Facing Adirondack, one of New York State’s top Class D teams, the Blue Devils couldn’t compete with the looks of the Wildcats.

With only one game to play in the regular season, Cato-Meridian had an opportunity to right the ship before the sections.

That’s exactly what the Blue Devils did, shutting out Beaver River 50-0 on Friday at Cato-Meridian High School.

While it’s not a perfect performance when the team reviews the film, Blue Devils coach CJ Hannon believes the shutout win was a step in the right direction.

“We got out of the physical and bumped our teeth a bit, and we knew we had to do everything in our power to correct that and become more physical,” Hannon said. “We’re still working on that. I don’t think we’re there yet, but tonight has been a great stage. We need to be more physical on the offensive and defensive lines, and do a better job of tackling.”

A four-minute period in the first quarter made it clear the Beavers were up for a long night.

Less than five minutes later, Bo Turo hit a 55-yard touchdown to give Cato-Meridian an 8-0 lead.

Then Mason Crandall had an interception when Justin Baldwin knocked down Beaver River quarterback Jonah Mullin’s pass in high school. A game later, Angelo Turo was in the end zone after a 65-yard rush.

Rinse, repeat. Beaver River’s next possession ended with a Baldwin interception. Minutes later, Crandall scored on a 5-yard rush.

At the end of the first quarter, the Blue Devils had a 22-0 lead. That fell to 38-0 at halftime, on 16 and 59-yard touchdowns by Bo Turo.

While Turo’s touchdown passes were an example of speed and power, Crandall’s touchdowns exposed Cato-Meridian’s offensive pattern. Lined up on the right side of the offensive line, Crandall wrapped himself around quarterback Tristan Lee. Instead of accepting the transfer and continuing that momentum to the left side of the roster, it was a game in the wrong direction that Beaver River didn’t see coming. Crandall entered the end zone almost intact.

“The wrong leadership with Wing-T has always been one of the real advantages,” Hannon said. “We were able to bring some of these players together and it has been really effective for us all season. It’s our bread and butter this year.”

Cody Loveless and Shawn Hurd added scores in the second half, while Nathan Murdock offered an interception that was sent back to 4 of the Beavers and then scored for a score.

An example of the talent gap: Cato-Meridian dabbled the ball three times (once on one side), but each time he was able to pick up the ball and run for a positive gain.

The ball might not bounce that way next week at the start of sections, when the Blue Devils expect to host Herkimer (although the brackets won’t be finalized until the weekend is over).

Hannon thinks Adirondack and Dolgeville are at the top level of Class D, but it’s still everyone’s game in a win or homecoming scenario.

“When you get to the sections, every game is important,” Hannon said. “Adirondack and Dolgeville are clearly the favorites at this point. We have to take each day and take it one step closer to their level.”