Recapping the State Semifinals in High School Football.
As High School Basketball teams tip off for the 2024-25 season over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, the focus for four High Schools was still on the gridiron with the State Semifinals. After the dust settled, two teams will keep practicing this week in preparation of a State Championship battle on Saturday.
Schuylerville and Christian Brothers Academy are heating to Syracuse.
Schuylerville put away Section 1's Valhalla in the second half to win 24-7 in Class C. They'll face Section 6's Salamanca, who ended perennial power Chenango Forks 34-13 out in the Western Semifinal.
The championship is Saturday, Noon at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse.
Christian Brothers Academy had an easier time, as they cruised to a 56-7 win over Section 4's Corning-Painted Post on Saturday at Middletown High School. The lead was substantial enough that CBA was allowed to put some of their underclassmen in for much of the fourth quarter, although Aiden Jones still lined up under center, but as a hand-off specialist.
The reward for CBA winning is a trip to the State Championship, where they won't be the only Brothers in attendance. Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse scored with a minute and a half left to play to topple Aquinas Institute 21-14. The Brothers of Syracuse were down due to a missed extra point earlier in the game 14-13 prior to that final drive, and had to starve off a late drive by Aquinas to advance.
The battle of the Brothers will be the final of the three games in Syracuse on Saturday, at 6pm.
However, the season expired for Greenwich and Glens Falls.
Greenwich came out hot in the first half to lead Section 9's Burke Catholic, but the Eagles came back to force overtime, then won in the extra session to win 25-18. Port Jervis used the power of their nearby hometown crowd -- traveling only 15 miles to be at the semifinals in Middletown High School -- to jump out to an early lead against Glens Falls. The Black Bears kept battling back, and never giving up .. even when Port Jervis jumped two scores ahead with just over 2 minutes left. But it was too much for Pat Lilac's squad to overcome, as Port Jervis moves on 47-41.
