Early Malone lead melts during state Class A football regional

CLIFTON PARK — The Malone football team was able to grab a lead in the first quarter.

However, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake responded with 41 unanswered points — 35 of them in the second quarter — to close out the first half as the Spartans remained unbeaten with a 54-13 victory over the Huskies (7-3) in the state Class A regionals Friday night at Shenendehowa's Steuerwald Stadium.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake's Brandon Beatty opened the contest with a 75-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Malone's Jake Gravel sprinted down the sideline for an 85-yard return. He added the extra-point kick to give the Huskies a 7-6 lead. The Spartans (11-0) answered on their very next drive as Phil Neumann found a streaking Keaton Flint over the middle for a 45-yard touchdown pass.

Beatty added his second touchdown of the game just 58 seconds into the second quarter on a 14-yard scamper. Neumann connected with Flint for the two-point conversion and a 20-7 advantage.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake's Tyler Paluba picked up an interception on the Huskies next drive and carried the ball 30 yards to the eight-yard line. Evan Nusbaum plunged in from eight yards out, which was followed by an extra-point kick.

After the Spartans blocked the Malone punt, Beatty got to the outside and scored from two yards out. Beatty then closed out the first half with his fourth touchdown of the game.

The Huskies stopped the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake scoring run when Gravel reached the endzone on a 15-yard quarterback keeper for the only touchdown of the third quarter. Malone took over on downs after a botched snap on a punt before Jordan Cosgrove hit an open Gravel on the wide-receiver reverse pass for 27 yards to set up the score.

Robert Knightes, who came on in relief of Neumann at quarterback, completed his first pass for a 10-yard touchdown pass to Roy Little to round out the scoring.