By CARSON WERNER
BROCKPORT, N.Y. — Other than the one-point loss to LeRoy earlier in the year, Letchworth/Warsaw’s season was nearly perfect. It captured its second-consecutive Section V Class C title and rolled into the Far West Regional with a 9-1 record. In almost identical fashion to the year prior, Letchworth/Warsaw’s title-winning season was halted by the Section VI champion.
It took the undefeated Southwestern squad one drive to take a lead it wouldn’t surrender. The Trojans started LetSaw with its best by handing the ball off to its explosive running back Tywon Wright. On back-to-back plays the senior ran for 26-yard and 31-yard touchdowns, untouched.
.@NYSPHSAA C Far West Regional: @letchsports/@wcstigernation vs. @SWCSTrojans: Tywon Wright 26-yard TD run. 8:46 1Q: Southwestern 6 LetSaw 0. @PickinSplinters @CarsonWerner1 pic.twitter.com/O5yhfT25Ic
— John Likanje (@jml5798) November 16, 2019
With a 6-foot-3, 230-pound stature, Wright refused to be taken down with the ball in his hands. On just his eighth carry of the day, he notched his fourth touchdown of the game with a 59-yard run up his team’s sideline. He’d finish the game with five touchdowns and 251 yards on 16 attempts.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Southwestern head coach Jake Burkholder mentioned in regards to Wright’s performance. “He’s running hard, working his tail off. He’s a great kid on and off the field and a great leader for us. For him to be able to compete the way he has is amazing.”
LetSaw’s quarterback Brett Vasile accounted for their only score, barreling through the offensive and defensive lines on a two-yard push. On another designed quarterback sneak, he converted on two points to make it 54-8. Just before, Vasile connected with senior counterpart Dalton English for a 34-yard reception to put them in red zone. With 2:05 left on the clock after the score, it’d turn out to be the final drive of LetSaw’s season.
With very little success to be found in the air, LetSaw kept to running the ball on most possessions. Joshua Andrews finished with 16 yards on four rushing attempts and Chad Hallopeter with 17 yards on five attempts.
LetSaw’s initial efforts were dampened almost immediately on the team’s opening drive when Mason Johnson went down with an injury and was later carted away from the playing area. In what would be his final game of his high school career, he did not return to the field.
“It took the wind out of the sails as soon as that happened because he’s an emotional leader,” Letchworth/Warsaw head coach Justin Mann noted. “He makes all the calls on defense. He’s a captain and he’s a big part of what we do offensively as far as up front. Losing him hurt a lot, absolutely.”
Cleveland Hill was the team responsible for ending LetSaw’s season in last year’s Far West Regional, 54-6. Trailing 16-6 by halftime, the Eagles ran away with the game in the second half, terrorizing the defense on the ground.
Despite cruising through both years where LetSaw defeated eighteen opponents by marginable scores, Section VI powerhouses have been the team’s kryptonite in the postseason. In the two crossover matches, they’ve been outscored 108-14.
“They play good football in Section VI,” Mann said. “Last year it was Cleveland Hill, this year it was Southwestern. That’s a real good football team. Number 19 [Wright] is a heck of a player and they have athletes all over the place. We knew it coming in, obviously we didn’t think it’d be quite like this.”
“Southwestern controls the ball well,” Mann added. “Cleveland Hill just runs it at you a lot and doesn’t throw very much. Southwestern is balanced because they can throw the ball too.”
Aidan Kennedy completed six of nine passes for 86 yards while Austin Rott completed four of six for 67 yards.
LetSaw’s season concludes with a record of 9-2 and its second consecutive Section V Class C title. Southwestern will advance to play Susquehanna Valley in the state semifinals.
“We had 14 seniors so for a lot of them it was the last ride for them, the last time putting on the pads,” Mann said. “However this loss doesn’t define who they are.”
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