Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake secured the Section 2 Class A title with a 23-21 victory over Troy on Friday night at Colonie High School.
The Spartans, who finished the game with an 11-0 record, captured their 11th sectional championship in 20 years, according to reports from Yahoo Sports.
Senior Login Tomlinson proved to be the deciding factor in the game’s final moments.
Tomlinson forced a fumble by Troy quarterback Kyair Carr with 2:27 remaining, giving his team a critical chance to regain possession.
With only 17 seconds left on the clock, Tomlinson kicked a 32-yard field goal to secure the win, as noted by the Times Union.
Reflecting on the pressure of the moment, Tomlinson stated, “I have been dreaming about this since I was a little kid and first starting kicking.”
The game featured significant momentum shifts throughout the evening.
Troy initially led 14-0 before the Spartans rallied behind quarterback Tristan West, who connected with Michael Bies for a 21-yard touchdown pass.
Troy briefly regained a 21-20 lead late in the fourth quarter after a touchdown pass from Nymiear Jenkins to Ben Mergil.
Despite the difficult loss, Mergil remained philosophical about the outcome.
“It is hard, but, at the end of the day, it is football,” Mergil said in coverage provided by the Times Union.
The victory marks the first championship for head coach Kevin DeBonis during his four-year tenure.
For Troy, the loss concludes their season with an 8-3 record.
The Spartans are now set to advance to the state quarterfinals.
They will return to the field at Colonie High School next Friday to face Section 9 champion Cornwall, per the reporting from Yahoo Sports.
The state playoff matchup will feature two teams looking to advance further in the postseason.