Prep Talk

I'm live at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first of three Section VI football championship games -- the Class B final between Lackawanna and Fredonia.

I'll have updates when I can provide them, hopefully at the very least at the end of quarters and after scoring plays. Just settle in and become friends with your refresh button. Thanks for your patience and participation.

12:15 p.m. After some technical glitches, we're up and running -- we're scoreless with Lackawanna starting a drive at its 18 with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Fredonia had the best scoring chance so far after a Lackawanna fumble in its own end, but the Hillbillies missed a 30-yard field goal.

12:20 p.m. At the END OF THE FIRST QUARTER we're scoreless. Lackawanna faces a third-and-15 from its own 24.

12:23 p.m. Lackawanna has a first-and-goal at the 6 thanks to two long pass plays: Capone Smith hit Christian Cheatom with a pretty pass for a 32-yard gain on third-and-15; later, David Kosanovich found Cheatom for 35 yards to set up the first-and-goal.

12:25 p.m. We have our first TOUCHDOWN, on a 6-yard pass from Kosanovich to Dwayne Bennett and Lackawanna has an 8-0 lead with 10:25 left in the second quarter. Capone Smith passed to Brett Dechent for a two-point conversion.

12:33 p.m. The teams have exchanged three-and-outs and Fredonia will start at its 31.

12:34 p.m. Fredonia's Eric Ippolito fumbled on a run to the left to give Lackawanna a drive start at the Fredonia 39.

12:37 p.m. Lackawanna has its second TOUCHDOWN and a 16-0 lead with 4:34 left in the second quarter. Dwayne Bennett took a carry to the left side behind a nice push to go in cleanly on a 5-yard scoring run. A nice Kosanovich connection to Cheatom -- in which the receiver made a nice quick-step move away from his defensive back -- for 31 yards set up the first-and-goal. Smith used some serious speed to run in the two-point conversion, scrambling out of the pocket to the left sideline and sprinting to the end zone.

12:41 p.m. Lackawanna has another TOUCHDOWN. Fredonia fumbled away the kickoff return and the Steelers needed just one play from the Fredonia 32. Kosanovich threw it to the right side for Smith, who made an outstanding over-the-shoulder, Willie-Mays-ish catch. Cody Eichelberger knocks down the two-point conversion pass and the Steelers have a 22-0 lead with 4:19 left in the first half.

12:52 p.m. Lackawanna takes over at its 26 after an eight-play Fredonia drive that ended with a punt.

12:55 p.m. Smith just showed another reason he's one of the best all-around players in Western New York. Back to punt, he recieved a high snap and had two defenders on him, but somehow juked his way to enough room to get off a very good punt. Fredonia takes over at its 46 with 21 seconds to go in the half; the punt return appeared to be fumbled but the ball was given to the Hillbillies.

1 p.m. It's HALFTIME and Lackawanna leads Fredonia, 22-0.

1:21 p.m. We've started the second half, with Fredonia starting its drive at its 34.

1:31 p.m. Fredonia is still on a long drive -- it has a first down at the Steelers' 20.

1:32 p.m. Check that. Fredonia fumbled a handoff on third-and-1 at the 11 and Lackawanna takes over at its 12 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.

1:38 p.m. Lackawanna's drive went backwards, leaving it a fourth-and-1 from the 1-foot line, and Fredonia earned a SAFETY when the snap went over Smith's head and out of bounds. Lackawanna's lead is 22-2 with 2:06 left in the third quarter.

1:43 p.m. Lackawanna stops Fredonia's next drive and the Steelers -- after a clipping penalty on the punt return -- take over at their 8 with 27 seconds to go in the third quarter.

1:44 p.m. It's the END OF THE THIRD QUARTER. Lackawanna leads, 22-2, and will start with a second-and-1 at its 17.

1:50 p.m. Fredonia forces a punt and takes over at its 28 with 9:03 left in the game.

1:55 p.m. Fredonia's drive ends with an interception by Dwight Barber that was forced in large part by great pressure by Smith, who was chasing down Fredonia quarterback Chris DiRusso.

1:59 p.m. Fredonia takes over at the Lackawanna 35 after a Steelers' backwards pass attempt from Kasonovich to Smith on the right side wasn't handled; it was recovered by Fredonia's Corey King with 4:51 left in the game.

2:02 p.m. We have a delay as DiRusso is down on the field. He was just clobbered for a sack by Zachary Alabadi. Fredonia has a third-and-11 with the clock ticking under 4:20.

2:04 p.m. Shane Smith took over at quarterback and promptly hit Mike Johnson with a pass down the right side to give Fredonia a first-and-goal at the Lackawanna 3 with 4:06 left.

2:06 p.m. Ippolito runs in easily on the right side for a 2-yard Fredonia TOUCHDOWN with 3:46 left. Smith finds Johnson for the two-point conversion pass and Lackawanna leads, 22-10.

2:09 p.m. Fredonia's on-sides kick is recovered easily by Lackawanna at its 47 with 3:45 left.

2:11 p.m. Fredonia takes its second timeout with 2:35 left and Lackawanna facing a third-and-7 at the 50.

2:13 p.m. Fredonia takes its last timeout as Lackawanna has a fourth-and-5 at the Fredonia 48.

2:14 p.m. Smith does another great job on a high punt snap, this time running down the right side for the first down. I'll be back to update the final score.

2:16 p.m. Check that. On a second-and-12 at the Fredonia 42, Smith broke to the right, got a nice block by Cheatom, cut back in front of another would-be tackler and ran to open space for the TOUCHDOWN. The two-point conversion pass fails and Lackawanna has a 28-10 lead with 1:23 left.

2:20 p.m. We have a FINAL SCORE: Lackawanna 28, Fredonia 10. Interview time. I'll be back with a separate post for the 3 p.m. Class C game. 

---Keith McShea