By Tim Schmitt<br><a href="mailto:tschmitt@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Tim</a>
ORCHARD PARK — The Section VI Class AA quarterfinal between Niagara-Wheatfield and top-ranked Orchard Park started one minute after its scheduled 7 p.m. starting time on Friday.
That meant the Falcons’ season didn’t end until about 7:02.
Wheatfield fumbled the opening kickoff, Orchard Park scored a touchdown on the ensuing play, and the Quakers made a mockery of the first postseason contest, rolling to a 70-13 victory to advance to the semifinals.
After taking a thorough drubbing from Orchard Park just six days prior at Terry Harvey Field, the Falcons again couldn’t slow returning Connolly Cup champ Jeff Tundo, who had four touchdowns and 178 yards heading into the halftime break. He didn’t see the field in the second half.
“You can get away with little things against some teams, but not a team as complete as that one,” Wheatfield coach Al Pogel said. “This wasn’t for lack of effort or heart. We played a team that is really top shelf.”
Orchard Park (8-0) would have had a 42-0 lead to end the first quarter, but Tundo was dragged down just before the goal line before the first gun sounded. Shawn Griffen scored on the first play of the second quarter from a yard away.
And while Tundo was plenty impressive, he wasn’t the only of Orchard Park’s offensive weapons to played as advertised. Kyle Hoppy hit Daniel Nesci with a beautiful toss as the left-handed quarterback lofted a pass over an N-W defender and sent Nesci on his way. The 34-yard connection made it 35-0 with over a minute left in the first quarter.
“We know what Jeff is capable of,” Pogel said of Tundo, “but the thing that makes them so dangerous is Hoppy. He might be as fast as anyone and he throws it as well as anybody in the area.”
The Falcons came out with a little grit in the second half, putting a pair of scores on the board in the third quarter. Paul Smith’s strike to Chris Gruarin on the first drive after the intermission went for a 43-yard score and John Starr later added a 22-yard run to make it 49-13.
Wheatfield (2-6) was close again after William Cody recovered a fumble and Smith threw a high toss to Gruarin on fourth and long that looked like it could go for another score. The two couldn’t make the connection, however, and the Quakers marched back down and punched another TD in before the end of the third.
“We were a little sloppy in the beginning of the second half,” Orchard Park coach Gene Tundo said. “But we respect the Niagara-Wheatfield program. They didn’t give up.”
