I haven't been getting results from Elba/Byron-Bergen's football squad since the Pool Play started, but I did find a story on the semifinals win over Bolivar-Richburg on Saturday.
Elba/B-B did lose in the finals, but had a successful run, winning three games in a row before this.
(Updated to fix my mistake)
A pair of local athletes suffered some pretty serious injuries during the Section 5 playoffs and I've got updates on both.
Attica's Andy Ruddock was knocked out of the Class B semifinals contest with Bath. He had some tests last week and tore his ACL. He will be in a cast for six weeks and hopefully can get back to playing football in the future.
(UPDATE: Ruddock actually went to the doctor today and received some great news. What was thought to be a torn ACL, is actually a stress fracture in his tibia. He will be in a brace for two weeks while doing rehab. The injury is significantly less severe and he will be just fine for baseball season)
Oakfield-Alabama's Tim Smith was knocked out of the Class C title game when trying to tackle Le Roy's Travis Fenstermaker. The hit looked very serious and Smith was in rough shape. He was diagnosed with a concussion and did not return to the game. Coach John Dowd confirmed that he is doing well and should be good to go for basketball season.
It has been a few days now since the Le Roy football team knocked off Oakfield-Alabama, 27-17, in the Section 5 Class C championship game at PAETEC Park.
It was a hard-fought battle between two great, udefeated teams, that featured many great performances. Mike Humphrey won the MVP after catching 12 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, but there are plenty of other solid days, including Jason Stanley of Oakfield-Alabama stepping in for an injured Tim Smith.
If you are interested, this is the link to the complete stat breakdown of the game.
On an unusually warm Friday`night in early November what better place to be than Paetec Park watching two of Western New York’s finest football teams slug it out for the Section V class C championship.
Squaring off were two perennial powers: the LeRoy Oatkan Knights and the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets.
The highly anticipated contest resulted in a large turnout of supporters for both teams, both on the field and in the stands.
Bill “Bilko” Pangrazio, a LeRoy native and twenty-four year member of the chain gang for the Oatkan Knights was working the sticks for this contest.
“This is the best seat in the house”, he said in reference to being on the sidelines for the game. When asked about the quality of this years Oatkan grid squad he added, “This team lost 17 starters from last years state finals team. They remind me of the 1998 team.” The admiration he felt for this year’s edition was obvious.
Lynn Gehlert works days as an instructor at the Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School. On this Friday evening she came out to support the Hornets and take sideline photographs as she does at all their games. “I still have siblings in school. My sister Michelle dates Brad (O-A running back Riner) so the whole family turns out for games.”
In what was a see-saw battle for most of the game, bursts of crowd noise alternated, with roars erupting first from one side of the field then the other. Both teams - or towns in this case - were equally loud.
Kelly Kowalcyzk, whose son Tyler plays offensive and defensive end for the Hornets, saw O-A quarterback A.J. Kehlenbeck drop back to pass. She then turned and said to a fan seated beside her, “My son can’t catch the ball.” She turned in time to see Tyler catch a thirty yard touchdown pass in the end zone.
“This is more of a battle than last weeks game” she said in regard to some hard hitting and several lead changes. “Right now I think they’re playing for Tim”, she concluded, referring to O-A running back Tim Smith who was injured in a collision with LeRoy’s Travis Fenstermaker.
LeRoy’s next score gave them a lead they would not relinquish and the LeRoy faithful sensed the end was near. Among them were Steven Dumbleton and his son Steven Jr. Young Dumbleton plays for the LeRoy Jayvees and came to cheer on the varsity. “We’re here with everyone else in the stands to support the varsity team.” said his father. “The kids have a good coach and they respect each other.” he said in regards to LeRoy’s winning tradition.
While both teams gave their supporters much to cheer about, in the end it was the Oatka Knights who walked away with the sectional title. Still, its hard to imagine there could have been a loser in a game such as this. Both teams left it all out on the field.
The Le Roy football team had allowed Don "Hooks" Robertson to hold the Section 5 championship trophy the last two seasons.
He didn't physically get to hold it this year, but he was without a doubt celebrating with the Oatkan Knights after Le Roy beat Oakfield-Alabama 27-17 in the Class C finals Friday night at PAETEC Park.
Robertson passed away last summer from cancer and Le Roy had the goal of winning the championship for him.
The game was an epic battle between two undefeated teams, with a lot of defense early in the game and a lot of offense after the half.
The Hornets forced Le Roy into a three-and-out on the opening possession of the game and then went executed the offensive game plan to perfection. O-A marched 66 yards on 16 plays, with Tim Smith breaking off a 32-yard run early in the drive. The eight minute long drive resulted in three points when Jon Fisher nailed a 27-yard field goal.
But the Oatkan Knights answered right back.
Travis Fenstermaker hooked up with Mike Humphrey on a 25-yard pass, and the 50-yard drive resulted in a score when Andrew Alexander dove in from a yard out. The extra point made the score 7-3.
Smith had a big return, but O-A had to punt the ball away.
Early in Le Roy's next drive, Smith was knocked out of the game when Fenstermaker took off on a scramble and hit him full-force. Smith's helmet was turned around, he attempted to get but flopped back down.
Smith - O-A's leading rusher - was diagnosed with a concussion and was obviously not coming back in the game.
Fenstermaker and Humphrey hooked up on another long pass, but this time the receiver, who was given the MVP award after the game, fumbled the ball away.
Oakfield-Alabama couldn't score and it was 7-3 at the break.
After Jason Stanley popped off a 20-yard run, the Hornets started off a series of scoring with a play-action touchdown pass. A.J. Kehlenbeck faked the hand-off and lofted a ball up fro Tyler Kowalczyk, who hauled in the 30-yarder for a score. That gave O-A a 10-7 advantage.
Fenstermaker then found Humphrey and he took it 54-yards for a touchdown, and the Hornets answered right back with a score when Stanley broke a 57-yard run, meaning Oakfield-Alabama had a 17-13 lead after three quarters of play.
The Oatkan Knights took the lead back when Fenstermaker hooked up with Quentin Humphrey on two passes, including a fourth-and-7, and John Casper scored a 1-yard touchdown.
Then, the biggest play of the game happened.
Le Roy was kicking off and bounced the ball off of one of the up-men, then recovered the onside kick.
Alexander caught a 26-yard touchdown pass with just five minutes left, giving the Oatkan Knights the 10-point lead.
O-A moved the ball a bit, but eventually turned it over on downs, meaning Le Roy wrapped up its 14th sectional title.
And, they did it for Hooks.
John Koenig of O-A and Andrew Miller of Le Roy were given the sportsmanship award and Le Roy's Eric Stella was the game's top offensive lineman.
Fenstermaker, who had 28 rushing yards and went 15-of-19 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns, was the game's most outstanding offensive back.
O-A's Chris Williams was the top defensive lineman and Derek Hicks was the top defensive back.
Humphrey was the MVP, catching 12 passes for 153 yards and the touchdown.
I didn't know who the older man that was always at Le Roy practices for a few years. All I knew was that he seemed very nice and the kids liked him.
A few years back, he came up to me and shook my hand. He told me how much he appreciated what I did for the kids and how much he enjoyed reading my previews and coverage of Le Roy football.
That was the beginning of my relationship with Don "Hooks" Robertson.
I spend a lot of time at Le Roy games and practices during football season because it is the top program in this area, so I have gotten to know a lot of great people over the years.
Hooks is one of the most special.
I wrote a story about him in 2006 when he was battling cancer, and we became sort-of practice buddies after that. When the Oatkan Knights won the Class C title that year, the team gave the trophy to Hooks outside of the locker rooms at PAETEC Park, and the man was in his glory.
He had been through a lot, fighting off lung, throat, neck and back cancer. But when the kids that won that title showed him how much they appreciated what he had done, it was enough to render him speechless and make the tears stream down his face.
"It was a total shock to me," Robertson told me days after the contest. "I was thinking more about the kids and winning, not myself. I couldn't believe they gave me the trophy. Football is in my blood and I just broke down."
Hooks was back on the sidelines in 2007, and seemed to be in fairly good health. But the cancer had come back, not that he would ever talk about it. He always talked to me about football and the kids.
He passed away this summer.
I remember hearing that his days were numbered and wanted to get out and see him one last time. I had just had the first of two Carpal Tunnel surgeries when I heard his time was getting close. My second surgery came on the day that he died.
There were complications with the surgery and I was in a lot of pain. But I found myself thinking about Hooks more than the minor health problems I was dealing with.
I never made it out to the funeral. It killed me, but I couldn't drive and getting a ride wound up being impossible. But in my mind, I was there.
Hooks is still with the Le Roy football team. Not physically, but so many players and coaches on that team have had special relationships with him that it is impossible for them not to think about him as Le Roy plays Oakfield-Alabama in the Class C finals Friday night.
I was never able to write about Hooks because of the surgery. But as the Oatkan Knights go into the finals, I find myself missing a good friend. Heck, I barely knew the man and I know how special he was. Just a good guy that loved Le Roy football and the kids that put in the effort. I couldn't even imagine what those close to him are feeling.
I put together a video that includes conversations with quarterback Travis Fenstermaker and coach Brian Moran, along with some amazing video of his grandson - Brock Pasquale - giving him the game ball after scoring a touchdown in the playoffs.
(special thank you to Ed Henry from www.leroyfootball.com for some video footage and photos)
Oakfield-Alabama (9-0) vs. Le Roy (9-0)
6 p.m. Friday, PAETEC Park
Oakfield-Alabama coach John Dowd has been saying for years that he wants to see his program have the wins, the respect and titles that Le Roy has.
There have been a couple Section 5 titles in there, and a couple of trips beyond sectionals, into the state tournament. But there is still a bunch of work to be done to catch up to Le Roy's 13 sectional championships.
Dowd's team, with its powerful double-wing offensive system that drives defenses crazy, will have to beat the Oatkan Knights Friday night to claim a Class C championship and get closer to the level he's looking to reach.
O-A does not have the numbers Le Roy does and that will be evident when you take a look on the sidelines. The Hornets have a small coaching staff, and about 25 players on the squad. The Oatkan Knights will have over 40 players dressed and a larger coaching staff than some Division III college teams.
It is tough to call a team that is 9-0 and ranked sixth in the state an underdog, but you kind of have to when they are playing another 9-0 squad that is ranked second in the state and has one of the most storied histories of any program in the state.
The Hornets have been great in recent years, making the Class D finals in 2003 while winning the title in 2004 and 2006.
But the Oatkan Knights have 13 sectional championships, including 12 under the direction of coach Brian Moran.
The game features two big, physical offensive lines and that might be the biggest advantage Oakfield-Alabama has as Chris Williams and Craig Campbell were all-state linemen two years ago.
The Hornets will attempt to pound the ball with the double-wing, take time off the clock and capitalize with touchdowns. Eight minute drives resulting in points in the best way to keep Le Roy's offense off the field.
The Oatkan Knights will try to stop O-A on first and second down and force them to pass on third-and-long situations.
Tim Smith and Brad Riner have been a great one-two punch carrying the football, with Smith currently at 1,040 yards with 16 touchdowns and Riner at 890 yards with 12 TDs.
Le Roy will be doing the opposite on the offensive side of the ball.
Class C Offensive Player of the Year Travis Fenstermaker and wide receiver Mike Humphrey will look to attack an Oakfield-Alabama defense that is great at stopping the run, but has been passed on in a couple of recent games. Pembroke moved the ball through the air in Week 6 and Dansville had a lot of success in the opening round of sectionals.
Fenstermaker has 1,030 yards passing with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions and Humphrey has caught 37 passes for 592 yards and 11 TDs.
Running back Andrew Alexander is coming off a 300-plus yard rushing performance against Letchworth in the semifinals, and will still get plenty of touches. He has 1,347 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns.
There isn't much of a history between these two teams. The last time they matched up was in 1999 in the Class C finals, with Le Roy winning 34-3.
Everybody knew Travis Fenstermaker was going to be a good quarterback for the Le Roy football team. But it is almost impossible to imagine the season that he has had for the 9-0, second-ranked team in the state.
Because of his incredible season, he was just named Section 5 Class C Offensive Player of the Year.
The senior has completed 64-of-108 pass attempts for 1,030 yards, including 18 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions.
He has also ran the ball 87 times for 425 yards and four touchdowns, is sixth on the team in tackles and handles all of the kicking and punting duties.
He is 20-1 as a starting quarterback in his high school career.
The Oatkan Knights will be playing Oakfield-Alabama in the sectional finals Friday night at PAETEC Park.
Back in 2002, the Le Roy football team went to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals.
We are still a few weeks away from this level of play, but both Le Roy and Oakfield-Alabama will get a shot to make the state final four.
That game was an epic one and one of the greatest high school football games every played, with powerhouse Onondaga beating the Oatkan Knights 13-10.
Mike Hart - who went on to star at Michigan and is a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts this year - was the biggest name in New York football. He set all kinds of records and was an almost larger than life figure.
He didn't disappoint. Le Roy did a good job of holding him to just 123 yards and a touchdown, but the touchdown run came at the right time of the game. Late in the fourth quarter, Hart broke six tackles and ran it in from 63 yards to give Onondaga the trip to the finals, which they also won.
He also caused four turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.
Le Roy fans are as loyal as any and those that attended this game remember it as a tough loss for the kids, but also remember that they witnessed something special.
Here is a copy of Hart's amazing touchdown run.
I was just making my daily visit to the Section 5 football Web site, and found some interesting stuff.
There is updated scheduling information for the state tournament, which either Le Roy or Oakfield-Alabama will be moving on to after Friday night's game. The Class C Far West Regionals will be played at University at Buffalo next Saturday at 10 a.m., which is always a tough time to start a game. Teams play at either 7 p.m. Friday nights or 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoons all season long and then get thrown out of their routines with the early start.
The state semifinals are at 12 p.m. Nov. 22 at PAETEC Park and the finals will be at 2 p.m. on the 29th at the Carrier Dome.
O-A and Le Roy will be playing at 6 p.m. this Friday for the Section 5 Class C title and a chance to move into the state tournament.
Also on the site was a photo from the finals luncheon. John Dowd and Brian Moran in suits. I have never seen Dowd (back row, far right) in a suit.
I love video.
Jim Nigro did a great job of covering the Notre Dame/Dundee game for us this past weekend and he described a controversial no-call that allowed Dundee to score its first touchdown of the game.
Dundee won the sectional finals contest 22-14 in overtime and what appeared to be an offensive pass interference call wound up costing the Fighting Irish, big time.
Here is some video I was given today (not the best quality, but does the job) that shows the play in question. It does appear that Dundee WR Dustyn Thompson did push off and the call was not made. What do you think?
Attica's historic trip to the Section 5 Class B semifinals - the second ever for the school - came to a quick and crushing end Sunday night at PAETEC Park as powerhouse Bath controlled the game and won 42-0.
It has been decades since Attica has had a playoff run like this one and a great season ended in heartache, and in a blowout.
The Blue Devil turnovers were a problem, but not as much as the inability to stop the Rams rushing attack. Bath had 248 yards on the ground in the first half and 418 in the game.
Bath started the game off with a great drive deep into Attica territory, but coughed the ball up and Doug Beitz recovered the fumble, giving the Blue Devils a big shot early on.
After Andy Ruddock ripped off a 17-yard run, Attica was forced to punt.
This time, Bath capitalized on a big drive.
The Rams marched down the field and quarterback Jake Kuver scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown.
Attica went three-and-out and Andre McCloud had a 36-yard scamper for Bath, but it was only a 7-0 game after the opening 12 minutes of play. That Rams drive ended up with a turnover again as a fumble was recovered by Luke Pariso.
This time, Attica turned the ball over.
Brandon Rollins was pressured and tried to scramble. When he was hit the ball popped out and Bath recovered at the Attica 27-yard line.
An Attica facemask penalty set up an easy touchdown run for Kuver.
The Blue Devils fumbled the ball away on their first offensive play and Bath scooped it up, allowing Kuver to score his third rushing touchdown of the half from 21-yards out.
Trailing 21-0, the biggest blow came midway through the second quarter.
Ruddock, who carried the ball 37 times in last week's win over East Rochester/Gananda, twisted his knee on a rushing attempt and was knocked out of the game.
With him out, Attica failed to move the ball and had to punt it away.
The Blue Devil defense forced a punt, but then the offense fumbled the ball away yet again. This time, McCloud had a 17-yard touchdown run, making the score 28-0 at intermission.
Rollins was also injured late in the half and missed the second half of the game with a bad hand.
Fullback Cody Hutcheson had two touchdown runs in the second half for Bath and finished the day with 185 yards on 24 carries. McCloud had 119 yards on 17 carries and Kuver had 80 yards on 10 attempts.
Nate Berry wound up leading the Blue Devils (5-4) in rushing with 46 yards on 14 carries, with Ruddock gaining 38 on six attempts before going down.
Bath (8-1) will move on to play Geneva (8-1) in the Class B finals next weekend at PAETEC Park.
Barker avenged a regular season loss to Alexander, winning a Pool Play game 45-20 Saturday.
Greg Brown and Tyler Mason led the Raiders charge as Mason picked up 186 yards and a touchdown and Brown added 134 yards with two scores.
Mason also had three tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Josh Dubois also caught three passes for 40 yards.
There was a blocked punt and two kickoffs returned for TDs for Trojans, who end up 4-5.
Barker is 3-6.
Josh Athoe wasn't even supposed to be on the field Saturday afternoon.
The Oakfield-Alabama junior suffered a horrific broken leg at the start of last baseball season and was told he wasn't going to play baseball last year, or football this year.
But midway through the season, he got cleared from the doctor and has been seeing quality time for the Hornets as both a fullback and defensive back.
That alone makes for a great story.
Add in the fact that his interception was the biggest play of the game in O-A's 14-0 win over Pembroke in the Section 5 Class C semifinal game at Aquinas High School, and you've got a blockbuster.
The game was everything you would expect from the Pembroke/Oakfield-Alabama rivalry as both squad's defenses were stingy and scoring opportunities were few and far between.
The Dragons had one realistic chance to put points on the board in the first quarter, but turned the ball over on downs at the O-A 26-yard line.
The Hornets started marching early in the second quarter, but Andrew Wright intercepted an A.J. Kehlenbeck pass at the Pembroke 7.
There was some controversy soon after that as Chris Williams seemed to pull down Pembroke quarterback David Kleckler in the end zone, but officials said Kleckler got the ball away first and ruled it an incomplete pass.
After a short punt, O-A had great field position and set up a 33-yard field goal attempt by Jon Fisher, who set the Section 5 single game record for PATs in last week's 63-34 victory over Dansville. Fisher's kick missed its target and there was still no score.
After Kleckler ripped off a 22-yard run, the Dragons were in business with very little time left before the break. Kleckler tossed one up towards the end zone, but Tim Smith pulled it down for the Hornets with just five seconds left in the half.
Pembroke received the second half kickoff and immediately began moving the ball down the field as Kleckler and Wright hooked up on a 20-yard pass.
But that drive came to a quick stop and wound up giving Oakfield-Alabama its first score of the game.
Kleckler tossed up a pass for Ken Babcock that Athoe snagged and returned about 60 yards for the TD. The extra point failed and O-A led 6-0.
There were three straight possessions without a first down before the third quarter ended.
The Hornets started a drive near the end of the frame and carried a five minute long drive into the fourth quarter before being faced with a fourth down. Fisher had an amazing put that rolled out of bounds at the Pembroke 1-yard line, giving the Dragons nearly impossible field position.
Kleckler found Babcock on a 10-yard pass and then ran for 11 yards, but Smith broke up a pass intended for Babcock on a fourth-and-4 at the Pembroke 29, with about four minutes left.
The Hornets marched down the short field, taking time off the clock, and wound up drawing Pembroke offsides on a fourth-and-2 inside the 5.
Smith scored on a 1-yard run a few plays later, then ran in the two-point conversion for the final tally.
Pembroke falls to 7-2, with both losses coming at the hands of rival Oakfield-Alabama.
The Hornets are a perfect 9-0 and will be playing top-seeded Le Roy (9-0) in the finals next Friday night at PAETEC Park.
The Le Roy football team turned the ball over five times, missed two field goals and nearly gave up a 21-0 lead, but managed to hold on and beat Letchworth 21-14 in the Section 5 Class C semifinals Saturday at Aquinas High School.
Andrew Alexander was a big reason why, rushing for 336 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
The Oatkan Knights were dominant early with a high-powered rushing attack, but wound up seeing it turn into a game in the second half.
Le Roy marched right down the field and Andrew Alexander had his first touchdown of the game 3 minutes in on a 7-yard run.
After the Indians went three-and-out, Alexander broke off a 30-yard run and eventually scored on a 10-yard rush.
Le Roy had a 14-0 advantage after the opening period of play as Alexander picked up 139 on the ground in the first 12 minutes.
The game appeared to start becoming a blowout in the second quarter when Travis Fenstermaker scored on a 13-yard run.
Alexander had an interception right before the half and the Oatkan Knights had a 21-0 lead.
The Oatkan Knights fumbled the ball away at the start of the second quarter, but Mike Humphrey saved a score when he picked off a pass.
Le Roy turned the ball over again when freshman Chris Nevinger caught a tipped pass and returned it 20 yards for a TD.
The Oatkan Knights coughed the ball up again, with the Indians recovering the ball. Quarterback Travis Tones scored a little bit later on a 1-yard TD run.
Le Roy had a shot to score early in the fourth quarter, but missed a second field goal attempt.
Letchworth failed to drive on its first series of the final frame, but forced Le Roy into a three-and-out.
Letchworth moved the ball into Le Roy territory and came up just short on a third down attempt, setting up a fourth-and-1. Nevinger took the handoff and was stopped inches short, allowing the Oatkan Knights to run out the clock and move on to the finals next week at PAETEC Park.
Tones finished with 103 yards rushing to lead the Indians.
Letchworth falls to 5-3 while Le Roy improves to 9-0.
Today is the big day.
Notre Dame is playing Dundee at PAETEC Park at Noon in the Class D finals while Le Roy plays Letchworth and Oakfield-Alabama and Pembroke do battle in Class C semifinal action at Aquinas High School.
Keep checking in to The Batavian today for results, photos and video from these games.
This is a huge weekend for area high school football as five teams are still alive. The Batavian will have coverage at every game featured this weekend.
All of the previews are done, and all have video. Check them out.
Letchworth (6-2) vs. Le Roy (8-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, at Aquinas
Back in 1970, long before anybody that will be on the field Saturday was even thought of, Letchworth and Le Roy played a football game against each other for the first time.
The Indians won that contest, knocking off one of the most storied programs in Section 5. But that was the last time a Letchworth squad beat the Oatkan Knights and here we are in the 2008 Class C semifinals and coach Tim McMullen's boys are looking to shock the world.
These two teams both play in Livingston Conference Division II and Le Roy has without a doubt been the class of the division. The Oatkan Knights won this year's regular season game 41-25 because of big games by quarterback Travis Fenstermaker and receiver Mike Humphrey.
That duo has been playing some amazing football this season.
Fenstermaker has completed 59-of-98 attempts for 970 yards with 18 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions, while Humphrey has caught 36 passes for 593 yards and 11 scores.
Fenstermaker - who is 19-1 as a starter in his career - is also a powerful rusher, gaining 348 yards with three touchdowns on 72 attempts.
But the running game is typically left in the hands of Andrew Alexander.
The senior has so far gained 1,035 yards with 11 touchdowns on 138 carries. Fullback Jon Casper has scored 10 touchdowns with 219 yards and Tyrone Wyckoff has pitched in 246 yards.
Le Roy has a high powered offense, but is a great defensive team as well, led by John Scheuing's 42 tackles. Jordan Casper has 35 and Humphrey has made 30 stops with five interceptions.
That defense will be keeping an eye on Letchworth quarterback Travis Tones, who is the top weapon for the Indians.
Tones is a veteran player that can throw the ball, but is most effective as a runner.
He had three rushing touchdown and one passing in Letchworth's 43-7 thumping of Marcus Whitman in the opening round last week.
Freshman running back Chris Nevinger keeps getting better every week as the Indians keep getting better as well. Letchworth has not lost since Caledonia-Mumford beat them in Week 4.
Le Roy is third in the state while the Indians get an honorable mention.
(pictures borrowed from www.leroyfootball.com)
Notre Dame (6-2) vs. Dundee (8-0)
Noon, Saturday, at PAETEC Park
The Notre Dame football team has been on a roll, cruising through the opening two rounds of the playoffs by a combined score of 111-6.
The Fighting Irish blasted DeSales 55-6 in the first round and then thrashed Perry 56-0 last week. Everything is clicking.
The defense has only allowed a total of 142 yards rushing in two games and the Yellowjackets only had one serious chance to score in the semifinals.
Craig Houseknecht, Rick Lair and the rest of the defense is playing near-perfect football; and they are going to have to keep that up to avenge last year's 18-13 loss in the semifinals at the hands of Dundee.
The Scotsmen have put 385 points on the scoreboard this season and have crushed some teams, even giving Red Jacket an 89-6 beat-down in Week 5.
The offense is led by junior running back Steve Webb, who earned Offensive Player of the Week in a 53-14 win over Marcus Whitman, when he rushed for 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Dundee will throw the ball a little and does have a few other options, but Webb is the go-to guy.
Notre Dame's offense has turned from good to great in recent weeks and will also face a stiff challenge because the Scotsmen have only given up 45 points this season. Marcus Whitman is the only team to score over 10 points in a game this season against them and Dundee is coming off a 49-0 blowout of Geneseo.
The Fighting Irish have a ton of team speed and last week it was Mike Pratt to take advantage of the East Rochester turf, picking up 109 yards with three touchdowns. He is now at 615 yards on the season.
Kevin Schildwaster is a speedster in the backfield and has 675 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The passing game will most likely be needed because of Dundee's stout defense, and Notre Dame has had little difficulties with that.
Nick Bochicchio threw two more touchdown passes last week, even though there was little need to throw the football. His top target is always going to be Kevin Francis.
Francis had a nice punt return last week but is the biggest threat on the turf. It is only a matter of time before he gets some space on a kick return, punt return or short reception and he's going to make a big play. There aren't many players as fast as Francis playing football in the smaller schools in Section 5.
Neither team lacks experience as Dundee has a bunch of players that return after going to the sectional finals last season and Notre Dame has plenty of talent that were sophomores on the 2006 sectional championship squad.
Dundee is sixth in the state in Class D and the Fighting Irish debut at No. 15 this week.
Attica (5-3) vs. Bath (7-1)
6 p.m. Sunday, at PAETEC Park
Not many people thought Attica stood a chance against East Rochester/Gananda last weekend in the opening round of the Class B playoffs.
After all, the Blue Devils have never had success in the playoffs.
But Jeff Cusmano and his coaching staff came up with the perfect plan to keep the ball out of Neil Dotterer's hands and shocked Section 5 with an 18-0 win over East Rochester/Gananda.
That game was the Andy Ruddock show as the senior pounded the ball 37 times for 164 yards and his Blue Devils easily won the time of possession battle.
Ruddock has carried the ball 141 times for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and the GR all-star has defined the term featured back. He will get relief on occasion from Nate Berry, who has picked up 272 yards on 30 attempts. Luke Pariso (144 yards) and Dave Jennings (130) are both over 100 yards rushing as well.
The reason Ruddock had so many carries last week was because of the strategy to keep the ball away from the high-powered ER/Gananda passing offense.
The Blue Devils are facing a totally different type of squad this week.
Running back Andre McCloud has almost 4,000 career rushing yards and has so far gained 1,118 yards and scored 17 touchdowns this season. He gained 1,489 yards with an incredible 28 TDs as a junior.
A big-physical offensive line opens holes for a pair of other backs other than McCloud. Cody Hutcheson has 100 carries for 720 yards and nine scores with quarterback Jake Kuver adding 415 yards and three TDs.
Kuver is not a huge passer, but has hit on 31-of-64 attempts for 4-2 yards and three touchdowns. Two have gone to McCloud, who has seven receptions for 196 yards.
Oh yeah, and McCloud has also tossed a touchdown pass, going 1-for-1 passing for 62 yards. That halfback option play could be in the playbook.
Attica stresses defense first and has had two Defensive Players of the Week this season. Kevin Gallinger received the honor in Week 6 and Jennings won the award this past week. Gallinger has 54 tackles and Jennings has 48, with the squad being led by Pariso's 64 tackles and three fumble recoveries.
They will have their hands full this week.
Bath's defense is also pretty good as junior T.C. Carroll has 87 tackles and is second all-time in the school's history for career tackles.
That unit will obviously be looking to slow Ruddock so that quarterback Brandon Rollins is forced to beat them. Rollins has completed 57-of-89 attempts for 802 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
His main target is Shawn Dupuis, who has caught 28 balls for 553 yards and eight TDs.
Bath is ranked ninth in the state for Class B while Attica has not received any votes.
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