Trailing by two scores early in their Section 2 Class B semifinal, the Averill Park Golden Knights flipped a switch, unleashing a 27-point scoring blitz that buried LaSalle 34-14 at home Friday night. That stunning turnaround punches their ticket right back to the Super Bowl, and after what we saw, they’re looking dangerous.
The Kicking Game Sparked the Comeback
Things looked grim for Averill Park, down 14-0 and their offense stuck in neutral. But then, Griffin Baker blew the doors open. He saw a seam on a kickoff return and absolutely sprinted 79 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, it was 14-7 with eight minutes, 27 seconds left in the first half. Baker said he just “hit it as hard as I could” because they “needed to get something going.” Head coach Zach Gobel totally gets it, calling it the moment that “woke us up.” After that, the Golden Knights were a different team, scoring on their next three offensive possessions and adding another crucial touchdown before the break.
Sansone and Kilgallon Dominated the Field
Junior quarterback Mason Sansone was an absolute beast on the ground, rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries. He completed 4-of-6 passes for 47 yards, but his legs did the real damage. After his 11-yard touchdown run tied the game in the second quarter, Sansone showed incredible patience, waiting for a hole to open before breaking loose for a 56-yard touchdown run. This guy reads defenses.
And then there’s safety Braeden Kilgallon, who owned the defense with two interceptions. The first one he took 17 yards to the house for an interception return touchdown, giving Averill Park their first lead at 20-14, just 24 seconds after Sansone tied it up. Kilgallon said he just saw the “quarterback’s eyes, front shoulder intention” and attacked the ball like his coach tells him. That kind of heads-up play, combined with Sansone’s rushing, is what turned a 14-0 deficit into a 27-14 lead by halftime.
Super Bowl Rematch on Deck
Now at 9-1 overall, Averill Park is headed to the Super Bowl to face unbeaten Glens Falls. It’s a rematch of last year’s final, which Glens Falls won 47-7. Ouch. But Coach Gobel is all in for this extra time with his squad, saying “it never gets old, it’s always fun.” He credits his players for putting in the “time and the effort in the offseason” and being “high character guys.” This team has been there before, they know what it takes to get back, and they just showed they can battle back from a tough spot. Next week, it’s the big one. Can they rewrite the script against Glens Falls? You know Coach Gobel and his crew will be ready. You gotta watch this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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