The Plattsburgh Hornets celebrate their 5-set win over the Saranac Spartans. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Hornets showed resilience under pressure Thursday evening, overcoming a determined Saranac Spartans comeback to earn a dramatic five-set victory in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference volleyball action. Entering the match with a 6-2 record, the Hornets appeared in complete control early. Plattsburgh dominated the opening set 25-15, using consistent offense and strong net play to keep the Spartans out of rhythm. The Hornets carried that momentum into the second set. Saranac stayed within striking distance for much of the frame, but Plattsburgh surged late, closing on an 8-4 run to secure a 25-18 victory and a commanding two-set lead. With their backs against the wall, the Spartans responded impressively. Trailing 19-17 in the third set, Saranac put together an explosive 8-0 run to seize control. The Spartans finished the set on a remarkable 14-2 stretch, claiming a 25-19 win and breathing life into the match. The fourth set featured long rallies and momentum swings as neither team could establish separation. Saranac continued its strong play in critical moments, eventually pulling away for a 25-20 victory to even the match at two sets apiece. The deciding fifth set delivered the night's biggest drama. Saranac grabbed an early advantage and led 7-4 at the side switch, putting the Hornets on the brink of defeat. Plattsburgh battled back point by point, refusing to let the Spartans complete the reverse sweep. With neither team able to gain the required two-point margin, the set stretched beyond the standard 15 points and into overtime. The rivals traded points before the Hornets finally prevailed 19-17, sealing one of the most exciting matches of the CVAC season. The victory lifts Plattsburgh to 6-2, while Saranac falls to 4-3 despite its spirited comeback effort. Plattsburgh returns to action Oct. 5 against Saranac Lake, while Saranac will travel to face Saranac Lake on Oct. 6. For two sets, it looked like the Hornets were heading toward a quick victory. Instead, the Spartans forced a winner-take-all fifth set before Plattsburgh regrouped and escaped with a hard-earned win in a match that showcased CVAC volleyball's competitiveness. Gallery

Peru Deacon Giroux (1) takes it around the edge for a Nighthawks score as the Nighthawks win 45-23. 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 received touchdowns from Holland, Rodriguez, and Colburn but was unable to 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.

Peru's Isaiah Hendrix (10) splits Saranac's Skyler Walker (11) and Grant Coryea (66) as he would take it in for one of his two scores on the evening. 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, Isaiah 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 on the season and will try to rebound when it faces the Beekmantown Eagles next weekend.

The Peru Nighthawks would win the 2026 Section VI Big Schools Champions Challenge 47-41 win overthe Saranac Spartans. It would be the second game of the 2026 Section VII Champions Challenges at Clinton Community College, featuring the #9 Peru Nighthawks and the #12 Saranac Spartans as they go after the title of the best of the big schools. The Nighthawks would start great, they look to continue their storied season with a 19-7 quarte In the second quarter, the Spartans would get their shot, and their defense would be right three as they would double up the Nighhawks with a 12-6 quarter, but would trail 25-19 at the intermission When the teams would return for the third quarter the Spartans defense would still be there as they would have a 8-5 quarter with a 30-27 Nighthawks lead as they enter the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the offense for both teams would have an answer, but the Nighhawks would stand tall with a 17-14 quarter to secure the 47-41 victory. In the winning effort, the Nighthawks' Bella Berry would lead the way with 15 points as they go to 17-2 on the season. As for the Saranac Spartan, Madison Gaginer would lead the way with 24 points as they fall to 13-9 on the season and get ready for the New York State Tournament. Gallery

The Saranac Spartans are crowned the 2026 Section VII Class B Champions, defeating Northeastern Clinton 38-36. It would be the start of the second day of action at the Clinton Community College Florence Gym, as the #1 Saranac Spartans would take on the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars for the right to advance to the New York State Class B Tournament. Defense would be the name of the game, as the Cougars would start at just 6-2 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the offense would come alive on both sides, as the Spartans won the quarter 13-12 but trailed 18-15 at the intermission. When the teams returned for the third quarter, it would be another low-scoring affair, as the Spartans won the quarter 11-9, and the Cougars took the slim 27-26 lead into the final 8 minutes. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans would let their defense stand strong as they would come back and win the quarter 12-9 to get the 38-36 victory In the winning effort for the Spartans Madison Gaginer would have 18 points as they advance to the New York State Class B Tournament and the Northeastern Clinton Cougars season would come to end as Grace Praire would have ten points. Gallery