Veteran's lean on experience, brotherhood as new leaders of Salamanca Football
By SPENCER BATES, Sports Editor
It’s the end of practice and coach Chad Bartoszek says he has some good running music for his players.
With the push of a button, 80’s Baywatch-esc music starts to pour out of Salamanca’s Veterans Park Stadium scoreboard. The team starts off running as their last action of the day.
In front of the pack: Cory Holleran, Maddox Isaac and Zach Trietley — a trio tasked with leading the Salamanca football team in their Section 6 and Far-West Regional title defense.
Last season was one of the most historic in the history of the Warriors program. It had been over 20 years since they last challenged for the Section 6 championship. But, following a familiar route, Salamanca not only reached the Section 6 Class C Final, but claimed victory. They then staked their claim as a threat for the state title with a Far-West Regional win the following week, before ultimately seeing their season ended in the NYSPHSAA Semifinal.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, they lost a number of the previous campaign’s key contributors to graduation. Quarterback Jaxson Ross was instrumental in the team’s comeback win over Medina in the Section 6 title game, Lucus Brown, Arlen Newark and Carmine Hoag combined for over 1,100 receiving yards on the season, Joshua Auman racked up over 400 rushing yards and Keegan Hardy led a strong offensive and defensive line.
Losing that many assets can hurt any team. What makes the situation different in Salamanca are those who were right behind them and are now taking center stage. Isaac provided a different look under center last season alongside Ross. He threw for over 700 yards, recording eight touchdowns through the air. He was just as dangerous on the ground, rushing for nearly 400 yards on just 55 attempts, finding the endzone seven times.
Holleran had just six receptions last year, but made the most of them, picking up over 100 yards and scoring a touchdown. Behind Isaac, Trietley had the most rushing touchdowns last season as a bulldozer in the backfield. He ran for nearly 150 yards, found the endzone five times on the ground and twice through the air.
This trio headlines a group of several athletes that are poised to step up into more prominent roles this season for the Warriors. But their presence on the roster is not the only thing that has carried over from last season. The pressure that was on the backs of the Warriors as they progressed through the previous postseason has now altered itself into the form of a metaphorical target placed on their backs.
The task is now to manage that pressure and further cement themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Western New York football. One that, according to Holleran, Trietley and Isaac, they are prepared for.
HOLLERAN gave last year’s leaders their flowers, crediting them with ensuring that he and the other future leaders of the team were prepared when the time came. He also acknowledged the fact that he and his fellow seniors on the team are not the only ones that hold power. In order to ensure the team remains on the same upward trajectory, it will take a certain amount of leadership from everyone on the field.
“The leaders from last year played a big role,” Holleran said. “They led us, showed us how to do it on the field and during practices. I feel like everybody can help each other. Even the freshmen, they can help us. If we're out of place, they can tell us and that helps us build our relationship and make us better. Eventually, in the fourth quarter, if we're down, we can count on each other and we can trust they’re going to make plays.”
But that leadership will have a different feeling to it now. Those leading the lines for the Warriors last year spearheaded the team’s surge in momentum as they trekked into unfamiliar territory.
Now, they will be the ones being chased.
According to Trietley, there is a certain amount of pressure that comes with that and an amount of stress that it causes. However, it’s how the team has used the stress that has helped in the early goings of the year.
“The success we had last year changed the program, it definitely turned it up a notch,” Trietley said. “I think it takes a healthy balance of stress, good stress and the pressure that you feel and that'll definitely help us … We have to be in the upper (echelon) of teams in Section 6 Class C. Everyone's goal is to win another sectional title and … make it back to Syracuse to play in the state championship. That stress, that pressure, it definitely positively affects us rather than negatively.”
Trietley also alluded to the fact that it’s not as if they are working with a blank slate this season. A majority of those who will take the field this year witnessed last year’s success either on the sidelines or from afar. Either way, the fact of the matter is they have known one another for just about their entire lives. This has allowed Trietley and other leaders to be a little more lighthearted and open on the field.
“As a high school football player, you dream of your senior year, being a captain, being one of the top end guys,” Trietley said. “We're very tight-knit. In our senior group, we got a lot of guys that are just always hanging out, always doing something. … I think having a lot of fun contributes to our football success. We just keep it light-hearted at times. We don't get too burned out. (It’s a) super tight-knit brotherhood, and everyone's got each other’s backs.”
That same pride in being a leader has been felt by Isaac. While having had plenty of experience on the field last season, he has embraced his position this year as someone that can lead by example.
“I mean, being in a bigger role this year, it's kind of hard, but then, at the same time, it's exciting being able to be that guy that everyone's looking up at, and it makes you want to be better,” Isaac said. “It makes you want to go 110% so that all the other guys behind you will follow.”
In terms of leaders, Isaac also acknowledged the fact that in order for the team to be successful this season they will need to find a healthy balance of vocal and unspoken leadership.
“There's always a fine line … you can always just bring a guy down and be negative to him, or you can let him hear it and then lift him up, let him know ‘you got the next play,’” Isaac said.
The Warriors are ready for the season to start. The pressure is not something new to them. They’ve accepted it, acknowledged it and are now embracing it. Holleran knows that in every game they are going to have to go head-to-head with the best version of their opposition. A fact that has only encouraged and excited him and his teammates.
“I feel like we're embracing the target on our back,” Holleran said. “We like the pressure that's on us. We think that it's going to be a great season, we're going to have fun. I feel like we're going to go into the games and know everybody's gunning for us. We're going to think that we're going to get everybody's best shot, and we're going to play our best.”
The Section 6 Class C crown holders will face their first test of the season on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. as they host Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton.
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