Cheektowaga Takes Class B Championship With 14-7 Win Over Pioneer

A year ago, Cheektowaga High School won the Class B football title when rival Maryvale went for two and came up short in overtime.

The Warriors must have liked that idea, though, because they tried it themselves this year. But this time it worked.

Keshone Beal’s two-yard run and subsequent 2-point run with 10:56 left put his team ahead for good as Cheektowaga knocked off top-seed Pioneer, 14-7, on Friday at New Era Field.

The championship is Cheektowaga’s fourth in five years.

The Class B Far West Regionals will be played at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Clarence High School. Batavia and Wayne is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at St. John Fisher for the Section V title.

After Beal gave Cheektowaga the lead, Pioneer was forced to throw the ball more often than it may have liked and it paid off for the Warriors.

An interception by Isaiah Sharpe gave Cheektowaga excellent field position. Rayshawn Miller took advantage with a 15-yard TD run on fourth down with 3:32 left.  A fumble recovery by Quran Trotter sealed the deal with 2:15 to go.

The Warriors got some revenge with the victory – Pioneer won the first contest 33-14 at Cheektowaga on Sept. 21.

This one was a defensive slugfest for three quarters.

Brian Wittmeyer’s 25-yard TD reception from Nick Rinker with 47 seconds left was the lone offense of the opening half and it was set up by a big defensive play. Smith forced a Beal fumble and Donte Berdon recovered at the Cheektowaga 15.

Beal drove his team down the field on the ensuing drive, but Nick Agosti came up with an interception near the Pioneer 5 on the final play of the half.

The rest of the first half was rather uneventful. The Panthers outgained the Warriors 63-51. The TD was Pioneer’s only red zone chance, Cheektowaga also had it once inside the Panthers’ 20.