PORT HENRY — The Moriah Vikings are still looking for their first trip to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse and the state finals in football. Truth is, the Vikings should have been the first Section VII team to reach the championship round.

The state playoffs for football expanded in 1993 to include five class championships — one year after Moriah defeated Rensselaer, 29-6, and Delaware Valley, 34-6, to become Class D Eastern champion. That was it for the '92 Vikings who were unfortunately a year ahead of schedule in their quest for a state title.

It's also the closest Moriah has come to playing for a state title since. Six times, the Vikings have advanced past the first round, only to fall in the quarterfinals. The last time was in 2001 when Moriah dropped a 36-8 decision to Lake George.

Watching their arch-rivals, the Ticonderoga Sentinels, make it all the way to Syracuse in 2007 only made Moriah hungrier entering the 2008 campaign.

"We were ahead 7-6 (of Ti) with 6 or 7 minutes to go and had a fourth-and-goal at the 2 and ended up 3 inches short," Moriah Coach Don Tesar recalled, painfully. "Ti drove 99 yards to win it."

Ticonderoga then went on to beat Fort Edward and Haldane to make it to Syracuse where the Sentinels met up with a juggernaut in Walton and loss in last year's Class D final.

"Reading about Ticonderoga and knowing we were 3 inches away (in the North Country final) stuck in the back of their (the Moriah players) mind in the offseason and they set a goal for themselves before the season to reach the state playoffs," Tesar acknowledged.

And Moriah did that in perfect order. The Vikings went through the regular season unbeaten and untied — a first in school history — and then defeated Seton Catholic and Ticonderoga, 15-14, to reach the state Class D quarterfinals for the first time in seven years.

Moriah (10-0) will meet Rensselaer (9-1) at 1 p.m. today in Hudson Falls.

"To beat Ti twice. It's hard enough to beat any team twice, but to win the first time down there was a major accomplishment and then to beat them again. The kids really had to step up and they did," the Viking coach said, with a sense of amazement.

Moriah, drawing from a talent pool that had produced two consecutive undefeated junior-varsity teams, figured to be tough, especially on defense.

"We had a lot of kids who played defense last year and who were going to go two ways for us this season," Tesar recalled. "The thing about them is they're hitters; they don't mind tackling. And, we turned out to be a lot quicker than we thought we would be."

The Vikings were tested also immediately. Not so much by the opposition, but by injuries. Steve Owens suffered a freak ACL injury in the season opener that kept him until the playoffs and Mike Brassard suffered a broken leg in the first Ticonderoga game, Sept. 26. Both had figured prominently in Moriah's defensive and offensive schemes, forcing the hand of the Moriah coaches.

"But who ever we stuck in there stepped up to the challenge. Nick Gilbo, Sergio Camacho, Nick Marcotte, Ben Tromblee, Brennan Thierry, Ron Schofield .... ," Tesar went on.

The rock through Moriah's magnificent run has been senior Jim Carlson, a 6-foot, 185-pounder, who rushed for 1,045 yards and scored 19 touchdowns during the season.

"(Carlson) loves contact; he doesn't shy away from it," Tesar said. "He plays strong safety, but he's more like a linebacker. It's not unheard of to have him make a play at the line of scrimmage. And he has 3 interceptions."

Carlson also has been unselfish on offense.

"He's not afraid to switch and go block for someone else. We went to a power I against Peru and the first thing I know, Jimmy switched positions. 'I'll block for Ronnie (Schofield),''' Tesar related.

"Carlson and Brennan Thierry get things going out there for us; they're always hollering out plays."

Tesar has seen Rensselaer twice, in blowout wins over Warrensburg (47-6) and Fort Edward (60-14). The Rams' only loss was 23-22 to Lake George on Oct. 17.

"We scrimmaged Lake George before the season and had a good scrimmage with them," Tesar added. "They (Rensselaer) have 3 or 4 very good backs; they're quick and like to spread it around. Their quarterback (senior Shane Brozowski) has a good arm and they can throw.

"They trap out of the wing T well. If they can get those counters and cutbacks, that can be a big worry."

Moriah state playoff history

Class D

2001 - Lake George 36, Moriah 8

2000 - Fort Edward 24, Moriah 22

1999 - Cambridge 36, Moriah 8

1997 - Greenwich 24, Moriah 0

1995 - Rensselaer 21, Moriah 7

1994 - Rensselaer 19, Moriah 0

1992 - Moriah 29, Rensselaer 6

East final- Moriah 34, Delaware Valley 8

1991 - Moriah 29, Rensselaer 0