The Auburn football team captured the Section III Class A championship with a 36-13 victory over Fayetteville-Manlius on Friday night, using a dominant second half to pull away from the Hornets.
The championship matchup came less than a month after Auburn rallied from a 40-28 deficit in the final three minutes of the teams’ previous meeting.
Fayetteville-Manlius struck first as quarterback Graham Dauksza connected with running back Mason McCarthy for a big gain before finding him again for a touchdown.
Auburn responded with a red-zone rushing touchdown from Amir Williams to keep the Maroons within striking distance.
With the score tied at 13 late in the second quarter, Auburn quarterback Cal Maher delivered a deep pass to Jae’Ssiah Smith, setting up a field goal that sent the Maroons into halftime with a 16-13 advantage.
Auburn took control after the break, opening the third quarter with a scoring drive highlighted by Williams’ 43-yard touchdown run. The Maroons continued to build their lead, with Smith adding a touchdown as Auburn outscored Fayetteville-Manlius 20-0 in the second half to secure the sectional crown.
The Maroons will face the Section IV champion in the regional championship next Friday at 8 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.