Red & Black loses to Shock in semifinals

SYRACUSE — The Watertown Red and Black’s resurgent season ended a game short of the championship on Saturday night, as the semipro football team lost 27-6 to the Syracuse Shock in the semifinals of the Empire Football League playoffs at Henninger high school.

Syracuse (11-0) will host second-seeded Albany, which defeated Plattsburgh on Saturday, in the EFL championship game this Saturday night at Henninger high school.

Watertown trailed 14-0 at halftime, and 21-0 at the end of the third quarter.

The Red and Black (6-6) lost for just the second time in over two months.

Watertown ended the year winning five of its last seven games, after dropping its first four to start the season.

“We had a great second half of the season,” Red and Black coach George Ashcraft said.

“Starting 0-4 in on-field games and getting to the second round of the playoffs, I’m proud of these guys,” Ashcraft added.

Syracuse had posted a 55-0 regular-season victory over Watertown in the Red & Black’s home opener on Aug. 6.

Watertown finished the year third in the league in scoring with 228 points, trailing Syracuse and Albany, after posting just 20 points to go with 19 turnovers in its first four games of the season.

Watertown and Plattsburgh were denied a chance to face off in the title game for the third straight year.

The Red & Black lost last season’s championship game.