SCHENECTADY — In a thrilling Friday night football game, Omari Forrest and Cameron Grasso led the Niskayuna team to a triumphant victory. While Forrest was on a roller coaster ride of a game, Grasso maintained a steady course, leading the team to the end zone in a multitude of ways.
Grasso showcased his versatility by running for two touchdowns, catching one, and even throwing for one, as Niskayuna dominated Schenectady with a 47-0 victory at Larry Mulvaney Field.
Grasso’s impressive performance was not out of the ordinary, but his touchdown pass was a surprise, as it was necessitated by the injury of senior starting quarterback Ethan Gilson, who was sidelined with his left arm in a sling.
“With Ethan out, we had to rely more on Cam. We made some adjustments to accommodate this, and Cam proved once again why he’s such a valuable player,” said Niskayuna head coach Brian Grastorf. “Our playmaker had the ball on every play, and other players had to step up in Ethan’s absence. I’m proud of how our team responded.”
“We’ve been preparing for this all week,” Grasso added. “We’ve been shuffling players around. I’ve been everywhere, but we have other guys stepping up and filling key roles.”
Niskayuna was also missing senior running back Aliyus McCloud due to injury, which meant more responsibility for Forrest. Despite a shaky start, Forrest managed to recover a Patriots fumble after fumbling the opening kickoff himself.
Forrest’s roller coaster game continued as he was lined up in the wrong spot three plays later, leading to a timeout call from the Niskayuna coaching staff. However, Grasso took over from there, connecting with Brandon Merrill on a 35-yard pass and running it in for a 7-0 lead.
Forrest redeemed himself on the next possession, sprinting up the right sideline for a 33-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead. He ended the game with an impressive 111 yards on 10 carries.
“Mistakes happen, but it’s all about how you bounce back,” Forrest said. “I think I did just that. You have to be coachable, listen, and then recover. That’s what I did.”
Grasso, with a chuckle, added, “A little bit of yelling seemed to do the trick for him. But he had a great game. He’s a strong, fast kid and I’m excited to see what he’ll do in the coming weeks.”
Coach Grastorf was also pleased with Forrest’s performance, saying, “He bounced back well. He made some great runs after the initial fumble. I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to grow.”
Grastorf also mentioned that he expects Gilson to return to the lineup in a few weeks.
- Niskayuna 14 14 7 12 — 47
- Schenectady 0 0 0 0 — 0
- N — Grasso 1 run (Sanderson kick)
- N — Forrest 33 run (Sanderson kick)
- N — Grasso 16 run (Sanderson kick)
- N — Grasso 15 pass from Kessler (Sanderson kick)
- N — Merrill 18 pass from Grasso (Sanderson kick)
- N — Sanderson 19 pass from Kessler (kick blocked)
- N — Alexander 20 run
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Great job, Grasso! Niskayuna dominated the field. #TeamSpirit
Great win for Niskayuna! #Domination