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Wildcats rip Redskins, gear up for sectionals
By Michael J. Petro Times
 | | WATCHFUL EYES...Cheektowaga Central running back Jaleel Harris, left, and quarterback Adam Piscitello anxiously watch the final seconds of regulation Friday. (Times photo) |
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After all Depew has accomplished this season, for a Wildcat, there still seems to be nothing better than beating cross-town rival Lancaster.
Dan Gorski helped break open a tied game with 39 seconds left in the third quarter on a 69-yard touchdown run which led to 27 unanswered points for the Wildcats, who handed Lancaster its second straight loss in this intense rivalry in front of a packed house at Depew.
Both have qualified for this weekend's Section VI Tournament, but after its 34-7 victory on Friday, Depew enters the playoffs with a feeling of absolute bliss.
"This feels great - to do this senior year at home, there's no better feeling," said 6-foot, 5-inch senior Kevin Dudkowski, one the members of a mammoth Depew starting offensive line. "We won it last year, but for us seniors, this is great."
Though the score remained 7-7 since the middle of the first quarter, the Wildcats were reeling, having turned the ball over on its first two possessions of the second half.
So after Depew made its third straight defensive stand of the third quarter and got the ball back, Wildcats' head coach Dan McGrath called a timeout to speak with his team. On the next play, Gorski, a junior, broke a few tackles and bursted up the middle and into the open for the score.
"We declared at the outset of the drive that we had to go the distance," McGrath said. "I didn't think it would be in one play."
The small but elusive Gorski led all rushers with 131 yards on 14 rushes.
"There was a total mood change after that play," Gorski said. "We knew what we had to do going into the half and we got it done."
McGrath compared this year's campaign to three seasons - the league portion, Lancaster game, then playoffs. So far, Depew, the Class B North Division champion with a 7- 1 overall mark, has succeeded quite well in the first two phases. The third begins 7:30 p.m. tomorow, with the Wildcats hosting Fredonia in the semifinals of the Class B playoffs.
"I think each one of our players has picked each other up at some point this season and that's exactly what we ask of them," McGrath said. "It's wonderful for the seniors to be part of this."
After notching the go-ahead score, Depew capitalized on two consecutive Lancaster turnovers with fourthquarter touchdowns from Matt Strychalski on a four-yard run, then Greg Osika, who took a reverse into the end zone from six yards out. Strychalski, a junior, finished with 56 yards rushing and Osika, a senior, added 71.
Brad Barth, who was in the middle of both the turnovers, recording an interception and fumble recovery, added eight of his 50 yards rushing on a touchdown run with 1:07 left in the game. Ross Cole connected on four of five extra-point attempts.
Senior defensive back Mike Boccio also recorded a first-half interception for Depew and teammates Rich Samrock and Gorski added sacks.
The Wildcats opened the scoring on the initial drive of the game. Junior quarterback Joe Christiano, who finished with four completions for 64 yards, threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Osika.
Lancaster answered on its first drive of the contest as Tommy Krickovich capped a seven-play drive with a two-yard run to pay dirt. Keith Stoerr converted on the pointafter kick to tie the game at seven apiece.
Lancaster, which still leads the series, 45-29-7, will play Friday 7:30 p.m. at North Tonawanda in the Class AA semifinals.
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