Redskins' quarterback Frank Petroskey ran for two first half touchdowns to give CCS a 13-0 halftime lead, and Cooperstown was able to hold off a second half comeback by Waterville.

"They were a much bigger team than us, and we started to wear down in the second half," CCS head coach Steve Pugliese said. "But we regrouped and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to hang on."

Waterville cut the lead to 13-12 after three quarters of play, but sophomore running back R.J. Alton scored his first varsity touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the lead back to eight points at 20-12.

But later in the quarter, Waterville tied the score with a touchdown and two-point conversion.

Facing a fourth and 13 on the Waterville 33-yard line with just over three minutes remaining, Petroskey hooked up with Lucas Niedzialkowski on a 32-yard touchdown pass late in the game to seal the win. Niedzialkowski caught the ball just short of the first down marker, then broke a tackle and ran down the sideline for the winning score.

Petroskey rushed for a team-high 69 yards, completed five passes for 81 yards, and also led the team with 15 tackles from his safety position.

"Frank is our ace in the hole, but we've been getting contributions from a lot of different players," Pugliese said of his young team. "This team plays hard and practices hard. They've come along a little faster than I anticipated, but they deserve their success."

Pugliese said Todd Collier and Kyle Liner have both played extremely well on the offensive and defensive line, and linebacker Brian Segit and safety Josh White have also been defensive forces.

Friday night's game will be the first Center State Conference East league game for Cooperstown and Herkimer, who will both enter the game with 2-0 records.

"Herkimer's a very quick team," Pugliese said. "We have to try and shut down their option and limit their passing game. We're a fast team too, and we should be able to cause them some problems also."

After Friday's game, Cooperstown will be home for three straight weeks, beginning with league rival Mt. Markham on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.