OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank
Salamanca’s Evan Spruce Jr. (78) celebrates and teammate Warrick Kyler (60) signals Warriors possession after Spruce recovered a fumble during Saturday’s NYSPHSAA Class C West Semifinal against Chenango Forks at Dick Hoover Stadium in Vestal.
VESTAL — Chad Bartoszek graduated from Salamanca in 1999.
His last football game in high school was a Far West Regional loss to LeRoy in 1998.
The following year, the Warriors reached the state championship game.
Bartoszek never got the opportunity to play in a title game at the then-Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Twenty-five years later, now the head coach at his alma mater, Bartoszek will get a chance to exorcise those demons.
OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank
Salamanca’s Maddox Isaac reaches for a touchdown at the bottom of the pile during Saturday’s NYSPHSAA Class C West Semifinal at Dick Hoover Stadium in Vestal.
Maddox Isaac threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Salamanca scored the final 19 points of the game to beat Chenango Forks 34-13 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C West Semifinal on Saturday at Vestal High School.
“It’s surreal. You dream about this as a kid, going to the state championship,” Isaac said postgame. “You never really think it’s real, especially being from a small town like Salamanca.”
Next up for the Warriors is a noon date with Section II’s Schuylerville at the JMA Wireless Dome next Saturday. The Black Horses beat Section I’s Valhalla 24-7 in the East Semifinal at Middletown High School.
“I don’t want to start thinking about next week yet. This was a huge hump for our program,” Bartoszek said. “I’ve got some personal demons that I was trying to get rid of last year. I’m super happy and proud. I’m going to enjoy it. … It’s a pretty cool feeling.”
The West game at Dick Hoover Stadium was not decided until the final 12 minutes.
Trailing 15-13, Section IV’s Chenango Forks faced a second-and-5 from its own 30-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter, but was stopped for no gain on consecutive downs and eventually punted.
“Defensively, what can you say? We were all over the field, flying,” Bartoszek said. “That’s a tough out right there. That’s a storied program. … It was a good football game.”
On a first-and-10 from the Salamanca 49-yard line, Isaac dropped back and pump faked before finding Cory Holleran for a 51-yard touchdown to give the Warriors a 22-13 lead after Easton Chudy’s point-after kick.
“Maddox made a couple of plays today that weren’t scripted and he called them. He wanted them,” Bartoszek said. “That shot over the top to Cory was something he was asking for since the second quarter.”
“Their safety was biting on Payton Bradley a lot. … We made them pay,” Isaac said. “They had to pick their poison.”
Things went from bad to worse for the Blue Devils on the second play of their ensuing drive when Bradley and Evan Spruce Jr. combined to sack quarterback Sam Paske and strip the ball. Spruce recovered the fumble at the Chenango Forks 23-yard line.
“Those plays are game changers,” Bartoszek said. “Those turnovers are huge, especially with the way our offense can score.”
On third-and-9, Isaac hooked up with Bradley for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 28-13 with 8:44 remaining in the game.
“It’s killer. We didn’t expect that,” Isaac said of the quick turnover. “Once their backs were against the wall, we knew we had to keep our foot on the pedal.”
The Blue Devils picked up a first down on their next drive, but eventually turned the ball over on downs. On a second-and-11 from the Chenango Forks 35-yard line, Xavier Peters found a hole in his offensive line, broke a pair of tackles and ran 32 yards down to the 3-yard line. On the next play, Isaac scored to give Salamanca a 21-point lead.
“We have a lot of explosive guys on the outside. Just being able to mix it up here and there … we can throw it up over the top or run it under,” Isaac said. “That’s what makes our team so special.”
Kyle Lecceardone intercepted a desperation fourth-down pass on the Blue Devils’ final drive and the Warriors began celebrating a trip to Syracuse for the first time in a quarter-century.
“Last year, we were satisfied. Our eyes were just on our sectional because we hadn’t had a sectional in a while,” Isaac said of the Warriors’ loss to Waverly. This year, we came in with a mission and we came in determined.”
NOTES: Chenango Forks’ first drive of the game covered 72 yards in 15 plays and took 9 minutes and 22 seconds off the clock. It ended in a 2-yard touchdown run by Finn Stark, who also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. … For Salamanca, Peters scored on a 40-yard run and Zach Trietley caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Isaac in the second quarter. … Isaac finished 5 of 9 for 111 yards. Holleran caught two passes for 52 yards and Trietley caught two passes for 32 yards. … Peters ran 17 times for 138 yards, while Isaac ran 14 times for 54 yards. … Defensively, Trietley was in on 14 tackles, Holleran was in on 12 and Warrick Kyler was in on 11.
Chenango Forks 6 0 7 0 — 13
Salamanca 0 15 0 19 — 34
CF-Stark 2 run (kick failed)
Sal–Peters 40 run (Chudy kick)
Sal–Trietley 29 pass from Isaac (Holleran pass from Isaac)
CF–Stark 1 run (Kasmarcik kick)
Sal–Holleran 51 pass from Isaac (Chudy kick)
Sal–Bradley 22 pass from Isaac (pass failed)
Sal–Isaac 3 run (kick failed)