EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL: EDISON GUTS OUT WIN OVER UNATEGO/FRANKLIN/UV (24 PHOTOS) (September 19, 2026)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA HEIGHTS — With the Edison lead down to five points star quarterback Jace Schiller left the game after hurting his ankle. 

It was crunch time against a Unatego/Franklin/Unadilla Valley team that topped the Spartans last year and wound up winning the sectional final and Schiller was ready for his superhero moment. 

Schiller came back into the game, limped into the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown run and helped Edison win 48-44. 

“Watching that play it was one of those were at first I thought he jumped and that’s why he started limping,” Edison coach Kyle Erickson said. “He was like, no that was limping and kind of jumping to try and get into the end zone. That just shows the character of that kid, how hard he works and he’s not going to let anything stop him.”

For Schiller he knew he had to get back in the game and make something happen. 

“It’s (the ankle) doing alright,” Schiller said. “I came out, and came back in and scored that touchdown. Once again, I give credit to my team, they had a hole that was wide open and I didn’t get touched. Having my team blocking for me like that is awesome.”

Edison came out and dominated the first half against a team that reached the state final four last year. 

Edison led 36-16 at the half as Schiller and Hoover were a dominant combination, with three first-half touchdowns. 

“It’s awesome having a receiver like Paxton,” Schiller said. “All of my receiver. I threw it up to Tanner (Buchanan) for that big fourth down touchdown, I have to shout him out too. Our offensive line was great, it’s not just me and Paxton, it’s all of us.”

For Hoover it’s special to be that involved in the offense.

“It’s incredibly fun, it’s great to make plays,” he said. 

The first couple of weeks Schiller dominated with his legs. He did that again on Saturday, but also got the passing game going more-and-more.

“It was nice to get everything kind of going a little bit,” Erickson said. “Week three, we are kind of opening up the offense a little bit more, so it was nice to get both sides of the offense going. 

“Once again, Jace Schiller andPaxton Hoover, they are amazing athletes and when they want to they put our team on their shoulders and carry them as far as they want to go.”

Hoover’s size was causing matchup problems for the Unatego defense with defenders talking about how big the Edison senior is. 

“It’s awesome to hear that looking across and seeing our matchups,” Schiller said. “Matchups are key in football.”

And, that big target makes the passes easier.

“Throw it up and hope to Hoov,” Schiller said. 

This game was one that the Spartans were looking forward to since last year.

“We have Moravia and Unatego back-to-back, three Notre Dame too, having those three to start the season those are the three games we look forward to every year,” Schiller said. “Two of the best teams in our section (Unatego and Moravia last week) are who we play every year. Also, they (Unatego) are who we lost to last year to ruin our undefeated record, so it feels good to come out here and beat them.

Hoover had a special reason to want the win.

“I wanted this game bad,” he said. “Last year the first play of the game I got hurt so it was nice to be able to come out here and beat the team we lost to last year.”

Schiller got the scoring going with a 13-yard run and he threw the two-point pass to Hoover. 

Unatego got on the board as Ryder Codington hauled in a 16-yard touchdown from Joe Sargent. Tristan Fairbairn caught the two-point pass from Sargent to tie the game. 

Schiller hit Hoover on a 51-yard scoring pass and ran in the two-point try to make it 16-8 after one quarter.

Hoover caught a 20-yard touchdown and a 14-yard touchdown from Schiller to start the second quarter and put the Spartans up 28-8.

Codington caught a 24-yard touchdown from Sargent and Sargent hit Fairbairn on the two-point try.

Schiller then had an 11-yard touchdown run and ran in the two-point try to make it 36-16 at the half.

Unatego got a 17-yard touchdown pass from Sargent to George Carmody with Reis Hunter hitting the extra point and Fairbairn had a four-yard scoring run with Hunter hitting the extra point as the game got within 36-30 after three quarters.

“That’s a very good football team right there, and they found how to take advantage of our weaknesses in the second half,” Erickson said. “I thought we did a great job of finishing out the game, but that second half was really sloppy for us and we have a lot of things to work on for next game.”

The players knew the second half was sloppy.

“It feels great, but we have to come out with more energy,” Hoover said. “They wanted it more in the second half, honestly. We have to step up more in the second half.”

“It feels great, it just shouldn’t have ended up being the score it was,” Schiller said. “We should have put them away after half. We came out hot, but we’ve got stuff we have to clean up.”

With it down to a one-score game, Edison faced fourth down when Schiller hit Buchanan on a 27-yard touchdown to make it 42-30.

Birdsall caught a 13-yard touchdown from Sargent and Hunter made the kick to make it 42-37, setting up the dramatic hero moment for Schiller when he limped into the end zone.

Tyler Stevens caught a 15-yard touchdown from Sargent with 2:06 left to make it 48-44, but Edison was able to run the clock out after that.

Schiller had 37 carries for 283 yards and three scores and was 6-for-9 passing for 149 yards and four scores. It’s the second time this season, the other being the opener against Notre Dame, where Schiller accounted for seven overall touchdowns. 

Hoover had five catches for 122 yards and three scores and had six carries for 87 yards. Buchanan had the 27-yard touchdown catch. 

Sargent was 26-for-38 for 337 yards and five touchdowns. Carmody had 12 catches for 181 yards and Birdsall had seven grabs for 86 yards. Codington caught three passes for 47 yards and two scores and Stevens had the 15-yard touchdown. Fairbairn had 10 carries for 40 yards and a score. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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