Clancy, Saranac top Peru in slugfest, 18-14 | Sports

SARANAC — It hasn’t happened since 2018. You have more fingers on your two hands than the amount of times it has happened.

In the battle of the unbeatens, and Saranac’s homecoming, the Spartans beat Peru, 18-14.

“Well, it means a lot like I was just talking to people about I’m pretty sure it’s our first time,” Saranac’s Alex Clancy said. “This is the first time we’ve gone 4-0, since like 1976, I think. That is absolutely remarkable.

“We’ve never been known for football. And now this means the world because I put this puts us on the map, and now we’re a team that can make things happen on the football field.”

The Spartans used short fields to their advantage as both touchdowns scored were from within the Nighthawk’s 40 yard line. It came from a defense that shutdown Peru’s running game, forcing two turnovers and a safety.

“I thought [the defense] played solid all day,” Saranac head coach Dylan Everleth said. “We had some bad breaks and I thought in the first half two big plays that they had both of them were on tips. I thought we were good position wise.

“We had a couple mental breakdowns and a couple bad breaks our way. But I thought across the board, and definitely going into the second half, we were able to really lock it in, and took over. I mean, good physical football on the defensive side today, which is great.”

The highlights of the day came from Clancy who intercepted Peru’s Ethan Breen on the goaline to stop a potential scoring drive from happening.

What may have been the play of the game, was topped later in the second quarter by none other than Clancy himself.

Trailing 14-3, Saranac’s Zack Lucia threw the ball towards Clancy who was crossing in the endzone. With a Nighthawk on him, Clancy tipped the ball up in the air only for it to come down a step or two later in his hands.

“Every ball is pretty difficult,” he said. “I would have to say a touchdown just because honestly, when I first took that I was not expecting it to be a perfect tip right back to me. Yeah, but so I’d probably say that well, because that would include a lot of luck.”

Clancy and Lucia would connect again in the third quarter as the pair would see Clancy score on a 19 yard touchdown pass.

It would be a modest day for the do-it-all player, who topped 100 all-purpose yards. Clancy, who would only leave the field for a serious injury, insists he’s not worried about the stats he puts up.

“I just want to win football games,” he said. “So every time I get the chance to touch football, I try to make the biggest play I possibly can to help my team win the football game because we’re the team to beat now.

“We’re the only undefeated team left in the section. So that means we got to work even harder than every team’s been working as hard as they can to beat us. We got to work even harder to beat them because we can’t be satisfied.”

While they shut down the running game of Peru, limiting the Nighthawks to 27 yards on 20 carries, Breen did find success in the air. He went 14-26 for 226 yards and two touchdowns. 

Peru did just as much early in the game before the break as they shutdown Nate Hamel to 56 yards on 20 carries. The team as a whole rushed for 150 yards on 35 carries. 

Outside of the two touchdowns, Saranac kept the Nighthawks in check, especially in  the second half as Peru never crossed the 50 yard line in their five drives. 

“We struggled a little bit with pressure today,” Everleth said. “I thought we did a much better job handling it in the second half and I think a lot of it was just getting rid of those jitters.

“Homecoming, home game, a lot of people you know and we played a little bit, we got caught a little bit off guard. And definitely were able to make those adjustments and fix it for the second half.”

The Spartans got the scoring going when Nate Hamel kicked a 22 yard field goal, six minutes into the game. Hamel finished the day with 56 yard on 20 carries, and left the game late with an ankle injury.

Both Everleth and Clancy think he’ll be ready for Friday.

Breen and the Nighthawks would go on to score 14 unanswered points as he found Landon Duprey and Zack Engstrom for touchdowns from 26 and 21 yards, respectively.

Coming out of the half, with the score 14-9, it became a field position battle that Saranac would dominate.

Peru’s first two possessions came from within their own five yard line. The second series for the Nighthawks would result in a safety as River Poulin and Isiah Lopez hit Breen in the endzone.

Trailing now 18-11, the Spartans would get the ball and only need four plays before Clancy and Lucia to connect for the second time.

With the loss, Peru (3-1, 2-1) will turn its attention to AuSable Valley who ventures to the Apple Bowl for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, Friday.

The still unbeaten Spartans hit the road for a Friday night tilt against Beekmantown, winners of their past two. Everleth has full confidence in his team.

“We just have to be ready for everything,” he said. “We keep stressing to our team that we’re not going to worry about what the other team does.

We’re just going to play our football and make our adjustments that we need to do and execute on our end. And if we can do that and play Saranac football, I’ll take us against anyone.”

—

Saranac 18, Peru 14

PCS;7;7;0;0;-;14

SCS;3;6;9;0;-;18

First Quarter

S- Hamel 22 field goal 6:22

P- Duprey 26 pass from Breen (Garrow kick) 5:22

Second Quarter

P- Engstrom 21 pass from Breen (Garrow Kick) 4:06

S- Clancy 15 pass from Lucia (run failed) :14

Third Quarter

S- Poulin, safety, sacked QB in end zone 4:10

S- Clancy 19 pass from Lucia (Hamel kick), 1:53

Individual Stats

Rushing

P- Schlitt 15-23, Engstrom 1-8, Breen 4-(-4). TOTALS: 20-27

S- Hamel 20-56, Clancy 6-48, Bouvia 4-41, McCoy 1-17, Lucia 4-(-12). TOTALS: 35-150.

Passing

P- Breen 14-23-2-226 2TD.

S- Lucia 4-11-1-47 2 TD

Receiving

P- Duprey 4-112 TD, Daniels 6-88, Timmons 2-15, Engstrom 2-18 TD, Schlitt 2-(-4). TOTALS: 14-226 2 TD

S- Clancy 4-47 2 TD

Interceptions

S- Clancy, McCoy

P- Taylor