Leading off today: Sometimes you just need to dare to be great.
Defending NYSPHSAA Class A football champion Queensbury converted six fourth-down attempts from its own half of the field Friday, holding the ball long enough to fight off Cornwall 28-21 in the semifinals at Dietz Stadium.
Erik Wettersten's fifth successful fourth-down carry, with 1:30 to play, allowed the Spartans to run out the clock and notch their 25th straight win.
"We didn't want to be the team that fell off after a great year. We wanted to keep moving forward and keep getting better," senior tight end Jeff Underhill said. "This was the ultimate goal -- to get back to the Carrier Dome. And we're there."
Senior wingback Tyrell Adams led the Spartans with 176 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
"Ground-and-pound works well for us and crushes the opponent," Adams told The Times Union.
Cornwall lost a state semifinals to a Section 2 opponent for the fifth time in six years.
"We had our chances," said Cornwall junior Jason Bailey, who threw for 212 yards and one touchdown. "Our defense played great, as we stopped them a number of times. We just couldn't stop them on fourth down.
Class D semifinals: One week after posting huge numbers vs. Tuckahoe in the quarterfinals, Angel Suarez was even better in the semifinals.
The Chester running back rushed for 401 yards and five touchdowns on 32 carries and also scored on an 11-yard reception to help beat Cambridge/Salem 47-14. Chester finished with 510 yards of offense on scored TDs on seven of eight possessions before running out the clock to end the game.
In the last two weeks, Suarez has run 82 times for 729 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
"He's on a roll right now. Nobody is stopping him," Chester receiver/defensive back Brandon Sadlier told MSG Varsity. "All of the hard work he's put in since the offseason is paying off and I'm so happy for him."
Chester will next face Randolph in a rematch of the 2013 title game in Syracuse. Randolph moved to within one step of a three-peat by downing Tioga 20-8.
"Everybody asks when the season starts, 'Are you gonna go back-to-back-to-back?'" Randolph coach Brent Brown told The Buffalo News. "And what's my answer? 'We don't talk about it, we don't think about it.' But don't kid yourself. Every one of those kids are thinking about that on Aug. 18. Or Dec. 1 last year, they were thinking about that."
Randolph led 6-0 at halftime on a 5-yard touchdown run from Wesley Sluga. Bryce Morrison broke the game open midway through the fourth when he recovered a fumble deep in Tioga territory and capped the drive with a 3-yard run. With 5:37 to go, Mason Bosley tipped a Tioga pass that Morrison intercepted and returned 55 yards for a score.
Devyn Nelsen ran for 100 yards on 28 carries to lead Randolph and made a late interception for the second straight game.
Long Island sectionals: Ryan Hofmann completed 20 of 43 passes for 277 yards and two TDs as Lindenhurst edged Patchogue-Medford 30-27 in the Suffolk I final. Hofmann brought the Bulldogs from behind late in the fourth quarter
