McKenna's four touchdowns lift Warriors to first win, 35-6, at C-LV

CATTARAUGUS — After showing glimpses in the season opener against Randolph a week ago, Salamanca's new offense — the Lucas McKenna show — showed up in full force in a Week 2 visit to Cattaraugus-Little Valley.

On a brutally windy night, the Warriors amassed 321 yards on the turf at C-LV, pulling away in the second half for a 35-6 victory, the first under new Salamanca coach Chad Bartoszek. McKenna, Salamanca’s junior quarterback, completed 10-of-15 passes for 113 yards and ran 19 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

“He's a warrior for us,” Bartoszek said of McKenna. “He's what we go to when we need (a play). He knows the offense, he's running the show well. He's the one that's making the big play when need one.”

After the third quarter burned Salamanca (1-1) last week against Randolph, this time the Warriors took control for good against the T-Wolves just before halftime and into the third.

After taking a 14-0 lead, Salamanca allowed a 29-yard fourth-down touchdown pass from C-LV’s Nick Burroughs to Sully Higgins. The T-Wolves followed up on the score by recovering an onside kick, a well-placed squib. But on the third play after the onside kick, Salamanca’s Austin Maybee intercepted Burroughs and set up a 44-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:11 of the half, capped by a McKenna throw to running back Isaac Brown for a 22-6 halftime lead.

“We talked about playing a half, two quarters, last week,” Bartoszek said. “I feel like we played three good quarters this week. The second quarter, that wind messed with us a little bit, got away from us, shortened the field. The things that slow you down slowed us down and getting the ball back and scoring before half was a big turning point in our season. I think we (saw) a little bit of adversity and overcame it. These kids want this one. They need this motivation and I'm just happy for them.”

Bartoszek credited his players, and specifically Maybee, for turning the game around after C-LV’s touchdown.

“Austin Maybee made a good read on it and made a big play,” he said. “We can talk all we want as coaches, but the greatest factor on our team, (greatest) influence, is their teammates. A teammate makes a big play and that sparks the team. We talked about it at halftime. They held it together as teammates. Coaches can only talk so much. We had a guy make a play and that's kind of what swung it there.”

Salamanca’s lead running back, Brown, had 70 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and caught two passes, including a touchdown, for 22 yards. Maybee had a team-high 53 receiving yards on three catches, including a touchdown.

“They were blitzing the house, running a cover zero because of the wind,” Bartoszek said. “We knew it was hard to throw.