Horseheads 'executed perfectly' in shutout victory over Watertown to begin season

The first play from scrimmage of the 2024 Horseheads football season went for a 64-yard touchdown, setting the tone for a dominant 55-0 victory Friday night over Section 3's Watertown at SUNY Cortland.

Lucas Mosher was on the receiving end of that score on a throw from Dom Cardinale. Mosher ended up with three touchdowns and Cardinale passed for four – all their work coming in the first half – as part of a 592-yard outburst for the Blue Raiders' offense.

The defense was just as impressive in surrendering 116 yards, with a fourth-quarter interception by Trevor Reidy at Horseheads' 2-yard line helping to preserve the shutout. Reidy was 7-for-7 in extra-point kicks as well.

"We came out and we executed perfectly," Mosher said. "That’s exactly what we’ve got to do every game. It was just great all-around offensively and defensively."

Horseheads led 42-0 at halftime. After the Blue Raiders' reserves added two touchdowns in the third quarter, a running clocked was used the rest of the game.

"I thought they played outstanding," Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said of his players. "We had some guys that were hurt, didn’t get to play, some guys that were injured, sick, so we had some other guys who had to step in at the last minute. I thought they stepped up, did a great job.

"It’s great we could get those other guys in, the practice players, the scout team players all week. You get them in for a half and them doing a great job and keeping the shutout, I’m just happy overall. I’m sure when I look at the film there’s going to be a lot of things we’ve got to clean up, but for a first game you can’t ask for a better way to start."

Stars of the Game

Contributors to the offensive output were many, starting with an offensive line Hillman said in the preseason would need to come together for Horseheads to maximize its potential this season.

Mosher praised the defensive line for creating pressure up front and the linebackers for "really getting in there and causing trouble."

Other Raiders standouts:

• Cardinale completed 10 of 16 passes for 209 yards. Along with the first TD toss to Mosher, he hit Mosher for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth down, then connected with Miles Woodhouse for scoring passes of 40 and 2 yards.
• Mosher caught four passes for 118 yards and carried five times for 66 yards, highlighted by a 56-yard TD.
• Woodhouse caught four passes for 54 yards.
• Bryce Thomas carried 12 times for 86 yards and a touchdown.
• Second-half replacements Donnie Hatch IV (six carries, 78 yards) and Patrick Laney (four carries, 69 yards) each had TD runs.
• Hunter Lavigne sparked the defense with a quarterback sack and a tackle that created a 4-yard loss.

More on opening touchdown

Horseheads' first score came on a play the Raiders were looking forward to running based on what the coaching staff saw on film. Mosher lined up near the sideline and took off on a go route. He made a finger-tip grab, tiptoed down the sideline before cruising into the end zone.

"As soon as we came out and saw it, we were kind of giddy," Hillman said. "We thought we were going to have a shot at it and it worked out perfect."

More: 24 Players to Watch in Elmira-Corning region football in 2024

Keys to Raiders' passing success

Mosher said Horseheads' success in the air came down to "clean routes, blocking up front, catching the ball." He added Cardinale delivered "a great performance," an assessment much in line with that of his head coach.

"I thought Dom looked really crisp today," Hillman said. "There were a couple missed reads he had, but he did a good job if something wasn't there of just tucking it and running."

Up Next

Horseheads plays its home opener against Norwich at 7 p.m. Sept. 13, followed the next week by a significant road challenge against defending Class C state champion Waverly .

"It just sets the tone," Mosher said of Friday's effort. "It will really push us to keep going and keep winning."

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare . You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com . To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Horseheads 'executed perfectly' in shutout victory over Watertown to begin season