Junior cornerback and receiver Aydan Ayala scored on a 33-yard run and a 60-yard kickoff return and added an interception Friday as the Cornwall Dragons routed the Goshen Gladiators 43-13 on senior night.

Cornwall (6-3) finished the regular season 3-0 against division opponents and took first place in Class A Division II. Goshen (6-3 overall, 1-2 in division play) finished third.

“He’s a playmaker,” Cornwall head coach Kevin Arduino said of Ayala’s impact on offense, defense and special teams. “We need to get the ball in his hands and let him do what he does.”

Cornwall’s opening drive stalled, but linebackers Charles Caoili, a junior, and Aidan Russo, a freshman, slowed Goshen’s run game with quick reads and aggressive tackling. Goshen punted, and junior defensive back TJ Muhlfeld returned the kick 20 yards to the Goshen 43-yard line.

On its second drive, Cornwall converted a fourth-and-6 when junior receiver and defensive back Lekeaka Fonkem caught a screen pass for the first down. Caesar then carried to the goal line and scored on third down. Senior Jack Baloga’s extra point made it 7-0.

Goshen junior receiver Emeric Greico made a diving catch from sophomore quarterback JP Sullivan on the Gladiators’ next possession, but it came up a yard short of the first down. On fourth down, junior defensive end Zion Felix stopped Sullivan behind the line of scrimmage for a turnover on downs.

Ayala took over from there. He found an opening on a 33-yard touchdown run, absorbed a hit from one of two defenders closing in and spun free to score. Cornwall led 14-0 with 2:07 left in the quarter.

Ayala said his work in the weight room helped make the play possible. After last week’s win over Wallkill, he said, he wanted more chances with the ball.

“It feels good. It just feels like I can show I’m actually able to do it,” Ayala said.

Junior receiver Jayon Robinson got behind his defender on a potential 50-yard touchdown, but Caesar’s pass was dropped. Cornwall rebounded with a fourth-and-6 conversion on a short pass to Ayala, and senior running back Zaire Owens finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead.

Owens said the senior class means more to him than football.

“It was really great knowing them because I know them outside of football and it really means something to me to play with them and to call them my family,” he said.

Arduino said the seniors lift the program through their leadership, pushing themselves in the weight room and setting the tone for younger players.

“We had a great group of seniors and a lot of them had good games tonight, which was awesome,” Arduino said. “They’re going to get a chance now to have one more home game.”

After Cornwall forced another punt, Muhlfeld tried to fair catch the line-drive kick but fumbled when it bounced off his chest. A Goshen defender recovered. Arduino said Muhlfeld took his eyes off the ball to look at the defenders in front of him.

Ayala answered on the next play, beating his man to the ball and intercepting Sullivan.

“It felt good because I feel like we needed that,” said Ayala, who believes the performance sets him up for a strong playoff run. Arduino said the team talked afterward about picking each other up after mistakes.

Short gains by Ayala and Owens moved Cornwall to the Goshen 15. Senior tight end Matthew Breheny then caught a screen pass on third-and-5 and ran into the end zone, making it 28-0.

“It feels amazing. Obviously, having the trust for my coaches to throw me the ball, getting in the end zone feels more than amazing. I can’t even describe it,” Breheny said.

He said he is excited about what lies ahead. “I’ve seen this team and its growth throughout the season. I can’t wait to see what this team does next week and the weeks following,” Breheny said.

Cornwall added a safety when Goshen’s kick returner dropped the ball at the 1-yard line and kept running. Officials blew the play dead, and Goshen began its drive in its own end zone, where Cornwall tackled the runner for a 30-0 lead.

Ayala then weaved through defenders behind his blockers for a 60-yard kickoff return touchdown, putting Cornwall ahead 37-0 at halftime.

“My teammate had the game of his life. It was insane. He played his heart out and it showed in practice,” Breheny said. “Props to him, he played amazing.”

Owens scored his second touchdown of the night in the third quarter on a 45-yard run, pushing the lead to 43-0. Cornwall’s extra-point attempt was no good.

“It means a lot to me because at the beginning of my season, I really didn’t get any reps. Now that I’m really playing, it means a lot,” Owens said. He credited the offensive line’s work ethic during the team’s five-game winning streak.

Goshen sophomore receiver Chasen Hercules scored on a touchdown, but senior kicker Dylan Fleming missed the extra point to make it 43-6. In the fourth quarter, junior running back Dante Mazerolle broke free for a 50-yard run to the Cornwall 10, and sophomore tight end Sean Pugliese finished the drive with a touchdown catch.

Arduino said the win reflects how far the Dragons have come after a 1-3 start.
“I go back to where we started. We were 1-3 to start the year and now we’ve kind of put things together,” he said. “Exactly what we talked about then is happening now.”

Cornwall will face Warwick in its first playoff game at 7 p.m. Nov. 6.