Vestal, NY - Salamanca is heading to the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY next weekend to play for the NYSPHSAA Class C Championship after defeating Chenango Forks 34-13 in the state semifinals Saturday.
It was a match-up pitting the top ranked teams in Class C according to the New York State Sports Writers Association. No. 1 ranked Salamanca put their 12-0 undefeated streak up against Chenango Forks who had just one loss on their record.
Heading into Saturday afternoons game Warriors head coach Chad Bartoszek had the feeling that his team could go toe-to-toe with the Blue Devils in the trenches.
“This was going to be a fist fight,” Bartoszek said post game. “It’s what it had to be. We had to match their physicality, they just keep coming at you.”
The Blue Devils opening drive spanned almost 8 and a half minutes, resulting in a Finn Stark short touchdown run. Chenango Forks were successful on two, 4th down conversions to keep the drive going.
Salamanca’s first drive ended with a trip to the Chenango Forks red zone but the Warriors were unable to come away with any points. The Blue Devils started their next drive from their 18 yard line and were moving the ball once again before the Warriors came away with a big break near midfield. Junior Waylon Dowdy recovered a Blue Devils fumble energizing the Warriors sideline.
On the very next play Xavier Peters ran 40-yards to the endzone to tie the game, Easton Chudy’s PAT gave Salamanca a 7-6 lead.
The Warriors defense started to make some adjustments and rose to the challenge on Chenango Forks next possession. Looking at 4th and 6 near midfield instead of punting the Blue Devils elected to go for it with only 1:33 left in the half. QB Sam Paske threw an incomplete pass and Salamanca took over with all three timeouts. Chenango Forks regretted their decision. The momentum was shifting.
Maddox Isaac then found Zach Trietley for a 29-yard touchdown. Cory Holleran caught a pass on the Salamanca 2-pt conversion and Salamanca took a 15-6 lead into the half.
The Warriors received the 2nd half kick and drove deep into Chenango Forks territory again but came away with nothing. The Blue Devils pulled themselves within a score after Stark’s 2nd short yardage touchdown run of the game, making it a 15-13 game.
This is where most programs in the past have either folded or made bad plays allowing teams like Chenango Forks to feast. Not Saturday, and not this Salamanca team. A year ago it was Waverly, the eventual state champion that feasted on Warrior mistakes at Cicero-North Syracuse. This years team, full of players from last years squad dug deep and executed over the next quarter and a half. The Warriors defense led by Trench Trophy finalist Warrick Kyler, Payton Bradley and the Section VI Class C co-defensive players of the year Cory Holleran and Zach Trietley came alive. The quad were in on every play, shutting down the run, getting to the quarterback and batting down passes.
Into the fourth quarter the Warriors defense completely closed the book on Chenango Forks run game. Defensively the Warriors came away with another huge turnover near midfield when Bradley forced a strip sack and Evan Spruce Jr. pounced on the loose football.
“The coaches had a great defensive game plan,” Bradley said. “We knew they had a great run game, on that play I managed to get past a guy and put a hit on the quarterback and the ball came out. It changed the game.” Bradley hauled in two touchdown passes Saturday. It was also Bradley that caught a game decisive touchdown in last year's far west regional game.
Three plays after the turnover, Isaac hit Bradly for a 22-yard score, 28-13.
Peters scored his second TD thereafter and the game was over.
“I’m just beside myself right now,” assistant coach Paul Furlong said after the game. Furlong graduated and played for Salamanca, also was the head coach at Allegany-Limestone. “First time in 35 years of coaching I’m going to have a chance to coach in a state championship. I’m just in awe.”
Last season as the Warriors walked off the field after the heartbreaking loss there was a sense that it might be a one and done. Speaking to Bartoszek last July down in Cortland, NY at the 7-on-7 tournament, he said at the time he wasn’t sure how they were going to replace some of those seniors.
Isaac proved this season that he had the right mentality and athleticism to not just be one of the best quarterbacks in Salamanca but that he could be one of the top quarterbacks in the state. I think he proved that Saturday.
“I had to focus on my mental ability and that’s what got us through today,” Isaac said. “They punched us hard but we were able to come back swinging.” Isaac finished with 54 yards rushing and a touchdown, he also threw three touchdown passes. Early on Isaac was off target, he missed two open receivers on their first two drives of the game but became more precise as the game went on.
“That was a tough team we beat, our kids played hard. It was clean, it was a good football game,” Bartoszek said choking up throughout his post game scrum with reporters. Talking about the early trips into the red zone that came up empty, Bartoszek said “that would have kept me up at night if we didn’t win this one.”
Chenango Forks was playing in their 17th semifinal, Salamanca hadn’t been here in 25 years.
It cannot be stated any clearer, this was a monumental win for the Warriors football program.
Zach Trietley finished with 14 tackles. During the Blue Devils first drive you could hear the senior picking up his teammates, calming them down and encouraging them to keep hitting.
“This team just feeds off one another,” Trietley said. “It just takes one guy to say something and get the energy going and then the team responds and that’s how we got the job done today.”
Offensively Peters led the way on the ground with 17 rushes for 138 yards and two scores.
“This team has an incredible bond,” Peters said. “I don’t even know what to say, it’s such a good feeling to be here with my teammates. Knowing I can depend on them and they can depend on me. I’m just super excited right now.
Corey Holleran caught two passes for 54 yards and a score. Defensively, Holleran had 12 tackles including a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss. “That’s a great team Chenango Forks,” Holleran said. “Well coached, disciplined but our story, we were looking to avenge that loss to Waverly, and we came in confident and nothing was going to get in our way of winning a state championship.”
To their credit, Salamanca came in on a mission. You can’t play a team like Chenango Forks without confidence. Salamanca knew they were going to get hit, they had a plan to respond. They just gave a blueprint to all the other teams that will come here after them on how to beat these teams.
Chenango Forks, Maine-Endwell, Waverly and Tioga…they’re respected football programs but they’re still just football teams. Salamanca had a lot of respect for the Blue Devils but they didn't fear them and that played a big part in their success today.
That mindset comes from coaching, and Bartoszek and his staff deserve a ton of credit for the way their team prepared throughout the week and how they battled today.
Salamanca will play Sec 2, Schuylerville (12-1) next Saturday at noon
Post Game Interviews with Coach Bartoszek, Paul Furlong, Zach Trietley, Maddox Isaac, Peyton Bradley, Xavier Peters, Corey Holleran and Warrick Kyler
Post Game with Chad Bartoszek