Playing at at Beekmantown High School, the Saranac Central Spartans claimed the Section VII, Class C crown with a 30-28 victory over Saranac Lake, following a game-saving tackle on a 2-point conversion by the Spartans’ Landon Powers with less than 2 minutes left in the contest.

Saranac Central mounted the Red Storm’s early 15-0 opening quarter lead, scoring at least one touchdown in the remaining three quarters to secure its third consecutive Section VII, Class C title.

“We came up just a little bit short, and obviously I feel horrible for this crew,” Saranac Lake head coach Eric Bennett said. “I feel really bad for our seniors.”

Saranac Central got a big-time rushing performance from running back River Poulin and quarterback Zack Lucia, who ran for a combined 281 yards and three touchdowns. Lucia, who churned up 127 of those yards, also had a passing touchdown.

Saranac Lake’s David Montroy (34) breaks away from a Saranac Central defender during Saturday’s Section VII, Class C football championship game at Beekmantown High School. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

On the other side, the Red Storm had strong contributions from senior quarterback Zack Goetz, who led the team with 98 rushing yards and three touchdowns and junior back David Montroy added 58 yards on the ground, with one score, despite both being a little banged up.

“It’s just testament to their heart and character,” Bennett said. “They’d do anything they’d need to for their team. They’re tough kids and we’re lucky to have them.”

Saranac Lake had high hopes entering the championship contest, considering the team defeated the Spartans 21-6 just a few weeks ago. And everything seemed in their favor in the early goings as the Red Storm scored on their first two drives with Montroy scoring on a 1-yard scamper and Goetz rushing 30 yards for a score. Montroy also ran in a 2-point conversion attempt to give his team a 15-0 lead in the first quarter.

Saranac Central answered right back on its first drive of the second quarter, as Poulin capped off a seven-play drive. The Spartans then closed the gap to 15-14 on the final play before intermission with an 11-yard pass from Lucia to Xavier Dubay.

On the first drive of the second half, Goetz capped off a 51-yard march by Saranac Lake to extend the lead to 22-14. However, the Spartans answered back, with a 10-play drive that Poulin ran in, and following a Lucia 2-point conversion run pushed the score to 22-22.

The Red Storm marched all the way to the Spartan 29-yard line, but their drive was cut short following an interception by Powers, who ripped the ball out of Red Storm player’s hands for the pick.

Saranac Central then used nine plays before reaching pay dirt on a 12-yard run by Poulin, followed by another successful 2-point run by Lucia to the Spartans first lead of the game.

After getting the ball back, the Red Storm used 12 plays, before Goetz scored on a 6-yard carry with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter. However, Goetz’s 2-point conversion run was stopped about an inch short because of game-saving tackle by Powers. Saranac Lake’s onside kick attempt also failed.

With the victory, the Spartans improved to 3-6. They’ll now be heading into a NYSPHSAA Class C subregional round against the Gouverneur Wildcats at Ogdensburg Free Academy on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Saranac Lake ended its season with a 4-4 record, which is massive improvement from its efforts a season ago when the it finished 1-8 overall. Bennett, a long-time coach for Saranac Lake, said this year’s team was one of the best to coach.

“They were totally bought in, they did everything we asked them to do,” he said. “They gave everything they had and we love them. We appreciate them.”

Bennett added that this team committed to having a quality season starting last winter.

“The leadership that our seniors showed, their willingness to having leadership councils in the offseason and their work in the summer,” he said. “What I really appreciate about them is in a world where people want to chirp behind the scenes at everything, these kids would look you straight in the eye, and if there was an issue we’d talk about it, and they were direct. If nothing else, I hope they take that with them. It’s so important to be an upstanding person to look people in the eye and have difficult conversions and they did that.”

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Saranac Central 30, Saranac Lake 28

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Spartans 0 14 8 8 — 30

Red Storm 15 0 7 6 — 28

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SCORING

First quarter

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SL — Montroy 1 run (Montroy run), 6:04

SL — Goetz 30 run (Lawrence kick), 6:21

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Second quarter

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SC — Poulin 25 run (Kick blocked), 4:42

SC — Dubay 11 pass from Lucia (Boulds pass from Lucia), 11:48

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Third quarter

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SL — Goetz 4 run (Lawrence kick), 5:06

SC — Poulin 1 run (Lucia run), 9:20

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Fourth quarter

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SC — Poulin 12 run (Lucia run), 5:29

SL — Goetz 6 run (Run failed), 10:23

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Individual statistics

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RUSHING

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SL — Goetz 21-98, 3TDs; Montroy 14-58, TD; Martelle 2-21; Nicholas 2-0; Lawrence 1-6. Totals: 40-183, 4TDs.

SC — Poulin 26-154, 3TDs; Lucia 13-127; Boulds 4-35; Team 1-(-5). Totals: 44-311, 3TDs.

PASSING

SL — Goetz 3-6-1-22; Martelle 1-1-0-17. Totals: 4-7-1-39.

SC — Lucia 3-8-1-36, TD.

RECEIVING

SL — Goetz 1-17; B. Harvey 1-10; Martelle 1-10; O. Lawrence 1-2. Totals: 4-39.

SC — Dubay 2-35, TD; Poulin 1-1. Totals: 3-36.

INTERCEPTIONS

SL — Clark.

SC — Powers.