ROCHESTER - When Le Roy won the Far West Regionals Saturday at PAETEC Park, getting the trophy was no big deal. Most teams pose for photos and celebrate after getting to the state final four. Not Le Roy.

“You only pose with one trophy,” said LR coach Brian Moran, whose squad beat Cleveland Hill 47-20 Saturday. “Our only goal is to get to the state finals and win a state trophy. When we get in that situation, we’ll pose then.”

Le Roy had a 41-0 lead before the Section 6 champion scored. The Oatkan Knights had a slim lead at the half last year before losing to Falconer in this game a year ago.

“We wanted to make sure we got out to a quick lead,” said lineman John Whiting. “Unlike last year we kept playing hard, played defense and kept scoring.”

Cleveland Hill was missing tailback Peter Westbrooks, who was out with Mono. But it wouldn’t matter. The Oatkan Knights won the yardage battle 450-224 and had this game won from the start.

“Coach said to come out and put it away,” said DB Andrew Alexander. “We had to execute on every play.”

Le Roy has played some tough competition during the year. Cleveland Hill showed they were not one of those teams early on. Le Roy scored on the opening possession. The Oatkan Knights scored right away when Fenstermaker threw a 12-yard TD pass go Mike Humphrey.
Ian Humphrey added an eight yard TD run to put Le Roy up 14-0 after the first quarter.

“We wanted to put this away from the get-go,” said QB Travis Fenstermaker. “ We wanted to put it away and execute on every play. We got the win.”

Le Roy scored once more in the second quarter as Brady Bonacquisti capped off a 15-play, 84-yard drive with a touchdown run.

Mike Humphrey started the third quarter scoring with a 16-yard TD pass from Fenstermaker. Humphrey caught three passes for 31 yards and two scores while Fenstermaker went 9-of-14 passing for 159 yards and three TDs.

“Mike Humphrey is a great athlete and he does some great things,” Moran said.

Bonacquisti had a 26-yard touchdown pass and a 10-yard run in the third quarter to put Le Roy up 41-0. Travis Hurd added a touchdown run for the Oatkan Knights.

“We like to keep defenses off balance,” Whiting said. Travis is running the ball well and throwing the ball well and both Brady and Ian are running the ball well. It helps a lot.”

Travis Washington caught touchdown passes and Joe Sanders caught one for Cleveland Hill (8-3).

Le Roy (11-0) will play Bishop Ludden (10-1) next weekend. Ludden upset Unatego 30-21 over the weekend.

“There are no underdogs when you are playing now,” Moran said. “Everybody is there for a reason and that reason is that they are pretty good. We just have to worry about ourselves. We have to mentally get ready to execute.”

LeRoy delivered another pounding in the postseason, but this one looked a little different, since some of it was delivered by air.

Junior quarterback Travis Fenstermaker threw three touchdown passes LeRoy (11-0) soared over Section VI-champion Cleveland Hill 47-20 in the Class C football state quarterfinal at PAETEC Park.

Section III's Bishop Ludden (10-1) will have game tape for Saturday's noon state semifinal at PAETEC of a LeRoy team that opened up its traditionally power-running game offense.
The Oatkan Knights still pushed around Cleveland Hill to run for 292 yards, 112 by Ian Humphrey on 21 carries. Fenstermaker, who also ran for 92 yards on 10 carries, was 9-for-14 passing for 159 yards.

"This is definitely one of my best days because we won this game,'' Fenstermaker said. "We played extremely well on both sides. I don't know if anyone can stop us now.''

Cleveland Hill, ranked 18th in the state, struggled to stop or even keep up with Le Roy. The Eagles scored all of their points in the fourth quarter, after they trailed 41-0. They played without junior tailback Peter Westbrooks, a 1,000-yard rusher. Westbrooks was diagnosed with mononucleosis earlier last week, according to Cleveland Hill coach Glen Graham.

"That took a lot out of us defensively and offensively,'' Graham said.

The Eagles run an option offense, which calls for them to move downfield largely by the run. Westbrooks' illness put the sole focus of Cleveland Hill's offense, and LeRoy's defense, on junior quarterback Rhakeem Wiggins.

"We knew they were going to try and throw the ball,'' Alexander said.

LeRoy used the pass to score first, as Fenstermaker hit a wide open Mike Humphrey for a 12-yard touchdown pass on the team's first drive. A linebacker attempted to cover Humphrey, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound junior. The next drive for LeRoy ended with an 8-yard touchdown run by Ian Humphrey, Mike's older brother.

LeRoy junior defensive back Andrew Alexander intercepted his second pass to set up the Oatkan Knights' third touchdown in an as many possessions. Brady Bonacquisti scored on a 1-yard run.

Fenstermaker threw another touchdown pass to Mike Humphrey in the third quarter, this one for 16 yards. Bonacquisti grabbed a short throw from Fenstermaker with one hand and turned the catch into a 26-yard touchdown reception.

"Our running game is great,'' Fenstermaker said. "Our line is huge. Passing, I have confidence in them to just give me the three seconds I need.

"Then I just throw it to Mike (Humphrey). He's like Spider-man. Throw it too high or anywhere near him and somehow, someway he'll catch it.''