{"id":65540,"date":"2025-06-22T21:56:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T01:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=65540"},"modified":"2025-06-22T21:56:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T01:56:15","slug":"genesee-county-spartans-lose-game-starting-quarterback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/06\/22\/genesee-county-spartans-lose-game-starting-quarterback\/","title":{"rendered":"Genesee County Spartans lose game, starting quarterback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Genesee County Spartans\u2019 defenders Ryley Elliott, Martin Krayna and Jack Fox-Salah try to break through against the Upstate Predators\u2019 offensive line during Saturday night\u2019s semipro football game at Pembroke Town Park. The Spartans lost, 52-14. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos by Lauren Donovan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY MIKE PETTINELLA
Genesee County Spartans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Upstate Predators put together a dominant performance on both sides of the ball Saturday night, throttling the Genesee County Spartans, 52-14, in a Northeastern Football Alliance interdivisional game at Pembroke Town Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterback Billy Joiner, a former receiver at the University of Buffalo, threw for five touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the Predators past the banged-up Spartans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upstate improved to 2-1 in the semipro league\u2019s AAA Division while Spartans fell to 1-3 in the AA Division.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Delonta Curry brings down Upstate tight end Samuel Diaz. Diaz caught eight passes \u2013 three for touchdowns \u2013 in Upstate\u2019s victory.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spartans entered the match with six starters \u2013 including standout defensive end Gunner Rapone and top wide receiver Deyonci Farley \u2013 out with injuries and then lost starting QB Corey Turpin to a broken collarbone suffered on his team\u2019s opening drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The host team went to backup quarterback Alex Rood, who also left the game in the first half, and then to Robert Thurston Jr. and Jhzon Henderson behind center, with little success against the Rochester-based Predators\u2019 stout defense.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Spartans\u2019 wide receiver Robert Thurston Jr., pressed into action at quarterback, looks to pass as teammate Tim King looks on.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesee County\u2019s two touchdowns came in spectacular fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their first TD occurred with 1:40 left in the first half on a kickoff return when Jzon Richardson took a lateral from Toast Malone and returned the ball 70 yards to the end zone, making the score 24-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second came with 36 seconds left in the game when cornerback Keith Neureuter intercepted a pass and sprinted down the left sideline for a 100-yard TD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Incidentally, Neureuter has the longest interception return in Pembroke High School history \u2013 103 yards for a touchdown against Perry in his senior year of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spartans\u2019 other points followed Richardson\u2019s TD when Neureuter scooped up a bad snap on kicker Julia Petry\u2019s point-after-touchdown attempt and just made it to the goal line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Pictured-Keith Neureuter after his 100-yard interception return.)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, Neureuter has the longest interception return in Pembroke High School history \u2013 103 yards for a touchdown against Perry in his senior year of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spartans\u2019 other points followed Richardson\u2019s TD when Neureuter scooped up a bad snap on kicker Julia Petry\u2019s point-after-touchdown attempt and just made it to the goal line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than that, it was all Predators \u2013 sparked by a pair of players in their early 30s \u2013 Joiner (19 of 23, 240 yards, five TD passes, and a touchdown run) and tight end Samuel Diaz of Dansville (eight receptions for 108 yards and three touchdowns).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing well, and we expect to be in the championship game against Lockport,\u201d said Joiner, who, like Diaz, has been playing for Upstate for four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upstate lost at Lockport, 12-6, last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaz said he and Joiner are on the same page thanks to their time playing together and putting in extra work during the offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe took offseason seriously and got the chemistry right,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wide receiver Tommy Love caught three passes, two of them for scores, while running back Cam Cleveland opened the scoring with a 1-yard TD run midway through the first quarter. Joiner\u2019s 15-yard run as time expired in the first half gave Upstate a 32-8 lead at intermission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linebacker Darrius Fulton had three interceptions for the Predators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The schedule doesn\u2019t get any easier for the Spartans, who will travel to Lockport on June 28 to face the defending champion Wildcats, another AAA Division club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe gave all the credit to the Predators while stating the significance of the season-ending injury to Turpin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turpin went into the game completing about 60 percent of his passes for 855 yards and eight TDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rood, the backup, likely won\u2019t be available as he gets set to play football at Geneva College in Western Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking at the score, 52-14, that\u2019s a really good Predators\u2019 team,\u201d Rascoe said. \u201cLosing our top two quarterbacks in the first half wasn\u2019t ideal, but we stuck together. Now we\u2019ve got to figure out who will play quarterback. It\u2019s going to be a rough rest of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Genesee County Spartans\u2019 defenders Ryley Elliott, Martin Krayna and Jack Fox-Salah try to break through against the Upstate Predators\u2019 offensive line during Saturday night\u2019s semipro football game at Pembroke Town Park. The Spartans lost, 52-14. Photos by Lauren Donovan. BY MIKE PETTINELLAGenesee County Spartans The Upstate Predators put together a \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[3497],"class_list":["post-65540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genesee-county","tag-genesee-county-spartans"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-h36","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":66820,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/genesee-county-spartans-face-buffalo-in-nfa-playoff-tilt-on-saturday\/","url_meta":{"origin":65540,"position":0},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Spartans face Buffalo in NFA playoff tilt on Saturday","author":"aka","date":"August 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"BY MIKE PETTINELLAGenesee County Spartans Genesee County Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe is looking at this Saturday\u2019s playoff game against the Buffalo Stampede as a chance to turn around a frustrating Northeastern Football Alliance semipro season marked by injuries to key players and close losses. The third-ranked Spartans, 3-5, will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/genesee_county_spartans_jpg_1-2.jpg?fit=460%2C399&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":65427,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/genesee-county-spartans-tally-two-late-tds-to-rally-past-ithaca-warriors\/","url_meta":{"origin":65540,"position":1},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Spartans tally two late TDs to rally past Ithaca Warriors","author":"aka","date":"June 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Jzhon Henderson sprints past the Ithaca defense for a long kickoff return (Photos by Raina Bowen) Press release The Genesee County Spartans scored a pair of touchdowns in the closing minutes on Saturday night to rally past the host Ithaca Warriors, 29-25, in a Northeastern Football Alliance AA Division semipro\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/spartans-henderson.jpg?fit=480%2C530&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":65919,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/genesee-county-spartans-to-host-southern-tier-on-saturday\/","url_meta":{"origin":65540,"position":2},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Spartans to host Southern Tier on Saturday","author":"aka","date":"July 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release: With several key players cleared to return to the gridiron, the Genesee County Spartans resume their Northeastern Football Alliance season this Saturday against the Southern Tier Stallions. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Pembroke Town Park field. Head Coach Harry Rascoe said he has put in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/genesee_county_spartans_jpg_1-2.jpg?fit=460%2C399&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":75926,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/05\/genesee-county-spartans-host-southern-tier-on-saturday\/","url_meta":{"origin":65540,"position":3},"title":"Genesee County Spartans host Southern Tier on Saturday","author":"aka","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release: The Genesee County Spartans open the home portion of their 2026 semipro football season this Saturday. The Northeastern Football Alliance contest is set for 5 p.m. at Pembroke Town Park, not at Van Detta Stadium in Batavia as previously announced. Last weekend\u2019s game against the Upstate Predators was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Genesee-County-Spartans-JPG-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1041&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Genesee-County-Spartans-JPG-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1041&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Genesee-County-Spartans-JPG-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1041&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Genesee-County-Spartans-JPG-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1041&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Genesee-County-Spartans-JPG-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1041&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78146,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/08\/05\/genesee-county-spartans-lose-to-716-wildcats-in-nfa-finale\/","url_meta":{"origin":65540,"position":4},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Spartans lose to 716 Wildcats in NFA finale","author":"aka","date":"August 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"BY MIKE PETTINELLAGenesee County Spartans Veteran quarterback Willie Fair connected for four touchdown passes and the 716 Wildcats\u2019 defense stifled the undermanned Genesee County Spartans in a 40-0 victory on Saturday at Pembroke Town Park. 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Photos courtesy of Genesee County Spartans. Press release: The Genesee County Spartans will close out their 2026 semipro football season at 5 p.m.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jzon-henderson-.jpg?fit=1080%2C854&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jzon-henderson-.jpg?fit=1080%2C854&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jzon-henderson-.jpg?fit=1080%2C854&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jzon-henderson-.jpg?fit=1080%2C854&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jzon-henderson-.jpg?fit=1080%2C854&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tackled-1.jpg?fit=800%2C1181&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65540"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65547,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65540\/revisions\/65547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}