Local Sports

Slow start dooms Black Knights in ‘D’ semifinals

NEWFANE -- Less than six minutes into its semifinal matchup at No. 2 Newfane, the Silver Creek/Forestville football team was already down by two scores. The 3-seeded Black Knights chased the defending-champion Panthers all game and Newfane raced to a 44-20 victory in the Section VI Class D semifinals on Friday night.

The opening kickoff spelled doom for the Black Knights as a line drive kick could not be handled and Newfane recovered to score only three plays later when Nasir Spencer broke free for a 20-yard touchdown.

Trailing 8-0 early, Silver Creek/Forestville did not have much of an answer when it did receive the following kickoff as it went three and out. Newfane then promptly worked into Silver Creek/Forestville territory and Spencer rattled off a 19-yard run to put the Panthers up 14-0.

Silver Creek/Forestville was down, but certainly not out as it showed on the next drive. Working with a short field, Manny Sanchez made it even shorter when he broke off a 45-yard run down to the Newfane 10.

The Panthers would not allow the Black Knights to reach the end zone easily as it was 4th-and-5 when Will Duliba rolled out on the play-action pass to find Dom Anders for the 5-yard touchdown pass. Anders followed up catching the two-point conversion and Silver Creek/Forestville had something to build on.

While the offense found its footing, the Silver Creek/Forestville defense could not stop the Newfane attack and the Panthers finally ran some time off the clock on a drive which they eventually finished in the second quarter. Instead of Spencer on the ground, quarterback Jesse Hughey connected with Mikey Henning for a 27-yard touchdown pass and Jake Morello's run made it a 22-8 score.

It was Sanchez who did the bulk of the work to set up the first touchdown, and on the next drive for Silver Creek/Forestville he was the beneficiary, reaching paydirt on a 3-yard run.

As the Black Knights tried to chase down the Panthers on the scoreboard, Newfane's next possession left no time for another answer as Morello broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left in the first half.

Newfane looked poised to return to the Class D championship game as it took a 30-14 lead into the break and was set to receive the ball to begin the third quarter.

Silver Creek/Forestville needed something from its defense if it wanted to keep up with Newfane and it got it to begin the third. After attempting a short kick that did not work out, Silver Creek/Forestville still managed to force a turnover on downs on the opening drive.

That momentum was short lived as the Black Knights immediately fumbled possession back to Newfane (8-1) and the Panthers put the game out of reach with Hughey's 7-yard keeper for a 36-14 lead.

Silver Creek/Forestville (6-4) added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter from Sanchez, who finished off a drive that included his 50-yard run.

Morello's touchdown in the final minutes of the game made it 44-20 and set up a Class D final matchup with Randolph (8-1) at 5 p.m. Thursday at UB's Broadview Stadium.

Silver Creek/Forestville 8 6 0 6 -- 20

Newfane 14 16 6 8 -- 44

New--Spencer 20 run (Morello run)

New--Spencer 19 run (Run failed)

SC/F--Dom Anders 5 pass from Duliba (DAnders catch)

New--Henning 27 pass from Hughey (Morello run)

SC/F--Sanchez 3 run (Run failed)

New--Morello 51 run (Czaja run)

New--Hughey 7 run (Pass failed)

SC/F--Sanchez 1 run (Pass failed)

New--Morello 16 run (Stover run)