Published: November 05, 2009 11:53 pm      

HS FOOTBALL: NT set for showdown at the Ralph

If you enjoy a hearty helping of offense with your Section VI football championship weekend spread, Saturday’s Class AA final between undefeated North Tonawanda and Lancaster will fill you up plenty. Two of Western New York’s most high-octane offenses will be on display when the game gets underway at 6 p.m. at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

There’s more than enough firepower on both squads to make this one electrifying throughout. “I can see it coming down to the last play,” NT senior Aaron Davis said earlier this week at sectional championship media day at The Ralph. “It’s going to be one of those games.”

North Tonawanda is looking to win its first Section VI title since 2002. The Jacks (9-0) are coming off a huge 21-7 win over defending state champion Orchard Park in last weekend’s semifinal. The Lumberjacks fell to OP at The Ralph last year. “There’s some good memories and bad memories out here,” senior quarterback Mike Tuzzo said at the stadium. “We just want to do better than we did last year, and play football the way we’ve been playing it all year.”

“I think, just like last year, we have a great shot at bringing the section title home to North Tonawanda,” Davis added.

Lancaster, also 9-0, last won a sectional crown a decade ago.

The Lumberjacks hold the edge over Lancaster in points per game, with just under 40 to the Redskins’ 30. They also have a sizable advantage in the ground game, averaging 306 yards per game through nine contests. NT rushed for 431 yards in their quarterfinal victory over Frontier.

Both coaches, who communicate with each other frequently during the season, share mutual respect for the talent that will be on the field Saturday. “I think it’s going to be a pretty good showdown,” NT’s Eric Jantzi said. “They’re athletic as all get out. They play great defense and they have a really explosive offense and a quarterback who can really hurt you with the run or the pass, so we’re going to have to play pretty good assignment-oriented football.”

That quarterback is senior Justin Juda, who will be keyed on heavily by the Lumberjacks defense. Juda has accounted for 161 yards per game for the Redskins this fall. He’s completed a staggering 42 of 52 passes for 495 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 474 yards and three TDs. “He’s got a rocket for an arm,” Jantzi said. “The ball’s always on the money, and if you forget about him, he’ll be going 50, 60 yards on you in a couple seconds with his legs.”

Juda orchestrated Lancaster’s late-game drive in their 9-7 Week Five win over Orchard Park, their first over the Quakers in five years. The Redskins began that drive on their own 27 with just under five minutes remaining. Juda delivered several key throws, helping to set up Alex Debbins’ winning 21-yard field goal in the waning seconds.

Veteran Lancaster coach Len Jankiewicz is well aware of the threats on NT’s roster. “They look awesome on film. They’re well coached. Certainly, they’re the class of the section,” he said.

Jankiewicz’s team has had to battle through numerous injuries during the second half of the season, and the Redskins will be without a few guys Saturday. “We’re certainly the underdog, but I think we’ve kind of managed to scrape ourselves up from injuries and all the other stuff,” Jankiewicz said.

While North Tonawanda’s offense will be led by the usual stable of stalwarts – Tuzzo, Davis and Steve Kijowski – junior fullback Joe Montesanti has come on strong over the last few games, surpassing Kijowski as the team’s leading rusher. Montesanti’s rushed for 476 yards on 47 carries, for an average of 10.1 yards per run.

Jankiewicz expects another Joe Montesanti type player to step up Saturday. “I think there’ll be some surprises Saturday night,” he said. “The key guys, Aaron Davis and these other guys, certainly are going to be key to the game, but there’s always somebody that maybe hasn’t been your forefront player that always makes a key contribution to the football game. I would look for something like that, an unsung hero, maybe for both squads.”