Class C football state championship preview: Holy Trinity vs Skaneateles
The second Section 2 representative to play Friday has an inspirational backstory; the Holy Trinity Pride. Just over a year after their fieldhouse fire, they are in the state championship game. Their opponent, Skaneateles out of Section 3, provides a tough test. Here’s the breakdown of the two teams.
About Holy Trinity:
The Pride are coming off a 28-23 nail-biter victory in the state semifinal win over Burke Catholic, scoring late to seal the deal to send them off to Syracuse. The defense has been a huge part of how they got to this point, having only allowed more than 19 points in a single game twice all season, the state semifinal and a 38-34 loss to Mechanicville during Week 2. They had won 13-6 in Week 1 over Chatham, but John Barber’s squad stepped it up on defense during practice after Week 2, and they have been dominant ever since. Sophomore quarterback Joe Tortello has shown brilliance all year, with 26 touchdowns and has passed for nearly 1500 yards this year. He is a sophomore, and has a lot of potential still. Dion Sexton is great at running back, and Nelon Priest is a threat on both sides of the ball, but he has done very well on defense. The Pride have a real shot at taking their first-ever state championship.
About Skaneateles:
If you look at the final score of the Lakers’ state semfinal win over Cleveland Hill, it looks like a basketball score; 63-56. The offense is very good, having scored over 600 total points this season, and at least 42 in each of their last three games, but the defense in the playoffs has left a lot to be desired, having allowed 41 points in their regional game to Newark Valley before they let up 56 last week. However, with all of this, the offense is very good. Junior quarterback Patrick Hackler has shown himself as a superstar quarterback who can both run and pass at an exceptional level, but the defense has made it somewhat difficult on him to win games, even if he leads the offense to 40+ points. If Hackler plays like his usual self and the defense can hold Holy Trinity to not a lot of points, Skaneateles can win this football game.
Game information:
When: Friday, November 24, 6 p.m.
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse
TV: Spectrum News Albany
Live stream: myspectrumsports.com
