By David J. Hill
Two teams from opposite ends of the state will meet in the middle of it Sunday to determine high school football supremacy for 2009. One of them is North Tonawanda.
The Lumberjacks are making their first-ever appearance in the state finals, and hope to bring a title back to Niagara County for the first time.
One final team — New Rochelle — stands in their way. Kickoff for the Class AA final is 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University.
Unlike NT, the Huguenots program is quite familiar with the Carrier Dome. New Rochelle, which won its fourth straight Section I title and made the state playoffs seven times this decade, won state championships in 2000 (defeating Jamestown) and 2003 (Webster Schroeder).
Their title defense in 2004 ended with a 41-35 loss to Syracuse’s Christian Brothers Academy in what is regarded as one of the best state championship games played. That ‘04 squad included current Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who starred at Rutgers after graduating from New Rochelle.
The Huguenots lost in the state semifinals in both 2007 and ‘08.
New Rochelle is ranked No. 1 in Class AA by the New York State Sportswriters Association, while NT is No. 2. Both teams have rolled their opponents this season. New Rochelle outscored its opponents 343-90, but the Jacks’ dominance is a more impressive 467-107 margin.
After toppling Monroe-Woodbury, then the state’s top-ranked team, in the quarterfinals, the Huguenots advanced to the Carrier Dome with a comeback win over Saratoga Springs last weekend. They trailed by two touchdowns late in the first half before intercepting three passes and converting all three turnovers into touchdowns over a seven-minute span to win 28-21.
The Huguenots have everything North Tonawanda expects to find in a state championship opponent — size, depth, skill and athleticism.
“They’re a pretty big school. They’ve got a lot of athletic kids to pick from, but so do we,” Lumberjacks junior Travis Charsley said this week. “Once you get in the game it really doesn’t matter. You go one-hundred percent every play, just fight and never give up.”
The Jacks didn’t have to do much fighting in their 28-7 semifinal win last week over Baldwinsville. North Tonawanda overwhelmed the Bees early in that game, doing everything necessary to win in the first half.
NT anticipates the tussle of the season on Sunday.
“They’re big, strong and fast. They play really good defense, and they make people make mistakes,” Jacks coach Eric Jantzi said.
“They’ve had a lot of turnovers, lot of interceptions for touchdowns. They’ve got five or six guys like us who run the football for them. Everything about them is good, but that’s what you come to expect when there’s only two of you left in the state.”
The Jacks focused on fundamentals this week in practice to make sure everything’s sound before Sunday. The team’s approach isn’t any different than it’s been all year, one game at a time, business as usual.
“It’s just another game in a bigger place with a bigger audience,” senior offensive lineman Jim Rogers said.
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
CLASS AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
• WHO: VI-North Tonawanda (12-0) vs. I-New Rochelle (11-0)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday
• WHERE: Carrier Dome, Syracuse University
• TICKETS: $10
• TV: Time Warner Cable Sports-13
NOTES: The Huguenots won state titles in 2000 and 2003. ... They lost in the semifinals the previous two seasons. ... This is NT’s first-ever state title game. ... The Jacks expect to have a very NT-friendly crowd on their side with numerous student and alumni caravans heading to the game. ... New Rochelle has outscored its opponents 343-90 while NT’s margin is 467-107. ... NYS Sportswriters Association President John Moriello predicts a New Rochelle victory, 28-27. ...Neil Kerr of the Syracuse Post Standard predicts a 26-20 NT win.
WHO ARE THE HUGUENOTS?
• SCHOOL: New Rochelle High School
• LOCATION: New Rochelle, N.Y. (Approx. 15 miles north of New York City)
• ENROLLMENT: 2,588 (NT has 1,104)
• COACH: Lou DiRienzo
• FAMOUS ALUMNUS: Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice, who starred at Rutgers after graduating from New Rochelle in 2004.
