Kevin Stevens
Press & Sun-Bulletin

SYRACUSE - Add another championship to the storied football program at Chenango Forks. And label this one was as hard-earned as they come.

All-square with Rye Neck after a scoreless third quarter, the Blue Devils polished off a 70-yard scoring drive 3½ minutes into the fourth for a lead they would not relinquish and held off the Panthers, 28-27, for the Class C title Sunday in the Carrier Dome.

Most Valuable Player Isaiah Zimmer's 175-yard, three-touchdown outing included a 7-yard rush for the go-ahead points, and Forks denied Rye Neck's two-point conversion attempt with 4:02 to play.

The outcome brought Chenango Forks its third state title in the program's seventh Week 13 appearance -- and first since 2007. It won titles in 2003 and 2004.

"It's amazing. It hasn't sunk in yet, but it's still amazing," said Ryan Bronson, a Forks junior named the game's Most Valuable Defensive Back.

"Feels great. I can't even explain it, it's just amazing," said senior quarterback John Colm Sweeney, whose afternoon included a 30-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Ziegenfus.

"I'm relieved, but I'm certainly more happy than I am relieved," said coach David Hogan, whose 12-1 squad extended its win streak to 11 games despite surrendering a season-high point total.

Rye Neck played like anything but a state-playoff newcomer. The first-time Section 1 champion from Westchester County gave the Blue Devils all they could handle, particularly in a first half that concluded with the teams tied at 21.

But come second-half play, Forks' defense stiffened and its running game continued to hammer away at the Panthers.

Rye Neck's first two second-half possessions brought a single first down and netted 22 yards. The Panthers' second punt of the half -- a 40-yarder courtesy of a fortuitous bounce -- left Forks the football at its 30-yard line with 1:31 to play in the third quarter.

The drive's key play was turned in by Sweeney, who called upon his legs to elude defenders in the backfield before delivering a third-and-11 pass to freshman L.J. Watson that went for 24 yards to Rye Neck's 47.

When the third quarter gave way to the fourth, Zimmer took control.

He rushed the football on six of the next eight plays, including back-to-back 7-yard gains on the final two. His scoring rush was over the right side and he crossed the goal line on his feet. Tony Silvanic's PAT kick gave the Devils a 28-21 advantage with 8:25 to play.

Sweeney, by the way, added another clutch play on that drive, a 6-yard gain on fourth-and-2 after faking to Zimmer that brought the ball to the 20.

Rye Neck took the ball at its 20-yard line after a touchback, and showed offensive life for the first time since the second quarter.

Dom Brescia rushed 14 yards on first down, Thomas Pipolo hit Jake Sevean for a 32-yard catch-and-run and the Panthers were at Forks' 32-yard line.

After five running plays and an incomplete pass, Rye Neck had fourth-and-goal from Forks' 9-yard line -- from which point Pipolo hit a lunging Sevean in the right-center of the end zone to make it 28-27 with 4:02 to play.

The decision was a no-doubter for Rye Neck.

"I watched and I knew they were going to go for two because (Panthers coach Nick Ianello) was looking at his plays right away," Hogan said. "We thought about calling timeout but I thought with the defense we were in, we were pretty safe and it worked out pretty good with Zurenda getting through the gap there."

More than pretty good. Nose guard Mike Zurenda blasted through the Panthers' front and went low to wrap up Pedro Cueto' lower legs and down him comfortably short of the goal line.

"It was just like the first one they ran, they bought power right at us," Bronson said. "Our guys did a good job of getting in the backfield and wrapping up the legs. He's a great runner but if you've got his legs he can't go anywhere."

The Devils recovered a subsequent onside kick and took over at their 43-yard line with 3:55 remaining. And so they went to Zimmer -- "Ironman" -- again and again and again.

Eight times in the next nine plays, Zimmer carried the ball on a drive that gained two first downs and reached Rye Neck's 28-yard line before the Devils gave up the ball on downs with two seconds remaining. Offsetting penalties negated an apparent 32-yard touchdown rush by Zimmer with seven seconds left.

"I think at the end, our offense did a great job of getting first downs when we had to," Hogan said. " ... We were just calling the same play. We felt like that was our safest play running behind our best linemen with a back that we'd been riding all year. I thought that was big."

Rye Neck's Pipolo was sacked by Silvanic and Scott Craver for an 8-yard loss on the final play.

The Blue Devils fell behind 6:44 into play when a Pipolo-to-Matt Garcia pass of 20 yards went for a touchdown to finish a 60-yard drive. Forks pulled even 3:26 into the second when Zimmer powered over from the 1-yard line, and went ahead 14-7 on the Sweeney-to-Ziegenfus pass midway through the quarter.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Ryan Morningstar fielded the ensuing kickoff at his 12-yard line and proceeded up the middle of the field for a touchdown. Against Forks -- which simply does not permit kick-return scores.

Hogan said the most recent might have been surrendered 16 or 17 years ago.

"I was surprised. That was a big momentum swing," Sweeney said. "That's the first time that's happened to us all year, it was definitely a shocker. I think they just created a wedge and went though the middle."

A touchdown apiece from there left them tied at halftime.

"I think our defense played a whole lot better the second half," Hogan said. "We talked at halftime about wrapping up because those kids run hard. I though we did a lot better job of that in the second half."

Zimmer's 39-carry impact was not lost on Panthers coach Nick Ianello.

"I expected them to run right at us," he said. "We had some trouble up front. We have skill kids and when our skill kids aren't involved in the game it can be tough for us."

FOR CHENANGO FORKS SENIOR, 2-POINT CONVERSION TACKLE CULMINATION OF A DREAM

Matt Weinstein
Press & Sun-Bulletin

SYRACUSE - Needing to stop a two-point conversion attempt to avoid losing the lead late in the fourth quarter, instinct kicked in for Chenango Forks nose guard Mike Zurenda.

Rye Neck running back Pedro Cueto took the handoff from his quarterback and darted up the middle, but Zurenda shed his blocker and wrapped Cueto's ankles to preserve the one-point lead for his Blue Devils, who went on to win the Class C state championship by that 28-27 score on Sunday at the Carrier Dome.

"I didn't see anything; I just tackled him," the senior said. "I just gave it my all and pulled him down."

The stop with 4:02 remaining came after Rye Neck converted a fourth-and-6 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Pipolo to Jake Sevean. The Blue Devils' offense then went to work on the clock, draining it down to two seconds before Rye Neck took over again on its own 28.

"That's the play of the game, no doubt about it," Forks coach Dave Hogan said. "Michael was able to get through there and just made a huge play for us. Obviously it changes everything because the pressure would have been on us to score.

"Games are won up front. We never won a championship without a good defense and they definitely stepped it up in the second half."

Rye Neck coach Nick Ianello on his decision to go for the lead instead of the tie: "We are here to win the game. We're not here to play for a tie and that's something I would do again."

Zurenda finished with five tackles and has shown a knack for making big plays late in important games. He had a sack for a safety in the fourth quarter to help seal the Blue Devils' 22-0 victory against Cleveland Hill in the state semifinals last month in Rochester.

Zurenda said winning a state title has been something he has thought about for years.

"It's been my dream ever since I've been a little kid, ever since I strapped on that red helmet," the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder said. "Every one of these guys deserves it more than anyone in the world. We worked our butts off for this.

"We always talk about how we are a family. It means a lot when you play for your brothers, you really come together and play close."

Rye Neck had success running and passing the ball in the first half, but the Blue Devils made some adjustments at halftime and Hogan reminded his team to wrap up the ball carriers.

"They have very hard runners and we thought we were hitting shoulders and not wrapping up," Hogan said. "We feel we could tackle a whole lot better than that. Earlier in the season we tackled a lot with just our shoulders but that's not going to happen against (Rye Neck)."

STATE FOOTBALL FINAL: RYE NECK GAMBLES AND LOSES

Josh Thomson
The Journal News

The Rye Neck defense had been gashed up front for much of the last three quarters. Chenango Forks wasn't explosive, but it was big and tough and had imposed that physicality to take a one-touchdown lead.

So when the Panthers scored with 4:02 remaining, coach Nick Ianello made a tough choice, but one in line with the philosophy of him and his team. The risk -- one of several in the game -- went unrewarded. Chenango Forks stopped Pedro M. Cueto short on a 2-point conversion and burned the remaining time to beat Rye Neck, 28-27, in a dramatic Class C state championship game on Sunday at the Carrier Dome.

"It came down to that 2-point conversion," Ianello said shortly after his program's first appearance in a state final. "Maybe in hindsight, maybe I should've gone for the kick and played for overtime, but we got here on what we do. I wanted to go for it, and I think the kids wanted to go for the two points and the win."

"It was the right call," Panthers senior Jakob Calvini said. "Today, we just couldn't get it in."

It was an afternoon of bold choices for Ianello and his Panthers, who, after an easy opening scoring drive, quickly learned what they had to face against the Section 4 champ. In particular, it was MVP Isaiah Zimmer who kept busy. The 190-pound senior rushed 39 times for 175 yards and three scores, pounding away from the Blue Devils' favored three-back sets.

Zimmer's running led to three second-quarter touchdowns, but one came after Rye Neck (11-1) had been stopped on a fake punt at its 30. Quarterback John Colm Sweeney connected on a 30-yard touchdown to Andrew Ziegenfus one play later.

"I found it similar to the first Woodlands game," said Ianello, whose team beat Woodlands 41-40 in overtime during the regular season. "I thought it was going to be that kind of game, back and forth. I figured I had to do some stuff to keep them off guard."

Senior Ryan Morningstar did his part in that regard. After Sweeney's touchdown pass, he responded with an 88-yard kickoff return for a score. When Rye Neck quickly fell behind again, quarterback Thomas Pipolo found Calvini for a 9-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. Cueto's 2-point run tied the score 21-21 heading into halftime.

The second half remained physical, but the Panthers withstood it until Zimmer scored his third touchdown with 8:25 to play. Again, Rye Neck replied, driving 80 yards in 11 plays and drawing within a point on Pipolo's third touchdown pass -- this one to Jake Sevean on fourth down.

Ianello called for the bruising, 220-pound Cueto again on the 2-point play. He ran to the right, just as he had earlier, but was stopped well short of the goal line.

Chenango Forks (12-1) burned almost the entire clock and both Panthers timeouts. Rye Neck had one play at its 28, but Pipolo was sacked.

He finished 6 for 10 for 113 yards and was named the game's most outstanding offensive back.

"Our motto all along has been, 'Play to win,' " Pipolo said. "We're not going to sit back and let things happen. We have to attack. Those plays just didn't go our way today."

The Panthers came within a yard or two of a state title, but Sunday also marked their first trip to the Dome on the heels of the program's first sectional title.

"In a couple days, we'll feel good about it," Pipolo said. "Right now, it stings."

Rye Neck falls in state football final

Kevin Devaney Jr.
MSG Varsity

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A circle of blood roughly the size of a quarter had dried up between the eyes of Jakob Calvini’s forehead. The black paint on his face had smeared and dried, distracting from the devastation that was clear in his eyes.

Calvini looked every bit as exhausted and bruised as a Rye Neck football player should have on Sunday afternoon. The Black Hats were treated to the most physical and intense football game of their season, leaving the Carrier Dome battered over what nearly could have been.

Chenango Forks outmuscled Rye Neck in the Class C state championship game, holding on for a 28-27 win after stopping the Black Hats’ 2-point conversion attempt with 4:02 remaining. Rye Neck’s defense just couldn’t get the stops it needed in the final minutes, a theme for the afternoon against a gritty Forks rushing attack.

Rye Neck’s quest for a state title deflated in the Dome with every carry Isaiah Zimmer took. The star running back ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 39 attempts, wearing down a defense that’s shut down the run all season.

The Black Hats, making their first ever trip to the state final, never faced a back, or an offensive line, as good as Sunday. Zimmer, a nails-tough 5-foot-10, 190-pounder, dug in for the final four minutes after Rye Neck’s failed conversion attempt and carried Forks one final time.

“I could do that a thousand more times. I’m not tired,” Zimmer said. “This was the best feeling in the world.”

It was third state championship for Forks, which had two previous wins in Class B over Rye.

For Rye Neck, Sunday was a game that will leave questions. The Black Hats had several critical decisions come back to hurt them. They missed 2-point conversion attempt in the second quarter and a failed on a fake punt on their own 30 before the half, which Forks turned into a touchdown on the next play.

The aggressiveness by Rye Neck, though, was understandable. Chenango Forks dominated the clock, finishing with nearly 10 more minutes of possession, and piled up eight first downs in the second half.

The decision to go for two after its final touchdown for Rye Neck seemed like an obviously, albeit regrettable, decision.

“This is on me,” Ianello said. “We should have kicked it.”

When asked if he’d do it again: “Absolutely. We couldn’t stop them.”

Forks converted two third downs on the final drive, milking the clock before Rye Neck’s final play. Getting the ball back with two seconds left at its own 27, Pipolo was sacked to end the game.

Pipolo put the first points on the board of the game, connecting with Matt Garcia for a 20-yard touchdown pass on Rye Neck’s opening drive. Forks responded with an 8-play, 48-yard scoring drive to tie.

After Rye Neck’s fake punt midway through the second quarter, John Sweeney threw a 30-yard touchdown to Andrew Ziegenfus. Ryan Morningstar returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown for Rye Neck but its two-point try was stopped to keep Forks up 14-13.

Forks extended its lead to 21-13 on Zimmer’s 7-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left in the second quarter but Pipolo took the Black Hats down the field before the half. Pipolo hit Calvini for a 9-yard touchdown, and Pedro M. Cueto punch in the conversion to tie it 21-21 at the half.

“Our coach just said the game is zero-zero now,” said Zimmer, who had 20 first-half carries. “It was a new game.”