Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
Glens Falls won its second consecutive Section II football title Saturday, routing Averill Park 47-7 at Shenendehowa High School. The Black Bears (11-0) move onto the state quarterfinals, vs. Ogdensburg Free Academy at Colonie High School Saturday, Nov. 22, at noon.
Semifinals would be at Middletown High School Nov. 29 at 3 p.m., with the state title game at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.
It’s been a season of utter dominance for Glens Falls. The Black Bears have won every game by 19 points or more.
“I think a lot of people outside of our program thought we would be down a little,” Head Coach Pat Lilac said, noting that the 2025 team, which made the state semifinals, graduated “our hoop group” of crossover basketball and football stars Brody Holcomb (quarterback) and Kellen Driscoll and Oscar Lilac (receivers).
But, said Coach Lilac, “We returned a lot of players from a very good team last year.”
“Chase McTague, Brayden Bennett, Donnie McAvey, Ralph Maldonado, John Erwin, and Jeff Woodell all are returning starters who play both ways [offense and defense] and have brought great leadership. The younger guys also stepped up and we developed good chemistry along the way.”
Glens Falls used any talk of a “let-down year” as fuel. “Our returners took that to heart and were determined to outwork everyone,” Lilac said. “They put a lot of work into getting stronger in the off-season.”
Junior quarterback Chase McTague said, “We heard the talk from people around here, but I think so far we’ve proved them wrong.”
Junior tight end Brayden Bennett said, “There’s a bunch of people that said that we weren’t going to be much this year, but we knew what we had, and we believed in each and every single one of us.
“We knew that we could come out and dominate, and be a better team, honestly, than last year’s team.”
Senior receiver Jake Burns said, “It’s not just a one man team. Last year we had the connections Brody to Kellen, Brody to Oscar, but this year it’s everybody. There’s a lot of things that we’re good at.”
“I think we want to be known for our defense,” Burns said. “All 11 people to the ball every time.”
“We like to say swarm and punish,” said McTague. “We want all 11 guys to the ball. We practice it every day. That’s really our motto.”
The players stressed togetherness.
“We’re really a family,” McTague said. “No matter what goes on on that field, we’re going to be together. We’re going to pick each other up when plays are good, and if plays go bad, we’re going to be there for each other.”
“One heartbeat,” Burns said. “That’s our thing. If we all beat together, then we can’t be stopped.”
Looking ahead in the state tourney, Bennett said, “Everybody’s good now, but we also know we’re good, and we could beat every team we want. We’re a very positive team, and we have a lot going for us right now. A lot of people believe in us, and we believe in each other. So that can go a long ways.”
“Our last game was kind of a blowout, but we’re moved past that,” McTague said. “We’re not focused on it. We’re focused on every week getting better and improving so we can dominate every single Saturday.”
Coach Lilac said, “The rest of the way we are just focused on trying to become a little better every time we hit the practice field. Glens Falls is a great sports town and these guys are excited to represent the entire school and community.”
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