Ground game helps Corning hold off Horseheads in football

Whenever Horseheads made a push Friday night, Corning pushed right back. Particularly the Hawks' running game, which spearheaded a 29-20 non-division football victory at Corning Memorial Stadium.

Wingback James Freeman and fullback AJ Thomas combined for 238 yards and all four Hawks touchdowns as Corning evened its record at 4-4 after opening with losses to three teams currently ranked in the top-15 in their classes in New York.

"Huge win going into the playoffs," Thomas said. "Hopefully build some momentum, keep on rolling, get to states."

Stars of the Game

Thomas, who missed time with an injury this season and dealt with a bloody nose Friday, carried 19 times for 124 yards. He scored twice in the fourth quarter, the first a 2-yard run that gave Corning a 23-12 lead and the second a 44-yard burst up the gut that provided the game's final points with 6:43 to play.

Freeman carried 18 times for 114 yards and his two touchdowns covered 3 yards and 30 yards.

"Our dudes are our dudes," Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. "AJ Thomas is huge for us running the ball and blocking.

"When the game’s on the line you want the ball in Jimmy’s hands, Jimmy Freeman. He wants the ball and he can get you those tough yards. You saw tonight Horseheads played really good defense against us and when Jimmy couldn’t run around them, he ran over them."

Also for Corning:

• Drew Siglin continued his strong place-kicking with a 37-yard field goal to help the Hawks take an 11-6 advantage into halftime.

• Carter Sparks had two of Corning's four quarterback sacks to derail a Horseheads drive late in the game. The Blue Raiders ended up having to punt and got the ball back only once more, following a Hawks fumble.

Horseheads Game Balls

Josh McCawley helped keep Horseheads close with a 1-yard touchdown run to cap the opening drive of the second half, giving the Blue Raiders a 12-11 advantage.

He added a 59-yard touchdown catch on second-and-21 in which he outleaped a Corning defender and broke a pair of would-be tackles to reach the end zone. That score got the Blue Raiders within 23-20 with 9:14 left.

Dom Cardinale completed nine of 15 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders. His first TD was a 14-yard screen pass to Bradock Salisbury in the opening quarter. Salisbury led Horseheads in rushing with 46 yards on seven carries.

Key to Corning's victory

The Hawks' ability to respond to Horseheads pressure was keyed by the running game.

"We took adversity and we used it," Freeman said of keeping Horseheads a bay.

Freeman added it's easy to run the ball effectively when the line is doing its job. Thomas said it's fun blocking for Freeman.

"I know if I do this kid's going far," Thomas said.

Thomas and Freeman both picked up key first downs on third- and fourth-down plays. Johnston said it comes down to defenses picking their poison on which to try to stop and Corning reacting accordingly.

Thomas saw clear sailing on his 44-yard TD that matched his uniform number. Corning wore bright green jerseys Friday as part of its annual alternate uniform for Senior Night.

"Line did their thing. I got a gap out of the line of scrimmage and then tight ends and backs did their thing down the field getting some blocks," Thomas said. "I didn’t even get touched. When you don’t even have guys to run around it’s easy."

Johnston was effusive in his praise for Freeman, younger brother of former Hawks all-state back Max Freeman.

"The kid lives in the weight room," Johnston said of James. "His body is chiseled, it doesn’t happen by accident. His family is like that, his whole family. From his father to his brother to himself, he just has a knack. He’s like a silent assassin. He’s a kid who’s really quiet, but when the game’s on the line he wants the ball."

Quotable

Said Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman: "Had some opportunities. Lot of mistakes like missed assignments, sacks, penalties that kind of put us behind the chains and I think hurt us a little bit. I’ve got to give these guys credit, they kept battling. We kept battling all the way through."

As for AJ Thomas, Hillman added, "He's a tough kid. After a while he just wears you down."

Up Next

Horseheads (6-3) is the No. 2 seed for the Section 4 Class A tournament, giving the Blue Raiders a home semifinal at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 against 2022 Class A state finalist Union-Endicott. The winner meets top-seeded Vestal on the road in two weeks for the championship.

Three-time defending sectional champion Corning has a bye into the Section 4 Class AA final, set for 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at Corning. Elmira hosts Binghamton in the lone semifinal Nov. 3.

"We did what we needed to do to get to 4-4. Now we’re even-steven going into the championship game," Johnston said. "We get a week next week where we start developing our game plan for whoever we may see in the finals. The biggest thing is getting kids as close to 100% health as we possibly can."

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Corning topped Horseheads in Section 4 high school football