By David J. Hill<br><a href="mailto:hilld@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail David</a>
ROCHESTER — North Tonawanda's depth has been impressive all season. They needed it Saturday night to survive their toughest test yet, a 26-24 victory over Webster Schroeder in the Class AA Far West Regional at Marina Auto Stadium.
Junior Joe Montesanti carried 16 times for 148 yards and senior Tom Sell rushed 10 times for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a huge run in the fourth quarter, to send the Lumberjacks (11-0) to Saturday's state semifinal matchup with Baldwinsville, back in Rochester.
“Good teams have depth and this time of year is when you need it,” Lumberjacks coach Eric Jantzi said. “Our depth showed tonight. We had some kids step up and make plays for us when guys went down.”
Perhaps no one stepped up bigger than Sell, who ripped off a critical 78-yard run to the Warriors 2 yard line with just under two minutes remaining in the game and the Jacks clinging to a 20-17 lead following a short TD run by Schroeder's Matt Bellucco to pull the Section V champs within three points. On first down at the Jacks' 20, Sell started running right, then reversed field and scampered down the left sideline to the 2. He punched it in from the 1 on a pitch from senior quarterback Mike Tuzzo (7 of 13 passing, 105 yards, 2 TDs).
“Usually we don't like our kids cutting back,” Jantzi said. “We've told kids if you cut back it better be a touchdown. It was pretty damn close.”
North Tonawanda rushed for 395 yards in the game while holding the Warriors to just 42. NT rolled up 500 yards in total offense to Webster's 145.
Sell's touchdown gave NT a 26-17 lead. But Schroeder's Pete Noto (16 carries, 37 yards, 1 TD) returned the ensuing kick to the Lumberjacks 1 and scored on second-and-goal from the 2 to make it a two-point game with 1:14 remaining. “I spun and I just saw an open field and I tried to use my speed,” said Sell. “I just saw an opening and took it.”
The Warriors onside kick attempt after the touchdown went out of bounds. NT took over at the 34 and was able to run out the clock. “That was an up and down and back and forth thing, it never wanted to end,” Jantzi said. “We finally could breathe there the last 19 seconds.”
Now the Jacks are going as deep into the state playoffs as they've ever been. The last time they won the Section VI title, in 2002, they were shutout by Webster in the Far West Regionals. “It just feels so good to come out here and get a big win like this,” said Montesanti, the game's offensive MVP. “I was a little nervous (at the end). They're a great football team and they made us make mistakes. When good football teams do that to you you've got to overcome the adversity, so that's what we did tonight.”
The Jacks played without key seniors Steve Kijowski and Aaron Davis on offense for the second half; Kijowski, who had a shoulder strain, was able to stay in on defense.
North Tonawanda led 13-10 at halftime. Webster Schroeder got on the board first with a 29-yard field goal from Mike DeBole. It was the first time all season that the Lumberjacks had trailed in a game. They came right back, however, to take the lead on a gorgeous 14-yard hookup between Tuzzo and Darrik Bloomfield in the left corner of the end zone. Tuzzo passed slightly more Saturday night than he's had to all year, but nearly every ball he threw was on the money.
Tuzzo tossed another TD pass late in the second quarter, hitting Montesanti on a 20-yarder that put NT up by three going into the half.
The third quarter was a wild one, with North Tonawanda receiving. A 65-yard Montesanti run to the Warriors' 15 put the Jacks in scoring position, but a Tuzzo pass bounced off of Bloomfield's hands and was intercepted by Schroeder's Grant Webb. Bloomfield came up huge, though, picking off Webster QB Parrish McKnight on the Warriors' ensuing drive. That NT drive stalled on fourth down. Bloomfield snared another pick on the following Webster possession, and the Lumberjacks made that turnover count by turning into six points on Sell's 2-yard score.
“That was huge,” Jantzi said, adding that many of his guys came up with big plays throughout the night. “Some of the plays the kids made tonight kind of took your breath away,” he said.
In the central region quarterfinal Saturday, III-Baldwinsville knocked off Section IV champion Union-Endicott 35-26.
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115
