DOUBLE GALLERY: Celebrating Seniors with a 48-6 domination of Steuben County rival
From Drew Golden, Follow the Golden Lens on Facebook
The Hornell Red Raiders closed out regular-season play Friday night on Senior Night with a dominant 48-6 win over rival Bath-Haverling at Maple City Park. The victory locked up the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in Section V Class C, with the Raiders set to host Bloomfield/Marcus Whitman in the first round of sectionals on Friday, October 30.
Hornell controlled the game on both sides of the ball, minimizing penalties while establishing the run, throwing effectively and producing a strong special-teams effort. Everyone stayed healthy as the program sent off its seniors with a memorable final regular-season game at home.
The Class of 2027 seniors honored on Senior Night were:
- Aireanna Lieter (Team manager)
- Matt Karr (#2, WR/DB, Captain)
- James Smith (#5, WR/DB)
- Bryan Hess (#8, WR/DB/P)
- Brenton Booth (#10, QB, Captain)
- Paul Schroeder (#15, RB/LB)
- John Flaitz (#30, RB/LB, Captain)
- Dylan Czarnecki (#31, WR/DB, Captain)
- Owen Hyer (#51, OL/LB, Captain)
- Tyler Stephens (#62, OL/DL)
- Mason McMichael (#65, OL/LB)
- Mason Monaghan (#67, OL/DL)
- Bently McNeill (#68, OL/DL)
- Elliott Bale (#73, OL/DL, Captain)
- Samuel Spitulnik (#75, OL/LB)
A Special Senior Night Slideshow Below
Quarterback Brenton Booth continued his strong season, going 10 of 15 for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the game with 920 passing yards and finished with 1,098, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. Tyrone Buchanan also saw significant snaps at quarterback, adding versatility with his ability to throw and run. Defensively, the Raiders held Bath-Haverling to 161 yards of total offense. Keegan Matt led the way with exceptional play and also showed versatility by lining up at tight end and making plays.
“As the regular football season comes to an end, it’s really important for us to build momentum and build off of good play to help move through upcoming playoff games,” Coach Izzy Mehr said. “We were able to achieve that tonight. We kept our penalties to a minimum, were able to throw the ball very well and established a run game. Special teams were spectacular tonight, and most importantly we were able to come out with a win and everyone was healthy. We were able to send off the seniors their final regular-season game with a memorable night at Maple City Park, securing the number one seed for Class C.”
Great Shots from the Game! Slideshow below
“This is a point of emphasis where we wanted to be. These last two weeks have been where we played some good football—very good football—and at times really been able to minimize mistakes, but more importantly, take advantage of opportunities given to us by opponents. The first part of the season is done and now it’s a one-game season every week. Something I reminded the seniors: your time here is limited and every week is going to be a challenge. The winner moves on and the loser will go home. We’ve been very good at taking everything week to week, and I think we’ve really been very good at our goals of being 1-0 each week. We were excited last night we were able to get all the seniors in and every one of our younger kids to gain important experience.”
Mehr credited the program’s year-round work for the No. 1 seed while emphasizing that the ranking alone guarantees nothing.
“You know, being asked about being the number one seed, it’s a credit to our coaching staff putting in endless hours,” he said. “We start working back in January in the weight room and then summer workouts and install periods to be where we are at this moment. It’s a combination of hard work that’s been put in starting with the coaching staff. We still have to win one more football game, and we want the kids to know that being the number one seed in Class C does not give you anything. We still have to go earn ours this Friday night coming up.”
The upcoming sectional game will feature a “red out” theme. Official team shirts and gear to support the Raiders can be purchased at https://shop.logoprintco.com/hhsfb/shop/home
Hornell hosts Bloomfield/Marcus Whitman on Friday, October 30, at Maple City Park.
