Leading off today: Not even taking into account that No. 1 Canisius has a very tough game against Youngstown (Ohio) Cardinal Mooney on Saturday, the New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA football rankings will look very different next Wednesday.
Seven ranked teams lost games Friday, with unranked St. Anthony's leading the charge with a 38-23 win over No. 2 Archbishop Stepinac, the two-time defending CHSFL champion. Stepinac, the defending CHSAA state champ, was riding a 28-game winning streak vs. CHSFL competition.
Andrew Hancock downed a punt at the 1-yard line and then caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Greg Campisi three minutes later as the Friars scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 3-2.
Campisi completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns. Campisi was 3-for-3 on the opening 70-yard drive, finishing it with a 13-yard TD pass to Heron Maurisseau-O'Neal.
"We're a work in progress," Friars coach Rich Reichert told Newsday.
Hancock's special-teams play set the stage for a Steven Beseler interception and subsequent score by Hancock. Stepinac would close to within 28-23 with 6:44 left, but St. A's Sean Bryan broke lose for a 64-yard TD run just 1:02 later.
Victor stays perfect: Senior running back Estabrooks scored three TDs as third-ranked Victor cruised past No. 19 Fairport 34-10. Clay Bleier threw two touchdown passes and had a short run for another score.
"We're feeling really good. We know this is only going to last for the weekend and then on Monday we have to get back to the grind," Estabrooks told the Democrat and Chronicle. "In our head, it's just taking one game at a time, working hard, tradition, just playing Victor football and having fun. If that is able to win us a sectional title that would be awesome."
More Class AA: Here's the Reader's Digest version of the night's other ranked losers:
• Jadon Munroe had 132 yards rushing and two TDs to lead Newburgh Free Academy to a 28-7 win over No. 14 Monroe Woodbury. NFA won its fourth straight game after opening the season with losses to Minisink Valley and Washingtonville.
• In Section 2, Guilderland moved into sole possession of first place in the Empire Division as George Marinopoulos threw a pair of touchdown passes and completed 19 of 34 passes for 272 yards to beat No. 18 Albany CBA 28-14.
"We played fired up," coach Dan Penna said. "We knew when the schedules came out last spring, this could be a marquee showdown."
• Kenmore West edged No. 21 Clarence 14-10 as Erriono Giardina ran for 140 yards on 11 carries and a score.
• Rush-Henrietta defeated No. 23 Hilton 41-28 as Dio Reed carried 29 times for 129 yards and four touchdowns.
• No. 15 Cicero-North Syracuse got 171 yards rushing and two touchdowns from junior Erik Pride to defeat No. 25 Baldwinsville 20-7.
Wild Section 1 finish: Senior Nick Cunningham threw a 36-yard TD pass to Alan Porter-Jackson with 1:35 left, recovered an onside kick, threw a 20-yard score to Jordan Grullon with :33.1 to go and gave Hendrick Hudson a 50-49 win over Rye by connecting again with Grullon on a two-point conversion.
Cunningham and Marquan Anderson connected for a 98-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, but Rye, ranked 17th in Class A, was leading 49-28 with six minutes to play. Cunningham (21-for-43, 403 yards, six TDs and four interceptions) then scored on a 2-yard plunge with 3:57 to play, getting Hen Hud within 49-34.
"I don't even know where to start, that was amazing," Cunningham told The Journal News. "I need to thank every player on this team that didn't quit after I played the worst half of my life. Every single one of them kept their head in the game, their heart and soul in this game and we came back and won."
More Class A: Coming off a one-point win vs. North Tonawanda, No. 14 Starpoint remained unbeaten by edging Williamsville South 41-37 on an Anthony Robinson TD with :37 left.
• No. 25 Buffalo Bennett fell to Class AA Orchard Park 14-8.
