SECTION 4 FOOTBALL: HORSEHEADS TOPS VESTAL TO WIN FIRST SECTIONAL TITLE SINCE 1998 (24 PHOTOS) (2024-11-15)
By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports ReportHORSEHEADS — On Vestal’s first drive quarterback Josh Kweller dropped back and Robert Peckham came flying in and took him down.
Right from the start the Blue Raiders were out to set the tone that they were going to dominate physically in the Section 4, Class A final.
The Blue Raiders scored on their next three drives and never looked back, beating Vestal 31-0 for their first sectional title since 1998.
“We really preached all week we wanted to be physical,” Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said. “A physical defense and don’t let those guys off the line. At times we got some penalties for it, but that’s how we play football. I thought the kids did a really great job today.”
For Peckham that sack was special and it really set the tone for a defensive effort that held Vestal to just 23 yards in the first half and forced three turnovers on the day.
“That was the most special moment ever,” Peckham said of the sack. “I was just so hyped, so excited. That got us going.”
For Horseheads winning a sectional title has been a long time coming.
“It’s amazing,” Hillman said. “I’ll tell you what. These guys have battled. This goes back to after 98 when I played and all the ups and downs and guys who have played for our program. It’s these guys who work it and all the guys back then who gave their blood, sweat and tears and couldn’t quite get over the hump. We are a big family and and now did it all not just for ourselves, (but for) the community, it’s been amazing.”
For the Horseheads players this was a special moment.
“I have no words,” Peckham said. “I am just so proud of everyone right now. I can’t even describe what the feeling is right now.”
The players have been hoping for this moment for a long time.
“It’s just an awesome feeling,” Bryce Thomas said. “It’s something we haven’t done in so long and just to do it with this group of guys that I’ve been playing with for so long. There’ nothing better.”
While the win is special, the Blue Raiders know there is still more to come.
“It’s surreal,” Lucas Mosher said. “First time to do it in forever. We are not done yet. We still have another week ahead of us and we are ready.”
On the opening drive Friday the Blue Raiders threw three passes, but quarterback Dom Cardinale was a little long on multiple throws as Hillman could tell his players came out fired up and a little over amped to start the game.
“We got out there, we saw some things maybe we could do in the passing game, we took some shots,” Hillman said. “I think Dom was just jacked up. He was ready to go, he started over throwing a little bit, which is normal. It’s going to happen. But, everyone settled down. We ran the ball, got into a little rhythm. He got a chance later on and threw a great pass to Mosher and put us in there.”
After Peckham’s sack ended the first Vestal drive, the Blue Raiders took over at their 25 and they went 75 yards on seven plays, all of them on the ground. Mosher started the drive with a 21-yard run and Thomas capped the drive with a 15-yard run with 3:40 left in the opening quarter. Trevor Reidy hit the extra point and it was 7-0.
On the next drive Horseheads defense forced a three-and-out with Hunter Lavinge sacking Kweller to end the drive. Vestal’s punt went only seven yards and Horseheads took over at the 40.
After an 11-yard pass from Cardinale to Miles Woohouse, the Blue Raiders went back on the ground and Mosher capped the dive with 9:16 left in the half on a six-yard run.
The Blue Raiders line was dominant on both sides of the ball throughout the game.
“We knew we had to be a more physical team and we definitely proved that tonight,” Peckham said. “Still, no words. We were just a more physical team and came out on top.”
After forcing a turnover on downs on the next Vestal drive the Blue Raiders got the ball back and scored for the third straight drive.
It took Horseheads just four plays to score, the final play a 49-yard touchdown from Cardinale to Mosher with 5:12 left in the half. Trevor Reidy hit his third extra point of the half and it was 21-0 as Mosher out ran the Golden Bears defense to get open for the score.
A Horseheads sack ended Vestal’s next drive and Patrick Laney ran the punt back 40 yards to get to the 35 of Vestal. Horseheads put together a final minute of the half drive, and Cardinale hit Woodhouse from the 10 yard line, but Vestal made the stop at the one at that’s how the half ended.
Vestal got a pair of first downs to start the second half, but Mosher intercepted a pass at midfield to end the threat.
Horeheads then went to the ground and Mosher ran three times for 24 yards to start the drive. Mosher and Thomas combined for 36 yards on the drive on the ground, and Reidy hit a 25-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the third quarter to make it 24-0.
Vestal then put together their best drive of the game as Cayden Kitchin ran for 48 yards on the first two plays of the drive. Kweller then completed back-to-back passes to get Vestal to the 13. It looked like the Golden Bears were going to get not he board when Kweller hit JT Gannon on a 12-yard touchdown, but a penalty for illegal procedure nullified the score and Griffin Stevens intercepted a pass on the next play to end the drive.
The Blue Raiders then went to Thomas who had runs of four, six and six years, before breaking off a 75-yard touhdown run with 6:48 left in the game. Reidy hit the kick and Horseheads went 91 yards, all on Thomas runs, to put the game away.
“It was a great feeling,” Thomas said. “I didn’t really expect it to happen. But, the play came together and went just as planned and I took it to the house and it was great.
“It was an awesome feeling, especially to see the senior guys so happy. This is their last home game and to do this for them, there is just nothing better than that.”
Hillman knows his team has players like Thomas capable of the big plays, especially as teams start to tire in the second half.
“He’s that guy, he works so hard and eventually he’s going to wear you out and go,” Hillman said. “We have a bunch of guys like that. Mosher is like that and two weeks ago Burchard was the guy. We have some athletes. We are going to enjoy this one and then get back to work. We don’t want to be done.”
Vestal did drive into Horseheads territory on their final drive, but Jonah Lamb picked off a throw to finish off the game.
After last year’s loss to Vestal in the sectional title game the Blue Raiders were happy for this win.
“It’s beautiful,” Thomas said. “I have been playing with these guys for so long. Especially after seeing how it felt for us last year to come back and just redeem ourselves, it’s great.”
Thomas ran for 189 yards and two scores on 19 carries and Mosher had 88 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown and Burchard ran for 18 yards as Horseheads gained 295 yards on the ground.
For the Horseheads backs the way the line played was a big key.
“That line is great,” Mosher said. “They were counted out at the beginning of the year, but they just show up and they just get the job done.”
“You don’t even have to think about running, you just run and it’s there thanks to those guys up front,” Thomas said.
The Blue Raiders had last week off after Binghamton forfeited their semifinal game, and the players feel like that helped them.
“That extra week, Binghamton forfeiting, that gave us a huge advantage,” Mosher said. “We are all fresh, we are ready and we want to keep this going.”
Right from the start on Friday the Blue Raiders players had a confidence that this was the year they’d win their first sectional title in more than a quarter century.
“You know me, I’m all tight up and down the sidelines,” Hillman said. “But, Robert (Peckham) and those guys they were like we’ve got this and I was like alright, and they did. We told them before you are the number one seed, you need to act like it and they did.”
Cardinale was 4-for-7 for 75 yards and a score for Horseheads and Mosher had the 49 yard touchdown, while Woodhouse had three grabs for 26 yards.
Kweller was 19-for-25 for 98 yards for Vestal with six different players hauling in passes. Gannon had eight grabs for 29 yards, Ronan Crowley had four grabs for 34 yards, Michael Hogan had three catches for 17 yards and Brody Crowley caught two passes for 15 yards.
Kitchin ran for 52 yards on seven carries for Vestal.
Horseheads plays District 3 champion Whitesboro in the regional final at 8 p.m. next Friday at Cicero-North Syracuse.
Whitesboro is 10-0 and ranked fifth in the state. Horseheads is ranked 22nd in the state at 8-2 on the year.
“I have never been more excited,” Thomas said. “I’d like to win a regional championship, something Horseheads hasn’t ever done in their history, so I’d like to do it.”
For Horseheads it is special to see their name in the state bracket.
“It’s awesome,” Hillman said. “It’s for everyone here, for the community. But, to see Horseheads on that (the state bracket) as section winner, it’s surreal.”
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HORSEHEADS 31, VESTAL 0
VESTAL 0 0 0 0 — 0
HORSEHEADS 7 14 3 7 — 31FIRST QUARTER
H: Bryce Thomas 15 run (Trevor Reidy kick), 3:40
SECOND QUARTER
H: Lucas Mosher 6 run (Reidy kick), 9:16
H: Mosher 49 pass from Dom Cardinale (Reidy kick), 5:12
THIRD QUARTER
H: Trevor Reidy 25-yard kick, 2:40
FOURTH QUARTER
H: Thomas 75 run (Reidy kick), 6:48
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING
HORSEHEADSThomas 19-189-2; Mosher 11-88-1; Jaxson Burchard 3-18
VESTALJosh Kweller 6-(-29); JT Gannon 3-4; Julian Adams 4-4; Cayden Kitchin 7-52
PASSING
HORSEHEADSCardinale 4-7-75-1-0
VESTALKweller 19-25-98-0-3
RECEIVING
HORSEHEADSMiles Woodhouse 3-26; Mosher 1-49-1
VESTALGannon 8-29; Kitchin 1-1; Ronan Crowley 4-34; Julian Adams 1-2; Michael Hogan 3-17; Brody Crowley 2-15
TEAM STATS
VESTAL HORSEHEADS
RUSHING 31 295
PASSING 98 75
TOTAL YARDS 129 370
INTERCEPTIONS: H: Griffin Stevens, Lucas Mosher, Jonah Lamb.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:
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