Warriors help snap losing streak, NY defeats PA 39-18 in Big 30 Charities Classic
By SPENCER BATES Sports Editor, Salamanca Press
BRADFORD, Pa. — For the first time in the last nine years, Team New York has claimed victory over their Pennsylvania rivals in the Big 30 Charities Classic.
The last time a NY team won the Classic was back in 2015. Since then, there has been one tie, one game not played due to COVID in 2020, six PA wins, and now, a tally in the win column for NY after Saturday’s 39-18 result.
For Josh Brooks, this year’s head coach of Team NY, hailing from Portville/Cuba-Rushford/Hinsdale, the joyous feeling after the win came with a smile that did not fade.
“It's awesome, I'm just so happy for the kids,” Brooks said. “They worked their butts off the last two weeks. They got along with each other. They were doing stuff outside of practice. They clicked right from the start. To get this kind of result against a good PA team was just awesome.”
As someone who played in the game years ago, Brooks previously mentioned how each group of players that takes the field in the Classic wants to be able to look back at their one shot at glory and say they won. Now, in his Classic coaching debut, he will have the same responses as his players when people ask about the 2024 fixture.
The recent Classic losing streak was a theme throughout the two weeks of practices for Team NY. According to Brooks, he and his team knew they were entering Saturday’s game at Bradford’s Parkway Field as underdogs and all it did was add fuel to the fire and lead to his players remaining focused.
“We know PA is going to be tough every year and I think our guys just came in motivated,” Brooks said. “I think having that underdog role really helped us. We talked about it at Media Day, our goal is to win, and it's not going to be easy. We want this to be a fun All-Star game, but we want to take it serious too and make sure we're prepared. I think that really showed tonight.”
After both sides came up empty in the first quarter, New York stepped on the gas and reached the end zone three times in the second. The first score was a 12-yard pass connection between Allegany-Limestone quarterback Michael Frederick and Salamanca’s Carmine Hoag.
(Game Photos - Courtesy, Jason Wick - LINK)
NY did not have to wait long for its next chance to put points up on the board thanks to Salamanca’s Joshua Auman coming up with a big interception only two plays into PA’s responding drive. A wrench was thrown into the mix after NY’s other quarterback for the game, Southwestern’s Jameson Walsh, picked up an injury after a 21-yard run that set up his team for a shot at the end zone. The injury kept Walsh sidelined for the remainder of the game, and led to Frederick inheriting all of what would have been his snaps.
“It was definitely a bummer to lose (Walsh) early,” Brooks said. “But, you know, Michael did a great job picking it up. Michael ran the ball really well for us in the second half.”
On his first snap after replacing the injured Walsh, Frederick handed the ball off to the reigning Big 30 Player of the Year, Dalton Giboo (Pioneer), who ran in for a 28-yard touchdown. PA managed to score a field goal before NY scored next via a Kaedon Holcomb (Portville) 14-yard touchdown run. All but one of NY’s touchdowns were followed by a successful extra point attempt from Pioneer’s Gabe Kempf — the other, a successful two-point conversion — who also split the uprights on a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The duo of Hoag and Holcomb were dominant on the night. Each of their individual abilities to create big gains out of thin air exhausted the PA defense. All part of Brooks’ plan.
“We could sense on their (PA) sideline, maybe they were starting to become a little defeated,” Brooks said. “When you're just running right at them and they can't stop it … that's tough to handle mentally. So, we just wanted to get their spirit knocked out and make sure we could finish the game.”
Hoag and Holcomb both complimented one another after the game. Holcomb, who finished the night with one touchdown and 143 rushing yards, noted that the skill of all the players, like Hoag, coming into the team, made it that much easier to form a trust which translated into positive movement on the field.
“He'll sit right there and say, I'm going to get this first down,” Holcomb said. “And while he was out there blocking for me, I knew he was going to hit his guy, and if he didn't, he’d turn around and say, ‘Sorry Holcomb.’ It’s a great feeling.”
All was not perfect, though, as PA built momentum leading into halftime scoring their first touchdown of the game on the back of a fast-paced drive. NY also managed to pick up a handful of penalties that saw them marching in the wrong direction. However, after the halftime interval, the penalties all but ceased and the wind was far from in the sails of PA. According to Brooks, it was as simple as moving one piece on the board.
“We weren't sure if they'd run mesh or not, so we put an adjustment in at halftime … and that really was effective in the second half, so kudos to our defensive coordinators,” Brooks said.
PA was forced to punt on its first two drives of the second half, but thanks to the tenacity of NY’s special teams, both ended up blocked. The first set up the Kempf field goal, the second led to a QB sneak touchdown from Frederick.
PA scored once more before the third quarter was up. But, with such a substantial lead, NY put the nail in the coffin with Giboo’s second touchdown of the game, this time from the one-yard line, and a game-sealing interception by Lane Dziekonski (Pioneer).
From the first practices he and his coaching staff held with the team, Brooks stressed the importance of a strong team chemistry. What he saw on the field, he said, was a perfect example of those bonds playing out.
“There's so much communication that has to go on up front and if you're not comfortable with the guy next to you and you can't communicate, we're going to struggle,” Brooks said. “Those guys did an excellent job.”
It is that communication and chemistry, along with the spur of having been the underdog that culminated into the historic moment.
New York: the defending champions of the Big 30 Charities Classic for the first time in nearly a decade.
AT BRADFORD, PA.
PA 0 21 10 8 — 39
NY 0 10 8 0 — 18
Second Quarter
NY - Michael Frederick 12 pass to Carmine Hoag, Kempf kick goo; 7-0
NY - Dalton Giboo 28 run, Kempf kick good; 14-0
PA - Jake Franz 22 field goal good; 14-3
NY - Kaedon Holcomb 14 run, Kempf kick good; 21-3
PA - Matthew Davis 4 run, Franz kick good; 21-10
Third Quarter
NY - Gabe Kempf 40 field goal good, 24-10
NY - Frederick 1 run, Kempf kick good 31-10
PA - Shawn Pascuzzi 19 pass to Camron Jakubczak, Matt Perry 2-point good; 31-18
Fourth Quarter
NY - Giboo 1 run, Frederick 2-point good; 39-18
Team Statistics
PA NY
First Downs 21 32
Rushes-Yards 27-87 54-325
Passing Yards 193 82
Comp-Att.-Int. 17-27-2 8-17-0
Total Offense 280 407
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 3-30 6-70
Punts 3 1
Total Plays 62 78
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