Syracuse, N.Y. — After Morrisville-Eaton football’s second consecutive loss to open the 2025 season, head coach Don Johnson sat his players down and got honest with them.
After 30 years of coaching, this season was to be his last. And his Mavericks team, sectional runner-ups the year before, had better get in gear.
“They broke it down to us,” said senior linebacker and tight end Gavin Baker. “Look, it’s our last year. We’re doing this for you guys. You’d better do it for us. And then that’s really what flipped the switch for us.”
Morrisville-Eaton won its final six regular-season games, won two more playoff games to reach the JMA Wireless Dome for the second consecutive season, then unseated defending state regional champion Frankfort-Schuyler on Friday to claim the 8-man sectional championship, 40-36.
As the fourth quarter clock ticked down with Frankfort-Schuyler up 36-32, the Maroon Knights were driving in Morrisville-Eaton territory, looking to run the rest of the game away.
But with 3:11 left, Baker forced and recovered a fumble from Frankfort-Schuyler quarterback Jerome Bowen at the Morrisville-Eaton 32-yard line, and the Mavericks drove down to score the game-winning touchdown with 1:01 left on a one-yard Wesley Dimperio run.
High School Football Section III 8-man Sectional Final: Frankfort-Schuyler vs. Morrisville-Eaton
Before Friday’s loss, the Maroon Knights had won 23 straight games and two straight 8-man section titles.
“We had a pep rally today,” Johnson said. “And three years ago, when we beat Frankfort here, I made the comment at the pep rally that we would bring home our first-ever sectional championship banner. I made that same comment today that we would be bringing home our second Section III banner because I knew deep down how bad my boys wanted it.”
Frankfort-Schuyler beat Morrisville-Eaton 20-18 in Week 1, though both lineups looked dramatically different on Friday. Morrisville-Eaton was without its entire starting line and its starting quarterback. Baker was at guard, not tight end. Frankfort-Schuyler was also missing multiple starters, including Bowen.
“It was a whole different team they played that week,” Baker said.
After losing that game and losing 8-0 to Thomas A. Edison in Week 2, Johnson talked with his team. But even in the following week against Unatego, Morrisville-Eaton was down multiple touchdowns in the fourth quarter and staring at an 0-3 start.
They came back to win and didn’t allow another opponent to score more than one touchdown until the sectional playoffs.
But facing a team that hadn’t lost in almost two years would be difficult, no matter how much the Mavericks’ lineup improved between September and November. Even people in their own high school and their own community doubted the Mavericks, Baker said.
“That never got in our heads,’ running back and defensive back Mason Marland said. “That just made me want it even more.”
In last year’s final, Frankfort-Schuyler jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first 10 minutes and cruised to an easy 50-14 victory. Friday’s game was back-and-forth the whole way, with neither team taking a lead of more than one possession at any point.
The two teams traded touchdowns and successful two-point conversions for almost three full quarters before Bowen was stopped on a 2-point conversion run with Frankfort-Schuyler up 30-24 late in the third quarter. Reese Bowen, Jerome’s brother, was injured earlier in the drive and did not return – a crushing loss for a Frankfort-Schuyler team that relied heavily on the Bowen brothers for almost every play in the first half.
Morrisville-Eaton answered with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion on its next possession to take a 32-30 lead. Bowen put the Maroon Knights ahead with a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, but Morrisville-Eaton stopped another Frankfort-Schuyler two-point conversion to cut the lead to 36-32.
After Frankfort-Schuyler recovered a Marland fumble at its own 1-yard line with about 10 minutes left, the Maroon Knights put Bowen in the backfield and ran him on play after play to keep the clock running. Morrisville-Eaton wasn’t sure if they’d get the ball back.
“I was scared,” Mavericks quarterback Landen Highers said. “I was praying to God the whole time. In my head, I’m like, ‘Please, God, help us win this game. Please, God, help us win.’”
Baker popped the ball out from Bowen’s arms, crawled on top of it, and Morrisville-Eaton didn’t miss a beat on its way to the game-winning touchdown.
Frankfort-Schuyler got the ball back, but Cade Zaleski forced a second Bowen fumble and Lewis Joslyn recovered it to seal the win. Bowen – who carried the Maroon Knights on Friday and all season – fell to his knees with his hands on his helmet.
Frankfort-Schuyler’s senior class only dropped five games in four years, including just two in the past three seasons.
“We’ve enjoyed this ride with them, and they’re hurting now, but I’m sure when they look back on it, they’re going to have some good memories of high school football,” longtime Frankfort-Schuyler head coach Jeff LaGase said. “We’re really, really proud of them. They’ve made Frankfort-Schuyler proud.”
Morrisville-Eaton’s seniors are sectional champions for the first time since their freshman year. Their cheeks stained with eye black, their hair razzled, their voices hoarse, they beamed with accomplishment.
Their coach was going out on top.
“We knew we wanted to win for him,” Baker said.
If the Mavericks can get past the winner of Friday night’s game between Section X’s Tupper Lake and Section II’s Taconic Hills in the state regional semifinals, Johnson will get one final game back in the JMA Wireless Dome with a chance to end his career with a state regional championship.
“At halftime, coach said that we just have to leave everything on the field and there is no next week. There is no tomorrow,” a hoarse Marland said. “After tonight, when I wake up in the morning, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk. To be honest, we left everything out there – my voice is out there.”
Box score
Morrisville-Eaton 8-8-16-8 -- 40
Frankfort Schuyler 8-16-6-6--36
First Quarter
M-E: Mason Marland 8-yard run (Landen Highers pass to Noah Mudge) 8-0
F-S: Reese Bowen, 72-yard pass from Jerome Bowen (Jerome Bowen run) 8-8
Second Quarter
M-E: Mason Marland 43-yard run (Landen Highers run) 16-8
F-S: Jerome Bowen 7-yard run (Jerome Bowen run) 16-16
F-S: Jovan Myers 25-yard pass from Jerome Bowen (Griffin Bryant run) 24-16
Third Quarter
M-E: Gavin Baker 49-yard pass from Landen Highers (Landen Highers run) 24-24
F-S: Javon Myers 10-yard pass from Jerome Bowen (run failed) 30-24
M-E: Wesley D’Imperio 10-yard run (Wesley D’Imperio run) 32-30
F-S: Jerome Bowen 5-yard run (pass failed) 36-32
Fourth Quarter
M-E: Wesley D’Imperio 1-yard run (Landen Highers run) 40-36
MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
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- Christian Brothers Academy football takes step toward 3rd straight state crown with regional win
- Morrisville-Eaton football cruises past Taconic Hills to secure spot in 8-man state regional final
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