VARSITY FOOTBALL...SLC-23/MASSENA-26=2016

MASSENA - Cedric Maurer entertained a capacity Massena crowd with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nate Bressard with just 2:09 left in the fourth quarter on Friday night as the Raiders came from behind to defeat rival St. Lawrence Central 26-23 in the NAC football opener for each team. Maurer completed 18-of-30 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another six-pointer, in overcoming four interceptions as Massena avenged last year’s loss to SLC. “It was a last-second look to Nate. I was looking for the short receiver first and then saw Nate wide open,” said Maurer. “It feels awesome. We’ve waited a whole year for this after last year’s loss to them. It was a back-and-forth game and we battled through it.” The Raiders (0-1) jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead as Maurer scampered six yards to the corner of the end zone and then followed by by hitting Nate Bressard on a 2-yard touchdown strike. But SLC (0-1) struck for 17 unanswered points in the second quarter as Luke Collins grounded Maurer in the end zone for a safety and Mike PLante then scored on consecutive one-yard touchdown runs. After a scoreless third quarter, Massena regained the lead on Mauer’s 30-yard touchdown toss to Bressard. Plante then answered with his third touchdown run, this time from three yards out, before Maurer threw to Brassard for the game-winner. “Cedric got knocked down but he stayed in there. He’s always been a phenomenol athlete but he’s grown up a lot. He sees more out there and he’s smarter,” said Massena coach Anthony Diagostino. “He did a good job finding the open receivers and they did a good job catching the ball.” Luke Collins led the Larrie offense with 84 yards rushing on eight carries while freshman tackle Cash Feeley intercepted two Maurer screen passes. “Plain and simple, you have to take off your hat to Cedric. He’s an excellent athlete and he made it tough for us,” said Larrie coach Bruce Truax who played football for Massena in the 1980’s. “I’m proud of our guys. We’re always undersized, but they keep on fighting. We were just one play away tonight.”