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Amazing Blue Devils Foil Eldred in State Grid Playoffs
Dietz Stadium here we come
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Haldane's Rob Percacciolo, the kid who had the game of his life during the Blue Devils' upset victory |
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Haldane's Rob Percacciolo (24), who connected on two TD passes and was 7-of-11 for 97 passing yards, was the heart and soul of the 4-5 Blue Devils' shocking 19-14 Class D regional quarterfinal triumph over Section 9 champion Eldred last Saturday at Mahopac High. The QB/DB selflessly threw his body and the ball at Eldred with precision, including the game-winning 35-yard scoring strike to freshman Matt Giachinta with 22 seconds remaining. Percacciolo, who played the game of his life, also connected with Kyle Van Tassel for an 8-yard scoring aerial and scored on a 1-yard keeper to figure in on all three Haldane scores.
Haldane (4-5), which closed out the regular season with just two wins and a three-game losing streak before upsetting defending state champion Tuckahoe for the Section 1 Class D crown, is headed for the state semifinals for the second time ever. The amazing Blue Devils will face Section 10's Ticonderoga on Friday at 4 pm at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. Section 7's Ticonderoga (8-2) enters the game as the 11th-ranked Class D team in the state. A win over Ticonderoga would advance the Blue Devils to the state championship game at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on November 23rd at 10 am where they would likely see Section 4 champion Walton, which disposed of top-ranked Onondaga, 52-14. State-ranked (No.2) Walton squares off against No.3 Bolivar-Richburg (11- 0) in the other semifinal. Haldane is the lone unranked team still standing, though that will likely change this week.
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