On the one hand, without the move from eight teams to 16, the Warriors, even with a 4-3 regular-season record, would have missed out, since it finished third in Class D South to Westmoreland and Waterville, and only the top two teams would have advanced. So M-E was glad to be part of the tournament.
On the other hand, the Warriors were given a brutal first-round assignment – namely, Dolgeville, the reigning Class D champions and owner of more sectional titles (15) than any other school.
Sure enough, the Blue Devils hammered M-E 37-0, with most of the damage inflicted in a 24-point second quarter.
M-E was down 6-0 after Dolgeville’s Michael Barnes scored in the opening period on a 14-yard run, but that was just the precursor to four scoring drives in the next period.
Twice, Zach Goyette threw touchdown passes to Barnes – one of 19 yards, the other of 10 yards. In between, Goyette threw an 11-yard scoring strike to Chris Robotham, and he ran 11 yards for another TD just before halftime.
Try as it could, M-E could not get on the board, even after Dolgeville’s second string came into the game, as the Blue Devils advanced to a showdown with state no. 1-ranked Westmoreland in the D South/East semifinals this weekend.
Hamilton, forced into crossover play, lost last Friday to Little Falls 20-14. Trailing 14-0 at one point, the Emerald Knights cut the deficit in half on Coley Graham’s 33-yard run, then tied it in the third quarter as James Smith ran 20 yards for a TD. But Alex Chlus had the last thrust, scoring on a four-yard run late in regulation to account for the winning points.
