GALLERY: A 35-7 defeat sends Hornell the finals at St. John Fisher on November 14
From Drew Golden, Follow The Golden Lens on Facebook
The Hornell Red Raiders closed out their sectional home field advantage in memorable fashion Friday night, defeating East Rochester-Gananda 35-7 in the Section V Class C semifinals at Maple City Park. The victory sends the No. 1 seed Raiders to the Class C championship for the first time since 2017. They will face LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford on Saturday, November 14, at noon at St. John Fisher University.
It was the final home game for Hornell’s seniors. Before kickoff, the group walked the field with Coach Izzy Mehr, reflecting on memories of a place long regarded as a field of dreams for the program. See the slide show below:
The Raiders responded with a physical performance on both sides of the ball, finishing with 369 total yards of offense—including 311 on the ground—while holding East Rochester-Gananda to 133 total yards (63 rushing). Matt Karr carried 16 times for 143 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Tyrone Buchanan added 18 carries for 127 yards and a score. The offensive line of Owen Hyer, Ryan Didio, Quentin Evingham, Anthony Winant and Elliott Bale controlled the trenches and opened consistent running lanes. John Flaitz continued his reliable production when called upon…