SECTION VI CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP
Steelers give Smith some help
Lackawanna displays all of its talent in defeating Fredonia
Capone Smith showed again that he can do it all on a football field during the Section VI Class B football championship.
So did his entire team. Lackawanna, showing off a multifaceted attack that included more than just all-around standout Smith, dominated Fredonia, 28-10, before an estimated 1,500 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Steelers’ eighth sectional title — and third in the last four seasons — came thanks not only to Smith but to a fast, hard-hitting defense and a dangerous passing game featuring junior quarterback David Kosanovich. While Smith was again literally making plays all over the field, Kasinovich threw two touchdown passes in the Steelers’ 22-point second quarter.
“Capone can do it all, but we don’t count on him exclusively,” said Lackawanna coach Bruce Lakso. “A lot of people don’t want to believe this, but we’re not one-dimensional. We’ve got other guys on the team who can step up and play. I told David Kosanovich, ‘You can be the X-factor today.’ And he was. He played a fantastic game.”
Kosanovich completed 6 of 8 passes for 124 yards. Senior Dwayne Bennett scored two touchdowns, one on a run and one on a catch, and also led the team with seven solo tackles. Sophomore wideout Christian Cheatom had three catches for 99 yards.
“There are a lot of athletes on this team — David threw a lot of nice passes and receivers went up and made plays on the ball,” said Smith. “It’s not just me on the team, like I’ve been saying since Day One. It’s a team game.”
Smith certainly had his typical game, a little bit of everything with heavy doses of the ground game. He ran for 142 yards on 21 carries, completed 2 of 3 passes for 49 yards and caught one pass for 32 yards. He ran and threw for two-point conversions, and, with 1:23 left in the game, he ran for a 42-yard touchdown that put the game well out of reach. He also had six tackles during an impactful defensive game.
Lackawanna (10-0) will take on the Section VI champion in the Far West Regionals at 1 p. m. Saturday at UB Stadium. Geneva (8-1) played Bath (8-1) in the Section V final Saturday evening.
Lackawanna showed off its balanced air attack on its first score before turning two Fredonia turnovers into touchdowns.
On the Steelers’ first scoring drive, Cheatom caught two long passes — from two different passers. On third-and- 15 he ran under a pretty pass by Smith for a 32-yard gain to put Lackawanna at the Fredonia 42. Later, Kosanovich found Cheatom for 35 yards to set up a first-and-goal at the 6, where Kasonovich hit Dwayne Bennett for a touchdown 1:15 into the second quarter.
A Fredonia fumble set Lackawanna up at the Hillbillies’ 39. Another Kosanovich-to-Cheatom connection, this one for 31 yards, led to Bennett’s 5-yard touchdown run with 4:34 left in the quarter.
Lackawanna turned the next Fredonia turnover into a touchdown even quicker. The Hillbillies fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Steelers needed one play to score.
Kosanovich threw it to the right side for Smith, who made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch for a 32-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 22-0 lead with 4:19 left in the first half.
Lackawanna contained Fredonia for most of the second half. After a safety late in the third quarter, it scored its touchdown with 3:46 left in the game when Eric Ippolito (32 carries, 119 yards) ran in for a 2-yard score.
Lackawanna limited Fredonia to 1 of 9 passing for 24 yards, including a third-quarter interception by Dwight Barber. Barber’s interception was partly attributable to Smith’s tenacious pursuit of quarterback Chris DiRusso.
Bennett also led the Steelers in tackles with seven — all unassisted, while John Brown and Terrance Turner were each in on seven tackles.
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