Hoosick Falls football coach Ron Jones summed up his Panthers’ opponent Saturday in three words: “They are huge.”
That would be the Bronxville Broncos, who feature 15 players that weigh at least 200 pounds.
“We’ll be outsized, no question,” Jones added.
Hoosick Falls (11-0) and Bronxville (10-0) square off at noon in a state Class C semifinal at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium. Both teams are coming off lopsided quarterfinal games — the Panthers rolled past Ogdensburg 51-6, while Bronxville cruised over Ellenville 34-6.
This is Hoosick Falls’ first state semifinal berth since 2003, when the Panthers upended Dobbs Ferry 14-6 on the way to a runner-up finish in the Carrier Dome.
Few teams, especially in Class C, can match Bronxville’s size. They have five linemen who weigh in at 260 pounds or more.
“They move pretty well for their size, but they’re pretty one-dimensional — they run, run, run,” Jones said. “They really hustle on defense — if they get beat, they’re getting back to the football rather expeditiously. They’re very concerned about pursuit to the football and playing hard.”
The Broncos are a power-running team led by senior Brian Murray, who has rushed for 1,268 yards and 19 touchdowns. Liam Berney has added 668 yards and four scores for Bronxville, which has attempted just 41 passes this season.
Hoosick Falls has the advantage of being able to run and pass. Senior Alex Hansen — whom Jones said looks recovered from a sore Achilles tendon that kept him out of practice last week — leads the Panthers with 1,519 rushing yards and has scored 26 total touchdowns this season.
Junior quarterback Mike Brewster completed 14 of 17 passes against Ogdensburg last week, despite wet conditions, and has completed 63 percent of his throws for 1,357 yards and 16 TDs. His main targets are Logan O’Brien, who has 30 catches for 370 yards; Tanner Williams, and 6-foot-5 Kevin McMahon.
“We can create matchups all over the field with our receivers,” Jones said. “That’s why we run a spread offense — we can find ways to get guys the ball.”
The Panthers will face a strong defense led by senior linebackers Hart Mechlin, John Shkreli and Artie Westerfield.
Jones said Bronxville is “clearly a good team,” but added that in the films he saw, “some teams seemed to back down from them.”
“I don’t think my guys will back down,” Jones added. “We’ve been in some close battles this year.”
Posted in Sports, High-school-and-prep on Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:35 am | Tags: Football, Hoosick Falls
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