Massena tops Saranac Lake in new Wilson-Raymond Field debut

SARANAC LAKE | A standing-room only crowd packed the new Wilson-Raymond Field on Friday, Sept. 5, but visiting Massena spoiled the celebration with a 20-7 victory. Saranac Lake gave the ball away four times after halftime, and Massena needed only two of them to manufacture 14 unanswered points that sealed the outcome. Massena's defense produced one fumble recovery and three interceptions, highlighted by Drake Love's pick-six that covered 50 yards with 8:48 remaining. Despite the miscues on offense, Saranac Lake's defense held Massena to just 159 yards, keeping the game close until the fourth quarter. "When we try to run a toss sweep and put the ball on the turf in our end, and they recover it, giving them a short field, it's a really tough ask," Saranac Lake head coach Eric Bennett said. "I thought our defense played pretty well tonight, but when you give up short fields, it's tough to maintain the intensity and stop them over time. "Yeah, no one's going to win a ballgame with minus-two turnovers, let alone minus-four." Saranac Lake held a 7-6 lead at halftime despite being outgained by a 152-84 margin, with 54 of those 84 yards coming in the final 1:32 of the second quarter. Lake Placid student-athlete Owen Lawrence capped a seven-play, 54-yard drive on a 2-yard touchdown catch from sophomore Evan Harvey with 10 seconds before the break. Following a penalty, Scottie Nicholas booted a 25-yard PAT to give Saranac Lake its first and last lead. The scoring drive was set up when Harvey connected with cousin Braydon Harvey for a 36-yard strike to get Saranac Lake inside the red zone. Saranac Lake, though, was unable to maintain its momentum, going three-and-out on its opening drive of the second half. The next four possessions resulted in turnovers, and Saranac Lake found itself trailing by two scores. "I was really impressed with our kids on that end-of-the-first-half drive — not only did they go down and score, but they took the lead," Bennett said. "After that, though, we just turned the ball over way too much." Saranac Lake's ground game was held to only 23 yards on 21 attempts. Lawrence was a bright spot in the setback, snagging six catches for 37 yards and the score. Evan Harvey, a left-handed quarterback, completed 8-of-18 passes for 83 yards in his varsity debut under center. Despite the loss, Bennett praised the new venue and the community's support. Saranac Lake will return to action Saturday, Sept. 13, hosting Moriah at 1 p.m. "Really thankful to have the fans that we have and the support that we have," Bennett said. "It's incredible that our community put together a jewel like this. I'm glad our kids have a modern place to play. "I played on the old Wilson-Raymond Field, as so many other people did here, and have fond memories of it. But this is a new era, and I'm glad our kids have something that is special." — Massena 20, Saranac Lake 7 Massena 0 6 0 14 — 20 Saranac Lake 0 7 0 0 — 7 Second quarter M- Regan 6 pass from Monacelli (kick blocked), 10:00. SL- O. Lawrence 2 pass from E. Harvey (S. Nicholas kick), 0:10. Fourth quarter M- Deshane 11 run (pass failed), 10:48. M- Love 50 interception return (Deshane run). 8:48. Individual statistics Rushing M- Deshane 20-93, TD; Monacelli 5-2; Smith 8-23; Francis 1-(-1); Page 2-(-5); Team 3-(-54). Totals: 39-58, TD. SL- Montroy 9-12; S. Nicholas 3-13; O. Lawrence 3-10; Martelle 1-1; E. Harvey 5-(-13). Totals: 21-23. Passing M- Monacelli 9-16-0-101, TD. SL- E. Harvey 8-18-2-83, TD; Willett 0-1-1-0. Totals: 8-19-3-83, TD. Receiving M- Bentley 5-36; Regan 2-50, TD; Barcomb 1-7; Smith 1-8. SL- O. Lawrence 6-37, TD; Martelle 1-10; B. Harvey 1-36. Interceptions M- Francis; Love; Smith.

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Massena tops Saranac Lake in new Wilson-Raymond Field debut

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