OBSERVER Photo by Steve Garvey
The Herd running back Taylor Jones looks to avoid Black Knights defender Max Tenamore in Class C South football action at Bill Race Field on Friday.
FALCONER — “They just manhandled us at times. That’s just the reality of it. There’s not really another way to put it.”
Silver Creek/Forestville head coach Sean Helmer was quick and to the point after Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove beat his Black Knights 47-0 in a Class C South football game Friday night at Bill Race Field.
The Herd (2-0, 1-0) put together six touchdown drives and were only stopped when their own player caught a long 36-yard pass, but was ruled to have fumbled the ball at the 2-yard line before it rolled out of the end zone for a touchback early in the second quarter.
“They’re a young football team. They’re going to be a force in the future,” Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove head coach Curt Fischer said. “We got fortunate. We have some good skilled kids. I thought our skill guys played well tonight.”
The Herd opened the scoring with a eight-play, 64-yard drive that ended with junior Taylor Jones scoring from a yard out. Senior Rider Carlson added his first of five successful point-after kicks to make it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
OBSERVER Photo by Steve Garvey
Silver Creek/Forestville’s Brady Eick looks for room to run as Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s Roger Markham lines up a tackle on Friday at Bill Race Field.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for the Black Knights (0-2, 0-2) when, on their first play from scrimmage, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove sophomore Zach Markham intercepted a pass and ran 26 yards for another score.
“Zach actually had two like that last year,” Fischer said. “He’s very instinctive. He knew he had flat coverage there, he read it, and he just made a great play.”
After a punt, the Herd’s ensuing drive ended when a long pass to the 2-yard line was fumbled and rolled out of the end zone.
After another Silver Creek/Forestville punt, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove looked like it had turned the ball over on an interception in the end zone, but a penalty negated the play. The Herd punched it in on the next play when Jones scored his second touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run to make it 21-0.
Jones finished with a team-high 60 yards on seven carries.
“Taylor was kind of banged up last week and he didn’t tell us,” Fischer said. “I kind of challenged him tonight. I thought Taylor played a great ballgame for us.”
Senior quarterback Jacob Roth scored on a 1-yard run with 25 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 28-0 at halftime.
“They just punched us in the face up and down the field,” Helmer said. “We helped them out on the first play of the game. We were just outmatched physically.”
The Herd added touchdown runs of 2 yards by Roth, 1 yard by senior Charlie Reichenbach and 5 yards by junior Brayden McCarthy in the second half to win going away.
“I think they’re good,” Helmer said. “I think they’re one of the top two teams in our division.”
After two home games to open the season, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley will go on the road to league foe Portville/Cuba-Rushford next Friday night.
“This is a league game, so it was huge,” Fischer said of the win. “We’ve got a really big test next week with Portville.”
NOTES: Roth went 4 for 4 through the air for 116 yards. Reichenbach carried nine times for 48 yards. … Defensively, David Markham was in on 11 tackles, including two for a loss, and had a sack, while Zach Markham was in on 10 tackles, including two for a loss. … Silver Creek/Forestville hosts Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton next Friday.
Silver Creek/Forestville 0 0 0 0 — 0
Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove 14 14 13 6 — 47
F/CV/MG–Jones 1 run (Carlson kick)
F/CV/MG–ZMarkham 26 interception return (Carlson kick)
F/CV/MG–Jones 7 run (Carlson kick)
F/CV/MG–Roth 1 run (Carlson kick)
F/CV/MG–Roth 2 run (kick failed)
F/CV/MG–Reichenbach 1 run (Carlson kick)
F/CV/MG–McCarthy 5 run (kick failed)