By David J. Hill
ROCHESTER — The Carrier Dome awaits.
For the first time in North Tonawanda football’s long and storied history, the Lumberjacks are going to play for a state championship, thanks to a 28-7 victory over III-Baldwinsville in Saturday’s Class AA state semifinal at Marina Auto Stadium. The Jacks will play New Rochelle for the title at 1 p.m. next Sunday in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
“We’re one step closer to making all of our dreams come true,” North Tonawanda coach Eric Jantzi told his guys after the game.
The Jacks made it look easy in the first half, in which they outgained the Bees 302-110 and scored all of their points. It was the first time all year NT had been shut out in the final two quarters — it gained only 65 yards — but the Jacks remained stout defensively to hang on. It helped their cause that Baldwinsville's top tailback, senior Malik Burks, was benched for the first quarter for disciplinary reasons. Burks (28 carries, 175 yards) rushed for the Bees' only touchdown, a 2-yard run in the third quarter. That's all the damage he would do, however, and it was NT enjoying the sounds of Bruce Springsteen's “Glory Days” playing throughout the stadium.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I don't think it’ll sink in until I get home and I’m relaxing and saying, ‘Wow, we’re going to the Carrier Dome,’” said senior Sean McDonough, NT’s defensive MVP. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity — senior year, you can’t ask for more than this.”
“The feeling is undescribable,” added senior Tom Sell, who rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 10 caries. “It’s amazing. I can’t wait for next week.”
The Jacks overwhelmed a bigger Baldwinsville line to take a stunning 28-0 lead over the Section III champions at halftime.
As it has done all year, NT used a bevy of big plays to cruise out to a comfortable lead. McDonough gave NT its four-touchdown lead with 31 seconds left in the second quarter. He made an athletic play to intercept Baldwinsville quarterback Casey Colligan on third-and-12 from the 40. Colligan was hit by Steve Kijowski as he threw the ball and McDonough leapt and deflected Colligan's pass, then corralled it and sped 50 yards for the score. It was his first varsity touchdown, and it couldn't have come at a more critical time in a bigger game.
“I read the screen and I was like, 'I don't know, is he going to throw it? He threw it and I tipped it and I just watched it and as soon as it hit my hands I just took off running, that was my first instinct,” said McDonough, who led NT with 11 tackles, as did senior Steve Kijowski. Travis Charsley and Dan Montesanti both had nine tackles, and Casey Shreve had a sack.
Earlier in the second quarter, Sell reached paydirt by taking a sweep right 28 yards to the end zone. He shook off the Bees' Colligan, then jumped over Baldwinsville corner back Ben Paprocki and sped into the end zone. Joe Montesanti scored NT's first two touchdowns. He took a quick pass from Mike Tuzzo (3 of 5 passing, 128 yards, 1 TD) 28 yards midway through the opening quarter. Just over two minutes later, he raced 71 yards for a score. He rushed for 96 yards on just five carries in the first quarter alone and finished with 101 yards on 10 carries to earn NT's offensive MVP honors.
North Tonawanda’s first-half dominance was surprising, Jantzi said. “We expected a lot more like we got in the second half,” he said. “It's a credit to them for coming out and really putting it together in the second half and changing the momentum a little bit.”
Baldwinsville’s defensive set didn’t fool the Jacks, and that helped NT roll, Jantzi said. “They sat in a defense that we practiced all week. We’ve got kids that can beat you if you do that.”
Now, the Lumberjacks are a school-record 12-0 and will continue their historic run. “We’re going to the dome and I can’t think of a better group of guys that I’d want to go there with,” Jantzi said, adding that it’s a dream come true for everyone involved with NT football. “It's something you dream about. All the kids dream about it, I dream about it, and we're going there. We're going to try and win it now.”
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
