Burnt Hills barrels past Bethlehem in battle of Class A’s top squads

BURNT HILLS, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — Thursday night’s Class A football clash between Bethlehem and Burnt Hills might just have been a sectional championship game preview.

Bethlehem, sitting atop the Capital Division, traveled to the Grasso Division leaders on a short week – having played Amsterdam Saturday – and faced off against a Spartans squad that has been humming of late.

Bethlehem hung around in the first half, but Burnt Hills turned it on out of the halftime break, outscoring the Eagles 27-7, en route to a 44-20 win – the team’s fourth straight victory.

Burnt Hills just enforced its will on the ground, racking up six rushing touchdowns, three of which were scored by senior back DJ Mosher.

Mosher scampered for a 38-yard score in the opening quarter to put the Spartans on the board first. Bethlehem quickly countered on the ensuing kickoff with an 89-yard touchdown return from Connor Yohe.

After a Logan Tomlinson field goal put Burnt Hills up 10-7 in the second quarter, Mosher struck again for a 25-yard tote to paydirt, extending the margin to double digits.

The Eagles managed to chip away at the deficit before halftime, as quarterback Kevin Walters connected with Yohe for a four-yard touchdown strike, bringing the visitors within four points.

But Burnt Hills erupted out of the break with back-to-back explosive rushing plays: a 68-yard touchdown run from John Gload, followed by Mosher’s third trip to the end zone – this one from 55 yards out – giving the Spartans a 31-13 edge.

Gload and Peyton Marshall each added another score in the final stanza to close the game out.

Burnt Hills (4-2, 3-0) will have eight days to prepare for its next matchup: a Saturday afternoon tilt with Class AA’s Niskayuna that kicks off in Burnt Hills at 1:30 p.m.

Bethlehem (3-3, 3-0) maintains its first-place spot in the Capital Division, but that will be put to the test Friday when the Eagles host Columbia, which sits one game behind them in the standings. That game will get underway at 7:00 p.m.

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