That being said, it isn’t The Ralph, and the Redskins didn’t hit the weight room or practice field at 6:45 a.m. five days a week because they wanted their final game on West New York turf to be a win there.
Herm Edwards famously noted that "You play to win the game." But if you’re a high school football player in Section VI, that’s not the whole story. There, you play to win the game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
"When you walk down the hallway toward the field to warm up, you hear the echo from everyone’s cleats," Lancaster senior Corey Davis said. "It’s a great feeling. You can sense and feel the excitement."
And even with three defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association champions on the card – Sweet Home in Class A, Jamestown Southwestern in C and Maple Grove in D – none of the five games over two days this weekend will create the buzz of Lancaster vs. North Tonawanda in Class AA.
Both are 9-0 this season, having each defeated defending state champion Orchard Park, and the game takes on extra meaning because of what awaits. The winner moves into the state quarterfinals the following weekend in Rochester against opponents from a weakened Section V, where two-loss teams Webster Thomas and Gates Chili face off after upsetting previously unbeaten Rush-Henrietta and Hilton, respectively.
North Tonawanda is ranked third in the state and Lancaster fourth by the New York State Sportswriters Association, though it’s been the Lumberjacks who have garnered the bulk of the attention. North Tonawanda is averaging 40 points a game on the strength of multi-purpose threat Joe Montesanti, supported by a defense that has posted three shutouts as the Lumberjacks chase their first Section VI title since 2002.
And then there’s Lancaster, which has lost a staggering number of players to injuries. Lineman Shawn Kennedy was the only two-way starter in a 40-7 rout of Lockport last weekend in the home-field finale for seniors last weekend not because the Redskins are deep (they certainly are), but because so many talented players have gone down with injuries since Labor Day.
The latest casualty was senior defensive back Kevin Schwach, who led the squad with eight interceptions. He sustained a broken arm vs. Lockport and underwent surgery that will keep him off the field when Lancaster plays for its first championship since 1999.
"We’re certainly not as strong as NT," Lancaster coach Len Jankiewicz admitted. "NT handled Orchard Park 21-7, which isn’t a score you can shake a stick at. NT is getting all kinds of momentum and we’re just another stumbling block in their way. We’re certainly not up to their capability and one reason is they’re returning a lot of people who were just one step away from beating Orchard Park last year."
The Lumberjacks were very imposing last year, ousting Lancaster 38-28 in the semifinals before the 28-13 loss to Orchard Park at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and are solid again. They held Orchard Park to 40 rushing yards last weekend.
"You’ve got to respect what they’ve done," Kennedy said.
Respect, yes, but not fear. It’s too special a moment to not soak it all in and enjoy the moment. Kennedy got a taste of playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium as a sophomore and eagerly anticipates returning.
"It’s an adrenaline rush," he said. "Everything feels so focused on you and what you’re doing on the field. It’s an amazing experience to go down there. We’ll be focused on what we need to do."
Speaking of rematches
While Lancaster-North Tonawanda will be following up on an outstanding playoff confrontation from a year ago, Section V is preparing for the continuation of an epic game last month. Aquinas defeated McQuaid 31-24 in overtime in the final game of the regular season, reaffirming their rivalry as the best ongoing series in Section V even though it dates only to 1964.
Now, they’ll be playing Friday in front of what could be Section V’s largest football crowd since the days Aquinas played a national schedule in its own 20,000-seat stadium. The Little Irish defeated Greece Athena 34-13 as Manny Magliocco went 10-for-12 for 196 yards and three TD passes, including two to Chris Bostick. Hours later, McQuaid used a devastating early onslaught and dominated Victor 42-20.
Aquinas is ranked third and McQuaid 11th by the New York State Sportswriters Association, but those are just numbers. What’s far more important, first-year McQuaid coach Bob Bates says, is it’s the Little Irish vs. the Knights.
"It’s a big-time game and it’s the game a lot of people wanted," he said following the win over Victor, in which John Jenkins plowed his way to 209 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Bates isn’t even going to try to sell it to his kids as just another game.
"After the overtime loss the kids wanted another shot," he said. "We’ll see what happens because they’re the best team in the state. We know that."
The two schools have not met in a sectional final since 1984, when McQuaid won its only Section V championship to avenge a regular-season loss. Aquinas has won eight of the last 11 games in the series, including the last three.
A blow for the Bees
Top-seeded Baldwinsville will play minus its starting quarterback when the Bees take on Syracuse CBA in the Section III Class AA championship football game Saturday in the Carrier Dome. Senior Niko Manning was injured while playing on defense in last weekend’s 22-15 victory over Corcoran in the semifinals.
Backup Casey Colligan, 2-for-2 for 33 yards and a touchdown in relief last week, will get the start. The junior attempted only two passes during the regular season, though Manning attempted only 55 for an offense that depends heavily on all-state tailback Malik Burks.
John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at
