![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OwenLawrence-1049x840.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSaranac Lake\u2019s Evan Harvey throws during Friday\u2019s home opener against Massena on the new Wilson-Raymond Field.
\n(Enterprise photo \u2014 Parker O\u2019Brien)<\/p>\n
\tSARANAC LAKE \u2014 Bright lights, a packed house and a brand new turf field.<\/p>\n
\tIn what may have been the Saranac Lake football team\u2019s first-ever home Friday night football game, the evening had the makings of something special.<\/p>\n
\tHowever, the Massena Raiders spoiled the night, securing a 20-7 win over the Red Storm in the first gridiron contest on the new Wilson-Raymond field.<\/p>\n
\tSaranac Lake led by 7-6 at halftime, but after coughing up four second-half turnovers, which the Raiders capitalized on a couple of, any chance at a victory slipped away.<\/p>\n
\tThe Red Storm held strong on their first turnover \u2014 an interception on their second drive in the second half \u2014 but the same couldn\u2019t be said about the third. Saranac Lake coughed up a fumble on its own 22-yard line, and Massena used just four plays before Mason Deshane reached paydirt on an 11-yard carry to claim a 12-7 lead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Saranac Lake\u2019s Owen Lawrence carries the ball during Friday\u2019s home opener against Massena on the new Wilson-Raymond Field.
\n(Enterprise photo \u2014 Parker O\u2019Brien)<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWhen we try to run a toss sweep and put the ball on the turf in our end, and they recover it, giving them a short field, it\u2019s a really tough ask,\u201d Saranac Lake head coach Eric Bennett said. \u201cI thought our defense played pretty well tonight. And you get a short field, it\u2019s tough to maintain that intensity or the ability to stop them over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe offensive mistakes continued on the Red Storm\u2019s ensuing drive as Massena\u2019s Drake Love intercepted a pass at midfield and took it the distance for the score, essentially sealing the game with a successful 2-point conversion run by Deshane.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cNo one\u2019s gonna win a ball game with minus two (turnovers), let alone minus four (turnovers), right?We\u2019ve got a young squad and some positions and they\u2019re just going to keep getting better and better,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cOur kids are resilient. They\u2019re going to keep working. We\u2019ve got a whole season to improve, and that\u2019s our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAfter finishing 4-4 last season, Saranac Lake has some work to do with its young squad, but the talent is definitely there. The Red Storm has 15 underclassmen, including Evan Harvey, a sophomore quarterback who was starting for the first time in his young career on Friday.<\/p>\n
\tHarvey completed eight of 18 passes in the game, while hooking up with junior Owen Lawrence on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left in the opening half. The Red Storm claimed the 7-6 lead, following a successful extra point kick from Scottie Nicholas.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ScottieNicholas-1100x733.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Saranac Lake\u2019s Scottie Nicholas (10) celebrates after stopping Massena\u2019s Jakob Page for loss of yards during Friday\u2019s home opener against Massena on the new Wilson-Raymond Field. Also pictured is Saranac Lake\u2019s Gunner Harrison (5).
\n(Enterprise photo \u2014 Parker O\u2019Brien)<\/p>\n
\tThe play was set up after Evan Harvey launched a deep pass to cousin Braydon Harvey, who burnt the Massena secondary for a 36-yard gain. The Red Storm reached the endzone for the first time on the new turf four plays later.<\/p>\n
\tLawrence led Saranac Lake with 47 yards of offense \u2014 37 through the air on six catches and 10 on the ground on three runs. The Lake Placid student-athlete also had more than 50 returning yards.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cOwen Lawrence is a warrior,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cI mean, from punt returns to kicking off to tough runs, I mean, just having kids like that, it\u2019s great, it\u2019s incredible and we\u2019re fortunate to have him, just like a lot of other kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSaranac Lake did, however, have an off night when it came to its ground game. The team was limited to just 23 rushing yards on 21 carries.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI mean, obviously, we\u2019ve got to figure out some things up front,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cIt\u2019s tough to win ball games if we can\u2019t run the ball. Everybody knows that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tDeshane led the Raiders with 93 rushing yards on 20 carries, while Hunter Smith added 23 yards on the ground. Massena\u2019s signal caller, Vincent Monacelli, completed nine of his 16 passes for 101 yards.<\/p>\n
\tMonacelli converted on some deep shots, including a 46-yard throw to Lucas Regan on the Raiders\u2019 second drive of the contest. After a near interception by Saranac Lake \u2014 and a few penalties \u2014 Monacelli completed a 6-yard pass to Regan for the go-ahead touchdown. Saranac Lake\u2019s Miles Frazier blocked the extra-point kick, keeping the score to just six.<\/p>\n
\tDespite some early woes, the Red Storm\u2019s defense shone, as seniors Nicholas, Frazier and David Montroy were among those recording sacks and tackles for losses. Bennett thought his team\u2019s defense played pretty stout.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe gave him a lot of different looks, and we\u2019re able to get some good penetration,\u201d he said. \u201cI think our kids have a good handle on what they\u2019re doing there, and we knew that would be a strength of ours this year and hopefully it continues to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tBennett said the outcome of Friday\u2019s game was unfortunate, but added that it\u2019s a long season and his team is going to get better. But as for the atmosphere in the first game at the new stadium, it couldn\u2019t have been better.<\/p>\n
\tThe bleachers were packed and students, parents and community members decked out in the good ole Red and White, as Saranac Lake enters a new chapter in its athletics.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt was great, we\u2019re really thankful to have the fans that we have and the support that we have,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that our community put together a jewel like this, and I\u2019m glad our kids have a modern place to play. \u201cI played on the old Wilson-Raymond field as so many other people did here, and have fond memories of it. This is a new era, and I\u2019m glad our kids have something that is special.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Red Storm will return back the new Wilson-Raymond Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, when the team hosts the Moriah Vikings. In their Week 0 matchup, the Vikings lost 34-0 to the Greenwich Witches in a non-league match.<\/p>\n
\u2013<\/p>\n
Massena 20, Saranac Lake 7<\/p>\n
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Raiders 0 6 0 14 \u2014 20<\/p>\n
Red Storm 0 7 0 0 \u2014 7<\/p>\n
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SCORING<\/p>\n
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Second quarter<\/p>\n
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M \u2014 Regan 6 pass from Monacelli (kick blocked), 10:00<\/p>\n
SL \u2013 Lawrence 2 pass from E. Harvey (Nicholas kick), 0:10<\/p>\n
Fourth quarter<\/p>\n
M \u2014 Deshane 11 run (pass failed), 10:48<\/p>\n
M \u2014 Love 50 interception return (Deshane run), 8:48<\/p>\n
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS<\/p>\n
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Rushing<\/p>\n
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M \u2013 Deshane 20-93, TD; Smith 8-23; Monacelli 5-2; Page 2-(-5); Francis 1-(-1); Team 3-(-54). Totals: 39-58, TD.<\/p>\n
SL \u2014 Montroy 9-12; Nicholas 3-13; Lawrence 3-10; Martelle 1-1; E. Harvey 5-(-13). Totals: 21-23.<\/p>\n
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Passing<\/p>\n
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M \u2014 Monacelli 9-16-0-101, TD.<\/p>\n
SL \u2014 E. Harvey 8-18-2-83, TD; Willett 0-1-1-0. Totals: 8-19-3-83, TD.<\/p>\n
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Receiving<\/p>\n
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M \u2014 Bentley 5-36; Regan 2-50, TD; Smith 1-8; Barcomb 1-7.<\/p>\n
SL \u2014 Lawrence 6-37, TD; B. Harvey 1-36; Martelle 1-10.<\/p>\n
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Interceptions<\/p>\n
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M \u2014 Francis; Love; Smith.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t
\tSARANAC LAKE \u2014 Senior Connor Gillis netted a breakaway goal to help lead the Saranac Lake boys soccer team to a …<\/p>\n
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