3 run (Cooper Morgan kick), 3:41
THIRD QUARTERUE: Larkin Bianco 7 yards from Ayden Matthews (2 pt. Failed), 7:48
FOURTH QUARTERUE: Morgan 31 yard field goal, 1:31
INDIVIDUAL STATS
U-E
RUSHINGRoberty Mabry Jr. 16-84, Ayden Matthews 3-(-20), Marty Foley 9-38, Colin Azzarella 19-107
PASSINGMATTHEWS 3-12-49-1-1
RECEIVINGBianco 3-49-1
HORSEHEADS
RUSHINGJaxson Burchard 11-33; Bryce Thomas 11-73-1; Lyncoln Bennett 3-(-14), Aiden Culshaw 2-27
PASSINGBennett 5-25-103-0-2
RECEIVINGJack Pactchett 1-25, Jahvee Meisner 3-64, Burchard 1-14
TEAM STATS HORSEHEADS U-E
RUSHING 27-119 47-209
PASSING 103 49
TOTAL YARDS 223 258
TURNOVERS 2 2
INTERCEPTIONS: U: Connor Wahila, Bianco. H: Culshaw.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME
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