On Monday evening, Allegany-Limestone converted its opportunities and Randolph didn’t.

The second-seeded Gators scored a goal in each half and the fourth-seeded Cardinals never really got their offense going as Allegany-Limestone won the Section VI Class C title game 2-0 at West Seneca West High School.

“I’m just really happy for the boys, they put so much work in,” Allegany-Limestone head coach Jon Luce said postgame. “All the work we’ve been doing in the offseason and since August, that all leads up to this moment.”

Next up for the Gators will be a New York State Public High School Athletic Association quarterfinal against Section V’s champion Friday at Geneseo High School. East Rochester and Kendall will play for the Rochester area’s title tonight.

Randolph’s Malachi Brown defends Allegany-Limestone’s Gian Parry during Monday’s final. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

For Randolph, its season comes to an end with a 14-4-1 record, one win shy of the third sectional title in program history.

“The worst part of losing is the season being over for these guys,” Randolph head coach David Pihlblad said. “This core group of seniors I’ve had for several years has been so instrumental for this program.”

The Cardinals, playing into a stiff wind for the first half Monday, had their best chance of the opening 40 minutes in the 12th minute when Cooper Freeman played a cross to Cody Slade that was one-touched on net, but stopped by Allegany-Limestone’s keeper Donovan Booker.

“Allegany is really good defensively. They don’t give up a lot of chances,” Pihlblad said. “It seemed like every time we shot it, it went wide or high. We didn’t really test their goalie.”

Less than a minute later, the Gators took the lead for good when they attempted to play a ball into the 18-yard box, but it hit their own player in the back. Allegany-Limestone’s Mat Burnett alertly regained possession and got the ball to a free Zander Parsons. The senior beat Randolph keeper Delsin Tallchief with a shot to the far post to make it 1-0.

Randolph’s Parker Patterson (8) goes to block a kick by Allegany-Limestone’s George Brairton (4) in the Section VI Class C final on Monday. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

“We had to get the first goal and kind of get that under our belt,” Luce said.

Allegany-Limestone’s only other prime chance in the first half came in the 21st minute when a corner kick was cleared off the goal line by a Cardinals defender and the point-blank rebound was stopped by Tallchief.

Randolph never really took advantage of the wind in the second half and seemingly every time the Cardinals possessed the ball in the final third of the field, two Gators were quick to force a turnover.

“I was worried in the second half, when they got the wind at their back, they would keep pounding our area,” Luce said.

In the 59th minute, Freeman sent a low free kick toward the goal that bounced to Griffin, but his cross into the center of the 18-yard box just missed the head of a leaping Drew Hind. The ball then found Caden Inkley, who shot wide of the Allegany-Limestone goal.

“They took away the middle pretty well tonight. Whenever we had a guy on the ball, there were one or two guys stepping,” Pihlblad said. “When you get to these sectional finals with two really good teams, you’re not going to be able to connect a ton of passes together.”

Randolph’s best chance of the game came in the 63rd minute when Slade ripped a shot from about 20 yards out that was stopped by a leaping Booker.

“Being a young sophomore, I’m sure he’s shaking in his shoes. We tell him all the time, ‘You’re going to have to make an incredible save, especially when you get to this point,'” Luce said of Booker. ” … He’s been standing on his head all year long.”

Less than seven minutes later, the Gators found an insurance goal as junior Noah Hatch slid a ball toward the goal that was run on to and buried by junior Cooper Wilczewski for the final margin.

“Watching a lot of film on them, when they would get the ball they would try to run those two-on-one gaps and hit someone in the middle,” Luce said. “We were fortunate enough to flip it and do it on them.”

While the Cardinals will return Freeman, their leading scorer, they will lose Hind, Griffin Nelson, Inkley and a few other seniors to graduation as they try to get over the championship hump next fall.

“This is one of my favorite groups I’ve ever coached. They are just so much fun to be around,” Pihlblad said. “That’s the part that hurts the most.”