SECTION 4 FOOTBALL: HORSEHEADS TOPS VESTAL IN REMATCH OF LAST YEAR'S SECTIONAL FINAL (2024-10-18)

Southern Tier Sports Report
VESTAL — Last year the season ended for the Horseheads football team on the field at Vestal in the sectional final.

On Friday night division play began for the Blue Raiders on that same field, this time with a different result as Horseheads beat Vestal 35-20.

“It’s a big win,” Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said. “Obviously we have goals. We want to have home field advantage in the playoffs. We have three games we have to win. Getting that one was huge. Little hairy there, but our kids responded.”

One year ago Horseheads fell to the Golden Bears 40-14 in the sectional final, after a 28-7 loss against Vestal in the regular season.

On Friday the results were different,

“Like we talked about before, 11 months since the last time we were up there, it didn’t go our way that last game,” Hillman said. “We wanted to go up there and see where we stand. It was a tough game and we wanted to see how we responded and we got the win. There is a chance to see them down the road. Hopefully we get the next two and have an opportunity to have home field.”

For Horseheads getting this win just gives them a little added confidence.

“I think it’s huge,” Hillman said. “You go in last year and you played them before and you lost and it’s in the back of your mind you didn’t beat them. If you see them down the road you know you beat them before and have the ability to beat them.”

And, Hillman knows a win can possibly put that same doubt in Vestal’s mind this year that they had to deal with a year ago.

“The fact they know this team is good enough to beat us plays an impact,” Hillman said. “I know it did for us last year. That’s a great team, well coached. If we see them down the line they will be more improved. This was big. Now, we go against Binghamton this week and we have to keep moving week to week.”

The Blue Raiders are at Binghamton next week, then host Union-Endicott, both division matchups.

With three straight division games, winning the first one was big.

“It’s huge, it’s tough because every year is different, this year they are all in the back end,” Hillman said. “You want those home games. Obviously home field advantage is big. It was a huge win tonight, going up there to Vestal to win the game. It was a big step, it was an awesome win, we will enjoy it a day or two and then get back to work on Monday.”

Bryce Thomas started the scoring for Horseheads with a nine-yard run in the second quarter. Trevor Reidy hit the extra point to make it 7-0.

Kyle Ernst had a 20-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter and the Reidy kick made it 14-0.

It became 21-0 Blue Raiders on a 11-yard Thomas run and the Reidy kick.

“It does feel good to be able to come out with the win, but we had a few mental mistakes toward the end of the first half and faced some adversity,” Thomas said. “But, we collected ourselves at halftime and came out together as a team to finish and win that game and that win definitely is a good step to where we want to be.”

Vestal got a 53-yard pass from Josh Kweller to Xavier Shuler. The kick was good and it was 21-7. The two hooked up for a second touchdown pass play, this time from 24 yards out late in the quarter and it was 21-14.

Neither team scored in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter Lucas Mosher had a 17-yard touchdown run, with Reidy hitting the kick. Then Mosher had a 15-yard touchdown run, with Reidy again making the kick to make it 35-14.

“This was a huge, and special win,” Mosher said. “It wasn’t the best performance overall, but we got the job done and caught the win. The win helps with the home field advantage aspect in the playoff implications, and was just a great win to achieve tonight.”

JT Gannon hauled in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kweller, and the two-point try failed to cap the scoring at 35-20.

Mosher ran for 96 yards and two scores in the game and Thomas had 52 yards and two scores in the game.

Jaxson Burchard ran for 18 yards and Dom Cardinale ran for 13 yards.

Cardinale completed 10 passes for 99 yards, with Miles Woodhouse hauling in seven for 73 yards. Mosher had three catches for 26 yards.

“Today was a huge win for us,” Cardinale said. “Our first league game of the season, against a tough opponent on the road at a place where they have a great home environment. It feels really good to pull out a win the way we did and get off on the right foot in league play.”

Ernst led the defense with 12 tackles, seven solo. He had the fumble recovery in the game. Griffin Stevens had five tackles, and a sack, and Patrick Laney had four tackles and an interception.
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STSR FILE PHOTO.



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