VESTAL _ An avalanche of second-quarter points, the majority ending up on Maine-Endwell's side of the scoreboard, decided Saturday's Section Four Football Conference Class B semifinal at Dick Hoover Stadium.
Making its first sectional-playoff appearance since 2002, Oneonta High had no answers for the Spartans' first-team offense, which ended each of its six possessions with touchdowns.
"We knew what they were going to do and, a lot of times, when they were going to do it and we still couldn't stop them," OHS coach Adam Hoover said after a season-ending, 54-12 loss on a blustery day. "Bottom line is defensively, we couldn't stop what they were doing."
The Yellowjackets had almost no luck slowing senior quarterback Tom Connolly, who rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns. He also went 2-for-4 for 84 passing yards and another touchdown.
"(Connolly) didn't run very well against us the first game," Hoover said of Oneonta's 28-0 season-opening loss at home. "But he had a great game today."
For the second straight week, OHS won the coin flip but chose to kick off. By doing so, the Jackets would get the ball first in the second half.
For the second straight week, though, that strategy backfired as Oneonta's opponent came up with a huge run on the first play from scrimmage. Although Oneonta won, 42-30, last week, Windsor's Mark Feggins took the opening handoff 75 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. On Saturday, Connolly slipped a tackle in the backfield, bounced to the right and ran 69 yards down the sideline to the OHS 11.
Three plays later, Connolly faked a handoff to the right, spun to the left and outran OHS safety Anthony Delgado to an end-zone pylon for an 8-yard TD run. Connolly followed with a two-point conversion run to make it 8-0.
The Yellowjackets (5-4) then drove from its 30 to M-E's 10. Senior quarterback Dan Broe, who went 6-for-7 for 45 yards on the drive, used quick drops to hit receivers Cory Hunter, Kasey Hogan, Mike Gilmore and Doug DiMartin in Oneonta's no-huddle offense.
DiMartin caught a pass on a timing pattern along the left sideline for a 23-yard gain that gave OHS a first down at the Spartans' 15. The drive soon stalled, though, as Oneonta's running game went nowhere.
Bryce Wooden gained a yard on first down before Hogan lost 2 yards on a second-down pass from Broe. An M-E offsides advanced the ball to the 10, but Wooden was stopped for no gain on third down and Hunter was stuffed at the line on a fourth-down sweep to the right as OHS turned over the ball.
The Spartans came back with an eight-play, 90-yard drive that included a 3-yard sneak by Connolly on fourth-and-less-than-a-yard from M-E's 20. Four plays later, Connolly found his brother John for a 49-yard TD. Tight end John Connolly ran a quick out, caught the pass in stride and sprinted down the right sideline for a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
The teams then combined for 40 second-quarter points.
Zach Vaccaro carried eight times for 35 yards to lead a nine-play OHS drive. Vaccaro capped it with a 2-yard scoring run as the Jackets pulled to 14-6.
That set up what might have been the game's biggest play.
Facing a third-and-2 from the OHS 48, quarterback Connolly headed right on an option. It appeared the Jackets had Connolly pegged for a 2-yard loss, but as the 6-foot-3 player was going down, he flipped a pitch to Nate Reynolds, who raced untouched down the right sideline.
"Tommy ... it's one of those things where as a coach, you're scared to death," M-E coach Matt Gallagher said. "But he does it a lot. He tries to make plays. It's never over until he's down."
Added Connolly: "I thought it was probably the most important play of the game. To score right after their touchdown, I think it put their heads down."
Oneonta's Ian Clemons had a chance to keep the score at 20-6 on the conversion play as Connolly rolled right and passed to his brother. Clemons was positioned perfectly, but rather than bat the ball down, he tried to catch it. The ball slipped through his hands and into John Connolly's to make it 22-8.
Broe rallied OHS with perhaps his best pass of the day. Working off a play-action fake to the right, Broe threw a 30-yard spiral into the wind that Gilmore caught in front an M-E defender. Gilmore then ran down the left sideline for a 69-yard scoring play to pull OHS to 22-12 with 8:17 left in the second quarter.
The Spartans then packed 20 points into the final 2:53 of the first half.
Connolly capped a 65-yard drive with a 2-yard run, then led a 41-yard drive with a 35-yard completion to Reynolds on a backside screen and scored from a yard out on the next play. Nathan DuVall's two-point run made it 36-12 with 46.1 seconds left before halftime.
Three plays later, Pat Barrett intercepted a wobbly Broe pass to the right side and continued on for a 65-yard return that gave the Spartans a 30-point cushion with 7.1 seconds left in the first half.
"We went a step further this year," fourth-year Hoover said on the field named after his grandfather. "We're definitely headed in the right direction and I wish we could start the 2010 season tomorrow. I'm excited about what we have coming back."
Maine-Endwell 54, Oneonta 12
SECTION FOUR CLASS B
Semifinal at Dick Hoover Stadium, Vestal
Oneonta 0 12 0 0 _ 12
Maine-Endwell 14 28 6 6 _ 54
FIRST QUARTER
M _ Tom Connolly 8 run (Tom Connolly run), 10:12
M _ John Connolly 49 pass from Tom Connolly (pass failed), 2:30
SECOND QUARTER
O _ Zach Vaccaro 2 run (run failed), 11:10
M _ Nate Reynolds 48 run (John Connolly pass from Tom Connolly), 9:06
O _ Mike Gilmore 69 pass from Dan Broe (pass failed), 8:17
M _ Tom Connolly 2 run (pass failed), 2:53
M _ Tom Connolly 1 run (Nathan Duvall run), :46.1
M _ Pat Barrett 65 interception return (pass failed), :07.1
THIRD QUARTER
M _ Nathan Duvall 4 run (kick blocked), 9:28
FOURTH QUARTER
M _ Nick Smith 80 interception return (kick failed), 9:56
Oneonta rushing: Bryce Wooden 10-42, Zach Vaccaro 8-35, Dan Broe 3-32, Doug DiMartin 4-30, Kota Aranda 5-18, Mike Gilmore 1-15, Logan Pondolfino 2-5, Miguel Vega 2-4, Cory Hunter 1-2, Keegan Trombley 2-1, Justin Borggreen 3-1.
Maine-Endwell rushing: Tom Connolly 8-119, Nate Reynolds 12-95, Nathan Duvall 8-56, Frank Sorrenti 3-27, John Connolly 3-15, Isaiah Butler 3-10, Max Sinicki 1-0.
Oneonta passing: Broe 10-for-21, 148 yards, 2 ints; Justin Borggreen 0-for-1.
Maine-Endwell passing: Tom Connolly 2-for-4, 84 yards; Max Sinicki 0-for-1, 1 int.
Oneonta receiving: Mike Gilmore 4-89, Doug DiMartin 2-42, Kasey Hogan 3-18, Cory Hunter 1-(-3).
Maine-Endwell receiving: John Connolly 1-49, Nate Reynolds 1-35.
___
Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.
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