(Photo credit: | Batavia’s Best)
| Monday, November 5, 2018 | BataviasBest.org
The clock finally struck midnight on Saturday evening, as a great Cinderella story reached its conclusion at St. John Fisher College where the #5 Attica Blue Devils fell to #3 Letchworth/Warsaw 13-7 in the Section V Football Class C Final.
Attica ran out of magic on Saturday night. (Photo credit: | Batavia’s Best)
A tie game at the half, despite numerous Attica mistakes throughout the first two quarters, would eventually turn out in favor of the higher seed – largely due to continued sloppy play on part of the Blue Devils.
I’m not certain of the final penalty numbers. However, Attica must have had near 10 on the day for a whole lot of yardage, and when you put those together with the number of Blue Devils’ miscues on offense, it made things much easier for Letchworth to capitalize and score just enough points to win the game.
“It was a hard fought game all the way around,” said Blue Devils’ head coach Caleb Sabatino after the tough loss. “I tip my cap to Letchworth/Warsaw. They played with passion and grit and made the extra plays they needed to win.”
Saturday’s game began with a scoreless first quarter and a half, but late in the second frame Letchworth/Warsaw finally broke the seal on a touchdown run from QB Tom Standera.
🏈 CLASS C FINAL | #3 Letchworth/Warsaw vs #5 Attica – @SectionVFb
•LetSaw 7 Attica 0 | 4:14 Q2
•LetSaw strikes first on a TD run from Tom Standera@AtticaAthletics @letchsports @wcstigernation #Football #SectionV pic.twitter.com/xeU9RBrVUh
— Batavia’s Best HS () November 3, 2018
Minutes later, with time winding down, Attica put together their only successful drive of the evening and capped it off on a touchdown pass from QB Ed Strzelec to WR Dawson Nelson.
🏈 CLASS C FINAL | #3 Letchworth/Warsaw vs #5 Attica – @SectionVFb
•LetSaw 7 Attica 7 | :20 Q2
•Ed Strzelec finds Dawson Nelson in the corner of the endzone and Attica ties the game late in the first half@AtticaAthletics @letchsports @wcstigernation #Football #SectionV pic.twitter.com/uFVMlI2VA7
— Batavia’s Best HS () November 3, 2018
The two teams went to the half with the score tied at 7, and it remained that way until the first play of the fourth quarter when Letchworth/Warsaw RB Adrian Figoura scored on a short touchdown run, which put his team ahead 13-7.
🏈 CLASS C FINAL | #3 Letchworth/Warsaw vs #5 Attica – @SectionVFb
•LetSaw 13 Attica 7 | 11:54 4Q
•Adrian Figoura into the end zone and LetSaw is back in front, a missed PAT could loom large@AtticaAthletics @letchsports @wcstigernation #Football #SectionV pic.twitter.com/TdYpDi9yeO
— Batavia’s Best HS () November 3, 2018
Following the LetSaw touchdown the two teams traded turnovers until Attica put together one final drive which reached midfield, but came to a close as a fourth down incompletion ended the Blue Devils’ championship run.
🏈 CLASS C FINAL | #3 Letchworth/Warsaw vs #5 Attica – @SectionVFb
•LetSaw 13 Attica 7 | 1:19 4Q
•INCOMPLETE! Attica can’t convert on 4th down and that should do it@AtticaAthletics @letchsports @wcstigernation #Football #SectionV pic.twitter.com/ulYVm7aqOG
— Batavia’s Best HS () November 3, 2018
“I’m really proud of my guys for how hard they worked and the heart that they showed tonight and all season,” said coach Sabatino to conclude his comments following the game.
The LetSaw offense did just enough to win the game. (Photo credit: | Batavia’s Best)
With the win LetSaw will advance to play Section VI’s Class C winner, Cleveland Hill, in the NYSPHSAA Far West Regional. With the loss, Attica will be forced to say goodbye to several seniors who helped lead their efforts this year.
It’s never easy to see a team’s season come to a close with a loss, especially when that loss comes in the Section V Title game. However, recalling the memories that the Attica football team gave us this year should be enough to ease the pain which comes with such a tough defeat.
This was a special team that had something within themselves which allowed them to rise up in each game’s biggest moments. They were Class C’s Cinderella team and their 2018 season likened something out of a fairytale.
It was quite a ride.
