Homer Varsity Football team wins sectional semifinal game vs. VVS. (Photo Source: Kevin L. Smith/The Cortland Voice).
The #2 seeded Homer Trojans defeated the #3 seeded Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Red Devils (VVS) in the Section III Class B Semifinals with a score of 62-49 on Friday.
The game turned out to be a shootout from the start, with both sides scoring back and forth. VVS obtained a slight 28-26 lead over Homer to end the first half.
The Trojans returned to the field in the second half with more firepower; pulling off a fourth quarter comeback to win the game.
Homer’s touchdowns were scored by Sam Sorenson (6 rushing touchdowns), David Morse (2 rushing touchdowns), and Jake Calabro (1 rushing touchdown). Homer was also able to score on four out of their nine 2-point conversions.
“It was a great offensive matchup tonight,” said Homer Head Coach Gary Podsiedlik. “We have tremendous skill depth on offense, from Sam (Sorenson) to David Morse. We can give the ball to multiple running backs on multiple looks. We're not one-person or a one-dimensional offense all of the time.”
The Trojan’s offense was led by Sam Sorenson (226 rushing yards & 12 receiving yards), David Morse (104 rushing yards), Hunter Riehlman (81 rushing yards & 6 receiving yards), Andrew Lynch (56 rushing yards), Will Dady (24 rushing yards), and Jake Calabro (18 passing yards & 1 rushing yard).
“Offensively, we have to take advantage of what the opposing defense gives us and make great play calling like we did tonight,” stated Coach Podsiedlik. “We had great clock management. Defensively, we have to find a way to improve. We have to do a better job of getting to the quarterback and open-field tackling. We didn't do a good job tackling in the first half, and that kept some drives alive.”
Homer’s defense was led by Hunter Riehlman (5 tackes & 1 interception), Tyler Riehlman (7 tackles), Zack Arnold (6 tackles), Will Dady (6 tackles), and Sam Sorenson (5 tackles).
Here is a score breakdown of last night’s semifinal game:
With this semifinal win, Homer will make their first appearance in the sectional finals since being crowned sectional champions in 2017.
"We're thrilled,” stated Coach Podsiedlik. “We put all of this work in with our players. The players played the game, and that's why we won."
The Trojans are scheduled to play the sectional final game against New Hartford (1st seed) at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Saturday (November 13th). The game is scheduled to kickoff at 3pm.
Both Homer and New Hartford are heading into the sectional finals with undefeated records.
Here are some photos of last night’s game:
