Division title highlights Niagara Wheatfield football season

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, November 23, 2006

The Niagara-Wheatfield Falcons took a giant step forward in the 2006 football season, posting their most successful season yet since moving up to Class AA four years ago.

In a campaign interrupted by an October snowstorm that thoroughly disrupted the Section VI schedule, the Falcons only played seven regular season games but won five of them. More important was the perfect 4-0 record within Class AA-North that gave the Falcons their first division crown since jumping from Class A.

“We’re very proud of the kids,” said N-W coach Al Pogel. “We sure weren’t picked to finish first at the start of the season. We finished where we did because the kids believed in each other and worked hard.”

As a reward for winning the division, the Falcons earned a home playoff game but were knocked out by the Clarence Red Devils in the Class AA semifinals, 7-6 in double overtime.

It was a tough way to see the season end. After Clarence scored on its possession of the second OT and kicked the extra point to go up 7-0, N-W answered with a touchdown and Pogel elected to go for two points and the win. Tailback Mike Folino was stopped about a foot shy of the goal line on an option play by Clarence linebacker John Syty. The Devils went on to the championship game at Ralph Wilson Stadium and the Falcons were finished.

“The kids and fans have been very supportive of that decision to go for two,” Pogel said. “The kids believed that we should go for two, and that’s what’s most important. And even though it didn’t work, they still thanked the coaches for having the faith in them to try it.”

There were individual highlight, as well.

Senior quarterback Jon Smith was a force both on the ground and through the air. He passed for 672 yards and rushed for another 267. Fullback Kurt Williams added 258 rushing yards and Folino wound up with 135. Tom Piciulo led the team in receiving yards with 264, followed by Mike Guariglia at 152.

The N-W defense was inspired, led by Jacob Koshinski (59 tackles, four sacks), Kevin Ogiba (58 tackles), Ronald Richau (36 tackles, five sacks) and Elijah Printup (44 tackles).

“We knew coming in that we had to improve our depth, and I think we went a long way towards finding some,” Pogel said. “More kids played, and that kept everybody fresher and more involved. We’ve got a number of players coming back next year, and we feel good about that.”

The Falcons will lose several of their skill players on offense, including Smith, Guariglia, Williams and Folino, as well as Koshinski at tight end. But Pogel will get to plug in players from a 7-0 junior varsity team, combining them with the returning varsity players who feel they have something to prove.

“We were a foot away from going to the stadium,” Pogel said. “We feel good about what we accomplished, but there is dissatisfaction in the way the season ended. So we’ve already set the theme for next year: unfinished business.”