High School Fridays: Cambridge vs. Maple Grove (Class D football championship), 11/24/17

Three Section II teams entered play this weekend on the cusp of history. Prior to today, no Section II team had repeated as state champion in football in any class since classification play began in 1993.

Class D champion Cambridge had the first opportunity in today's opening game, a rematch of last year's state title game vs. Maple Grove, out of the Buffalo area, representing Section VI. The Red Dragons won the opening coin toss, but deferred to the second half. Big mistake.

Just two plays into their first series, the Indians struck, as Zach Rowland hit Brenden Holcomb for a 65 yard TD. Ellen Mooney, one of the few female football players in Section II, converted the extra point, and Cambridge had a 7-0 lead less than 2 minutes into the game. Oh, that sounds familiar.

Maple Grove answered with an 80 yard drive, capped with a 5 yard pass from Easton Tanner to Zach Fischer, son of Red Dragons coach Kurt Fischer, and we were tied at 7 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cambridge reclaimed the lead, this time for good, as Colton Dean bulled in from a yard out. However, Mooney's extra point veered wide right, and the Indians were up, 13-7. They'd add another TD, but fail to convert on a 2 point attempt, going into the break with a 19-7 advantage.

Following a scoreless third quarter, the Red Dragons creeped a bit closer. Rowland, seeking to avoid a sack, made a desperate pass, but Tanner picked it off and raced 56 yards to the end zone to bring Maple Grove within 19-14. However, that would be as close as Maple Grove would get. Dean scored his second touchdown of the game, this one from 5 yards out, to ice the game, and Cambridge became the first Section II team to repeat at state champions, 26-14.

Troy High will seek to be the 2nd team to repeat when they play Lancaster on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Holy Trinity, in their first-ever state title game, will play Skaneateles later tonight. Congratulations to Cambridge and coach Doug Luke, capping his 20th season with his 2nd straight state title.