Photo courtesy of Cody Jacobson Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton captains Brayden Gibbs (5), Carson Fairbank (4), Asher Olson (8) and Trent Houser (58) accept the NYSPHSAA Class C West Semifinalist plaque with head coach Ty Harper, far right, after falling to Chenango Forks on Saturday in Cicero.

CICERO — Ty Harper knew Chenango Forks would provide the stiffest test his team had seen all season.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils dominated Chautauqua Lake Westfield/Brocton and gave the Eagles a level to which they can aspire.

The Section IV champions rushed for 400-plus yards, including 172 in the first quarter alone, en route to a 34-7 victory over the Eagles in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C West Semifinal on a brisk afternoon at Cicero-North Syracuse High School’s Michael J. Bragman Stadium.

“We ran into a great time, just a phenomenal program. It seems like Chenango Forks has been a staple in the state semifinals for two-and-a-half or three decades. This is a team that is used to being here,” Harper, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton’s first-year head coach, said postgame. “My goal is to get our program to the same place. I want Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton to be a program that is perennially in position to contend for titles.

Chenango Forks, which advanced to next Saturday’s noon Class C title game at the JMA Wireless Dome on the campus of Syracuse University with the win, will be looking for its first state title since 2021, and record-tying eighth overall since 1993. The Blue Devils will take on Section I’s Bronxville, which beat Section II’s Schuylerville 49-16 in the East Semifinal at Middletown High School.

Based on how well Chenango Forks played, it’s hard to believe the Broncos will provide much resistance.

Although Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton did stop the Blue Devils’ first drive of the game, the Chenango Forks needed just four plays to score on its second possession when junior quarterback Sam Paske raced 41 yards for a score on fourth-and-4 to give his team a 6-0 lead with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter after the Eagles’ Trent Houser blocked the point-after attempt.

That turned into one of the lone bright spots for the Section VI champions.

A Nick Jacobson kickoff return set Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton up on the plus side of midfield and senior quarterback Brayden Gibbs immediately found fellow senior Devin Hewes for a 14-yard completion, but the drive stalled four plays later.

After Tate Bender gained 23 yards on first down, Brysen Fry ran for a 47-yard touchdown to give Chenango Forks a 13-0 lead after Simon Kasmarcik’s first of four successful PATs.

The Eagles defense came up with a goal-line stand at the 5-yard line, but after the offense went three-and-out, the Blue Devils quickly made it 20-0 on Paske’s second of three touchdown runs.

“They were just really physical at the line of scrimmage. We knew we were going to have to be really good at the point of attack,” Harper said. “There is a reason they are in this game every year. Their concepts aren’t really complicated, but they are really good at what they do.”

Following the Chenango Forks defense’s second of three interceptions in the first half, Bender made it 27-0 on a 7-yard touchdown run with 3:12 remaining in the second quarter.

“It’s tough when you become one-dimensional on offense. It’s tough on the offensive line and it’s hard on the quarterback,” Harper said. “I thought our guys battled and we did some positive things, but at the end of the day you have to be able to run the ball and we just weren’t able to do that today.”

Paske, who finished with 16 carries for 140 yards, scored his final touchdown on a 3-yard run in the third quarter that made it 34-0.

As the game quickly made its way to the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils began resting their starters in anticipation of next weekend’s state championship game.

Junior Thandon Bensink found the end zone for the Eagles on a 27-yard run with 4:37 left in their season.

“Your football team is like a little family. You spend so much time together,” Harper said. ” … You’ve been playing for 13 weeks, they’re sore, they’re tired … you just feel grateful as a coach for a group of guys that is willing to do that.”

While the loss dampened the Eagles’ spirits at the end of their season, it did not take away from their accomplishments over the past three months. They finished second in the Class C South standings and after losing to league champion Southwestern/Frewsburg 45-0 in October, flipped the script on the Trojans with a 21-0 victory in the Section VI championship game earlier this month at Highmark Stadium.

“I’m extremely grateful to all of these kids for the way they treated me coming in as an outsider,” said Harper, who coached Clymer/Sherman/Panama to three state titles in 10 years. “A lot of these guys played for a different coaching staff and some of them had parents who were on the previous coaching staff and they welcomed me with open arms.”

Despite losing 15 seniors, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton will look to repeat its success of 2014 and 2015 when Chautauqua Lake/Maple Grove won back-to-back sectional titles.

“I think our seniors have laid a foundation for future success. I know it hurts right now, it’s never fun losing the last game of the year, no matter when that happens. But they have a lot to be proud of,” Harper said. “I’m going to remember these guys forever. They’ll be the group of kids that kind of set the foundation for what’s to come.”

NOTES: Fry ran 19 times for 134 yards and a score while Bender carried the ball 13 times for 79 yards and a score. … Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton ran 19 times for 64 yards, led by Bensink’s 10 carries for 47 yards and a score. … Gibbs completed 12 of 26 passes for 109 yards. Asher Olson caught four passes for 48 yards while Hewes had five catches for 23 yards. … Olson and Chenango Forks’ Jacob Robinson received the Sportsmanship Awards for their respective teams.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton 0 0 0 7 — 7

Chenango Forks 13 14 7 0 — 34

CF–Paske 41 run (kick blocked)

CF–Fry 47 run (Kasmarcik kick)

CF–Paske 1 run (Kasmarcik kick)

CF–Bender 7 run (Kasmarcik kick)

CF–Paske 3 run (Kasmarcik kick)

CL/W/B–Bensink 27 run (Fairbank kick)