Saranac Lake’s Zach Goetz started the football for a 40-yard touchdown run Saturday against Saranac Central. (Corporate photo — Parker O’Brien)
PICKETTS CORNER — After losing the past two contests, Saranac Lake’s football team got back to winning ways Saturday.
Led by three rushing touchdowns from senior QB Zach Getz and solid defense, the Red Storm defeated the Saranac Central Spartans 21-6 on the road. It was Saranac Lake’s first win against the Spartans since 2021, ending a four-game losing streak.
In a Game 7 battle between just two Class C soccer teams, both teams entered halftime tied 6-6, but Saranac Lake scored 15 unanswered points off a ground-and-pound run game. They took control in the second half. The Red Storm held the ball for most of the first half and essentially clinched the victory, improving to 4-2 overall.
“We had a really good halftime and we talked about some adjustments.” Saranac Lake head coach Eric Bennett said. “We knew our kids were committed to coming out in the second half and finishing the game, and that’s what they did.”
Getz paced the Red Storm’s run game, gaining 97 rushing yards on eight carries and scoring three scores. His total yardage was the highest by any Saranac Lake individual runner this season, more than doubling his season total.
“We had a few different formations to focus on giving the quarterback the ability to run the ball.” Mr. Bennett said. “He did just that today and it’s not just him. Obviously that whole line is causing it and creating holes.”
Red Storm senior captain and lineman Andrew Gay said strong play on the line is a big part of his team’s game.
“Fight at the line of scrimmage, shove it down our throats and make us run.” he said.
Junior running back David Montroy also piled up 71 rushing yards on 17 attempts for Saranac Lake. The team’s five runners on the ground totaled 233 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the Red Storm defense allowed just 116 total yards (26 on the ground and 90 through the air). Brannigan Bolles led the Spartans with 24 yards on three carries, and senior quarterback Zach Lucia had 20 yards on 15 attempts.
Lucia also completed six of 14 pass attempts for 90 yards, including a touchdown pass to Xavier Dubey.
The Red Storm’s effort was much different than the past two weeks. The team, which started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2016, had previously dropped its previous two games by a combined score of 76-26.
“We lost a few games that we wanted to win and I thought we could win.” Gay said. “As we finish the season, (we) have to work hard and finish strong. That’s all that’s left for us seniors.”
When Saranac Lake lost to Peru last week, Bennett said a big reason for the lopsided loss was that the team didn’t get off the bus ready for the game. That was the emphasis heading into Saturday’s game.
“We talked about bringing energy and emotion.” he said. “I thought we had a great warm-up. I thought our kids were ready.”
Just three plays into the game, Saranac Lake sophomore Owen Lawrence jumped over a Spartan defender for an interception. However, the Red Storm was unable to convert turnovers into points.
After a Saranac Central three-and-out punt and a fumble from Saranac Lake at its own 38-yard line, the Spans broke through with Lucia connecting with Dubay on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 3:00 left. opening quarter.
Leading 6-0, the Red Storm marched into Saranac Central territory, but two short runs and an incomplete pass forced Saranac Lake into a fourth down and nearly halted the run. .
However, Getz shuffled through the Spartan defense for a 40-yard score, tying the game at 6-6 after a failed extra point attempt.
On the ensuing drive, Saranac Central drove all the way to the Red Storm’s 1-yard line, but then Saranac Lake’s defense made four consecutive runs at the goal line to get the ball back and maintain the lead.
“I thought our defense played really well.” Mr. Bennett said. “They bent a little bit but didn’t break, and they played tough when they needed to.
After getting away with a series of defensive stops to keep the Spartans at bay in the first half, the Red Storm went 77 yards in nine plays for a touchdown on their first possession after the intermission, and Getz ran 34 yards into the end zone. Reached. Running in the garden. Saranac Lake’s other score in the quarter came on a safety when an errant snap on a Spartans punt attempt went over the punter’s head and into the end zone.
Getz added the final score of the game on an 8-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, followed by an extra point attempt by Scottie Nicholas.
The Spartans were unable to score through the final two quarters. The team was limited to just 12 plays on offense in the second half, compared to Saranac Lake’s 28 plays, so they could do little.
“I couldn’t be more proud as a group of kids that they really came out in the second half and polished the ball as well as we did.” Mr. Bennett said.
Their next game is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the Plattsburgh Hornets at Wilson Raymond Field in Saranac Lake. The Hornets are now 4-3 overall after losing to Beekman Town 55-16 last Friday.
–
Saranac Lake 21, Saranac Central 6
–
Red Storm 6 0 8 7 — 21
Spartan 6 0 0 0 — 6
–
scoring
–
1st quarter
–
SC — Dubay, 21 pass from Lucia (kick blocked), 8:56
SL — Goetz 40 runs (missed runs), 11:35
–
3rd quarter
–
SL — Getz 34 runs (kick block), 4:52
SL — Safe, 7:04
–
4th quarter
–
SL — Getz 8 runs (Nicholas kick), 00:03
–
personal statistics
–
in a hurry
–
SL — Montroy 17-71; Goetz 8-97, 3TDs. O. Lawrence 8-36; Nicholas 5-14; Martel 4-15. Total: 42-233, 3TD.
SC — Lucia 15-20; L’Arche 8-7; Bold 3-24; Team: 1-(-25). Total: 26-26.
–
passing
–
SL — Getz 2-3-0-15.
SC — Lucia 6-14-1-90, TD.
–
Receiving
–
SL — Nicholas 1-9; Martel 1-6. Total: 2-15.
SC — Dubay 3-30, TD; Duffield 1-33; Bold 1-16; Power 1-4. Total: 6-90, TD.
–
intercept
–
SL — O. Lawrence.
