High school football: Gouverneur rolls past Massena in NAC season finale
Oct. 14—MASSENA — The Gouverneur Central varsity football team closed out a dominant NAC regular season in impressive fashion Friday night.
Senior quarterback Holden Stowell completed six of 10 passes for 227 yards, and totaled five touchdowns as the Wildcats racked up a 62-0 win over Massena at Mike Nicholas Field.
Senior Vincent Thomas inflicted the majority of the offensive damage against the Raiders, amassing 126 yards rushing on just six carries with a 54-yard touchdown run while hauling down three passes for 116 yards, with all three going for touchdowns. This included a 70-yard touchdown catch, all in the first half, as the Wildcats put up 28 unanswered points in the first quarter then 20 more in the second en route to taking a commanding 48-0 lead into halftime.
Thomas also closed out the scoring with a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
On the night, Stowell threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another.
A total of 10 players carried the ball for positive yardage in the win as the Wildcats closed out their NAC season at 6-0 and outscored their six opponents by a margin of 303-44.
They close out their regular season next Friday night with a nonleague game at Beekmantown of Section 7 before hosting St. Lawrence Central the following Saturday in the Section 10 Class C championship game.
Gunner Simmons scored the only touchdown Gouverneur would need on a 43-yard catch that capped a quick six-play, 61-yard drive on the opening possession of the game.
A defensive stop near midfield, a fumble recovery and three straight interceptions led to the next five touchdown drives by the Wildcats.
Raine Rumble had a 54-yard touchdown catch for his only reception and Simmons finished with 57 yards on two grabs. Also scoring touchdowns were Drew Gates on an eight yard run to open the second quarter and Connor Witherell on a 3-yard run to start the third quarter. Stowell, who ran the ball six times, scored on a 27-yard touchdown run as well.
For Massena, which slipped to 5-2 overall after dropping a second straight NAC game, Gage Charleson went for 36 yards on five carries and Carter King ran the ball 11 times for 32 yards while quarterback Connor Eastwood connected on just five passes for 40 yards with four interceptions.
The Raiders, now 3-2 in the NAC, wrap up the regular season next Saturday on the road against Canton Central before heading into the Class C playoffs as the likely second seed.
