Nothing captures football resilience like a late postseason comeback — and New Hartford delivered one in Saturday’s state regionals contest against Owego at Vestal High School.
But the River Hawks had the final word, drilling a go-ahead field goal in the closing seconds to end the Spartans’ historic run in a heartbreaking 36-34 finish.
“Today was a demonstration of the character and fight of our kids and our program,” New Hartford coach Jim Kramer said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Owego jumped out to an early lead and applied constant pressure throughout the first half. New Hartford trailed by as many as 19 points before a late second-quarter score trimmed the deficit to 26-13 at halftime.
However, Kramer said his squad was far from demoralized despite trailing at the break.
“When you look in their eyes at halftime, they’re just ready to listen, learn and compete,” Kramer said. “Those are kids that you want to coach.”
New Hartford’s defense continued to feel the relentless pressure of Owego’s rushing attack — letting up a six-minute drive to open the third that ended in a two-yard score.
That’s when the Spartans standout offensive trio responded. Running back Niko Martinez snapped off his second breakaway score of the game to make it 33-20.
Less than a minute into the fourth, quarterback Johnny Vitullo linked up with Peyton Way for their second touchdown connection of the night — and a historic one at that. It was Way’s 25th receiving touchdown of the season, snapping CBA wide receiver Bruce Wiliams’ New York State record for single-season touchdowns. Williams’ record had been untouched for over 20 years.
“Peyton has demonstrated that he’s one of the best players in all of New York State at all classifications,” Kramer said. “The guys see his work ethic, his consistency and his approach to practice… there’s no mistake why he is so good.”
Way wasn’t done there. New Hartford forced a stop and got the ball back at its own 19-yard line with roughly six minutes remaining. Vitullo promptly marched the Spartans down the field and hit Way for a 35-yard score with three minutes on the clock.
Unfortunately for New Hartford, Owego had some magic left up its sleeve. River Hawks running back Payden Morales found open space to get deep into the Spartans’ red zone. After a few attempts to pound it in, Owego opted to kick the field goal. Dylan Brace netted the 20-yard attempt with ease to send the River Hawks to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.
Owego (9-3) advances to take on Section V’s Monroe in the state semifinal round on Saturday.
New Hartford finishes its campaign with an 11-1 record. The Spartans clinched their first Section III title since 2008 after falling short the past two seasons.
While New Hartford loses Vitullo and Way in addition to multiple other good seniors next year, Kramer believes the Spartans will be back in full force after this experience.
“This type of environment and game drives individuals to continue to work hard in the classroom and in the weight room to try to carry on the tradition that this group has built for our program,” Kramer said. “I look forward to what the next class can do.”
