NEW YORK STATE FOOTBALL: LATE FIELD GOAL LIFTS OWEGO TO 36-34 WIN OVER NEW HARTFORD IN FIRST-EVER STATE GAME (24 PHOTOS) (November 22, 2025)
RIVER HAWKS OVERCOME STATE-RECORD EFFORT BY NEW HARTFORD RECEIVER
By TIM BIRNEY
Tioga County Sports Report
VESTAL — Junior Dylan Brace split the up rights with a 20-yard field with 3 seconds remaining in the game to lift Owego to a wild 36-34 win over Section III champ New Hartford in the New York State, Class B football quarterfinals — the River Hawks' first-ever state playoff game.
"We are in uncharted territory," said Owego coach Patton Taylor. "We're kind of on the same curve with the boys. We're in this journey together.
"This game is for them," noted Taylor. "They played their hind ends off.
"I couldn't be happier for them," added Taylor. "This journey continues."
Owego was seemingly in command with a 33-13 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Spartans scored three TDs in 15 1/2 minutes to take a 34-33 with 2:28 remaining in the contest, setting the stage for senior QB Garrett Phelps to direct a game-winning drive.
Taylor said the roller-coaster of emotions endured during the game was a microcosm of the River Hawks' season.
"In a lot of ways, that's kind of how our season has been," he said.
"We started off strong, started off really strong," noted Taylor. "I thought we got a little lackadaisical, maybe got a little comfortable.
"The message to the boys at halftime was 'they're gonna come after us. They're gonna find ways to get (Payton Way) open,'" said Taylor.
"You know, that was a heck of a ball team we just beat. They have talent all over the field," he continued. "And (Way) was a thorn on our side, all game.
"But the boys did a great job of that little two-minute situation. We just worked there," added Taylor. "And, Dylan Brace having the ice in his veins to go in there and belt that field goal, I couldn't be happier for him. I couldn't be happier for the entire team, they just kept fighting."
Colgate-bound Payton Way, who had 15 receptions for a state-record 370 yards and three TDs, hauled in a 35-yard pass from QB Johnny Vitullo to give the Spartans a 34-33 lead with 2:28 remaining.
After Phelps was dropped for a 4-yard loss on Owego's first play of its ensuing possession, he found sophomore Nolan Card open for a 21-yard gain — his first completion of the game — to midfield.
After Brace was dropped for a 2-yard loss, Phelps hit on his only other completion in the game — a 14-yard pass to Atlas Boland — to move the ball to the Spartan 38.
Owego spiked the ball to stop the clock on its next play, then Phelps ripped off runs of 7 and 26 yards to move the ball to the New Hartford 5.
Another spike left Owego with second-and-goal with 52 seconds remaining, consecutive runs by Brace moved the ball to the 3.
Owego rushed its field-goal unit on to the field to attempt a 20-yard field goal from the left hash. Brace calmly connected on the kick to make it 36-34 with just 3 ticks left on the clock.
"When it comes to Dylan Brace, he's clutch," said Taylor. "During warmups, he looked good kicking field goals.
"It was something we were talking about once the fourth quarter got going, but we didn't expect that," Taylor laughed. "I really couldn't be happier for Dylan and having that moment."
Taylor was also proud of his team for performing well outside its comfort zone.
"New Hartford did a good job of kind of clogging things up in the second half.
"It kind of forced us to spread it out a little bit at the end," said Taylor. "That two-minute put us offensively in a situation that we don't find ourselves in often, but it's something we worked on all week.
"We try to make practices as high-stress as possible for moments like these," added Taylor.
The game was a study in contrast, with Owego amassing 418 yards in total offense, including 383 on the ground, while New Hartford piled up 492 yards in total offense, including 442 through the air.
"(New Hartford) has talent all over the field," said Taylor. "The quarterback got rid of the ball quick and was accurate.
"Their line did a good job of pass protecting," noted Taylor.
"Heading into this game, we thought our D-line was going to be able to get more pressure to what we did, so that was kind of unexpected, but we found a way."
Owego won the pre-game coin-toss and elected to defer.
On the first play from scrimmage, Vitullo connected on a quick slant to Way, who turned it into a 45-yard gain — his first of seven receptions of 34 or more yards — to the Owego 20.
Four plays later, on fourth-and-6, Vitullo was hit while he scrambled and fumbled. Owego senior Dom Scherrer pounced on the loose ball at the 23.
On Owego's first play, Brace busted loose on a 72-yard run, but was tripped up at the New Hartford 5. Two plays later, he barreled in from 2 yards out. Brace added the PAT kick to give Owego a 7-0 lead with 9:42 remaining.
Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Vitullo converted a third-and-10 with a 12-yard pass to Way, then hit him in stride with a 53-yard bomb to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:49 remaining.
Owego's next possession was a ball-control gem — a 14-play, 79-yard drive that chewed up 7 minutes and 27 seconds off the game clock.
Brace had nine carries for 38 yards on the drive, and Phelps added 25 yards, including a 13-yard tote, on four carries, but it was John Farrell's 11-yard TD run on a counter with 1:15 remaining that put the River Hawks up 13-7.
New Hartford picked up three first downs on its next possession and was at the Owego 21 when River Hawk senior lineman Dylan Davis dragged down Niko Martinez behind the line-of-scrimmage, popping the ball free in the process. Sophomore Nolan Card scooped up the loose ball and dashed 76 yards for a TD to make it 19-7 with 10:48 remaining in the half.
Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Card struck again, with a diving interception to give the River Hawks the ball at the New Hartford 49.
A 15-yard run by Scherrer started the drive, and five plays later, Farrell scored again on a counter, this time breaking a tackle at the 10 and barreling through a would-be-tackler near the goal line for a 17-yard TD.
Brace's PAT kick made it 26-7 with 7:43 remaining in the first half.
"We capitalized there on a couple of turnovers," said Taylor. "Without our defense, without those two turnovers, we don't win this game.
"Again, the defense found themselves in high-stress situations today. With the type of talent they were seeing, they were under duress the entire game, but they just kept battling.
"I credit these boys," added Taylor. "When the big play happens, they are quick to flip the page and get to that next play. They
don't allow one mental mistake to turn into a series of mental mistakes. They're locked in on the next play."
After an exchange of punts, New Hartford took over at its 24. Four plays later, the Spartans faced a fourth-and-2 at their own 47, and took a chance that paid off with a 50-yard completion to Way to the River Hawk 3.
Martinez punched it in on the next play to close the gap to 26-13 with 1:12 remaining in the half.
Owego moved the ball into New Hartford territory, thanks to a 21-yard run and an 11-yard run by Brace, but a botched snap resulted in a turnover at the Spartan 29, and New Hartford took a keen to end the half.
The River Hawks took the second-half kickoff, and put together a 12-play, 64-yard drive that worked 5 minutes and 51 seconds off the clock.
Phelps had runs of 10 and 9 yards on the drive, and Brace had runs of 10 and 8 yards, before capping the drive with a 2-yard TD run. Brace's PAT kick made it 33-13.
Martinez returned the ensuing kickoff to the Owego 35, and capped a quick five-play scoring drive with a 19-yard TD run with 4:22 remaining to close the gap to 33-20.
A botched onside kick — it went just 5 yards — gave Owego great field position at the New Hartford 45, but the River Hawks turned the ball over on downs at the 27.
New Hartford took advantage with a five-play scoring drive, which included a 37-yard pass from Vitullo to Way, that was capped by a 34-yard connection between Vitullo and Way on the first play of the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to 33-27.
After a series of punts — two by Owego and one by New Hartford, the Spartans took over at its own 18 in the beginning of the climactic finish.
Brace led Owego with 204 rushing yards and two TDs on 34 carries, while Phelps had 104 yards on 19 carries, Scherrer added 46 yards on seven carries, and Farrell tacked on 29 yards and two TDs on three carries.
Phelps completed 2 of 6 passes for 35 yards.
Martinez led New Hartford with 48 rushing yards and two TDs on 12 carries, and Liam Noonan added four receptions for 53 yards for the Spartans, who wrap up the season at 11-1.
The River Hawks, now 9-3, will now play unbeaten Monroe, which beat Lackawanna in the Western Regional finals, Saturday at 3 p.m. in the state semifinals at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
—————————
IN PHOTO 1: Owego's Garrett Phelps. IN TOP PHOTO: Owego's Dylan Brace. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
Print Friendly Version
