Through rain, mud and an unbelievable finish, Grand Island's season has come full circle.

Nate Benoit's 42-yard field goal with seven seconds left gave the Vikings a 23-20 win over

No. 6 Williamsville South in the Section VI Class A quarterfinals Friday night.

No. 10 large school Grand Island started the season 0-3, including a 32-29 season-opening

loss at home to South (6-2) and record-setting quarterback Joe Licata.

But it is sixth-seeded Grand Island (5-3) rather than third-seeded Will South which is

moving on to play Hamburg in next week's Class A semifinals.

"That's as good a win as we've ever had," said ninth-year GI coach Dean Santorio. "Williamsville South has a great football team. Those kids can play and I give them a lot of credit.

"Getting down in there for the field goal attempt -- I wasn't willing to go for it on fourth down and not give ourselves a chance with the game on the line and almost no time left. I had confidence in Nate. We've got a great kicker. ... Can't say enough about Nate Benoit. What a great kick."

Grand Island's game-winning possession began actually with a punt from its own 15, but

South muffed the return to give the Vikings the ball at the Will South 48 with 1:25 left in

the game.

With GI facing a fourth-and-8 at the South 46, Santorio chose to go for it, and senior

quarterback Joel Klock came through as he did all night. Klock (14 for 26, 201 yards, TD) hit

junior Steve Vitello (three catches, 35 yards) on the left side for a first down at the South 33. GI spiked the ball with 33 seconds left. Klock hit another 8-yard pass before spiking the ball on third down at the South 25 and 12 seconds to play.

"I've got to give credit to Joel, he had a great football game, maybe his best of the year," said Santorio, "and to get us down in field goal range was huge."

On a night when the rain alternated between a slight sprinkling and a hard, steady drizzle, GI called for Benoit on the fourth-and-2 at the 25. Benoit's career-long kick was solidly hit, taking a low rainbow of a path well through the uprights.

"I thought we were going to go for it, and I was happy that we did," said Benoit. "I was nervous but happy

at the same time. ... It all felt right," said Benoit.

There were seven seconds left on the clock, but that wasn't all. South took a knee on the kickoff return and would have time for one play. Licata passed to senior speedster Mark Coppola on the left side for what turned into a lateral-filled play. The ball went down the left sideline but eventually came back to the right and the play ended when a South player was ruled down just over midfield.

However, a flag flew for too many players on the field because GI bench players had started celebrating early when it appeared that a South player was down.

That gave the Billies one more play from the Grand Island 31.

Licata (10 for 28, 124 yards, TD) got off a heave to the left side of the end zone, where Coppola appeared open for a

moment but the ball landed incomplete.

South players and coaches vehemently protested that there was pass interference, but there was no call.

Grand Island had a 7-6 halftime lead. South went up, 12-7, on a tremendous 40-yard run by

Tyler Krempa (10 carries, 113 yards) late in the third quarter but GI came back to take a

13-12 lead on a tough, 6-yard run by Andy LaLonde (21 runs, 108 yards). On the first play of

the fourth quarter, Coppola scored on a 23-yard end-around run. Licata tied the game with a

two-point pass to Krempa.

Grand Island's Scott Rogers had 11 tackles and Brett Dlugosz had 10.

"It just proves to everyone around that we are a team that can play football," said Klock. "To lose on Week One and to come back and beat them by three now, it's incredible."

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