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OBSERVER file photo by Scott Kindberg
From the left are Salamanca’s Arlen Newark, Keegan Hardy, Jaxson Ross, Lucus Brown and Joshua Auman.
Following last Friday’s Section VI Class C championship game victory over Medina, Salamanca head coach Chad Bartoszek made an interesting observation.
Bartoszek said there came a certain point this year when the Warriors realized they didn’t have last year’s star running back, Jesse Stahlman, and they were a different offense.
Bartoszek, a 1999 Salamanca graduate, said they had to adjust and adapt because they had so many players who could be weapons in this year’s offense.
That was evident in the Warriors’ 36-23 win over the Mustangs.
Junior Maddox Isaac completed five passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, while senior Jaxson Ross completed nine passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Lucus Brown caught three passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns, senior Arlen Newark caught three passes for 35 yards, Carmine Hoag caught two passes for 27 yards, junior Zach Trietley caught two passes, including a screen pass that went for a long touchdown, senior JT Auman caught two passes for 74 yards, and junior Cory Holleran caught a pass for 10 yards.
Salamanca also had four of those players rush for a combined 140 yards.
While Stahlman was an all-star player for the Warriors in 2022, Salamanca is where it is this season because of its versatility and multiple options.
The Warriors’ dynamic offense will be put to the test today at noon when the Section VI champions take on Section V champion Le Roy in the Class C Far West Regional at Williamsville South High School.
The Oatkan Knights are coming off a 27-14 defeat of Attica/Alexander in the Rochester area’s title game.
Le Roy enters today’s game 11-0 on the season and No. 3 in Class C according to the New York State Sportswriters Association. Salamanca is No. 5 with a 9-2 record.
The Oatkan Knights have run for more than 3,000 yards and 47 touchdowns this season, led by senior Tony Piazza’s 1,267 yards and 19 touchdowns. Senior Drew Strollo has 692 yards and eight touchdowns, while senior Jackson FIx had 410 yards and eight touchdowns.
Le Roy’s senior quarterback Tommy Condidorio has 760 yards and nine touchdowns through the air to go along with 244 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Fix is his top receiving threat with 15 catches for 251 yards and four touchdowns.
The Oatkan Knights have rarely been tested this year. They’ve won by double digits in every game since a 12-7 victory over Warsaw/Letchworth/Perry in Week 2.
Salamanca has been equally as hot, winning five straight games since a 37-6 loss to Section VI Class D champion Clymer/Sherman/Panama in Week 6. The Warriors beat Southwestern in overtime in Week 7 and Portville/Cuba-Rushford 8-7 in Week 8 to clinch a perfect 6-0 Class C South season and the division’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
After beating Cleveland Hill in the sectional quarterfinals, Salamanca topped P/C-R in the semifinals before topping Medina at Highmark Stadium last week.
Five Warriors have rushed for more than 100 yards, led by Auman’s 431 yards.
Ross has thrown for 927 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Isaac has 728 yards and eight touchdowns passing. Brown and Newark both have more than 20 catches and 400 yards on the season.
The winner of today’s matchup will advance to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals next Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Section III Adirondack and Section IV Waverly are playing for the other spot in that game, also at noon today, at Vestal High School.
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