The Pittsford Panthers are officially heading back to the Section V Class AA final, securing their shot at redemption after a dominant 23-7 victory over Fairport in the semifinal on November 6. This isn’t just another game for them, it is a return to a stage where they tasted bitter defeat almost exactly a year ago.
The Grind Back to the Championship Stage
Almost a year ago, the Panthers had a three-point lead deep in the fourth quarter of the Section V Class AA championship game, only to fall short against Penfield. That loss clearly stuck with them. Receiver Jesse Jablonsky was already talking about it in August during preseason, saying the expectation was to “get to the section final, at least,” and to “win that” after coming up short. He even highlighted the need to fill holes left by graduated seniors and develop younger players. Well, mission accomplished so far. The Panthers dropped only one game all regular season, proving their preseason talk was more than just locker room chatter.
Their semifinal win against rival Fairport was a clinic, especially on defense. Linebacker Max Ciavarri, who put up an insane 11 tackles and two sacks, said the team came out “incredibly fired up.” He loved how his guys played “all over the place, not letting up on any plays,” and kept that high energy even with the advantage. They absolutely shut down the Red Raiders for the final three quarters. Talk about making a statement!
Rematch Time: This Is What They’ve Been Waiting For
Now, the 9-1 Panthers are set for the Section V Class AA final at 6 p.m. on November 14 at St. John Fisher University. Their opponent? Rush-Henrietta. And if that name sounds familiar, it should: Rush-Henrietta handed Pittsford their only loss this season, a 26-19 heartbreaker way back on September 10. You think this team forgot about that? No way. Since that loss, the Panthers have ripped off eight straight wins. Receiver/defensive back Dayshawn Preston summed it up perfectly after their 36-6 victory over Victor on October 2, saying, “We’re bringing it, we’re all hungry from losing in the finals last year.” That hunger is palpable, and now it’s aimed squarely at the team that beat them this fall.
How They Handled Fairport and Locked It Down
The semifinal started with Preston snagging a 24-yard pass from Brody Pusateri for Pittsford’s first touchdown with 7:46 left in the first quarter. Fairport briefly evened things up with a 32-yard run from Daniel Roessel. But that was about it for them. After a Pittsford punt, the Panthers blocked Fairport’s punt, getting the ball deep in Red Raiders territory at the 8-yard line. They didn’t score right there, but Fairport was in a bad spot, and a fumble eventually led to a safety for Pittsford, putting them up by two points with 9:32 remaining in the second quarter. From that moment, Pittsford never looked back. Jack Schild snatched an interception, and Cole Goetz extended the lead to 16-7 with a 22-yard catch and carry into the end zone late in the third quarter. Even a muffed punt by Preston early in the fourth that gave Fairport a chance deep in Pittsford territory couldn’t derail them; the Red Raiders failed to capitalize.
The Panthers are focused, riding an eight-game winning streak, and have one goal in mind: finish the job against Rush-Henrietta on November 14. This is the moment they’ve been working for all year.
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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