The Panthers ran for 226 yards and won despite fumbling the ball away to the Eagles three times.

The Eagles’ lone touchdown came on a 65-yard pass from Brayden Gibbs to Nick Jacobson in the second quarter, but Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton was unable to find the end zone in the second half.

The game turned in the third quarter when the Eagles had a go-ahead touchdown called back on a penalty. On the next play, Portville/Cuba-Rushford’s Aidan Defazio returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles settled for the Class C South No. 3 seed and will have to go on the road for a Section VI quarterfinal next week.

Gowanda/Pine Valley’s Brayden Smith attempts to bring down Randolph’s Kevin McElwain during Friday’s Class D game at Raymond Van Wie Field in Randolph. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

Portville/Cuba-Rushford 6 0 6 12 — 24

Chautauqua Lake/W/B 0 7 0 0 — 7

P/C-R–Sleggs 57 run (kick failed)

CL/W/B–Jacobson 65 pass from Gibbs (Fairbank kick)

P/C-R–Defazio 51 interception return (run failed)

P/C-R–DeYoe 20 run (run failed)

P/C-R–Sleggs 1 run (pass failed)

RANDOLPH CLINCHES BYE

RANDOLPH — Kevin McElwain’s 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter sent Randolph to a 20-18 Class D football victory over Gowanda/Pine Valley on Friday night.

The victory gives the Cardinals the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Section VI playoffs and the corresponding bye week that goes along with it.

Randolph ran for 295 yards on 61 carries and held an advantage of 39:03-8:57 in time of possession. Connor Braley ran 21 times for 90 yards, Reagan Smith ran 19 times for 71 yards, McElwain carried 12 times for 82 yards and Jaxson Morrison ran nine times for 52 yards.

Panthers quarterback Carter Capozzi went 19 of 38 through the air for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Winter Mentley-Peters caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, while Brayden Smith caught five passes for 75 yards and the other touchdown.

Gowanda/Pine Valley took the first lead on a Capozzi-to-Smith 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but failed the 2-point conversion attempt.

Randolph answered with a 3-yard touchdown from Braley that gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead at halftime thanks to Griffin Nelson’s point-after kick.

The Panthers regained the lead on a Capozzi-to-Mentley-Peters 80-yard touchdown connection in the third quarter, but Randolph answered with a 7-yard touchdown run from Smith that made it 13-12 after Nelson’s point-after kick was blocked.

Gowanda/Pine Valley took the lead for the final time on a 5-yard touchdown run from Capozzi that made it 18-13, but McElwain ended up with the winning score for the Cardinals.

Gowanda/Pine Valley 0 6 12 0 — 18

Randolph 0 7 6 7 — 20

G/PV–Smith 21 pass from Capozzi (kick failed)

Ran–Braley 3 run (Nelson kick)

G/PV–Mentley-Peters 80 pass from Capozzi (pass failed)

Ran–Smith 7 run (kick failed)

G/PV–Capozzi 5 run (pass failed)

Ran–McElwain 35 run (Nelson kick)