Published: October 25, 2008 12:09 am      

HS FOOTBALL: NT advances to semifinals with big win

If there was anyone out there with questions about whether the North Tonawanda Lumberjacks were truly one of the elite teams in Western New York high school football, those should be answered by now.

NT continued to dominate any team that comes across its path, the latest example a 37-0 demolition of the Clarence Red Devils in a Section VI Class AA quarterfinal game Friday night at the Lumberjacks Sports Complex.

So much for the argument that things would be different once NT faced a school from Class AA South.

“Our kids were definitely thinking about that,” Lumberjacks coach Eric Jantzi said. “The Clarence coaches said a nice thing after the game, that we don’t get the respect we deserve. We’re just going to prove it one game at a time.”

The Jacks made believers out of the Red Devils one rushing touchdown at a time. NT rushed for 302 yards as a team and had five different players score rushing touchdowns in the win. Included among those scorers for NT was senior Brandon McClinsey, who rushed for an 11-yard score in the third quarter. It was McClinsey’s 19th touchdown of the season, breaking the NT single-season record of 18 set by Andrew Davis in 2005.

“They’re a great football team. They took it right to us,” veteran Clarence coach Tom Goddard said.

NT also dominated on the defensive side of the ball, coming up with four interceptions — one each from Aaron Davis, Kevin Miller, Dan Schmigel and Pat King.

“In playoff games, turnovers kill you,” Jantzi said. “We learned that last year. They learned it tonight I guess.”

The Jacks started the scoring early with a 20-yard field goal from Davis. Clarence then suffered a big blow when senior Jack Vogel, whom Goddard described as the “heart and soul” of the Red Devils, went down with a dislocated elbow with 7:27 to go in the first quarter. Play was halted for several minutes as trainers attended to Vogel, who was carried off the field on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance.

“Let this young man know we are all wishing him well,” said legendary NT play-by-play announcer Dick Grapes as fans from both teams applauded.

When action resumed, Clarence was clearly a different team.

“When Jack went down, that kind of takes a little wind out of your sails,” Goddard said.

The second quarter was when NT would open things up, beginning with a 1-yard scoring run from Steve Kijowski on the quarter’s first play. Davis’ extra point would make it 10-0.

An interception by Miller gave NT good field position, with Davis capitalizing in the form of a 24-yard run on a pitch left. The extra point, which was attempted after NT was assessed a 15-yard penalty, failed, making the score 16-0.

Clarence then put together one of its best offensive drives of the night, but couldn’t pick up a fourth-and-2 play from the NT 16 with 4:22 to play in the first half.

NT quarterback Mike Tuzzo would keep it himself on an 11-yard touchdown run, then throw the two-point conversion pass to Davis for a 24-0 Lumberjacks lead at the break.

“We have a bunch of different weapons that we can get at you with,” Jantzi said.

McClinsey, one of NT’s most dangerous offensive players all year, broke through with his record-breaking score in the third quarter, taking a pitch right outside and diving into the front-right corner of the end zone. McClinsey led NT rushers with 106 yards on 13 carries.

Joe Montesanti’s 7-yard run in the fourth quarter completed the scoring. Montesanti rushed 12 times for 77 yards, while Kijowski carried 10 times for 50 yards.

Defensively, Matt Potalivo led the Jacks with 11 tackles and a sack, while Joe Gravino made 10 stops.

NT, the top seed from Class AA North, will host Lancaster at 7 p.m. Friday in the Class AA quarterfinals. The Redskins, seeded second in Class AA South, were 42-0 victors over Lockport in the quarterfinals.

Contact editor Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.