Glens Falls football falls to Sleepy Hollow in state semifinal

For the second straight year, Glens Falls football’s undefeated season ended in the Class B state semifinals, as the Black Bears fell to Sleepy Hollow 42-20 Saturday at Middletown’s Faller Field.

Sleepy Hollow (12-1) was propelled by senior running back and University of Rhode Island commit Brayden Richardson. He set a Section I single-game rushing record with 446 yards while scoring five touchdowns.

“We ran into a running back who we couldn’t handle,” Glens Falls Coach Pat Lilac said. “That’s kind of what scholarship kids can do, you know?”

He cited Richardson’s “size, speed, agility. He’s six foot tall, 215 pounds, and had really good feet and vision.”

Coach Lilac said the Black Bears’ game plan was to “try to keep possession of the ball, keep the ball away from them, which we didn’t do a terrible job of. We just needed to get a few more stops on him.”

Glens Falls trailed 21-12 at halftime. Sleepy Hollow pulled away after that.

“We moved the ball well,” Lilac said. “There were a couple drives that we didn’t finish that hurt us. We were able to drive the length of the field, but we weren’t able to score. Also, we forced a turnover on them and had the ball deep in their territory and came away with no points. Those two things hurt.”

Glens Falls senior running back Jordan Baker rushed for two touchdowns and 160 yards on 24 carries. He also pulled in an interception on defense. Junior quarterback Chase McTague found Michael Conduzio in the end zone for the Blackl Bears’ other score.

Coac Lilac said of the team’s mood after the tough loss, “When you care about something like that and it’s really important to you, it’s going to sting a little while. But after we were on the bus for a little while, you started to hear some people talking to each other.

“They understand what the deal was, that we had a really good year. As time goes on they’ll heal a little bit and be able to reflect on what a good year they had.”

Asked who the unsung hero was on this year’s squad, Coach Lilac pointed to the boys up front on the offensive and defensive line.

“They were really good at allowing us to run multiple plays offensively, multiple schemes,” he said. “They picked things up well and they were a smart crew, and a real physical crew.”

He said the team as a whole “at least met and probably exceeded our expectations going into the year. I don’t think many people saw us having a 12-win season.” Looking ahead to next fall, Coach Lilac said, “We lose three really good offensive linemen, but we do have some key guys coming back. So it depends on how hard we work in the off-season.”
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Schuylerville and Greenwich also lost in the weekend’s state semifinals in Middletown. On Friday, Class D Greenwich was edged 13-7 by Tuckahoe. Saturday, Class C’s Schuylerville had its 22-game winning streak snapped with a 49-16 loss to Bronxville.

Saratoga Springs will play for the state Class AA championship vs. Syracuse-area Christian Brothers Academy at Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome Saturday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. The Blue Streaks earned Saratoga’s second-ever state title game appearance defeating Mamaroneck, 28-14. — Ben Westcott

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