By David J. Hill<br><a href="mailto:hilld@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail David</a>
North Tonawanda, NY — North Tonawanda’s No. 1 goal Sunday is to bring a state football championship home to Niagara County. If the Jacks are successful, they’d be the first to achieve that feat since the inception of the state playoffs in 1993.
The Lumberjacks, though, aren’t just representing North Tonawanda High School; they’re also representing Section VI, which hadn’t had such great success in the state playoffs. That is, until the floodgates opened wide last year — when four out of the five possible state champions in classes AA through D hailed from Western New York — putting the section on the map.
“The football’s pretty good in Buffalo right now,” said Lumberjacks coach Eric Jantzi.
There’s reason to believe the section may add to its growing number of state title winners this season, with four squads playing in the finals this weekend. Of course, that list includes North Tonawanda, which faces New Rochelle in the Class AA championship Sunday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
“I like our chances. We’re sending down four very good representatives,” said Section VI Football Federation Chairman Chuck Funke.
The Jacks are proud not only of what they’ve done this fall — including compiling a program record 12 wins — but also to represent Section VI at the state finals, and they don’t want to be the team that makes the section go 3-1 instead of 4-0.
“Last year, four teams went and four teams won, so we don’t want to spoil that streak,” said senior quarterback Mike Tuzzo. “There’s four teams again (this year), and the other teams are looking good, so we don’t want it to be three (wins) and then one loss.”
From 2000 until 2007, Section VI produced just two state champions — Randolph (Class D) in 2005 and Jamestown (Class AA) in 2000. The section endured four straight years without a single state football champion from 2001 to 2004.
That all changed last fall when Orchard Park (AA), Sweet Home (A), Southwestern (C) and Maple Grove (D) brought state titles back to this corner of the state. This year, Sweet Home and Southwestern are defending their championships, while Randolph will try to win its first in four years. All three play Saturday.
So what happened to raise the section’s profile? Funke points to several factors.
Primarily, Western New York area schools have gone to a 10-game schedule from eight, thanks to the creation of the Consolation Bowl series that was implemented nearly a decade ago. “This playing eight games and going home doesn’t do it any more,” he said.
In addition, teams are working harder in the offseason, including participating in various seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 team camps, which has improved the level of competition in Section VI.
There’s also the fact that Section VI football is organized by classification — AA through D — rather than leagues encompassing schools of varying sizes, so teams are competing against similarly matched opponents.
And then there’s the caliber of coaches mentoring area players. “I think we’ve got some outstanding coaches in this area,” Funke said, adding that the section’s state title success is a testament to the coaches.
North Tonawanda’s triumphs over Orchard Park and Lancaster in the sectional playoffs set the tone for the Jacks’ impressive run through the state playoffs, players say.
“If we got out of Section VI, we knew we had a chance,” said NT offensive lineman Jim Rogers. “After we beat Orchard Park and Lancaster, we definitely had the mindset that we could go all the way.”
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
CLASS AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
• WHO: VI-North Tonawanda (12-0) vs. I-New Rochelle (12-0)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday
• WHERE: Carrier Dome, Syracuse University
• TV: Time Warner Cable Sports-13
COMING FRIDAY: What makes NT’s offense so unstoppable?
