Colonie fends off late Albany surge to secure first league win

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- In the highly-competitive Class AA, no win comes easy. Colonie entered Week 6 still seeking its first within the classification after three grueling games to start league play against Shaker, Shenendehowa and Saratoga Springs.

The Wolf Pack faced their best chance yet to secure a league victory Saturday, traveling to Albany High to face a Falcons squad with just a 1-2 record in AA play.

But Albany made Colonie earn it, erasing a 14-point second half deficit and tying the game at 22 in the fourth quarter. The Wolf Pack willed their way to victory, though, scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 34.5 seconds remaining to come out on the right side of a 28-22 thriller.

Quarterback Steve Thomas Junior was the hero for Colonie, delivering the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning score with a 13-yard TD pass to Cameron Frazier.

Not only was Thomas Jr. the one to lift the Wolf Pack to victory, he was responsible for pulling his team out of a major funk to start the game.

Albany got out to an 8-0 lead after a first-quarter safety and second-quarter rushing touchdown from Kahlil Beckett. Colonie was held scoreless for the opening 17 minutes of game action before Thomas Jr. linked up with Tyler Bilka on a 31-yard touchdown. The junior signal caller then ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at eight with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Colonie got the ball right back after Curtis Watson recovered a fumble. Three plays later, the offense faced a fourth down, and Thomas Jr. broke free from a potential drive-ending sack to deliver a pass to Mason Grimes for a gain of 15 yards down to the three-yard line. Grimes would finish off the drive, reaching paydirt on a halfback toss from one yard out to claim the Wolf Pack a 15-8 lead just before halftime.

Colonie opened up the second half with a flourish, going 50 yards on just five plays. Grimes found the end zone for a second time, taking a HB sweep off the right side of the offensive line and going 21 yards to the house, extending the margin to 14.

But Albany would not roll over in front of its home crowd, responding with a 30-yard touchdown run from Rohon Edwards-Grant. The Falcons trailed by eight after failing to convert a two-point try, but they'd have another chance in the fourth quarter after Edwards-Grant took a blocked Colonie punt in for a score. Beckett fought his way to the ensuing conversion, leveling the score at 22.

Colonie took over with 4:24 remaining in the contest at its own 47-yard line. The Wolf Pack marched 40 yards in 3:49, and on the eighth play of the drive, Thomas Jr. and Frazier connected for the touchdown that would keep the Wolf Pack in the sectional tournament hunt.

Colonie (3-3, 1-3 in Class AA) is back on the road next week to battle Schenectady. Albany (3-3, 1-3) hits the road to take on Saratoga Springs.