It wouldn't be the Section VI Class AA playoffs without a matchup between powerhouses

North Tonawanda and Orchard Park.

The Lumberjacks and Quakers, who last year faced each other for the Class AA title, will

this year meet in the semifinals after both scored convincing victories Friday night.

OP had no trouble with Williamsville North, downing the Spartans, 39-6, while NT rolled

visiting Frontier, 40-13.

At NT, Mike Tuzzo rushed for four TDs as the Jacks jumped out to a 27-0 lead. Tuzzo was

part of a big rushing attack for the Jacks, finishing with 102 yards on 12 carries.

Steve Kijowski led NT with 176 yards. Dan Montesanti's 74 yards came on nine carries and he

scored twice. Mark Schuster scored both TDs for Frontier and finished with 128 yards.

Defensively, Kijowski led NT with 15 tackles. Montesanti had an interception in the fourth

quarter.

Orchard Park rushed for 331 yards as Okoya Anderson led the way with 154 yards on 18

carries. Anderson surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with his 63-yard touchdown run on the first

play from scrimmage.

"He's been steady all year long," Orchard Park coach Gene Tundo said of Anderson. "He has

not turned the ball over once, and that's really what we were looking for from him."

The Spartans responded to Anderson's run with an 83-yard touchdown pass on a halfback

option pass from Zach Barrett to Glenn Gronkowski, but would not score again after that.

Lancaster 12, Niagara Falls 0: Kevin Schwach recorded his eighth interception of the

season as the undefeated Redskins won their first game of the season by shutout.

"If you told me Kevin would have eight interceptions as this time of the year ... I don't

know what I would have believed," said coach Len Jankiewicz. "Kevin is an astute kid. He's not

the quickest, but he understands schemes. He knows every position and he a great teammate,

someone everyone wants to see achieve."

QB Justin Juda figured in both Lancaster scores as he had a 1-yard run and threw a TD pass

to Sean Pantling. Shawn Kennedy had 11 tackles, including six for loss. Niagara Falls was held

to 92 yards rushing and 19 passing.

Class A

Hamburg 36, Lake Shore 14: The Bulldogs recorded their first playoff win in school

history by beating the Eagles. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs were 0-4 in playoff

appearances since the Federation went to a playoff system 19 years ago. Hamburg's other

playoff games were in 1994, 1998, 2004 and 2005.

Nico Zarcone and Steve Hawkins helped ensure this win. Zarcone threw for 177 yards, rushed

for 105 and dropped a 55-yard punt at Lake Shore's 1-yard line. Hawkins rushed for 125 yards,

including an 84-yard TD to highlight a 21-point third quarter.

"Zarcone — he's Mr. Everything for us right now," said coach Mike McFadden. "And

Hawkins ran with a spirit we haven't seen in a while."

Gavin Collins had five receptions for 114 yards. Nate Dix had 10 tackles.

Hamburg will host Grand Island next week. Hamburg won the first meeting, 26-3, in Week Two.

Iroquois 21, West Seneca East 7: The Chiefs fell behind early and then scored 21

unanswered points for the win. Anthony D'Amico scored on a 4-yard run to spot East a 7-0 lead

after the first quarter. Iroquois then scored twice in the second quarter on runs by Adam

Garrison and Jim Kloc. Kloc added his second TD in the fourth quarter. He finished with 139

yards on 24 carries.

Andrew Wagner had five tackles and a fumble recovery. For East, Tyler Tangelder finished

with 108 yards rushing.

Class B

Albion 14, Lackawanna 6: There will be a new champion in Class B this year, the

Purple Eagles made sure of that with an emotional victory over the Steelers.

Keith Taggert gave Lackawanna a 6-0 lead, but the Purple Eagles would not be denied. Chris

Thorton scored on a 19-yard run to make it 8-6 and then Matt Gilbert broke free for a

62-yarder on fourth-and-1 call late in the game.

Lackawanna got the ball back and drove to the Albion 40-yard line. They turned the ball

over on downs with 2:52 left. Albion took over, got a first down, and ran out the clock.

Last year Lackawanna ended Albion's season, 35-8, in the quarterfinals.

It was a difficult week for Albion and its first-year head coach Tony Osburn.

Osburn's father-in-law, Larry Decker, died suddenly last Saturday in South Carolina while

on the way to Florida with his wife, Judy. He was 64. Decker coached at Medina from 1971-2000.

He spent 10 seasons as the Mustangs' head football coach. He had been helping Osburn coach

this season and had been in the coaching booth the night before for the Albion-Medina game.

Osburn said Decker's widow, Judy, insisted that despite the mourning and calling hours that

this week stay as routine as possible as Albion prepared for the game.

"The kids showed a lot of character this week," said Osburn. "We talk about this game being

about life. We're a football family but I hope our kid realize there are more important things

in life than football. I'm proud of the way they handled themselves."

Alden 26, Depew 13: A late-season slump may have cost Alden may have cost the

Bulldogs the Class B South division title and a home playoff game, but they made up for it in

a major way.

Sophomore Ryan Sasnowski recorded 13 tackles and a sack in his varsity debut, while

Christian Barczykowski was just a beast as the Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals.

Barczykowski caught four passes for 102 yards, returned an interception 30 yards for a TD and

had seven tackles (three for losses) and two sacks for the Dick Diminico-coached outfit.

Tyler Stoldt scored on a 49-yard run and completed 8 of 10 passes for 138 yards while

Dakota Peel rushed for 95 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.

Cheektowaga 37, Dunkirk 13: Senior Nick McLean exploded for 207 yards and two

touchdowns and kicked a 30-yard field goal to lead the Warriors to the win.

Keith Bykowski returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring for

Cheektowaga. He also added six tackles in the win. Julius Davis rushed eight times for 80

yards and a touchdown for the Warriors.

Vinnie Bomasuto and Matt Alton rushed for TDs for the Marauders.

Class C

Southwestern 41, Gowanda 0: The defending Class C-state champion Trojans rushed for

393 yards, led by Levi Bursch (124 yards), Jon Mistretta (113 yards) and Zach Sopak (85 yards

on five carries). Will Sleggs had seven tackles.

Class D

Maple Grove 26, Cattaraugus/LV 0: Luke Nickerson ran for a pair of 4-yard runs in

the second quarter and Maple Grove got all 26 points in the first half. Matt Fox made 14

tackles to lead the shutout for the defending Class D state champions.

Portville 52, West Valley 7: Trent Unverdorben carried 11 times for 165 yards and

three touchdowns as the Panthers advanced. Colt Lowe tossed a pair of touchdown passes and

Steve Gerringer returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown.

Randolph 21, Frewsburg 7: Matt Hettenbaugh rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 52 yards,

respectively, in the second half to lead the Cardinals.

Monsignor Martin

Niagara Catholic 13, Nichols 12: Dave DeVaughn rushed for 144 yards on 24 carries

and scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the Patriots. Nichols' Matt

Benedict scored the second of his two touchdowns on a 76-yard kickoff return following

DeVaughn's run, but the Vikings' attempt at a two-point conversion.

Harvard Cup

Riverside 14, McKinley 2: Junior linebackers Willie Jefferson (eight tackles, one

sack) and Jordan Morris (five tackles, interception, sack) led the defensive effort as the

Frontiers moved to 6-1.

"It got to be a defensive standoff in the second half," veteran Riverside assistant coach

Bill Russell said.

Donnie Bender caught a 20-yard pass from David Drayton in the first quarter and Tremaine

Alls ran for a 3-yard score in the second to account for Riverside's points. Alls carries six

times for 100 yards. After opening the season with a 13-12 loss to Burgard, the Frontiers have

run off six straight wins.

"We got refocused after that game. Since then we've been rolling along pretty good,"

Russell said.

Consolation bowls

Pioneer 26, Lew-Port 7: Junior Bill Asquith rushed 21 times for 140 yards and one

touchdown to lead the Panthers. Junior Brandon Schwan caught a pair of touchdown passes and

made a pair of interceptions for Pioneer, while sophomore linebacker Corey Vail and Tony Lock

made 12 tackles each.

"It was the best defensive effort of the season," Pioneer coach Jim Duprey said.

Salamanca 54, Roy-Hart 0: The Warriors had 507 yards of total offense, including 210

yards rushing and two touchdowns from Carmen Papa. Chris LeBlanc added 169 yards rushing,

including a 91-yard touchdown run.

Ellicottville 14, Clymer 12: Pat Folland's 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter

provided the winning points for the Eagles. Brian MacNeal rushed 22 times for 82 yards and a

touchdown for Ellicottville, while Ryan Kent added 12 tackles.

Falconer 22, Akron 14 (OT): Joe Armeli rushed for three touchdowns, including the

game-winner in overtime. Seth Rusnell threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Zbytek in the

second quarter for Akron.

Nonleague

Springville 12, Tonawanda 6: Shawn Barr's 4-yard run in the fourth quarter provided

the winning points. Ed Miller rushed 15 times for 122 yards and a touchdown for Tonawanda.

Today's games

Jamestown, which won three of its last four games to make the playoffs, travels

north to meet Lockport in Class AA.

Defending Class A state champion Sweet Home looks to run its winning streak to 21

games when it hosts Amherst.

Wilson (5-2) makes the long road trip to Cassadaga Valley (6-1) for a Class C

quarterfinal contest.

Cross-town Catholic rivals Cardinal O'Hara and St. Joe's meet in a matchup of large

and small Monsignor Martin schools.

South Park takes on Lafayette in Harvard Cup action at All High Stadium in a game

that could have big playoff implications for both teams.