Falcons set to open football league play

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, September 14, 2006

OK, fun and games are over. This week, it starts for real for the Niagara-Wheatfield football Falcons.

After splitting a pair of non-league contests to open the 2006 season, the Falcons are set to open the Class AA-North portion of their schedule at 2 p.m. Saturday at home against the Lockport Lions.

“Lockport will be tough,” Falcons coach Al Pogel said. “They’re 0-2, but I think they’re much better than their record indicates. They especially played North Tonawanda tough last week - they were up by two scores at one point.”

The Falcons are coming off their first loss of the season, 30-13 at defending Section VI champion Orchard Park, which has qualified for the sectional finals for five straight years and won titles in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

Pogel felt that it was a winnable game but for a few errors, both mental and physical.

“We made some key mistakes in that game,” he said. “The kids played hard. We had the lead - we just couldn’t hang on to it. Given the situation - being at Orchard Park, with their tradition of success - I thought our kids acquitted themselves quite well. We found out what we need to do.”

That evened Niagara-Wheatfield’s record at 1-1 after a 12-7, season-opening win at home against the Starpoint Spartans - another quality team that Pogel says will only make his own squad better for having faced them.

“I think the non-league games are very important,” he said. “Of course, you want to get your season off to a positive start, but you also want the best competition possible to prepare your team for divisional play. We were lucky to draw two very good teams, and we’ll be better for it.”

Which brings us back to the Lockport Lions.

The Lions dropped a 26-19 decision to North Tonawanda, two-time sectional finalists and winners over Orchard Park in Week One. Lockport annually fields a highly athletic team, and the Lions’ speed can give opposing teams fits - and Niagara-Wheatfield is no exception.

“Team speed, especially in high school football, is something that you just have to deal with,” Pogel said. “Our players are prepared for it, and they understand what they have to deal with.”

The Falcons have had good success through the air on offense. With senior Jon Smith throwing the ball, Mike Guariglia hauled in a pair of touchdown passes in Week One against Starpoint, while Tom Piciulo and Emmett Printup had TD grabs last week at Orchard Park.

While they have yet to score a rushing touchdown in 2006, Pogel isn’t too concerned about it - as long as the Falcons can move the ball and put points on the board.

“We took advantage of what was available, and that’s what you have to do,” he said. “We really spread it around with our passing game - seven different people have caught the ball. But we do hope to rush a little better because we know we need better balance.”