SECTION IV FOOTBALL: OWEGO ROLLS TO 61-6 HOMECOMING WIN OVER ONEONTA (20 PHOTOS) (2024-10-05)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Owego scored early and often as it rolled to a 61-6 Homecoming victory over Oneonta in the Section IV Football Conference Division III opener for both teams Saturday.
Coach Patton Taylor was pleased with the quick start and his team’s ability to avoid potential Homecoming Week distractions.
“We came out firing,” he said. “Homecoming week's always a tough week. These guys are pulled in a million directions. It's really just keeping them focused, keeping their eye on the prize, so to speak.
“That was a big point of emphasis the entire week of practice and I thought we did a great job of not letting the outside noise affect us. EXcept for a couple silly penalties here and there I thought we played pretty clean.”
Seven different players contributed touchdowns as Owego cranked out 335 yards offense, 310 coming via the ground game.
Jack Buchsbaum and Joseph Palladino scored two TDs apiece to lead the River Hawks. Bobby Struble, celebrated being named Homecoming King with a rare TD run and Carson Morris made the highlight reel with a pick six.
Buchsbaum also had a kick return TD that would have opened the third-quarter scoring called back on a penalty. Instead, Struble would end up getting the first points of the second half. Normally an offensive lineman, he lined up in the backfield and busted up the middle on a 1-yard run at 8:06 of the period and Adam Arhbal’s PAT kick made it 40-0.
Owego’s next possession saw Garret Phelps set up under center and he would give the ball to another reserve, Billy Huddleston, who raced 20 yards around the right end as the home team went up, 47-0, following another Arhbal kick at 4:57.
Collin Monell would add to the River Hawks’ reserve scoring, finding the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter on an 11-yard run as Owego increased its advantage to 54-0.
The defense would not be denied an opportunity to put points on the scoreboard as Morris intercepted a Chase Jervis screen pass and raced 23 yards to paydirt less than two minutes later. Arhbal’s seventh PAT kick of the afternoon gave Owego a 61-0 cushion.
The Yellowjackets avoided a shutout when Jervis connected with Marshall Mahar for a 4-yard TD with 2:22 left to play. The PAT kick failed.
The River Hawks took the pigskin to the promised land three times in the game’s first seven minutes.
Three plays after a short punt on Oneonta’s first possession of the game, which left the ball at the 21, Joseph Palladino put Owego on the board at 9:23 of the first quarter on a 2-yard run and Arhbal split the uprights for the only points the River Hawks would need.
Jack Buchsbaum scampered into the end zone with a 32-yard TD at 7:40 and Palladino’s second TD of the day came on a 44-yard run at 5:22, but a low, short snap on third PAT attempt of the game left Owego with a 20-0 lead.
The River Hawks would tack on two more TDs in the second quarter. Elijah Lewis went 27 yards untouched on a QB keeper on the first play of the second period and a rare PAT miss by Arhbal made it a 26-0 contest.
Oneonta would move the ball down to the Owgo two on the ensuing possession, but Palladino came away with an interception in the end zone to squash the threat.
They were able to turn that into a three-play 80-yard drive and a 33-0 halftime cushion in which Buchsbaum dashed 60 yards for his second TD.
Buchsbaum led the Owego rushers with 92 yards on a pair of carries while Palladino added 74 more on five rushes. Dylan Brace (3-39), Stefano Scherrer (5-36), Lewis (2-21), Huddleston (1-20), Monell (3-20), Struble (2-5), Conlan Taylor (2-5), Evan English (1-2) and Chase Harmon (1-1) all contributed positive rushing yards.
Lewis completed all three of his passes, two to Caleb Cole for 19 yards and another to English for four more.
With the win the River Hawks improved to 4-0 and also moved to 2-0 in division play, a half-game ahead of nemesis Maine-Endwell.
Having an opportunity to play the reserves gave Owego a chance to get several players some valuable varsity time and build their confidence a little bit.
“We're always preaching, if you work hard, good things will happen. You'll get your shot,” Taylor said. “It's nice that we're able to do that on homecoming, not just build depth, but really get everyone in and be able to get to taste the victory a little bit.”
Owego heads to Syracuse Friday to face Westhill in a 6:30 p.m. clash. The Trojan Warriors (2-3) have one loss to a Section IV opponent this season, 42-28 to Chenango Forks in their season opener.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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