Batavia running back Dominick Mogavero tries to get around the edge against Cheektowaga’s Ja’Vaughn Williams during the Class B State Quarterfinal game at Sahlen’s Stadium.
Sunday was a very good day for the Batavia Blue Devils offense,
Senior running back Dominick Mogavero ran for more than 200 yards and scored three touchdowns, including a fumble return in his role on defense during the Class B high school football regional.
Ryan Hogan had 108 yards receiving. The Blue Devils had more than 300 yards of offense and put up points. But somehow the Blue Devils had to be better, and coming away with zero points on three drives inside the Cheektowaga 20 proved costly.
Cheektowaga came back to defeat Batavia 43-36 at Sahlen’s Stadium, after the Section VI champion fell behind by 16 points twice in the playoff game in Rochester.
“Obviously, we could’ve cashed in a few more times,” Batavia coach Brennan Briggs said. “But giving up 43 points, it’s tough to win football games when that happens.
“It works both ways.”
The score was tied 36-36 in the fourth quarter when the Batavia Blue Devils went for a first down on 4th and 10 at the Cheektowaga 40. The Blue Devils lined up in punt formation and snapped the ball to Mogavero, who was tackled short of the first down at the Cheektowaga 33.
The Warriors needed eight plays to score on a 4-yard run by Tyree Billingslea, and Anthony Grabp added a conversion kick with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. Batavia’s final drive ended at the Cheektowaga 26 when a short pass in the backfield bounced into the hands of Trevor Darlak for an interception,
Cheektowaga (11-0) advanced to the state semifinals, 3 p.m. Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse, where the Warriors face Cazenovia of Section III. The Section VI champion also defeated Batavia (10-1) during the regional round last year.
“They are an athletic team, they are known for making big plays,” Briggs said. “They’ve done it all year. They’ve been down and come back.
“When we were up by two scores, I said it to my guys, ‘They are the comeback kids.’ They did it last year, they’ve done it this year.”
Billingslea finished with 210 yards and three touchdown runs. He also would have been worthy choice for most valuable offensive player of the game. The choice was Cheektowaga quarterback Eric Bartnick, a junior who passed for 310 yards with a touchdown, after he completed 26 of 32 attempts.
“It was multitude of things,” Briggs said. “He’s two-dimensional, he can throw the ball, he can run the ball. He’s a very good football player.”
So is Mogavero, a 2014 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester team member, who has played his final game in high school.
The senior running back/linebacker finished with 215 yards on 33 carries, but his production in chunks naturally diminished after he suffered an injury to one of his arms.
Long before then, Batavia and Cheektowaga seemed to reach the end zone at will.
Both teams scored three touchdowns in the first half. The first quarter, it was advantage Batavia, ahead 14-0 after 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by Adonis Davis.
The Blue Devils led 22-6 after Mogavero’s second touchdown, an 8-yard run, and two-point conversion reception by Trevor Sherwood in the second quarter.
Bartnick lofted a pass over the Batavia defense to Stephen Parker for a 32-yard touchdown midway though the second quarter. A two-point conversion catch by Tyron Lawson cut Batavia’s lead.
The Warriors moved to within two points before the half, but were down 16 again in the third quarter after an 8-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Barber and Mogavero’s 40-yard fumble return for a score.
Mogavero’s fumble return came soon after an apparent touchdown for Cheektowaga was taken away when it was ruled that Billingslea stepped out of bounds during the pass play. A replay shown it was a Batavia defender who actually stepped out.
The Warriors were down 36-20, but Billingslea began the comeback. He scored his second touchdown on a 57-yard run late in the third quarter and ran in the conversion attempt.
Cheektowaga evened the score on a 5-yard run by Bartnick and another conversion run by Billingslea with 9:08 remaining. That finished a 10-play, 83-yard drive.
“We have a fast-tempo offense,” Billingslea said. “It makes it easier for us.
“We keep going and going and makes plays faster.”
JAMESJ@GANNETT.COM