Lancers win on late field goal

by Larry Austin
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, September 16, 2006

Lewiston-Porter’s Dom Massaro dives to sack Starpoint quarterback Shane
Canahai Saturday at Tudor Stadium. The Lancers had their second straight
shutout in a 3-0 win over the Spartans. (photo by Larry Austin)

Peter Violante’s field goal from 36 yards with 5:18 remaining in the football game was the difference as Lewiston-Porter beat Starpoint 3-0 last Saturday.

The win improved the Lancers’ record to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the A North Division.

Lew-Port head coach Brian Gunby called the game a “slugfest.”

“We knew coming they were going to be hard, a hard, physical team,” Gunby said of the home-standing Spartans. “We knew we had our work cut out for us. I’m honestly not surprised it was a 3-0 game. They’re a good team, they’re a well-coached team.”

“Even in the second quarter, you kind of felt whoever had the ball last was going to end up getting out of this thing with a win,” Gunby said.

The game was a battle for field position with neither team able to make one big, game-breaking offensive play. Starpoint’s Chris Monaco missed two field goals, one from 41 yards with 2:26 left in the first half and another from 42 yards with 10:24 left in the game. Both kicks were into the wind, while Violante had the wind at his back for his boot.

“Let’s give Coach Gunby some credit,” said Starpoint coach Al Cavagnaro. “He took the wind in the fourth quarter, and his kicker got to have the wind and my kicker didn’t. I think that was the difference.”

“My defense has played outstanding for two weeks in a row,” Cavagnaro added. The Spartans lost 12-7 to Niagara-Wheatfield in a downpour in Week 1 and scored their only touchdown that day on special teams. “It’s a shame that our offense just can’t find the rhythm because our kids have played their behinds off on defense.”

Punting into the wind in the third quarter, L-P gave the Spartans two drive starts at the L-P 32 and 42, but the Spartans couldn’t capitalize.

In the fourth quarter, L-P quarterback Brad Maines connected with Steve Stanley for a 40-yard pass play. Vinny Gambino’s run converted third-and-5 yards to set up Violante’s kick.

Violante played left guard on offense, linebacker on defense, and handled the work in the kicking game as well. He left the field Saturday for one play, a kick return.

“You know what? It comes down to everyone playing with heart,” Violante said of the win. “You’ve got to have heart to beat these guys. When it’s a tie game the whole game, the last quarter it’s who wants it more and who’s got the heart to play.”

“They came into this game thinking that their line was better, but we just sucked it up and played harder than they thought we could,” he said.

Up 3-0, a sack of Starpoint QB Shane Canahai by Pat Linnane ended one Starpoint drive, and an interception by Gambino with :38 left allowed the Lancers to take a knee the rest of the way.

“He cramped up earlier and he wanted to go back out,” Gunby said of Gambino. “He went back out and makes a play for us.”

Gambino said the win was all about “going every play hard, man. Everyone making their blocks and just going for it.”

L-P plays at Williamsville East today at 2 p.m. The Flames beat perennial power Sweet Home a week earlier.