Falcons give Devils their due

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, February 2, 2006

Al Pogel couldn’t forget about it if he tried.

In the final game of the 2005 regular season, Pogel had his Niagara-Wheatfield varsity football team still in position to make the Section VI playoffs. All the Falcons had to do was beat the visiting Clarence Red Devils, who had but one win all season – and that snapped a 20-game losing streak.

So, naturally, Clarence stunned N-W and eliminated the Falcons from playoff contention.

Fast-forward one year, when the Falcons have clinched the Class AA-North crown and are set to host their first playoff game since moving up to Class AA four years ago.

So who should come calling at 2 p.m. Saturday but those same Red Devils?

“I don’t have to remind any of the players. They all remember very well what happened last year against Clarence,” Pogel said. “We remember the circumstances very well. It was a wet, muddy field, and it was tough to deal with that double wing offense that Clarence has used for a long time. We remember.”

Particularly maddening was the way the game got away from the Falcons. N-W led 13-0 at the half and seemed to be in control, only to watch the Red Devils answer with 14 second-half points for a 14-13 victory.

“Al’s a great coach and he runs a terrific program,” said veteran Clarence coach Tom Goddard. “We were fortunate to beat them last year in a great game. They’re a good team, but we just have to go up there and beat them. We’re both 5-2, so I think we’re comparable. And as usual, the team that makes the fewest mistakes will move on.”

The recent snowstorm and ensuing electrical problems have made it challenging for the teams to practice, let alone play, as both teams only managed to get in seven games during the season instead of eight.

Niagara County was spared the brunt of the storm, so the Falcons were able to blank Niagara Falls 10-0 at home in Week Seven, but they had to cancel the scheduled Week Eight road matchup against Williamsville North, which was closed into this week.

Clarence, which also got back power only very recently, lost a non-league game against Lake Shore in Week Seven. The Devils then thumped Lockport 42-17 at Medina on Saturday.

“They played very well, especially after a long layoff,” said Pogel, who watched the Clarence victory. “We’re just trying to stay as regular as we can. The layoff is somewhat of a concern for us because we were doing some good things at the time. We just have to go with the circumstances.”

The N-W offense starts with senior quarterback Jon Smith, a threat to run as well as pass. Mike Folino and Kurt Williams provide a solid ground game, and Smith has spread the ball around through the air, finding Mike Guariglia, Tom Piciulo and Jake Koshinski with regularity.

The Devils know they have to pay plenty of attention to Smith.

“He’s the key, obviously,” Goddard said. “We have to stop him from running, because he’s what makes their offense go. We have to stop him, period.”

The Devils have more of a ground attack. They lost starting quarterback Drew Bielawski to a broken collarbone earlier this month, but understudy Josh James went 2 of 3 for 66 yards and one rushing touchdown in the win against Lockport.

James is also a threat to run on the option, as are Steve Washington, John Syty and fullback Mike Poss. The Devils also have an added weapon in their arsenal as place kicker George Eldyrie is a perfect 24 for 24 on PATs, and definitely can hit from short to middle range.

“We know what we have to do,” Pogel said. “We have to avoid letting them have big plays, and we have to limit our mistakes ... There were people who doubted we were ready to move up to this division, but our kids are making believers out of them now.”