ONEIDA -- The Oneida Express made two key stops on defense in the fourth quarter Thursday and held on to beat Central Valley Academy for their first win to open league competition.
"We showed we've got some heart today," Oneida coach Russ Meyers said following his first win in his new position.
The game was tied at 6 after three quarters on touchdowns both directions in the second.
Austin DeGroat ran for 163 yards and scored both touchdowns for Oneida (1-3, 1-0 B East). Hi 7-yard touchdown broke the tie with 6:13 left in the fourth quarter, capping a drive that started at midfield following a punt. DeGroat fought through the middle of the Central Valley Academy defense and across the goal line on the two-point conversion and put the Express up 14-6.
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The eight-point margin would not last long. Logan Hewitt went 64 yards the other way along the visitors sideline on the second play of the next possession for Central Valley Academy (1-3, 0-1 B East) and pulled the Thunder back within two at 5:20.
The Thunder ran to the other side on the conversion attempt and Connor DelaRiva made the tackle that stopped the play.
"There were a lot of big plays, but that was one of the biggest," Meyers said. "That kept us in front and that's a good place to be. … There's less of a sense of urgency."
Central Valley Academy got the ball back with 3 1/2 minutes to play and drove from its own 35-yard line to a final first down at the Oneida 29 with a fourth down scramble by Nolan Tutty. The final Thunder timeout was called at 1:02 after a short run on first down. Tutty passed incomplete on second down and again on third, leaving Central Valley Academy facing another fourth from the 27. Tutty completed a pass to Lincoln Lynch on the right sideline but the play came up two yards short of the line to gain.
Oneida took a knee and ran out the final 43 seconds.
Tutty ran five yards for the touchdown that opened the game's scoring. DeGroat ran 73 to pull Oneida even. Both conversion attempts failed.
Central Valley Academy fumbled the kickoff to start the second half and Oneida took possession at the the Thunder 26 where Leiland Hughtalen made the recovery. DeGroat ran for a first down at the 11, but a third down sack pushed the Express back to the 19 where a DeGroat field goal attempt went wide to the left.
"We didn't take advantage, but that got us field position, and that helped," Meyers said.
Oneida plays at New Hartford Sept. 4, and Central Valley Academy travels to Camden the following day.
Carthage 41, Camden 24
CARTHAGE -- The Carthage Comets pulled away in the second half Thursday and defeated Camden 41-24 on Section III's opening night of league play in Class B football.
Carthage (4-0, 1-0 B North) led 14-12 at halftime and put up 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Senior running back Geremiah Ademola-Sadipe, the section's leading rusher, ran 37 times for 390 yards and scored five touchdowns for thee Comets, going over 3,000 career rushing yards with his third 300-yard game of the season. His 51-, 12-, 3-, 17- and 38-yard touchdowns gave him 20 for the season and 40 for his varsity career.
Jacob Kilbourne added a nine-yard touchdown run for Carthage.
Camden (0-4, 0-1 East) plays at home next week against Central Valley Academy. Carthage plays at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.
Cortland 44, Sherburne-Earlville 34
CORTLAND -- Cortland's Purple Tigers took a big lead early on the way to a 44-34 win Thursday over Sherburne-Earlville's Timberwolves.
Cortland (2-2) took an immediate led when Jacob Hutchings ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Connor Browngardt added two touchdown passes and the Purple Tigers led 22-0 after the first quarter.
The lead was 22-7 at halftime before Sherburne-Earlville (1-3) closed to within nine points in the third quarter.
Nick Hull ran for the Timberwolves' first touchdown and caught scoring passes from Hadden Price covering 50 and 23 in the second half. Price threw a third touchdown pass to Cameron Mason and ran for a score.
Browngardt finished with touchdown passes to three receivers, and added a running touchdown. Hutchings had a touchdown run in addition to his kick return.
Sherburne-Earlville has a home game at Waterville's Brothertown Stadium against Onondaga Oct. 5. The Timberwolves are scheduled to play in Waterville three times this fall.
Thursday, September 26
Carthage 41, Camden 24
Cortland 44, Sherburne-Earlville 34
Oneida 14, Central Valley Academy 12
Friday, September 27
Central Square at Whitesboro, 6:30 p.m.
Rome Free Academy a Baldwinsville, 6:30 p.m.
Adirondack at General Brown, 7 p.m.
Canajoharie/Fort Plain/Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.
Coxsackie-Athens at Fonda-Fultonville, 7 p.m.
Morrisville-Eaton/Stockbridge Valley/Madison at Frankfort-Schuyler, 7 p.m.
Dolgeville at Herkimer, 7 p.m.
Little Falls at Canastota, 7 p.m.
Sauquoit Valley at Waterville/Hamilton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 28
Clinton at Cooperstown/Milford, noon
West Canada Valley at New York Mills, noon
Mt. Markham at Westmoreland/Oriskany, 1 p.m.
South Lewis at Utica-Notre Dame, 1 p.m.
Utica-Proctor at Syracuse-Christian Brothers Academy, 1 p.m.
Lowville Academy at Holland Patent, 6 p.m.
New Hartford at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Thursday football roundup: Oneida beats CVA for first win; Carthage tops Camden
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