Niskayuna Football Wins Big on Senior Night Against Amsterdam
Bradley Heller
Bradley Heller
Niskayuna football is in the midst of another very successful season, only losing one game all season. Ever since that heartbreaking loss to Shenendehowa in the second week of the season, Nisky has been unstoppable. After an incredible victory over Cicero-North Syracuse the following week, Niskayuna outscored their next three opponents by a combined 107 points. But coming into their senior night and homecoming game against Amsterdam, it looked as though Niskayuna had a huge challenge in front of them. Amsterdam’s quarterback Luis Tirado and wide receiver Rocco Natale Jr. entered this matchup as one of the most dynamic duos in the area. Both teams came into the week 3-0 in divisional play in Class A’s Capital Division.
Niskayuna didn’t wait long to get the scoring started, as junior Chase Meisner ran for a 60-yard touchdown on Nisky’s first play from scrimmage. However, Amsterdam retaliated with a touchdown of their own, and tacked on a two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead. It looked as though Niskayuna, the 8th ranked team in the state for Class A, could have a tough game on their hands.
However, Amsterdam’s lead lasted for mere seconds. Poem Staten ran back the ensuing kickoff to give Niskayuna the lead, and they never looked back. When the clock struck zero, Niskayuna had scored nine unanswered touchdowns, winning by a final score of 69-8. But the score doesn’t tell the whole story. Not only was the offense electric, so was the defense. Four different players had pick-sixes, as the defense and special teams scored just as often as the offense. Senior Cam Grasso scored on both offense and defense, and his 3rd quarter pick-six elevated him to fourth all-time in touchdowns for Section 2.
As a result of their utterly dominant victory, Niskayuna improves to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Capitol Division, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Section 2 Class A bracket. The team will finish out the regular season on the road against Columbia next week, hoping to extend their winning streak and go undefeated in league play. Congratulations to all the seniors recognized during the senior night festivities, and good luck to the team in their quest for a Section 2 title and beyond.