Peru, which had allowed just 26 points all season prior to this contest, got off to a shaky start by committing a pair of first-half turnovers that allowed the Red Storm to claim a 17-7 lead at the intermission.

After the break, the Nighthawks got on track, scoring three touchdowns all on the ground, while using some trick plays to overcome the deficit.

Despite coming up short, Saranac Lake’s head coach Eric Bennett was proud of the heart his team showed against an opponent that ranks 16th in the state for Class B football, according to the New York State Sportswriters Association.

“They gave a very talented Peru team everything they could handle,” he said. “We came up short, and that’s sports, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of our kids and our staff also. I mean, what a great game to build on.”

Saranac Lake’s Scottie Nicholas takes off during Friday’s football game against Peru. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Saranac Lake had a chance late while trailing 27-17, as sophomore quarterback Evan Harvey led his team on an 80-yard scoring drive in less than two minutes, which he capped off with an 11-yard pass to David Montroy for the touchdown.

However, after the Nighthawks got the ball back, they converted on a third and long with only a few seconds remaining to seal their sixth victory in a row.

“I wish we had a little more time,” Bennett said. “We just ran out of time. Credit to Peru, they’re a well-coached team, they got a lot of talent and they got a lot of stuff done.”

Harvey finished 19 of 31 for 215 yards for Saranac Lake. His passing yardage was not only a season-high, but it’s the most by a Red Storm signal caller since 2019. In terms of his stat line, it’s his most efficient outing so far this season.

“As a sophomore, he’s going to have ups and downs; any athlete is going to have ups and downs, but he’s just a calm kid,” Bennett said. “He wants to work hard and do everything the right way, and we’re lucky that he is only a sophomore.”

The Red Storm took a 3-0 lead on the opening drive, as Owen Lawrence nailed a 34-yard field goal, and after blocking yet another punt, the team was set up with field position on the Nighthawks 41. After a few plays, Harvey connected on a 34-yard pass to his cousin Braydon Harvey, which allowed Montroy to score two plays later. Lawrence’s extra point kick was good, giving his team a 10-0 advantage.

On the ensuing drive, Peru finally reached paydirt on a 2-yard run from Brody Blaise-Smith. Maggie Garrow’s extra point kick pushed the score to 10-7.

After forcing the Red Storm to punt on their next drive, the Nighthawks marched all the way to midfield before Saranac Lake’s Alius Martelle ripped the ball out of a Peru player’s hands and returned it 52 yards for a score just before halftime. Lawrence made the extra point to give his team a 10-point lead at halftime.

The Nighthawks scored the first of their three touchdowns in the second half on a 9-yard run from quarterback Jake Frechette in the third quarter.

In the final period, Peru’s Wyatt Bridges ran from 1-yard out, before Blaise-Smith scored on a 19-yard run on a trick play. Garrow made two of her three extra point kicks.

Frechette finished with 14 of 19 for 127 yards. He also added 63 yards on the ground, including the score. Blaise-Smith had 147 yards on 23 carries.

The Red Storm, which dropped to 4-2 overall and 4-1 in CVAC play, had 249 yards of offense. Montroy churned up 53 rushing yards on 14 carries, and Lawrence paced the receivers with 74 yards on six catches.

Bennett is hoping this contest propels his team going forward, especially with some tougher match-ups ahead.

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again, they don’t get too high and they don’t get too low. They just battle,” he said. “We’re lucky to have a group of kids like this. And I think this game is actually going to serve us well, long term, for our season.”

The Red Storm will next take on the Saranac Central Spartans at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the new Wilson-Raymond Field. The contest will determine which squad gets the top seed in Section VII, Class C playoffs.

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Peru 27, Saranac Lake 23

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Nighthawks 0 7 6 14 — 27

Red Storm 3 14 0 6 — 23

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First quarter

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SL — O. Lawrence 34 field goal, 5:56

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Second quarter

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SL — Montroy 2 run (O. Lawrence kick), 8:48

P — Blaise-Smith 2 run (Garrow kick), 7:12

SL — Martelle 52 fumble return (O. Lawrence kick), 0:42

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Third quarter

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P — Frechette 9 run (kick missed), 5:05

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Fourth quarter

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P — Bridges 1 run (Garrow kick), 10:36

P — Blaise-Smith 19 run (Garrow kick), 3:44

SL — Montroy 11 pass from E. Harvey (kick missed), 1:10

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Individual statistics

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RUSHING

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P — Wilkins 1-(-2); Blaise-Smith 23-147, 2TD; Frechette 9-63, TD; Bridges 5-34, TD; M. Starke 2-5; Team 1-(-1). Totals: 41-246, 4TD.

SL — Montroy 14-53, TD; E. Harvey 5-(-16); S. Nicholas 1-(-4); Martelle 1-1. Totals: 21-34, TD.

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PASSING

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P — Frechette 14-19-0-127; Team 0-1-0-0. Totals: 14-20-0-127.

SL — E. Harvey 19-31-0-215, TD; Martelle 0-1-0-0; Team 0-2-0-0. Totals: 19-34-0-215, TD.

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RECEIVING

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P — Taylor 5-81; Carpenter 5-30; Bridges 2-5; Hendrix 2-11.

SL — S. Nicholas 4-21; B. Harvey 3-44; Webb-Brown 2-30; O. Lawrence 6-74; Montroy 2-35, TD; Martelle 2-11.