Hello there from the much-anticipated Class AA football semifinal of Orchard Park at North Tonawanda. We'll have updates throughout the game. Things may get hairy later on because I have a deadline to meet. Get comfortable with your refresh button and enjoy the game.
The game will be shown on Time Warner Cable's Ch. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
6:51 p.m. The legendary Dick Grapes, the PA man for which this press box is named, just introduced "as a team ... the North Division champion ... North Tonawanda Lumberjacks."
6:52 p.m. Outrage alert: There are NO PROGRAMS HERE at North Tonawanda. Great job by Section VI. Utterly ridiculous.
6:57 p.m. Captains have met. NT defers, OP will receive. Just a fabulous night here. The wind has only picked up recently, but there are many folks here without a jacket. Hopefully the trick-or-treaters get a night like this tomorrow.
Here's the kickoff:
6:59 p.m. OP starts on its 24.
7:02 p.m. Forgot to mention my prediction -- NT by 13.
7:04 p.m. OP runs three times, gets a first down; a penalty pushed them to a first-and-15 and they are forced to punt from their 39. NT takes over at its 48 with 8:36 left in the first quarter after a nice punt return by Derrick Bloomfield
7:06 p.m. On its second play from scrimmage, NT has a TOUCHDOWN. Joe Montesanti takes a pitch to the right from quarterback Mike Tuzzo, and Montesanti follows two nice blocks on a sprint to the end zone. NT gets the extra point kick from Aaron Davis and the Lumberjacks lead OP, 7-0, with 7:51 left in the first.
7:13 p.m. We have an update thanks to a text message from News Sports Columnist Bob DiCesare: Grand Island takes a 7-0 lead at Hamburg after Andy LaLonde goes 68 yards on a run on the Vikings' first play.
7:16 p.m. OP got two first downs before punting from the NT 35 and starts at its 3. Montesanti fielded the ball inside the 5, muffed it but recovered.
7:21 p.m. OP calls a timeout with 16 seconds left in the first quarter. NT faces a second-and-15 at the OP 41 after a fumbled pitch by Tuzzo was recovered by Davis on first down. NT is moving the ball well, particularly behind pitches to the right side to Montesanti.
7:22 p.m. At the END OF THE FIRST QUARTER, NT has a 7-0 lead on OP.
7:29 p.m. NT's drive ended at the OP 31 when a fourth-and-5 pass by Tuzzo was just a bit too far for an open receiver. Then we had our first big turnover of the game. OP faced a second-and-15 at its 25 when a Dave Janca pass to the left sideline was tipped by Bloomfield and reeled in by -- I believe -- Davis. NT takes over at the OP 35.
7:34 p.m. North Tonawanda has scored its second TOUCHDOWN. On third-and-3 at the OP 4, Tuzzo hung up a pass to the right side of the end zone and Davis fought off a defender and went up and got it. Davis looked like he used his All-Western New York basketball skills to box out the defensive back and reel in the ball. NT gets the extra point from Davis and leads OP, 14-0, with 6:37 left in the second quarter.
7:38 p.m. Reports from Lauren Mariacher and DiCesare at Hamburg: GI has its 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, then blocked a Hamburg punt and takes over at the Hamburg 22.
7:45 p.m. As the the text turns: DiCesare reports that GI misses 36-yard field goal wide left.
7:46 p.m. NT with a big play by Bloomfield, who nabs a OP player short on a fourth-and-5 play at the NT 10. Bloomfield is having a tremendous first half. OP had a nice drive from its 35 thanks to several Dan Nesci runs out of the wildcat formation and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on NT for a late hit.
7:49 p.m. We are at HALFTIME with North Tonawanda leading Orchard Park, 14-0. Following the fourth-down stop, NT ran three plays, kneeling to run out the clock at its 14 to finish the half.
7:54 p.m. DiCesare text: Dlugosz scores on a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 44-yard drive and GI leads at Hamburg, 14-0, wtih 3:20 left in the first half.
8:06 p.m. DiCesare text update ... Wow. Hamburg has scored two touchdowns to tie the game at 14-14. Nico Zarcone ran in a 3-yard touchdown with 1:39 left in the half, then Hamburg recovered a fumbled kickoff and Zarcone threw a 35-yard TD to Testman on the first play (1:25 left).
8:09 p.m. Orchard Park is set to kick off to NT.
8:10 p.m. NT starts at its 18.
8:14 p.m. NT gets a first down on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but nothing else and punts the ball, but OP's No. 11 (no program!) blocks Tuzzo's punt cleanly. Tuzzo covers inside the 10 but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty is called on the tackle; OP starts at the NT 24.
8:18 p.m. NT stops OP on fourth-and7 at the NT 21 as a pass by OP's No. 15 goes harmlessly incomplete in the end zone. NT takes over at its 21 wtih 7:38 left in the third quarter.
8:22 p.m. NT moving well. First down at the OP 40 after a big keeper run by Tuzzo for 12 yards.
8:29 p.m. NT drove well, and drove for a long time, but its field goal on fourth-and-6 at the OP 7 goes wide right. NT had a third-and-1 but had a false start penalty. OP takes over at its 20 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
8:31 p.m. At the END OF THE THIRD QUARTER, NT maintains its 14-0 lead over OP. OP faces a third-and-19 from its 11 after a huge sack by No. 52 (no program!) of NT.
8:42 p.m. OP punted, NT threw an interception on fourth-and-9 at the OP 38, OP took over at its 18.
HUGE play for OP to keep their hopes alive, converting a fourth-and-13 at the NT 39 as junior quarterback Kyle Witkowski hit Nesci underneath and he escaped a few tackles to get to the NT 19 before being knocked out of bounds.
8:46 p.m. HUGE play for NT, and another one for Bloomfield. He intercepts a Witkowski pass inside the 5 and then goes on a nice return -- featuring a spin move -- although a block in the back penalty on NT brings it back to its 7 as it takes over with 8:18 left to play.
8:51 p.m. NT punts from its 19 and it is a good one by Tuzzo -- great coverage by Bloomfield (what a game) and OP will start at its 35 with 5:38 to play.
8:54 p.m. NT forces an incompletion by Orchard Park on fourth-and-9 and will take over at the OP 36 with 4:50 to play. OP is in a major hole now.
8:56 p.m. Update from Hamburg: GI scores on a 38-yard TD pass from Klock to Kellner and it takes a 21-14 lead to the fourth quarter.
8:57 p.m. First down NT at the OP 26. Clock runs under three minutes.
8:59 p.m. Looks like NT is headed to The Ralph, and OP won't be there for the first time since the year 2000. Tom Sell takes a handoff to the right side and runs around the corner and down the sideline for a 21-yard TOUCHDOWN. Davis adds the extra point and NT takes a 21-0 lead with 2:48 left in the game.
9 p.m. The student section for NT chants: "Mis-ter Graaa-aapes" to PA guru Dick Grapes. Good stuff.
9:06 p.m. Orchard Park scores a TOUCHDOWN as Witkowski hits Nesci on the left side of the end zone on a 13-yard score with 1:49 left in the game. The extra point is good by No. 70 (no program!) and NT leads OP, 21-7.
9:13 p.m. GI leads Hamburg, 28-14, on a Klock 1-yard run with 1:48 left.
9:15 p.m. We have a FINAL SCORE: North Tonawanda 21, Orchard Park 7.
More details later -- the press box applauds Dick Grapes as the crowd applauds NT. I'm outta here.
9:40 p.m. FINAL SCORE from Hamburg: GI wins, 28-14.
10:13 p.m. My story is in to the office. Now I'm headed there. Here's our scoreboard, which will be updated all night -- Canisius wins at St. Francis, 14-10.
---Keith McShea

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