Their teams had already played three games, 12 quarters, over a third of this 2022 regular high school football season.
And still, not one, but two coaches could recall off the top of their heads the touchdowns that their teams have surrendered this year.
Portville gave up one following a long second-half kickoff return against Allegany-Limestone and another against Gowanda/Pine Valley after it had already substituted with the outcome (55-8) well in hand. Pioneer, meanwhile, allowed one on a blocked punt versus Depew and another, again with a one-sided win (63-6) secured, on a single long play against Burgard.
That’s it. Two scores. Total.
Approaching the halfway point of the year, impressive individual offensive performances have once again grabbed most of the headlines, and deservedly so. At Randolph, reigning Big 30 Player of the Year Xander Hind has run 96 times for 764 yards and eight total touchdowns as he takes aim at the Cardinals rushing record. At Bolivar-Richburg, meanwhile, Ethan Coleman has run rampant in the 8-man ranks, piling up 657 yards on just 36 carries and 13 of the Wolverines’ 17 touchdowns.
And that’s to say nothing of some of the other top backs on the New York side of the Big 30 border, including Kaedon Holcomb (Portville), Jesse Stahlman (Salamanca), Gian Nuzzo (QB, Franklinville/Ellicottville) and Memphis App (Olean).
ALL ALONG, however, it’s been a collectively stout defensive effort (plus the strong quarterback play, which was touched on last week) that has propelled the top seven Big 30 programs to one of the best starts in recent memory, one which has those teams a combined 15-3, with two of those losses coming to Randolph and another to top-half ‘B’ team Albion.
Consider: Amid 3-0 starts, Portville and Pioneer have surrendered just 14 and 13 total points, respectively. On Friday, the Panthers allowed a mere 41 yards of offense in a win over Wilson.
Salamanca, outside of a 39-20 loss to Randolph, has given up just eight and six in victories over Cleveland Hill and Allegany-Limestone. F/E, again Randolph notwithstanding, has allowed an average of 10 points per game and Olean surrendered just three total touchdowns over its first two contests before losing to Albion in Week 3.
B-R, meanwhile, gave up 50 points in its first two games, but much of that came after it had gained full control (against Wellsville, for instance, it had a 30-0 first-quarter lead before winning 42-26). And the Wolverines just pitched a shutout in the higher-scoring circuit, beating Holley 34-0.
YES, THESE teams have hit their share of lulls offensively. But in almost every instance, perhaps most importantly to their coaches, the defense has been there. Though it managed just two TDs itself, that was all Portville needed in that 13-0 victory over Wilson. Olean downed Dunkirk, 12-7, on a fumble recovery in the end zone. Pioneer’s offense has been pedestrian, at times, but it’s not only dominated defensively in terms of yardage, it’s returned a handful of interceptions and fumbles for TDs.
For Week 3, in particular, a couple of local players were recognized for those efforts: Pioneer’s Dalton Giboo made this week’s Connolly Cup WNY Player of the Week list due in part to his 45-yard fumble return touchdowns and 10 tackles. Ryan Carpenter, of Randolph, did the same after helping to hold a Titans team that had been averaging 37 points per game to just 12 (and also for his blocking in Hind’s 293-yard output).
And again, their teams remain in solid standing as a result.
THROUGH THREE weeks, the Big 30 has three of the top 10 spots in this week’s Western New York Small School poll, with Randolph checking in at No. 2 (behind Iroquois), Pioneer at No. 4 and F/E at No. 8 despite the Cardinals setback. Portville (3-0) remains an honorable mention and will have a chance to crack that list for the first time this season with a head-to-head matchup with F/E this Friday (and you know coach Josh Brooks’ team is going to use those rankings as bulletin board fodder again this week).
Last week’s spotlight contest was Randolph’s visit to Franklinville. Here are a couple of takeaways from the Big 30 committee:
“It’s no secret about what Randolph wants to do offensively and that is pound the football with their workhorse Hind behind their big strong offensive line,” one onlooker said. “Randolph won this game up front. Their line, led by Carpenter (6-1, 270) and Jaiden Huntington (6-4, 225), controlled the line of scrimmage and wore down the F/E defense.
Aside from highlighting its peronnel, he added: “Randolph is a legitimate contender to add another state championship to their storied Big 30 football history. I’m amazed at the talented and successful teams a small town like Randolph turns out year after year, but you can tell that their kids play with pride and each team wants to make their own mark and add to that rich tradition.”
Of the Titans, one committee member said: “(The QB) Nuzzo showed some real toughness, particularly running the football. He scored their first TD on an 11-yard run when he dove into and through some Randolph defenders on the goal line. I thought F/E did a good job defensively limiting Randolph’s big plays and making Randolph work for their yards and scores with long methodical drives.
“Linebackers Hunter Smith and Ben Brol stood out defensively and two-way lineman Tyler Gibas played well.”
