Mustangs win homecoming game, 64-32

PENN YAN--The Penn Yan varsity football team defeated Palmyra-Macedon at their homecoming game Saturday, Sept. 19. The final score was 64-32, with Cassie Lafler being named the homecoming queen during halftime.
Penn Yan started the game at a 6-0 deficit, after the Red Raiders returned the opening kickoff for an 85-yard touchdown. The Mustangs started on their own 35-yard line after a kick out of bounds, moving to the 50 on a defensive pass interference penalty. The Mustangs turned the ball over on the next play with a fumble to give the Red Raiders the ball.
Pal-Mac scored on their first offensive play of the series on a toss pass for a 54-yard touchdown. The score was 12-0 Pal-Mac less than a minute into the first quarter.
The Mustang offense gained a first down on their next drive, but were forced to punt after a short series. The Red Raiders returned the punt into Mustang territory, but punted after gaining only a few yards.
Austin Fingar returned the punt to midfield, but a block in the back penalty started the Mustang offense at their own eight-yard line. Quarterback Tanner Irwin took the next play into Pal-Mac territory with a 63-yard run. This helped set up the Mustangs' first score on a two-yard touchdown run by running back Dylan Stape. A successful two-point conversion put the score at 12-8 Pal-Mac in the first quarter.
The Red Raiders responded with a 63-yard touchdown run on their first offensive play of the series to go up 18-8.
Penn Yan started on their own 23, capping off another scoring drive with a 35-yard rush by Stape. The Mustangs pulled within two points following a successful conversion, with a score of 18-16 Pal-Mac to end the first quarter.
The Raiders offense turned the ball over on a fumble, giving Penn Yan the ball at the Pal-Mac 30-yard line. Irwin connected with Sean Emerson for a 30-yard touchdown pass on the next play to take the lead 24-18 early in the second quarter.
The Mustang defense forced Pal-Mac to punt on their next drive, but a long rush by Fingar ended in a fumble to give the ball back to the Red Raiders at their own 31-yard line. The Penn Yan defense held again though, forcing a Pal-Mac punt.
Fingar redeemed his fumble on a first play screen pass for a 55-yard touchdown to increase the Penn Yan lead 30-18 with 7:34 left in the first half.
The Red Raiders then turned the ball over on downs at the Penn Yan 46-yard line. Stape brought the ball into the end zone on a 40-yard rush, but was brought back on a holding call. The offense continued to drive with the aid of several Raider penalties, scoring on a one-yard Fingar rush to go up 38-18. This would be the score going into halftime.
During halftime, Cassie Lafler was named the 2015 homecoming queen out of five candidates. She was escorted by Reid McMichael. Lafler's fellow nominees included Bianca Colon (escorted by Jack Arnold), Sydney Gifford (Robbie Wigsten), Erica Jensen (Elias Tiilikainen) and Riley Pallar (Patrick Reagan).
Penn Yan started the second half on offense, completing another Irwin to Emerson touchdown pass for 47 yards on fourth down to go up 44-18.
The offensive onslaught would continue throughout the second half. The score at the end of the third quarter was 58-26 Penn Yan, with a final score of 64-32.
Penn Yan had 504 yards offensively. Tanner Irwin contributed 103 yards on the ground and 198 through the air with three touchdowns. He also had nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Dylan Stape had 105 yards rushing, three touchdowns and nine tackles. Austin Fingar recorded 54 yards rushing with a touchdown and 100 yards receiving with another touchdown. He had 11 tackles. Sean Emerson had 98 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Jack Peterson added six tackles and a fumble recovery.