GOUVERNEUR – Malone’s Franklin Academy Huskies built a 34-0 lead and withstood a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the host Gouverneur Wildcats on Saturday to win the Section 10 Class B title with a 34-14 victory.

With the win, the Huskies will host the same Wildcat contingent in the opening round of the Section 10, Tier I playoffs on Saturday.

FA used a ball-control game against the Wildcats, running to open the contest and passing when needed.

Malone’s senior quarterback Mitchell Gallagher led the Huskies with 163 yards rushing on 20 carries with a touchdown as senior Tyrek Sneed carried the pigskin a dozen times and picked up 115 yards. Sneed also had a pair of touchdowns to help the Huskies build the large lead.

Gallagher also threw for two touchdowns, picking up 127 yards through the air to go over 1,000 yards on the season for both rushing and passing.

The Franklin Academy team opened the contest by going on a 10-play drive that took almost four minutes off the clock, going 0 yards with Gallagher finding John Picaro over the middle for an 18-yard strike and the early lead. Harvey Smith kicked the first of his four extra points to put the Class B champs up 7-0.

Malone struck again with 2:13 remaining in the opening stanza. Gallagher scramble under the Wildcats’ pressure and put the ball into the endzone with the speedy Harvey Smith outjumping the Gouverneur defense to haul in the 30-yard completion.

Malone put up another touchdown in the second quarter, as Tyrek Sneed scored his first of two on the day. Sneed capped the Huskies’ seven-play, 65-yard drive with a 11-yard TD run, spinning and sidestepping the Gouverneur defense on his way to paydirt to boost the Malone lead to 21-0 at the break.

It was more of the same in the third quarter, with the Huskies stopping Gouverneur drives short of the intended endzone target and doing just enough on offense to keep the ’Cats from getting the ball back.

The Huskies stopped the Wildcats opening drive of the second half at the Malone nine-yard line, then drove the length of the field to go up by four scores. The 11-play drive saw Gallagher pick up key yardage with runs of 11 and 25 yards to keep the chains moving. Picaro made a nice 15-yard leaping catch over the middle to set the Huskies up with a first and 10 on the Gouverneur 17 yard line. Gallagher used his stiff arm to remove a pair of would-be tacklers on his way to the 17-yard score and a 28-0 Malone lead.

Franklin Academy scored its final TD of the day with 4:37 left in the contest as Sneed finished a five-play, 57-yard drive by going in from the one-yard line. Sneed carried the ball four of the five plays, dancing and prancing his way for 47 of the 57 yards to pick up his second TD of the game.

Gouverneur broke the shutout bid of the Huskies with 3:10 left as quarterback Mark Horne carried the ball in from the one. Cody Woods kicked the PAT to cut the deficit to 34-7.

The Wildcats stopped the Huskies’ second unit on the ensuing drive as Malone recovered the onside-kick attempt. Gouverneur, forced to put the ball in the air as time was ticking away, had QB Horne connected with Troy Gates for a big 28-yard gain with the Wildcat quarterback busting into the endzone as he was forced to scramble away from the Malone defenders in the backfield. Woods kicked the point after for the 34-14 final.

The same two teams will meet again to open the Section 10, Tier I playoffs at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Malone’s Crowner Field.

Malone 34, Gouverneur 14

Mal 14 7 7 6 – 34

Gou 0 0 0 14 – 14

1st Qtr.

Mal: Picaro, 18-yd pass from Gallagher (H. Smith kick), 8:50

Mal: H. Smith, 30-yd pass from Gallagher (H. Smith kick), 2:13

2nd Qtr.

Mal: Sneed, 11-yd run (H.Smith kick), 2:37

3rd Qtr.

Mal: Gallagher, 17-yd run (H.Smith kick), 3:12

4th Qtr.

Mal: Sneed, 1-yd run (kick failed), 4:37

Gouv: Horne, 1-yd run (Woods kick), 3:10

Gouv: Horne, 16-yd run (Woods kick), :14.8

Individual Stats

Rushing

Malone: Mitch Gallagher 20 carries-163 yds, TD; Jake Perry 5-34; Tyrek Sneed 12-115, 2 TD; Harvey Smith 2-8; John Picaro 1-(-15); Cody Smith 1-3; Jake Henning 2-(-11). Totals: 43-297 yds, 3 TDs.

Gouverneur Mark Horne 26-166, 2 TDs; Justni Cummings 2-6; Tanner Spilman 7-0; Hunter Ayen 1-(-2); Levi Love-Tuper 8-80; Adrian McShane 1-(-5); Dustin Hutton 1-0. Totals: 46-245, 2 TDs.

Passing

Malone: Gallagher 8-15 127 yds, 2 TDs.

Gouverneur: Horne 1-10 28 yds.

Receiving:

Malone: Picaro 3-50, TD; H. Smith 2-32, TD.

Gouverneur: Troy Gates 1-28.

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