GUILDERLAND — The Guilderland Dutchmen had a lot to play for on Saturday. Everything they had worked for was almost taken away.

But a new attitude carried by this year’s team allowed the Dutchmen to overcome some on-field adversity.

Respond instead of react. That is what the Dutchmen did in the second half — especially in the fourth quarter — to pull away for a 28-12 win over Queensbury on a picturesque Saturday afternoon.
"We’ve talked to the kids to respond rather than react," said Guilderland Head Coach Dan Penna. "I’ll have to look at the game tape to see if we made those mistakes, but I’m proud of the fact we responded. We want to keep fighting and working harder and harder to control how the game turns out. I’m proud of how we responded today."

The win clinches a second-place finish in Division I of Class AA in Section II for the Dutch. The finish ensures Guilderland a spot in the upcoming playoffs, for the first time in seven years. (See accompanying story).

The Dutchmen trailed the Spartans, 12-7, late in the third quarter when adversity struck. And it basically struck one kid, junior Andrew Smith.

Smith took a hand-off from senior quarterback Greg Barcomb and had a long run that would have picked up a big first down, but a Guilderland player was penalized for an illegal block in the back and the play was wiped out.

Smith got the ball on the next play, and this time had an even more impressive run, hurdling defenders and using spin moves to get by would-be tacklers for a 69-yard touchdown run.

But another flag — this one for a holding call — wiped out the touchdown and essentially gave Smith a three-yard gain.
"The coaches have been telling us all year that the first reaction isn’t always good," Smith said. "They said that you want to be the first to respond and be prepared to face adversity. The first time, Nick [Ranalli] did a great job of doing that to keep the drive alive."

Ranalli made a big play as the fourth quarter began. He picked up 19 yards to give the Dutch a key first down.

The next play, Smith made his third impressive play of the drive, and this one counted, as he ran for a 47-yard touchdown to give the Dutch the lead.

Nick Zanotta kicked the extra point and Guilderland led 14-12.
"It’s heart"

The Dutch then got the break of the game as Queensbury responded with a long drive that put the Spartans in field-goal position.

Jeff Benway, the Spartans’ quarterback, attempted the field goal but it was wide right and kept the Dutch in the lead.

The Dutch responded with a 28-yard touchdown run by senior Kevin Forbes — set up by a 48-yard run by Smith — that gave the Dutch a 21-12 lead.

Paul Booker added the final touchdown for the Dutchmen on a 24-yard run with 1:24 left in the contest.
"It’s heart," said Forbes. "That is how good teams are made. Anyone can do well when things are going their way. But, when your backs are against the wall, that is when you find out how good you are. And we left it all here. We’re all sore but we’ll enjoy this weekend and start getting ready for Ithaca on Monday."

Slow start

The first quarter ended in a 0-0 tie, but Queensbury took the lead early in the second stanza.

Brad Middleton scored on a 24-yard run to give his team a 6-0 lead. The two-point run attempt failed.

Guilderland took the lead late in the frame. Forbes scored on a three-yard run to cap a nine-play drive — which included a big fourth-down run by Forbes — to even the score. Zanotta’s extra-point kick gave the Dutch the lead, 7-6.

The Spartans scored late in the third quarter after a long drive. Dominic Marino scored on a one-yard plunge into the end zone. Again, Queensbury failed to convert the two-point attempt and the Spartans had just a five-point lead.

The Dutch were able to come back with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, using their depth and athleticism.

"Coming together"
"We came right back and it was like a shot of adrenaline," Penna said. "It got us going. At this point in the season, the kids are coming together. The heart the kids have was demonstrated today. You knew Queensbury wasn’t about to quit."

And Smith’s big plays were a help.
"Drew’s a terrific athlete," Penna said. "He has great spirit and is a team player. He took advantage of some nice holes. The line put hats on hats.
"Queensbury is a strong and tough team," Penna added. "We used our speed to our advantage."

Queensbury was able to use its running game for the most part, but never got the big play.
"They have four great backs," Penna said. "You can’t count on just focusing on one of them. Benway is a terrific runner at quarterback and their fullback [Marino] played extremely hard."
"This is great for us," Smith said. "This was a hard one. Queensbury is a great win. They came out physical and we let up a little. But we were able to hit and run and we executed."

The Dutch will be in the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
"They got there with Coach Schwan," Penna said of his predecessor Pete Schwan. "We’ve been working to get back ever since. And we could be a four, five, or six seed."

It has been a long time coming. But there is more the Dutch want to achieve, like finish the season with a winning record.
"Every year, we are knocking on the door," Penna said. "We have not pushed over the hump. We had a lot of enthusiasm for this game. We knew if we won we would be in the playoffs. One of our goals was to make it. And this will help with the other goals."