MMAA Football Report – Week 2

CRUSADERS CRUISE PAST FALCONS

After their original season-opening opponent – McQuaid of Section V – had to cancel due to unknown reasons, the Canisius Crusaders got an extra week to prepare for WNY Maritime-Health Sciences. The additional time off turned out to be a blessing in disguise and then some, as the Crusaders rode an explosive first half to a 59-0 win over the Falcons at Stransky Field. “It was kind of a slow boil for us,” coach Brian Gorman said. “We just spent all week trying to get better, work harder and use that focus to prepare for Maritime. Fortunately we’re able to get out of here with a win today.” Right from the get-go, everything seemed to fall in the Crusaders’ favor. An 80-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyler Baker gave Canisius an early lead and they never looked back. Touchdowns by Antonio Morgan, Josh Fillion (who had two on the day) Michael Doctor, Lamar Thomas, Darrell Hamilton and Braydon Vandenberg all contributed to the team’s scoring output, and the Canisius defense didn’t let the Falcons’ offense cross midfield once. Not only did Gorman believe that his squad have an impressive outing, but he also gave props to his coaching staff for keeping Canisius focused. “I think we have the best coaching staff in Western New York,” Gorman said. “I know the work that they put in, and you could see the results here on the field. We definitely have an expectation at Canisius to keep going forward and win league titles and state titles, and the way to do that is to perform well in all three phases – good defense, high-quality offense and proficient special teams. All three of them were great for us today.”

RED RAIDERS OUTDUEL FIREBIRDS, WIN 24-21

One week after blowing out Liverpool of Section III AA, the St. Francis needed a late drive to secure a 24-21 win over the Kellenberg Firebirds of Uniondale. Steve Otremba got St. Francis on the board first by scoring on a 13-yard quarterback keeper. After a Kellenberg touchdown, the Red Raiders answered on a 33-yard field goal by Luke Nowak. The score remained 10-7 until an interception by Kimal Clark led to a touchdown pass from Otremba to Jimmy Scott. Things were looking up for the Red Raiders until Kellenberg took the lead back with two unanswered trips to the end zone of their own. Down 21-17 late in the fourth quarter, St. Francis marched 95 yards down the field in a three-minute span to reclaim the lead on a rushing touchdown by Otremba. The Firebirds then took over with 1:05 left to play, but the Red Raiders’ defense held on to win. Coach Jerry Smith’s squad will look to improve to 3-0 on September 18 when they take on St. Joe’s.

LANCERS CONTINUE HOT STREAK, BEAT EDEN/NORTH COLLINS

One week after riding their running game to a win over St. Joe’s, the St. Mary’s Lancers leaned on their ground game once again to emerge victorious over Eden/North Collins. The Lancers’ 39-10 win could be summed up by three words – ground and pound. That’s what they did with backfield mates Christian Lewis and Jayden Wilson, utilizing their legs to lead a rushing attack that combined for 456 yards and five touchdowns on 42 carries throughout the day. Ryan Hersey led the defense in tackles with 10.5 in the contest. The Lancers will have the week off before they face the Cleveland Hill Golden Eagles on September 25.

MARAUDERS FALL TO HOLY TRINITY

For the second straight week, the St. Joe’s Mauraders fell victim to an opponent – this time to the Holy Trinity Titans of Long Island – falling to 0-2 after a 27-0 loss. The Titans used a safety in the first quarter to get themselves kickstarted and never looked back. 13 more points in the second quarter plus another six points scored in the fourth stanza of play was all the Titans needed to win. The Marauders will take on the St. Francis Red Raiders next week at Robert Scott Field.

TIGERS TAKEN DOWN BY PORTVILLE

After an opening week that saw Bishop Timon-St. Jude fall to the Medina Mustangs, the Tigers wanted to rebound with a win over the Portville Panthers of Section VI’s Class D. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the final score wasn’t in their favor as they fell 14-0. They will attempt to rebound against the Attica Blue Devils next week.

CARDINAL O’HARA PREPARING FOR CATT-LITTLE VALLEY

It’s go-time for the Hawks. That’s right, Cardinal O’Hara is in game mode this week as they prepare for their first tussle of the season when they tackle Catt-Little Valley (0-2) on Friday night. It’s a road game for the Hawks.