VOORHEESVILLE — The circumstances were strange, but the Voorheesville football team will take the outcome.

It took two days to complete the game, but Voorheesville was able to win a big divisional game over Canajoharie, 15-6.

The majority of the game was played on Friday night at Canajoharie, but with 9:12 left in the game, a set of lights went out and the game was suspended by the officials.

The game was concluded in Canajoharie on Monday afternoon — starting at 4:30 — with the Blackbirds up 9-6 and Canajoharie with the ball.
"We came in early today and watched some film," said Voorheesville quarterback Andy Catellier after the game on Monday. "It’s like going back to our j.v. days."

Catellier hasn’t played on a Monday since his freshman year on the junior-varsity team. Varsity games are traditionally on Saturday afternoon or occasionally on Friday night.
"For me it was stressful," said Voorheesville Coach Joe Sapienza. "It was very stressful. I told the kids that next week is significant. We usually are getting ready for the next game. We had to come up with a nine-minute game plan."

The Blackbirds got points on Friday night on a one-yard touchdown run by Catellier and a 34-yard field goal by Matt Miller.

Nine minutes

Canajoharie had the ball on the 39-yard line on Monday, but fumbled on its second play and it was recovered by Voorheesville linebacker Eric Dickson.

But the Blackbirds couldn’t take advantage and were forced to punt.

Canajoharie got the ball back and was forced to punt after good defensive plays by Sam Pelham and Charlie McGrail.

Voorheesville got the ball back at the 39-yard line. Catellier completed a long pass to Tim Robinson that moved the ball to the Canajoharie 15-yard line.

But a penalty was called for a block in the back and negated the play.

The Birds were then forced to punt.

Canajoharie got the ball at its own 25-yard line with less than three minutes left in the game.

The Cougars’ quarterback threw three incomplete passes and then was sacked on the fourth down by Jeff Connors and Sean Fitzmaurice. That ended the drive and gave the Blackbirds the ball on the 19-yard line.

On the second play of Voorheesville’s possession, P.J. Hognestad ran for a 17-yard touchdown to put the Birds up 15-6.

Hognestad left last week’s game with an injury and still showed some ill effects.
"He’s not 100 percent," Sapienza said. "But he played like it."

Canajoharie got the ball back and moved the ball down the field, getting help from a Voorheesville penalty, and had one last chance to score from the Voorheesville 36-yard line.

But, Pelham sacked the quarterback as the clock ran out and Voorheesville left with the win.
"Our defense has done the job all year," Sapienza said. "Their quarterback couldn’t set up and get a good look."

First place

The win keeps the Birds in first place of the Southern Division of Class C. The Birds are 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the division.

Voorheesville wraps up the regular season at home against winless Coxsackie-Athens. A win on Saturday will give the Birds a division title and a number-one seed for the playoffs.
"It’s nice to have," Catellier said of being close to winning the division. "You have to go back some years. It’s key for us and key for the program."
"It’s a good step for us," Sapienza said. "It’ll be pretty positive. The kids on this team are positive about what can happen."

Catellier passed up a trip to Pennsylvania to visit a couple of colleges because of the suspended game. Bucknell University and Muhlenburg College were on Catellier’s original weekend itinary. Instead, he stayed and prepared for Monday’s finale.
"It doesn’t matter," Catellier said. "What matters most is winning the division with this team."