Moriah (4) makes a two-handed leaping catch over Peru's Isaac Rogers (15) for the Vikings' score. CLINTONVILLE, N.Y. — Under the lights on a field built for moments like this, No. 18 Peru turned Ausable Valley High School's historic turf debut into a memorable Friday night showcase. After falling behind early, the unbeaten Nighthawks unleashed a relentless offense and pulled away from Moriah for a 42-28 win, remaining perfect while adding another chapter to their undefeated campaign. The first varsity football game played on Ausable Valley's new turf field opened with Moriah seizing the momentum. The Vikings struck first when No. 25 crossed the goal line on an 8-yard touchdown run just 2:35 into the contest, giving Moriah a 6-0 lead and energizing the crowd. Peru quickly settled in behind Brody Blaise Smith's running. The Nighthawks answered at 9:21 of the opening quarter when Smith powered in from three yards out, and the extra point gave Peru a 7-6 lead. The Nighthawks took control in the second quarter. Smith found the end zone again on a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:46 left, extending the lead to 14-6. Peru's offense continued to click later in the quarter when Marco Amato hauled in a 36-yard touchdown reception at the 6:57 mark, pushing the advantage to 21-6. Moriah refused to back down. The Vikings answered with a 23-yard touchdown reception by No. 4 at 10:30 into the quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-14 and briefly shifting the momentum back in their favor. Peru responded immediately with another big play through the air. Amato caught his second touchdown of the night on a 19-yard scoring reception at 11:27, sending the Nighthawks into halftime with a comfortable 28-14 lead. The Nighthawks carried that momentum into the second half. Deon Lawyer scored on a 5-yard touchdown run at the 3:39 mark of the third quarter to make it 35-14. Moriah countered with a 3-yard touchdown reception by No. 12 at the 11:10 mark, trimming the lead to 35-20 heading into the final quarter. Any hopes of a Vikings comeback died early in the fourth. Smith delivered the game's defining moment when he broke free for a spectacular 67-yard touchdown run 5:49 into the quarter. The explosive play stretched Peru's lead to 42-20 and capped a three-touchdown performance from the standout back. Moriah added one final score on a 16-yard touchdown reception by No. 12 with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings could not get closer as Peru secured the 42-28 win. Smith finished with three rushing touchdowns, Amato caught two touchdown passes, and Lawyer added another score on the ground as the Nighthawks improved to 8-0 and completed a perfect regular season impressively. As players and fans lingered under the lights after the final whistle, the first game on Ausable Valley's new turf ended. For Moriah, the night marked the end of the regular season and the beginning of postseason preparations. For Peru, it was the latest statement from one of Section VII's premier programs. The Nighthawks walked off the new surface with their perfect record intact, capping an unbeaten regular season and carrying plenty of momentum into the games that matter most.

Peru's Marco Amato (4) with the catch between a pair of Vikings defenders for the score.

Beekmantown's Garrett Pelky (81) with the shoulder tackle on Peru's Caleb Strake (0) and keeps him out of the end zone. PERU, N.Y. — The #18 Peru Nighthawks stayed unbeaten Friday night, overcame two early deficits, and dominated the second half to defeat the Beekmantown Eagles 41–20 in a Section VII rivalry matchup. Peru opened the scoring in the first quarter when Caleb Strake powered in from two yards out at 5:28. Beekmantown answered immediately as Garrett Pelkey returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to tie the game. The Eagles grabbed their first lead minutes later when quarterback Keller Crucetti finished a drive with a 2‑yard keeper, giving Beekmantown a 13–7 advantage after a fast start. The back‑and‑forth continued into the second quarter. Peru regained the lead on an 8‑yard run by Deon Lawyer, but Crucetti responded with a 15‑yard touchdown to put Beekmantown up 20–14. Peru swung the momentum for good on the next kickoff, as Finley Coon broke free for a return touchdown to tie the game. The Nighthawks struck again before halftime when Marco Amato hauled in a 62‑yard pass‑and‑run score, sending Peru into the break with a 27–20 lead. The turning point came midway through the third quarter. Peru’s Isaiah Hendrix jumped a route and raced 55 yards for a pick‑six, stretching the lead to 34–20 and putting the Eagles on their heels. From there, Peru’s defense tightened and held Beekmantown scoreless for the rest of the game. Lawyer added his second touchdown of the night in the closing seconds, punching in a 3‑yard run with seven seconds remaining to secure the 41–20 final and Peru’s fifth straight win. Peru hosts Saranac on October 17, while Beekmantown travels to Moriah on October 16.

Peru's Isaiah Hendrix (10) fighting for the extra yards with the defenders in tow.

Peru's Marco Amato (4) with the catch-and-run for the Nighthawks ' long-distance score. PLATTSBURGH — Week 3 of the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference season brought one of the year's most anticipated matchups as the undefeated Peru Nighthawks traveled to Plattsburgh High School to take on the unbeaten Plattsburgh Hornets, with sole possession of first place in the conference on the line. Peru struck first and never looked back. The Nighthawks opened the scoring at the 10:55 mark of the first quarter when Brody Blaise Smith broke through the Hornets' defense and raced 54 yards for a touchdown, giving Peru an early 6-0 advantage. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the opening quarter as both defenses settled in. Plattsburgh answered immediately to start the second quarter. Just 33 seconds into the period, Cooper Holland connected on a 31-yard touchdown pass to cap a quick drive and give the Hornets their first lead of the night at 7-6. The lead was short-lived. Peru responded with an explosive play of its own as Marco Amato hauled in a 58-yard touchdown pass to put the Nighthawks back in front, 12-7. The visitors continued to build momentum late in the half when Smith punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:31 remaining before halftime. Peru converted the extra point and carried a commanding 19-7 lead into the locker room. The Nighthawks dominated the second half. With 4:39 remaining in the third quarter, Smith delivered the game's knockout blow, bursting through the line and sprinting 52 yards for his third touchdown of the evening to extend the advantage to 26-7. Peru wasn't finished. With just 1:22 left in the third quarter, Deacon Giroux found space behind the Plattsburgh secondary and hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 33-7 heading into the final quarter. Only four seconds into the fourth quarter, Deon Lawyer added to the Peru lead with a 2-yard touchdown run, making it 39-7 and seemingly putting the game out of reach. To their credit, the Hornets kept fighting. Garrison Rodriguez found the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 39-15. Later, with less than four minutes remaining, Ryan Colburn electrified the home crowd with a 50-yard touchdown run, trimming the lead to 39-23 and making it a two-possession game. However, any hopes of a late comeback were erased in the closing minutes. With 1:27 remaining, Isaiah Hendrix connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass to seal the victory and cap off a dominant offensive performance for Peru. The touchdown provided the final margin as the Nighthawks rolled to a 45-23 victory over their longtime rivals. Smith led the way for Peru with three rushing touchdowns, while Amato, Giroux, Lawyer, and Hendrix all contributed scores in a balanced offensive attack. Plattsburgh scored touchdowns from Holland, Rodriguez, and Colburn but couldn't overcome Peru's explosive plays throughout the night. With the win, the Nighthawks improve to 3-0 and will return home next week to host Saranac Lake. The Hornets fall to 2-1 and will look to bounce back when they travel to Beekmantown to face the Eagles.

Plattsburgh's Cooper Holland (3) breaks the tackle of Peru's Isaac Roger (15) for the Hornets first down.

Saranac's Storm D'Ambrosio (4) flies in for the shoulder tackle on Peru's Finley Coon (11) for the open-field tackle and stops the first down. PERU, N.Y. — A battle of undefeated teams quickly turned into a showcase for the home team Friday night as the Peru Nighthawks rolled past the Saranac Spartans 55-0 in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference action. Peru set the tone early and never looked back, scoring in every phase of the game while improving to 2-0 on the season. The Nighthawks opened the scoring in the first quarter when Caleb Starke broke free for an 8-yard touchdown run, giving Peru a 7-0 advantage. That score stood as the lone touchdown of the opening quarter. Peru struck again early in the second quarter. Just 2:45 into the period, the Nighthawks extended their lead to 14-0 when Marco Amato hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass. The game's turning point came late in the first half. With just over two minutes remaining before intermission, Usaiah Hendrix intercepted a Spartans pass and raced 78 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six pushed Peru's lead to 21-0 heading into halftime and firmly put the Nighthawks in control. The second half began with fireworks as Deacon Giroux returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 28-0. Just over two minutes later, Isaiah Hendrix found the end zone for the second time on the night, powering in from 10 yards out to make it 35-0. Peru continued its third-quarter surge when Deon Lawyer scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 6:20 remaining in the period, pushing the advantage to 42-0. The Nighthawks never eased up in the fourth quarter. Darius Jenkins added a 21-yard touchdown run before Justin Schmidt capped the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run as Peru cruised to the 55-0 victory. Isaiah Hendrix led the way for the Nighthawks with two touchdowns, while Peru's defense pitched a shutout and added a touchdown of its own. The special teams unit also contributed a score, highlighting a complete team performance. With the win, Peru improves to 2-0 and will look to keep its perfect record intact next week against the Plattsburgh Hornets. Saranac falls to 1-1 and will try to rebound when it faces the Beekmantown Eagles next weekend.

Peru's Deon Lawyer (44) and Deacon Giroux (1) go high and low to bring down Saranac's Skyler Walker (11) along the sidelines.

Beekmantown's Shamus Bilbeau (1) fighting through the tackle for the extra yards. It would be the Section VII Class B Football championships from the Plattsburgh High School, and it would be the classic rivalry as the #1 Beekmantown Eagles would take on their longtime rivals, the #2 Peru Nighthawks, for the title and the berth in the NYSPHSAA tournament. The game would start well for the Eagles as they would get on the board in the 7th minute of the first quarter when Patrick Hagadorn would hit the 34-yard field goal and give them the 3-0 lead. In the closing seconds of the first quarter, the Eagles would get the game's first touchdown on a 24-yard run from Shamus Bilbeau and take the 10-0 lead. Then, just past the halfway mark of the second quarter, the Eagles would connect on another field goal and take the 13-0 lead. However, during that drive, there would be a scary moment as the Eagles Quarterback Josh Sands would be tackled, have his lower leg, get rolled up on, and need to be stretched off the field. Then, with 11 seconds left in the half, the Eagles would strike again on Shamus Bilbeau's second game score, this time from 5 yards out, and take the 19-0 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned for the third quarter, the Nighthawks would do their best to keep them in the game as the defense would step up, and there would be no scoring in the quarter, and the Eagles would hold onto the 19-0 lead as they entered the 4th quarter. In that fourth quarter, though, the Eagles would waste little time adding to their lead when Shamus Bilbeau would get his third game score, this time from 7 yards out, and they would take the 26-0 lead. Then, with just over two minutes left in the game, the Eagles would put the icing on the cake with a touchdown from Parker Broughton and make it a 33-0 win. With the win, the Eagles go to 8-1 on the season and will head to the Nymphs tournament next weekend against Ogdensburg on November 15th at Plattsburgh High School. As for the Peru Nighthawks, the season will end 6-3. Gallery

Peru's Brody Blaise Smith (44) with the tackle drags Beekmantown's Parker Broughton (33) to the ground for the short gain. Gallery