AUBURN - Dave Moskov could sit by his phone today, waiting for a call that probably won't come.

A team was once ruled ineligible for the playoffs, right?

Moskov thinks that his Auburn football team is playing so well right now the Maroons could make a run like the 2006 squad that snuck into the playoffs and won a state championship after Corcoran was disqualified.

However, with the first crossover game over, a 41-14 stomping by Auburn over Fayetteville-Manlius, it's safe to say that the Maroons will play their final game of the season next week against Utica-Proctor.

But Moskov might double-check just to be sure.

“We've got to go out and make sure any Section III teams haven't been disqualified, this team is ready for a playoff run the way we've been playing,” he said.

The Maroons stifled the Hornets offense on nearly every drive, while Auburn's offense looked its sharpest. Manny Brooks (178 yards) got the Maroons on the board with an explosive 56-yard run less than a minute into the game, but it was Auburn's defense that kept it in business. The Maroons pass coverage was top-notch, batting away and breaking up all but two of T.J. Early's 16 passes in the first half.

“The defensive line was hitting (Early) all night,” Moskov said. “The tight end was real good, he caught a couple of balls, but the defense did a phenomenal job of stopping that offense. They've scored a ton of points this year and the defense really did a phenomenal job stopping them and getting us the ball back.”

Both the Maroons' rushing and passing games seemed to have no problems with the Hornets' defense. Auburn had nine plays for 10 yards or more in the first half, including Brooks' run and two Dave Jacobs touchdown passes.

The Hornets tried to get some momentum going in the second half, charging down the field for a score on their opening drive. Zach Greer capped the five-minute drive with a 20-yard run, but Auburn responded with a score of its own.

The Maroons stuck with their ground game, with Brooks and JT Foltz (89 yards) in the backfield. Sparked by a 42-yard run by Brooks, Foltz took it in to give Auburn a 28-7 midway through the third.

“It starts with the offensive line,” Moskov said. “The offensive line just dominated up front against their defensive line. We relied on our fullback/tailback, we were able to throw the ball effectively. They knew it from the first series. They just had it going up front.”

While the running game was keeping the clock running, the passing game was just as successful.

Jacobs (215 yards) capped the final third-quarter drive with a 77-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Bryant, the duo's second connection of the game. In the second quarter, Bryant (215 yards) caught a 63-yard heave and a 34-yard score that he wrestled away from a defender later in the fourth.

We're just clicking,” Moskov said. “We're a young team and it's been nip and tuck all year. Now with this young squad we're jelling and moving along.”

It almost seems unfair that with the Maroons firing on all cylinders they'll have to sit and watch as other teams make a push for the AA crown. Especially since two years ago, it was Auburn and F-M playing in the Section III semifinals - not a crossover game.

However, Moskov is happy with the teams' play and is intent on finishing the season strong.

“Going back to the second half against Baldwinsville, we've dominated for 10 quarters in a row,” he said. “We just want to finish out with four more. We're looking at one quarter at a time. Let's end the season with three wins and all this momentum and keep moving forward.”

F-M 0 0 7 7 - 14

Aub. 14 6 15 7 - 41

First Quarter

Aub. - Brooks 56 run (Wild kick) Aub. - Bryant 19 pass from Jacobs (Wild kick)

Second Quarter

Aub. - Bryant 63 pass from Jacobs (kick missed)

Third Quarter

F-M - Greer 20 run (Costa kick)

Aub. - Foltz 5 run (Jacobs run)

Aub. - Bryant 77 pass from Jacobs (Wild kick)

Fourth Quarter

Aub. - Bryant 34 pass from Jacobs (kick blocked)

F-M - Greer 1 run (Costa kick)