The Batavia Blue Devils will need to take down Joe Girard and Glens Falls for the Class B state championship.
The hype building for the NYSPHSAA Class B state championship game is palpable. On one end you have the No. 1 ranked team in the state, the Batavia Blue Devils who sit at an impressive 12-0.
On the other, you have the Glens Falls Indians, who won a state championship in 2016. Both are led by spectacular superstars who have played their best ball in the biggest moments.
Blue Devils running back Ray Leach broke multiple state tournament records with 450 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns in the Far West Regional. He shattered and tied his own record with 494 all-purpose yards and eight more touchdowns in the semifinal against Skaneateles.
The Indians are led by Syracuse basketball commit and New York's all-time leading scorer Joe Girard. He started on the Indians' 2016 state championship. In Glens Falls' 48-28 semifinal win, the future Orangeman threw for more than 300 yards and scored four times, including a defensive touchdown.
The Leach vs. Girard matchup is a huge storyline, but neither team is a one-man show and there is plenty of talent on both sides.
Here are four keys for Batavia in the state title game that will kickoff at noon Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Admission is $10.
One thing Batavia should have going for it is the fact the Blue Devils just faced another athletic quarterback who will play Division I in another sport. Yale lacrosse commit Patrick Hackler torched Batavia's defense with 402 yards of offense, including 147 on the ground. Girard poses a similar threat with 379 rushing yards this season and 1,424 for his career.
The Blue Devils know how dangerous an athlete like Girard can be if he gets in space. It may be wise for Batavia to use Leach or linebacker Alex Rood as a spy at all times. Girard is more than capable of making throws from inside the pocket, but if Batavia can limit his running lanes it should give its pass rush more time to get home.
Can Leach run for 500 or more yards? At this point, anything is possible for the senior who has rushed for 366, 417, and 474 yards in the last three weeks alone. The Blue Devils needed every bit of his 474 against Skaneateles as the Lakers were one of the few teams to get the better of the Batavia defense. The Indians are averaging 41 points a game and the best defense against this may be to let Leach eat up time of possession.
In an early-season loss to Class A Burnt Hills, the Indians allowed two running backs to produce nearly 300 yards on the ground. With Batavia's offensive line and Leach's talent, it isn't hard to fathom another epic performance on the ground.
With two high-powered offenses dueling, there could be a lot of points scored. That means the game could come down to who has the ball last or who is able to win the turnover battle. Batavia didn't turn the ball over against Skaneateles and two key interceptions from Leach and Andrew Francis were crucial in the Blue Devils reaching the Carrier Dome.
Francis' interception came on the first play of the second and allowed Batavia to build a two-score lead which the Lakers couldn't overcome and Leach broke up what could've been a score. Girard is completing 63 percent of his attempts this season, so it won't be easy to force him into mistakes.
At this point, the Indians will be gearing up everything they can to be the first team to stop Leach. With that in mind, Batavia should have ample opportunities to take advantage of an overly aggressive defense. Ethan Biscaro hasn't needed to throw much in the past month or so, but the state championship would be an ideal time to let the signal caller try to pick apart the Indians' defense.
Biscaro is also a rushing threat, evidenced by his 30-yard scramble against Skaneateles. Read options and run-pass-options could generate big plays for Batavia.