SECTION 6 Sopko is Upstate Coach of the Year Springville coach Football led a miracle W E E K L Y rebound from 0-4 November 15, 2012 Issue No. 72 56 Pages INSIDE: Canisius Wins MMA title over Timon Football Weekly names Annual All-star team Brought to you by the Letter 3 WNY Teams Move on to Carrier Dome PLUS: State Records Team Reports NYS Rankings Q Schedules ALSO: Canisius junior RB Qadree Ollison Sideline Chatter Extra Point is WNY’s 2012 Player of the Year Section 6 Standings This Week’s Lineup: Contents NOVEMBER 8, 2012 All Football Weekly 4 ... WNY Notebook 6 5 ... Players of the Week Orchard Park QB Ben Holmes leads the 7 ... League Look-Ins All Football Weekly First Team Offense. 13 ... 2010 Notebook Holmes will also lead Orchard Park into the NYS Championship game at the 16 ... Team Reports Syracuse Carrier Dome this coming week- 40 ... Standings end. 41 ... Leader Board 42 ... Around The State 44 ... Campus News And the Defense 7 47 ... Extra Point Sweet Home LB Brad Zaffram leads the Upstate All Football Weekly First Team Defense. Zaffram will also lead Sweet Home into Football the NYS Championship game at the W E E K L Y Publisher Syracuse Carrier Dome this coming Adair Publishing weekend. Editor-In-Chief Mark E. Adair Business Manager Catherine M. Rutkowski 15 Cansius Finishes 11-0 Statistician Paul Hutzler Canisius senior OL Ryan Hunter led the Photography Crusaders’ brusing offensive line in the Jerome Davis, Tim Frank Msgr. Martin Association championship The Upstate Football Weekly is published game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. every Thursday throughout the high school football season (August-November) by Canisius beat Timon 28-20 to finish the Adair Publishing. Contents copyright ©2011 by Adair Publishing. All rights reserved. season 11-0. This volume may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Address editorial and advertising corre- spondence to: Upstate Football Weekly, [email protected] 32 Sopko is Top Coach To advertise in the Upstate Football Weekly or for information regarding ad rates and sizes call (716) 433-8393. Springville coach John Sopko was named the Coach of the Year after guid- ing Springville from an 0-4 start all the Football Weekly 86 Park Lane Circle way to the Class B championship game Lockport, N.Y. 14094 in Ralph Wilson Stadium. (716) 433-8393 [email protected] Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week Robbins Honored for Perfect Season Canisius coach Rich Robbins was named the Coach Gioia closed the first half when he clanked a FG off the of the Week by the Buffalo Bills and the U.S. National right upright and the teams were tied 14-14 at the half. Guard after his Canisius team beat Bishop Timon 28-20 Timon recovered a Canisius fumble early in the third in the Msgr. Martin Association championship game at quarter and drove 77 yards for a go-ahead score. Adam Ralph Wilson Stadium. DiMillo rushed in from the 3-yard line with 5:37 left in the Canisius finished a perfect 11-0 season with the win. third quarter. A missed PAT left Timon leading by 20-14. “I’m so proud of my coaching staff and our kids,” However, Ollison had returned to the game and was Robbins said. “They bought into everything I was giving feeling normal again. The Canisius ground attack began them for the program. With our schedule and the strength to dominate. of our league, to go 11-0 is a great accomplishment.” After Timon took its only lead of the game, Canisius The last Msgr. Martin Association team to finish a sea- drove for a TD on the following possession. Ollison ran the son unbeaten was ball every play St. Joe’s in 1998. except one . He fin- The last Canisius ished the drive team to finish when he rumbled unbeaten was the 13-yards for the TD 1976 squad that on 3rd-and-goal. finished 7-0-1. Chris Alaimo kicked Robbins says the PAT and gave that, after winning Canisius a 21-20 the title and finish- lead. ing the perfect Canisius held season, he has Timon bottled up heard from deep in their own Canisius gradu- end and finally ates from all over forced Timon to the world. turn the ball over “I have received on downs at their messages from our own 12-yard line. alumni from around Canisius took the country,” advantage of the Robbins said. “I very short field and have emails from powered it’s way Canisius alumni into the end zone, that are in the mili- Photo by Buffalo Bills using Ollison in a tary and overseas. Canisius coach Rich Robbins was named the Coach of the Week by the bruising, methodi- That really brought Buffalo Bills and the U.S. National Guard after his Crusaders beat Timon cal drive. With just it home to me that in the Msgr. Martin Association title game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. 3:22 left. Ollison we did accomplish punched it in from something very special.” the 3-yard line to give the Crusaders a 28-20 lead. It was the first Msgr. Martin title for Canisius since the Canisius then forced Timon to turn the ball over on Crusaders won in 2009. Qadree Ollison led the Canisius downs again after just 4 plays. The Crusaders ran for a offense as he ran 38 times for 195 yards and 3 TDs. first down and ran out of the clock. Canisius took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Robbins says that his team is already talking about Ollison capped a drive by powering into the end zone another perfect season in 2013. from 2 yards out for a 7-0 lead. Anthony Kellerman then “We have a ton of talent coming back,” he said. “and caught a 9-yard TD pass from Tyler Mascio for a 14-0 we have already talked about 22-0. We want to keep it lead. rolling. The juniors that are coming back want to go unde- But Timon began to assert it’s physical style of play in feated in their senior year, too.” the second quarter. Robbins said that since taking over the canisius pro- After a turnover, Timon scored when QB Ryan gram, he has tried to run it as a family-operation. Dougherty tossed a 9-yard TD pass to Bryant Fulton. Tom “We are a program and a family,” Robbins said. “We Gioia’s kick pulled the Tigers within 14-7. are a program for the 9th grader, the 55th kid on the On the next possession, Brad Wellenzohn intercepted team and the last guy on our bench. Everyone is an a pass and returned it 45 yards for a TD and a 14-14 tie. equal part of our family.” 4 The All-FW Team In this issue is our annual All-Football Weekly team. 5. Behavior Counts: Players who were suspended Before the season started I asked six area fans who for behavioral reasons were not eligible for our post- are deeply involved in the Western New York Football season honors. The best players should carry them- scene to help with the selection process. selves with some sense of dignity. Players who were Each of the six went WAY above-and-beyond the discipline problems for their teams or their schools call of duty and submitted four complete all-star teams. were not recognized at all. I will not name these people. One of our criteria is Behavior counts kids... behavior counts more than that the committee members’ identities will remain a winning football games. secret. I do not want them to start getting pressured to 6. Grades Count: Most of these players are superi- name certain kids because people or students... or at least good students. A few struggle know who they are... and where with academics but they try hard. Players who were they live. SECTION 6 academically suspended because of outright lazi- Here are a few items to Upstate ness were not eligible for the team. If remember when looking over you can’t give half an Sopko is the selections. Football effort in the classroom, Coach of W E E K L Y 1. All-Football Weekly: N the Year we will not reward you ovem ber 1 5, 2 These teams are made up of 012 Springville coach with post-season honors. led a m Is iracle players from teams that have sue N rebound from 7. One Per Customer: o. 72 participated with the Football 0-4 Many all-star teams will 56 P Weekly. If your school has age list players at multiple posi- INSIDE: s chosen not to participate, Canisius W tions. For the All-Football your players are not eligi- MMA title ins Weekly team, each player is over T ble. There are four teams imon listed once. If a lineman is Football Weekly in Western New York that names Annual named a 1st-team offensive chose not to participate Brought to you All-star team lineman, he is not eligible to with our magazine in by the Letter be recognized as a 2nd-team 2011. Players from linebacker. Canisius RB those four schools are Qadree Ollison is our Player of not recognized on the the Year and, therefore, is not All-Football Weekly 3 W eligible to be listed at a position. NY Tea Move on toms team. Carrier Do 8. Attitude Counts: Players 2.