Football Weekly: Bartoszek Honored for 3-0 Start

Salamanca coach Chad Bartoszek was named the ADPRO Sports/Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week after leading the Warriors to a 41-12 win over Allegany-Limestone.

Salamanca is now 3-0 on the season - the first time the Warriors have won their opening three games in at least 20 years.

“It’s been a while,” Bartoszek said. “It’s been a long while since we’ve been able to get a good start.”

Bartoszek is in his third season with the Warriors.

The win over Allegany was played in front of a huge crowd in the community’s new Vet’s Park, complete with turf, new lights and a video scoreboard.

“With the new facility,” Bartoszek said, “some of the game experiences have really increased fans, attendance, and community interest.”

The last two weeks have also helped.

Salamanca’s unexpected win over perennial power-house Southwestern ignited a spark in the community that hasn’t been seen since the Warriors were competing for NYS titles in the early 2000s.

“That win against Southwestern brought everyone to their feet,” Bartoszek said. “My wife said it was an amazing night. I was a nervous wreck, though.”

Southwestern led 6-0 after three quarters.

“Our defense kept us in the game,” Bartoszek said. “We controlled the first half because of field position. Our

defense wasn’t allowing any drives.”

The fourth quarter exploded in fireworks.

First, Salamanca QB Hayden Hoag was injured and had to leave the game. “We didn’t have a back-up QB because of the quarantine rules,” Bartoszek said. “So we moved Jesse Stahlman from RB to QB and ran a wildcat offense.”

Stahlman actually drove the Warriors down field and threw a TD pass to tie the game, 6-6.

“Jesse did everything for us on defense and offense,”Bartoszek said. “He’s a RB and he even threw a TD pass.”

Southwestern scored to take a 13-6 lead as the clock began to run out in the fourth quarter .

Unfortunately, having a RB play QB meant there was hardly any passing threat.

“We could only run the ball,” Bartoszek said. “They stacked the box and shut us down.”

So, Bartoszek turned to freshman QB Maddox Isaac to try to move the ball.

“I don’t like to play freshman in varsity games,” Bartoszek said. “Maddox is really talented but he’s our JV quarterback. But we had no choice.”

Isaac drove the Warriors down the field and tossed a TD pass with just :13 left in the game. Isaac then tossed a 2-point PAT pass Zaron Tucker for the 14-13 lead.

“The place was rocking,” Bartoszek said. “that transferred over this week to Allegany.”

While the Allegany win was not nearly as heart-stopping, the crowd was larger.

Isaac started again at QB and completed 7 of 10 passes for 201 yards and 3 TDs. The Warriors led 28-6 at the half and never looked back.

“There’s definitely a buzz in the town and the school,” Bartoszek said.

Bartoszek played for Salamanca graduating in 1999. He helped Salamanca win the Section 6 title his senior year but the Warriors lost to LeRoy in the Far West regionals. He then played 4 seasons at UB, starting his last three years.

During his junior year in college, Bartoszek started his teaching career. “I would come home on my college breaks and I would sub here in Salamanca,” Bartoszek said. “I always wanted to use school to be a part of sports. I got my first Phys Ed job in Portville.”

Bartoszek later moved to Ellicottville, where he coached the combined F-E team. He won a Section 6 championship and lost the title games three other times. He left Ellicottville to come home to Salamanca in 2019 and was named the Athletic Director Bartoszek has been married to Denise for 11 years and the couple has 2 sons Brandon (9) and Tyler (7).

Mark Adair, Football Weekly