By: Paul Gotham
OWEGO FREE ACADEMY (9-4) 48
MONROE HIGH (11-0) 48
Terrell Cunningham Sr. promised Syracuse University head coach Fran Brown that he’d see him at the end of the season.
On Saturday afternoon, the Monroe High football team made good on its coach’s words.
The Redjackets (11-0) scored the first four times they touched the ball and were never really challenged in a 48-7 victory over Section IV champion Owego Free Academy (9-4).
With the win at the Michael J. Bragman Athletic Complex on the campus of Cicero-North Syracuse High School, Cunningham’s squad clinched a spot in next weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class B final where the Redjackets will have a chance to become the first team from the Rochester City School District (RCSD) to win a state championship in football.
“It means everything,” Cunningham said of next weekend’s game. “We’ve almost accomplished our goal that we set out many years ago. Our goal was to be a championship caliber team and to bring the first state championship to the city of Rochester, RCSD. We have an opportunity to do that next weekend.”
Monroe, which came into the game averaging better than 45 points per game, needed six plays and less than three minutes of game time to put points on the board.
Terrrell “Pooty” Cunningham Jr. connected with teammate Brien Walker on a 31-yard passing play on fourth down...READ MORE.
UNION-ENDICOTT (9-3) 14
BRIGHTON (11-2) 47
A year ago, Matthew Heininger’s season ended with a first-quarter injury in a state semifinal loss.
Sunday night back on that same stage, the Brighton senior grabbed the spotlight early and didn’t stray far from it for the rest of the game.
Heininger scored the first touchdown of the game, and the Bruins (11-2) went on to clinch a spot in Friday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class A championship game with a convincing 47-14 victory over Union-Endicott (9-3) of Section IV in semifinal action from the Michael J. Bragman Athletic Complex on the Cicero-North Syracuse campus.
Heininger’s plunge from two yards out capped a nine-play, 66-yard drive to give Brighton a lead it did not surrender.
“It was a really good feeling,” the University at Buffalo commit said of the opening touchdown. “The coaches trusted me. I trusted my line, and all I got to do is secure the ball and run towards the opening.”
It was his only touchdown of the game, but every time the Bruins needed a big play they turned to the 6-foot-2 tight end/linebacker. READ MORE.