SARANAC— Starting with a losing record at the beginning of each football season in the North Country doesn’t define an entire season. This was the case for the Moriah Vikings and the Saranac Spartans this weekend.
Under a scorching mid-September sun, the highly anticipated match-up saw the Spartans hosting the Vikings for their homecoming game on Saturday afternoon. After winless starts to the season, Moriah emerged victorious, defeating Saranac 36-20 in a game highlighted by home run plays on the ground.
“I mean, we have some playmakers,” Moriah head coach Casey Nephew said. Anytime you can get your playmakers a ball in space, it’s a good thing, you know, but we had some great blocking from our backs.
“We improved a ton between Thomas Green, Jake Mascarenas, Lance Snyder, those kids, just they improved it immensely from last week.”
The Vikings, still reeling from a narrow 20-18 loss to Saranac Lake the previous week, found their rhythm early with the first possession of the game. With just over a minute left in the first quarter, Cooper Allen connected with quarterback Joe Pelkey for a 7-yard touchdown pass, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
While quiet on the day, Vikings quarterback Joe Pelkey showed efficiency under center, completing 5 of 8 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, while also managing the game, keeping the defense guessing the entire game.
The Vikings controlled the line of scrimmage all day and executed their ground attack flawlessly. Moriah’s running back, Issac White rushed for 126 yards on just 13 carries, scoring three touchdowns in the process.
“I think the line was a big part of it,” said White. “Our blockers, our halfback and fullback, they definitely did a lot, and we figured out where to go through the 4-3 and 4-4 formations.”
White’s teammate, Cooper Allen, contributed in the rushing and passing game, running for 60 yards on 10 carries, and hauling in a touchdown on four receptions for 62 yards.
“I mean, we had holes today,” Allen said. “I mean, we have improved tremendously since last week. We were able to get out in open space and just make stuff work, and that’s what we try to do, and I think that’s what we achieved.”
Saranac responded with 0:48 left in the second quarter, as running back Ethan Larche scored on a 1-yard plunge on the goal line, putting a 6-8 dent in Moriah’s lead.
However, the Spartans’ extra-point attempt was unsuccessful. Moriah then quickly answered back, demonstrating the Vikings’ special teams ability, as Allen took an electrifying 75-yard kick return back for a touchdown as time expired in the first half, extending the lead to 13-6 and leaving Saranac searching for answers.
“Coop is just a big, strong athlete and Isaac’s a strong kid,” Nephew said. “They both work super hard and improve it week after week, which kind of opened up some big holes for those two to do what they do, you know.
To start the second half, Moriah’s momentum continued to build. Isaac White, a dominant force in the backfield throughout the game, scored both of Moriah’s third-quarter touchdowns. His first came on a 2-yard run with 9:25 to go, which Allen capped off with a successful two-point conversion pass from Pelkey, making it 21-6.
Then, before the third quarter closed out, White broke loose for a sensational 45-yard touchdown run, pushing the Vikings ahead 27-6 with 1:32 left on the clock.
“I think a lot of these kids were on the team last year and played smaller roles than what they’re playing this year now,” Nephew said. “They got to step into them, and I think that was a big adjustment for them, going from, you know, minor roles last year to stepping in to be in the, you know, in the spotlight this week.:
“Yeah, I think it took them a week to figure out what they were, and what they needed to do to be successful.”
The Spartans made a valiant comeback attempt with time winding down in the third quarter, as quarterback Zach Lucia connected with Branigan Boulds on a 24-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 27-12 to end the quarter.
But Moriah was not finished; they responded with another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, as White found the end zone again on a 52-yard sprint, increasing the lead to 36-12.
Saranac’s Tyler Poulin, who had a dominant game on the ground for the Spartans, kept the game competitive. He showcased his speed and agility with a quick 90-yard touchdown run, making it 36-20 with 6:23 in the fourth quarter. While it wasn’t enough to change the final score, it highlighted Poulin and the Spartans’ resilience late in the game.
On the other hand, Saranac’s offense struggled to find consistency throughout the game.
Despite a solid performance from Poulin, who rushed for 196 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown, the Spartans struggled against Moriah’s defense.
Lucia finished with 76 passing yards, connecting on 9 of 21 attempts but faced pressure from collapsing pockets that limited his options downfield all game long.
After the game, Moriah coach Casey Nephew expressed pride in his team’s performance, particularly highlighting the improvement in their line play compared to last week.
“This is the second year we’ve come up here,” Nephew said. “Our kids kind of geared up for it a little bit. Coming off of last week, we had a tough week of practice. I think our line play really improved, and we just wanted to come out and get better. We want to get better every week.
“Anytime you can win, it’s a good feeling, especially in a tough environment like this,” he said.
Cooper Allen reflected on the team’s mentality leading into the game, emphasizing the importance of hard work and accountability.
“I mean, we have kids that need to step up,” he stated. “Some of them are getting their first snaps on varsity, and it’s huge for them to step up during this opportunity that we had here today.”
Isaac White echoed his teammate’s sentiments, crediting the offensive line for their performance.
“We’re a good team in the section,” he said. “I think if we get another one, then it will be huge for us. The blockers did a lot, and we found our holes because of them,” he said.
Saranac’s coach, Dylan Everleth, received praise from the Vikings’ head coach, Casey Nephew after their squads faced.
“Yeah, Coach Everleth does a great job with these guys that come ready to play every week,” he said. “Saranac is a critical team. They came to play, came to hit and, you know, they’re tough.”
The Spartans are still searching for their first win of the season after losing a shutout in their previous game to Beekmantown 35-0, a contest in which they struggled to find rhythm and offense.
With this victory, Moriah improves its record to 1-1 on the season and sets a positive tone heading into the end of the month. They will carry this momentum into next week’s match-up on the road versus the Plattsburgh Hornets on Friday, hoping to build on their success.
Meanwhile, Saranac must regroup and find ways to enhance their offensive strategies if they hope to turn their season around. They prepare for their next game at AuSable against the Patriots on Saturday.
As the dust settles, Moriah walks away with a crucial victory, while Saranac looks to learn from its mistakes. With the competitive nature of Section 7 football, every remaining game will be a must-win as teams battle for positioning, pride, and momentum heading into October.
Moriah 36, Saranac 20
MCS 8 6 15 7 – 36
SCS 0 6 6 8 – 20
First quarter
M- Allen 7 pass from Pelkey (Allen pass from Pelkey), 1:01.
Second quarter
S- Larche 1 run (kick failed), 0:48.
M- Allen 75 kick return (kick missed), 0:00.
Third quarter
M- White 2 run (Allen pass from Pelkey), 9:25.
M- White 45 run (Snyder kick), 1:32.
S- Boulds 24 pass from Lucia (pass failed), 0:00.
Fourth quarter
M- White 52 run (Snyder kick), 11:49.
S- Poulin 90 run (Dubay pass from Lucia), 6:23.
Individual statistics
Rushing
M- White 14-126, 3TD; Mascarenas 5-18; Allen 10-63; Green 1-1; Pelkey 1-5; Feeley 4-24. Totals: 35-237, 3TD.
S- Poulin 18-197, TD; Lucia 11-51; Powers 1-0; Larche 2-8, TD; Bowen 1-(-4); #2 1-1. Totals: 34-253, 2TD.
Passing
M- Pelkey 4-8-1-62, TD.
S- Lucia 8-22-1-75, TD.
Receiving
M- Allen 3-57, TD; McGinnes 1-5.
S- Dubay 2-12; Boulds 2-34, TD; Scovil 4-29.
Interceptions
M- Allen.
S- Boulds.