Four of a kind: Quarterbacks lead the way for Section VI champions
Section VI makes its mark by going four-for-Dome
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
SYRACUSE — Section VI football had already made history of its own by sending four teams to the state finals.
This weekend it set some new standards for the state.
Orchard Park finished off Section VI’s four-for-four state championship performance at the Carrier Dome with a come-from- behind, 21-17, victory over Section IX (Orange County) Monroe-Woodbury.
“It’s incredible — I give all the coaches credit,” said Orchard Park coach Gene Tundo. “I give credit to the coaches from Kenmore [West], who took us to the end of the game, to NT [North Tonawanda], who took us to the end of the game, Frontier . . . those guys are why we won. All those coaches and all those players in Western New York should be proud of themselves. Because this is for them, too. We’re part of a great thing.”
Sweet Home (A), Southwestern (C) and Maple Grove (D) made it a Section VI sweep of Saturday’s tripleheader.
In all four title games, the champion quarterback earned MVP honors: Orchard Park senior Kyle Hoppy, Sweet Home senior Casey Kacz, Southwestern junior Zack Sopak and Maple Grove junior Chris Secky.
“I thought going in we had a real good shot at all of them because we had four outstanding teams,” said Section VI chairman Chuck Funke. “I was thinking to myself, what’s the common denominator here? All four of them have great quarterbacks, great leaders. Just four great kids.”
Funke also cited the consolation bowl system the section installed in the last decade, which enables teams to get in more games than what had been an eight-game regular season.
“I think the stuff we’ve been doing the last few years has really improved our football,” said Funke. “Kids are playing 10 games a year and that helps.”
On Saturday, Sweet Home jumped to a 28-7 lead and held on to win its first state title by beating Section II (Albany area) champion Burnt Hills, 35-28, in the A final.
Southwestern scored three touchdowns in a one-minute, 10-second span in the second quarter as the Trojans won their first crown in a rout of Section I (Westchester County) champion Croton-Harmon, 35-7, in the C title game.
Maple Grove celebrated the 10th anniversary of its 1998 title with a second championship after a 55-7 romp over Moriah of Section VII (Northern New York) in Class D.
Technically, the four local teams are champions of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
The NYSPHSAA football playoffs do not include Sections VIII (Nassau County) and XI (Suffolk County), which end their seasons after they hold a Long Island championship.
New York City’s Public Schools Athletic League and the state’s Catholic school leagues, including the Monsignor Martin Association, are not part of the NYSPHSAA tournament. Unlike basketball, there is no overall state championship for football.
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