SYRACUSE — The North Tonawanda football team ended a perfect season as state champions, and, as has been the case all season, the list of contributors is a very long one.

One player literally jumped to the top of that list Sunday afternoon.

Darrik Bloomfield made an outstanding leaping catch for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter in a 14-7 Class AA championship victory over New Rochelle, part of a sterling all-around game that earned the senior Most Valuable Player honors before an estimated 3,000 at the Carrier Dome.

NT took its seven-point lead with 8:49 to play when senior quarterback Mike Tuzzo pitched to the right to junior Joe Montesanti, who lofted the ball to the end zone where Bloomfield elevated and grabbed the ball above a defender for the 12-yard score.

"I saw the ball was hung up in the air, and I just leaped up and I got it," said Bloomfield, a 6-foot, 161-pound senior. "In the beginning of the season, people were talking about you guys are going to be good. I had faith in my team all along and we proved it to everybody now: state champs."

Bloomfield had five catches for 53 yards, ran twice for 21 yards, led NT in tackles with seven and provided outstanding blocking all day on the Lumberjacks' signature triple-option pitches to the outside.

The football title is the first for North Tonawanda (13-0) and the first for a school from Niagara County. It was the fourth won this weekend by Section VI teams as Western New York went 4 for 4 in state finals for the second straight postseason.

"This is a perfect end to a perfect season," said Jantzi. "We talked about being perfect, and there's not a lot of things you can be perfect at in life — the 2009 Lumberjacks are absolutely perfect.

"To see their tears of joy at the end of the game is something I'll remember the rest of my life, because I know the hard work and effort they put in. In a couple of those timeouts, the things they were saying to each other when the game was winding down, about what we had to do to win it — those are things you'll take with you the rest of your life."

Foremost among NT's memories will be Bloomfield's catch, which came on third-and-7 at the New Rochelle 12.

"The guys on the headphones said, "let's just get it up to Darrik and let him make one more play for us,' " said Jantzi. "We might as well, he's been spoiling us all year long."

Bloomfield was behind New Rochelle standout senior defender Jonny McGhee, and for a moment it appeared as though the ball would not get to Bloomfield.

"He's amazing," said senior running back Tom Sell. "I was blocking for Joey, and when I saw Darrik go up and get that ball I got butterflies in my stomach."

New Rochelle senior linebacker Louis Dirienzo, who had 11 tackles and a sack to earn most valuable defensive back honors, called it "probably the greatest catch I've ever seen."

It was one of two passes thrown by Montesanti on Sunday.

"I love that play," he said. "Darrik ran a great route and he burned him and I was like, "Oh, all I have to do is loft it over his head.' I didn't put really that much on it, but luckily the kid is an athlete and he just jumped over the guy. I knew it was good as soon as it went up."

On a team so deep that its postseason run went on uninterrupted even without injured All-Western New York first teamer Aaron Davis, NT had all sorts of players make an impact in a tense championship game.

Bloomfield's touchdown concluded an 11-play, 77-yard drive that chewed up 5:06 of time spanning the third and fourth quarters; the drive started with a big Bloomfield catch as Tuzzo found him for a 13-yard gain on third-and-10. It also included a first-down catch by Montesanti (eight carries, 30 yards) and two first-down runs by Sell (15 carries, 73 yards).

Senior Casey Shreve was named the most valuable offensive lineman of the game while senior Sean McDonough was named the most valuable defensive lineman. McDonough made what would be the final meaningful play of the game.

New Rochelle faced a fourth and 3 at its own 15 with 1:02 left, and McDonough got his hands up to bat away a pass by Khaliq Butts. The fourth and 3 was forced after a big stop by junior linebacker Rob Wikierski, who grabbed McGhee's leg after a completion and wouldn't let go.

On New Rochelle's second-to-last drive, it faced third and 5 at its 45 when junior Dan Montesanti, Joe's brother, [CQ - two brothers] sacked Butts. After a penalty, New Rochelle went for it on fourth and 1 and Dan Montesanti was among a host of Jacks who stopped the run attempt.

Junior Josh Kern knocked a ball away to help get the ball back for NT's go-ahead scoring drive. Steve Kijowski was his usual wrecking ball at fullback and linebacker. There were several kickoff coverage tackles by senior Devan Moultrie. Tuzzo was 11 for 16 for 105 yards and no interceptions, including a 21-yard pass to junior Travis Charsley on NT's first drive.

The Huguenots (11-1) battled valiantly despite the loss of starting quarterback Lewis Edney in the first quarter. New Rochelle tied the game on its first possession of the second half when Julian Griffin (10 carries, 125 yards) scored on a 54-yard run.

"This is something that we've been working towards since we started playing football in little league," said Tuzzo. "These are my brothers forever. This is the greatest team I've ever been on, and this is greatest team I'm ever going to be on. It's just an unbelievable feeling."