Warriors Run Away
Scott Kindberg, Sports Editor, Post Journal
Until Friday night, Salamanca football coach Chad Bartoszek couldn’t remember the last time the Warriors walked off the field at the Sirianni Athletic Complex with a victory.
“It’s been decades,” he said.
Bartoszek’s recall of all the things senior Cory Holleran has done and continues to do for the program, however, required no prompting.
“He’s just a PLAYER,” Bartoszek said.
Holleran’s 85-yard interception return in the second quarter shifted momentum in Salamanca’s favor and the state’s second-ranked team never gave it back as it raced past No. 17 Southwestern after intermission to post a 27-3 Class C South victory.
The win improved the Warriors’ record to 3-0 and 3-0, while the Trojans dropped to 2-1 and 1-1.
Holleran wasn’t the only member of Bartoszek’s crew that turned out on a warm September evening, though.
Senior quarterback Maddox Isaac tossed second-quarter touchdown passes of 20 yards to Zach Trietley and 10 yards to Payton Bradley, and then capped the evening with a 4-yard keeper, which was set up by Trietley’s blocked punt, in the final period to complete the scoring. Easton Chudy was successful on all three of his point-after tries, sending the Warriors home feeling pretty good about where they stand after three weeks.
“I think what really changed was the physicality in the second half,” Bartoszek said. “We were everywhere. … That was some Warrior football right there.”
The game didn’t start well for Salamanca, however, as its first two possessions ended in a turnover (that led to Southwestern’s only points, a 38-yard field goal by Kole Lyon on its very first possession) and a punt.
But then Holleran made the defining play when he picked off Trojans’ quarterback Owen Hayes and raced 85 yards to the end zone. The two-point conversion pass failed, but the Warriors took the lead 6-3 and their defense did the rest, holding Southwestern without a point the rest of the way.
“When that momentum swings, that’s a game changer right there,” Trojans coach Jake Burkholder said. “I think that really took the wind out of our sails.”
Salamanca had a chance to tack on a touchdown when it drove to the Trojans’ 3 with under 20 seconds remaining in the first half, but Isaac was stripped of the ball and Southwestern recovered to end the threat and the half.
“The stop before the half was a killer for us,” Bartoszek said. “I was mad.”
Not for long.
After the break, Holleran returned the kickoff 61 yards, which led to Isaac’s 20-yard TD pass to Trietley, pushing the Warriors’ lead to 13-3 with 11:13 left in the third quarter. Salamanca then found paydirt on its next two possessions — Isaac’s pass to Bradley and Isaac’s 4-yard run to put the game out of reach.
NOTES: The Warriors outgained the Trojans (266-146). … Maddox rushed for 78 yards on nine carries; Xavier Peters added 51 yards on seven trips; and Jesse Hill contributed 43 yards on 10 tries. … Maddox completed 8 of 12 passes for 84 yards and two TDs. … For the Trojans, Hayes was their leading rusher with 42 yards on six carries. Brody Larson carried the ball four times for 38 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury. … Defensively, Trietley made 11 tackles and Holleran added eight for Salamanca. … For Southwestern, Ayson Smith was credited with seven tackles and Bradyn Fuller had five. … Salamanca travels to Fredonia next Friday while Southwestern will take to the road to meet Silver Creek/Forestville, also on Friday.
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