NORWICH – The Norwich Cyclones “A” team stopped the previously undefeated, unscored on, Ilion Angels 28-0 here Sunday at Alumni Field to clinch the Tri-Valley League division title
Dashawn King recovered the opening kick-off at the 35, and it took the Cyclones five plays to reach paydirt with Payton Stirone taking it in from the three yard line. Five plays later, Zack Race connected on a 69-yard pass play to Drew Walsh for a quick Cyclones 12-0 lead.
Carter Rudnitski scored from three yards out, with Cameron Ivan kicking the PAT (point after touchdown). Stirone added another TD in the second for a 26-0 halftime lead.
Rudnitski blocked an Ilion punt resulting in a safety for the only score in the second half.
Ivan, Rudnitski, Jacob Lamb, Marcus Benjamin, Ty Rifanburg, King, Grant Wessels, Noah Marvin, Walsh, Joshua Mioduszewski, and Stirone led the stiff “D.” and held the Angles to six yards of total offense and two first downs.
The Cyclones “B” team downed Holland Patent 39-16 to win the division crown and remain undefeated. Elijah Rodriguez returned the opening kickoff 48 yards to the 33 with Noah Bufalini scoring on a one-yard TD only five plays later with Jacob Davis adding the PAT kick.
Rodriguez returned a Knights punt on the next series for 50 yards, reaching the 18. Rodriguez also connected on an 18-yard TD pass to quarterback Thomas Parrella on the halfback option.
Rodriguez intercepted a pass and returned to the 24 with Zachary Mills taking the pigskin in on the next play.
Rodriguez was not done. He returned a Golden Knights punt for a 53-yard TD return in the second. Parrella passed to Griffin Clipston for the PAT. All this led to a 33-0 halftime lead for the Cyclones. Mills added a four-yard TD in the second half to end Norwich’s scoring.
The Cyclones Gold offense played most the of the second half with Davis, Andrew Donohue, Collin Montgomery, Carson Maynard, Shane Lawrence, and David Berger picking up big real estate.
The Cyclones defense was led by Berger, with Lawrence, Mills, Benson McGillicuddy, Nick Loscavio, Austin Hatton, and James Jones playing stiff D, also.
The Cyclones “C” team downed Holland Patent 33-0 as it heads toward the league playoffs.
Michael Squires opened the second-quarter Cyclones scoring blitz with a three-yard TD. Griffin Mills hit Andrew Mullen on a 23-yard option pass for a TD, Cameron Byrne added a pair of TDs of 48 and 16 yards respectively, and kicked a two-point PAT, all in the second quarter for a 26-0 halftime lead.
Dante Geislinger added another touchdown in the third quarter, set up by a Tyler Rice blocked punt. Torin Lawrence added the PAT to end Cyclones.
Troy Spratley, along with Geislinger, Lawrence, Byrne, Squires, Rice, Izaiah Caballero, Jaden Jenkins who had a fumble recovery, Mills and Ayden John-Lorimer, who had a TD saving tackle, led the Cyclones defense.
The Cyclones “D” team finished on top in a non-scorekeeping game with Holland Patent.
The Cyclones’ D and C teams travel to Rome Sunday for 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. games respectively. The Cyclones B team plays Vernon-Verona-Sherrill at Colgate University’s Andy Kerr Stadium Sunday at 2 p.m. The Cyclones A team has a bye.