The Somers Tuskers started the game with a drive that took over seven minutes and resulted in a touchdown.
It was more of the same from there.

The Tuskers’ offense was able to do whatever they wanted, and their defense kept the Cornwall Dragons’ offense from doing much of anything, as they ended Cornwall’s season with a 35-0 win on Friday in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class A football semifinals at Middletown High School’s Faller Field.

“That’s one heck of a team,” Cornwall coach Kevin Arduino said. “Right now, they’re at a different level. We started off slow and that’s what happens. We start off slow against a really good team that’s been to the (JMA Wireless) Dome three or four times in a row. It’s hard to beat teams when you start like that.”

The Section 1 champion Tuskers will head to the JM Dome next Friday looking to win their third straight NYSPHSAA Class A championship against Section 3 champion Whitesboro. Whitesboro posted a 49-21 win over Section 5 champion Brighton.

It’s a rematch of last year’s title game, which Somers won, 35-6.

The Dragons, meanwhile, are heading into the offseason after winning their second straight Section 9 Class A championship and posting their first trip to the state Final Four since their state championship season in 2019.

“I’m extremely proud of our guys, especially our seniors and everything we accomplished this year,” Arduino said. “There were a lot of accomplishments. Obviously, when you don’t win your last game of the year, it hurts, but there were a lot of accomplishments this year.”

The Tuskers showed they were going to give the Dragons a hard time from the game’s opening drive as they marched on 14 plays to get their first touchdown. Mason Kelly carried most of the load, running the ball eight times and finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Tuskers a 7-0 lead with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

The Dragons moved the ball on their first possession, starting on their own 38-yard line and reaching the Tuskers’ 27. However, Cornwall quarterback Quinn Pikarsky was intercepted by Bret Kennedy, ending the scoring threat.

Kelly scored another touchdown in the second quarter and quarterback Carter Iglesias’ touchdown run gave the Tuskers a 21-0 lead at halftime. Iglesias also threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Violante and

Kelly scored on a 16-yard run to give the Tuskers a 35-0 lead.

“They’re good,” Arduino said. “That’s a really good football team. They’ve got a great program there. I have all the respect in the world for Coach (Anthony) DeMatteo and what he’s doing there.”

It ends the Cornwall career for 16 seniors, including Pikarsky, all-around standout Braden Murphy, wide receiver Mathew Cerone, lineman Isaiah Reynoso and others.

“They’ve given everything,” Arduino said. “I’ve known them for two years. I came in when they were juniors, and it was just an unbelievable group. Everything I asked them to do, they do.”

But they leave behind a strong group of players that know the sting of losing in the state semifinals.

“I told them to remember this feeling,” Arduino said. “See what your seniors look like right now. Anytime you lose the last game of the year, it’s not good. Just remember this feeling.”