2 north country football teams aim for sectional titles
(WWNY) - A pair of north country football teams are headed to the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse.
General Brown and Indian River are in the hunt for Section III football titles this weekend.
The General Brown Lions meet Adirondack on Sunday at noon at the JMA Wireless Dome in the Section III Class C championship game.
The Lions take on 9-1 Adirondack, whose only loss was a 12-6 setback to General Brown on October 6.
Lions’ coach Doug Black knows his team will have their hands full against a Wildcats team that has rushed for almost 3,000 yards this season.
“They’re a power-run team,” Black said. “It’s what they like to do. We’ve got to tackle well and stay in our gaps. It’s going to be a tough game. We had a tough battle with them up there earlier in the year. It was a one-score game. They’re a very physical team and it’s very tough to beat the same team twice in the same season. It’s going to be a battle for us.”
The Lions enter the game defending Section III Class C champs and will have a chance to repeat, and while the players are excited to have that chance, they are focused on the task ahead.
“Last season is last season,” quarterback Aiden McManaman said. “Obviously, we did very well last season but it’s over. We lost a lot of seniors. It’s definitely going to be tough defending it because we’ve got a very good opponent.”
“Last year was a way better team than what we have this year,” linebacker Dawson Rastley said. “We lost a ton of guys, so we want to defend that title but it’s going to be really hard with the amount of guys we lost from last year.”
Following the Lions game is the Section III Class B championship game, as the Indian River Warriors meet New Hartford with a trip to the states on the line. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The 8-2 Warriors face off against a New Hartford team that comes into the game with a perfect 10-0 record and has averaged 43 points a game in their 10 wins.
“They’re a great, physical football team both offensively and defensively,” Indian River coach Cory Marsell said. “They’re fast, they’re well coached. We haven’t faced them this year but on tape, they’re good.”
The Warriors hope the third time is a charm for them after losing in the sectional finals in both 2021 and 2022.
“Yeah, we’ve made it the last couple of years,” running back Kane Lynch said. “Obviously haven’t had the outcome that we wanted to, but we’re looking to change that this year.”
“Feels good,” linebacker Cameron Williams said. “We just need to execute this time and win the sectional championship.”
“I hope so,” tight end and linebacker Brady Lynch said. “We’ve been working hard all season, all off season. We want it.”
Thursday’s local scores
Women’s college basketball
Jefferson 97, Genesee 27
Men’s college basketball
Jefferson 76, Genesee 75
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