HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: SCANLON HAS 2 PICK SIXES IN ONE QUARTER, FIVE PLAYERS SCORE IN HORSEHEADS WIN (2022-09-23)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ITHACA — Finnian Scanlon had two pick sixes in one quarter and five different players found the end zone on Friday as the Horseheads Blue Raiders went on the road and beat Ithaca 56-8.

“It was definitely nice,” Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said. “It was good, we got a lot of kids in there. We had some kids do things on the defensive side of the ball, so it was a good win.”

Horseheads evens its record on the season at 2-2, although both losses are to sectional champions from a year ago.

For the Blue Raiders one of the problems early in the season has been turnovers and penalties, and that’s something they limited on Friday night.

“That was a big thing, we wanted to come out this week and do some things,” Hillman said. “Maybe had one turnover, had three or four turnovers that we got. It’s nice to get things righted a little bit, so that was nice.”

While it’s always nice being at home, it can help in some ways to go on the road and just focus on the game.

“It’s nice to have the home games, but you kind of have distractions with home games,” Hillman said. “You get on a bus, go play football, it’s a nice change of pace. The kids did a nice job.”

Garrett Elston started the scoring in the first quarter with a 15-yard run and Owen Nielsen hit the extra point. Elston then made it 14-0 on the first half with a 24-yard touchdown run, with Nielson hitting the kick.

In the second quarter Josh McCawley had a five-yard scoring run and Nielsen hit the extra point to make it 21-0 Blue Raiders at the half.

In the third quarter Scanlon put on a show defensively, picking off a pass and running it back 35 yards for a score, and then picking off another pass and returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. Nielsen hit the extra point on both touchdowns.

Ian Watson ran in a nine-yard scoring run to cap the third quarter scoring and Nielsen hit the kick and it was 42-0 in favor of the Blue Raiders.

Senior Kaden LaBar broke off a 95-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter with Nielsen hitting the extra point and Dylan Schrock scored from 44 yards away with Nielsen again hitting the extra point.

Ithaca scored on a two yard run by Daniel Parker in the fourth quarter and Parker had the two-point run.

LaBar had one carry for 95 yards in the game and Elston had 10 for 59 yards, he also had a four-yard catch.

Watson had 47 yards on five carries and Schrock had a 44-yard scoring run.

Bradock Salisbury had 15 yards rushing and Alex Johanson and McCawley each ran for six yards. McCawley had a four yard catch and Johanson had two completions for eight yards.

Braeden Butts, Robert Peckham and Marshall Winkky all had five tackles for Horseheads, while Scanlon had the two interceptions and four tackles.
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STSR FILE PHOTO