After Section 6 repeat, Warriors eye state run
By SAM WILSON, Olean Times Herald
A talented, mobile quarterback made a huge touchdown run and jumped over a defender in the process at Highmark Stadium.
No, I’m not talking about Josh Allen. Maddox Isaac brought the Salamanca side of the stadium’s cheering section to its feet with a scamper in the fourth quarter of last Thursday’s Section 6 Class C football championship with his second touchdown run of the night against Portville/Cuba-Rushford. He faked a toss to the running back to his left and rolled down the Warriors’ sideline and made an Allen-like hurdle over a defender as he passed the 20-yard line on the way to a 28-yard score.
“I don’t get shocked very often,” SHS coach Chad Bartoszek said in the immediate aftermath of his team’s 40-14 win. “I was shocked. I was stunned. That was fantastic. He was supposed to go down. I’m yelling ‘go down,’ he jumps over him. He’s special. He’s special and he’s enjoying the moment. I think when you stun the entire crowd you did something right.”
Isaac, who had nine carries for 118 yards and threw for 73 yards, wasn’t the only Warriors star to come up big in the Buffalo Bills’ stadium. Cory Holleran had both a 60-yard touchdown catch and a 62-yard interception return along with 14 total tackles (four solo, 10 assisted). Xavier Peters ripped off 70 rushing yards.
Players like those — and many more — made what could’ve been a stressful night for Bartoszek a much easier one.
“The nerves that I have for a game like this inside, they alleviate all of them because they just continuously show up to play football this year,” Bartoszek said of his leaders. “They have a determination that they are not gonna let us fail. I’ve talked about it since about Week 2 or 3 when we played (Portville/C-R), our leaders took over. We’re a very leader-heavy team.”
Thursday’s win marked back-to-back sectional titles for Salamanca, which ended a 22-year championship drought in 2023 and made the state semifinals. Some of these players also won a sectional basketball title last March.
Bartoszek, also the school’s athletic director, has led a renaissance at his alma mater.
“The pride in this community, in our district, is something that’s special,” Bartoszek said. “I’m so glad I can be a representation of Salamanca football and Salamanca athletics. That’s it. These guys, our fans continuously show up, we’re going to have a great trip home. I’m just proud to be here, I’m proud to be out in front of this, but really this is a reflection on our community.”
Bartoszek won a sectional title at then-Ralph Wilson Stadium as a star tight end at SHS under legendary coach George Whitcher. He also won one as head coach at Franklinville/Ellicottville in 2015. Now, he’s won back-to-back leading the Warriors himself. And this time it’s after a perfect regular season, with Salamanca now at 11-0 entering the state playoffs.
“I’m having trouble processing it right now because I think the day-to-day this year has been with such a high expectation,” Bartoszek said Thursday night. “I don’t want to say there’s a relief because I think these guys want more. Really last year there was a bit of a ‘whoo, we made it here.’ These guys just want more.
“Our coaching staff, man, Coach (Aaron) Hill on our defense, Coach (Paul) Furlong, these guys just … what a great gameplan to shut that team down. It’s an amazing group to work with.”
Now, the Warriors will turn to the goal of making program history: a first state title. Salamanca has made the NYSPHSAA final once in its history, in 1999 when it was runner-up to Edgemont. Salamanca needs two wins to get to the JMA Wireless Dome (formerly Carrier Dome) in Syracuse, starting with Saturday’s Far West Regional against East Rochester-Gananda at 3 p.m. at Pittsford-Sutherland.
The New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA) rankings favor Salamanca, which moved into the No. 1 spot in Class C this week after defending state champion Waverly fell in the Section 4 championship.
“Last year was more of the ‘oh my gosh, we made it,’ this year I do feel I’m energized,” Bartoszek said. “We want more. I think these guys, our expectation level’s been high.”
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