KINGSTON — The announcer probably got tired of calling Ron Schofield's name Friday night at Dietz Stadium.

Don Tesar certainly didn't.

Schofield rushed for 295 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries, leading Moriah to a 22-13 victory over Eldred in the NYSPHSAA semifinal as the Vikings advanced to the state title game for the second consecutive year.

"This late in the season, you go with your best," said Tesar, Moriah's head coach.

Schofield, as usual, credited the big guys up front.

"There's no way we could have done it without this offensive line," he said. "They are amazing."

The Vikings were stout defensively, as well. Wally Edwards sacked Eldred quarterback Bryan Henry three times, and Nate Gilbo took the signal-caller down twice.

Mike Speshock and Ralph Schofield made interceptions for Moriah.

The teams exchanged turnovers late in the game while Moriah held a 19-13 advantage.

Kicker Ryan Mascarenas, who had an extra point blocked and missed a field goal try earlier in the game, sealed the Viking win with a 21-yarder 1:59 from the final horn. The kick put Moriah up by nine.

"We knew it wasn't going to be automatic," Tesar said. "But we moved Nick (Gilbo) to block on the left side where the pressure was coming because he's a good blocker. I told Ryan to just try and relax, and he made it."

The Vikings return to the Carrier Dome next Saturday to face Section VI's Randolph. Randolph destroyed Groton, 61-8, in a semifinal matchup behind 601 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

Tesar said he thinks his players will be less nervous in the championship game this time around "because we've been in there before."

Against Eldred, Nick Gilbo scored the first touchdown on a 2-yard run and the Viking defense stuffed the Yellow Jackets at the Moriah half-yard line on fourth down on the ensuing possession.

Eldred running back Ian Halloran scored a 21-yard rushing touchdown to bring the Yellow Jackets within a point early in the second quarter. Halloran scored on the first play of the drive after Eldred recovered a muffed Viking punt return. Then Bobby Warden almost gave them the lead on a 47-yard kick that fell just short of the crossbar.

Halloran scored Eldred's only other touchdown three seconds into the fourth quarter after a 73-yard catch-and-run by a wide-open Matt Balcom, but Eldred couldn't slow down Schofield on the next drive.

"It was a good clean game, and I would coach them, or my team, any day because they are a class act like we are," Eldred coach Frank Kean said. "I'm so very proud of our team, we just ran into a good stopping block tonight."

—

Moriah 22, Eldred 13

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First quarter

M- Ni. Gilbo 2 run (Mascarenas kick), 4:10.

Second quarter

E- Halloran 21 run (kick blocked), 9:41.

Third quarter

M- Schofield 2 run (kick missed), 9:41.

M- Schofield 59 run (pass failed), 11:50.

Fourth quarter

E- Halloran 1 run (Warden kick), 0:03.

M- Mascarenas 21 field goal, 10:01.

Individual statistics

Rushing

M- Schofield 38-295, 2 TD. Ni. Gilbo 6-16, TD. Na. Gilbo 2-4. Edwards 1-4. 47-319, 3 TD.

E- Henry 6-(-23). Halloran 14-111, 2 TD. Tice 2-4. Warden 3-8. Totals: 27-100, 2 TD.

Passing

M- Na. Gilbo 1-5-1-31.

E- Henry 9-16-1-124. 21 0-2-1-0. Totals: 9-18-2-124.

Receiving

M- Ra. Schofield 1-31.

E- Balcom 5-115. Warden 3-17. Halloran 1-(-8). Totals: 9-115.