Cheektowaga Edges Burgard, Repeat as Class B Champs

Cheektowaga high school football head coach Mike Fatta has nothing personal against the Buffalo Public School athletic system. He admires the strides city schools have made via footbal, and is all for Buffalo teams capturing Section VI championships.

Just not as his expense.

Burgard had first crack of 2015 at being the first city team to ever win a Section VI championship, but for a second consecutive year Cheektowaga spoiled the party.

Tyree Billingslea scored on runs of 21 and 22 yards, Cheektowaga used three first half turnovers to wipe out a two score deficit, and a late defensive stand gave the Warriors a 25-22 win over Burgard at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Thursday to defend their Class B championship.

Burgard had the ball down the Cheektowaga 27 in the final seconds but a fourth down pass to Dwayne Nelson fell short. It wasn’t until that moment Fatta, his team and a strong fan contingent in the crowd could breathe a sigh of relief.

The Bulldogs, who lost earlier in the season to Cheektowaga 22-8, gave them all they could handle. Burgard outgained Cheektowaga, 448-229 and held a dominating 274-64 edge on the ground, but taking advantage of turnovers and being opportunistic keyed a Warriors second consecutive Class B title.

Junior quarterback Eric Bartnik completed 9-of-19 passes for 165 yards and added 38 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground.  Billingslea was held to 15 yards rushing, but scored two touchdowns and also caught three passes for 75 yards.

Burgard outplayed Cheektowaga in the first half and led going into the locker room, 16-12 despite turning the ball over three times in the second quarter.

Dominic Prince intercepted Bartnik on Cheektowaga’s first drive and returned it for what would’ve been a 45-yard touchdown, but the score was called back on a block in the back infraction. It didn’t matter, as quarterback Isaiah Jamison kept an option and jetted nearly untouched 39 yards for a score. Burgard converted a two point pass and led just 1:25 into the game, 8-0.

The Bulldogs struck again late in the first when a 55-yard drive culminated in a 23-yard run up the middle by Prince. A two-point conversion run by Jamison seemingly put them in charge after one quarter, 16-0.

Prince ran for 94 yards on 14 carrries.

Cheektowaga got back into the game by taking advantage of Burgard mistakes in the second. First, a Burgard player needlessly tried to fall on a loose, nearly dead ball following a punt. The football slipped away and Cheektowaga pounced, leading to a four yard touchdown run by Bartnick just one play later.

The mistake bug bit the Bulldogs again on their next drive. Jamison threw a dart that Nelson caught in full stride near midfield. It looked like he would score and put the Bulldogs back in control, but tried to cut inside near the end zone and Cheektowaga’s Ja’Vaughn Williams ripped the ball before  teammate Maurice Lee fell on it inside their own three.

The third major Burgard blunder of the quarter cost them another six points. Cheektowaga defensive back Justin Williams picked off Jamison near midfield and Billingslea eventually scored the first of his two touchdowns.

Following a Burgard punt to open the third quarter the Warriors took their first lead. A quick four play drive was finished off by a 22-yard score from Billingslea, and the extra point put Cheektowaga up 19-16.

Cheektowaga seemed poised to take control, but Jamison launched a long pass down the left sideline for Cordell Cain, who corralled the ball with one hand and raced 98 yards to put Burgard back up 22-19 late in the third quarter.

Jamison completed just 4-of-15 passes but made each of them count in throwing for 174 yards.

The Warriors regained the lead for good, 25-22 with just seven seconds remaining in the third.  Bradnick hit Stephan Parker for seven yards, who fumbled just before crossing the goal line and Cheektowaga’s Bryan Daves fell on the loose ball in the end zone for the score.

It wound up being the winning points.

Burgard would take the ensuing drive all the way to the Cheektowaga 10, but facing a fourth down and two, Jamison’s pass for Nelson in the end zone fell incomplete.

The Bulldogs would get one more chance, taking possession with under five minutes left.  A successful fake punt run by Dejan McCullough (game-high 119 yards rushing) had Burgard in business. They’d drive down to the Cheektowaga 26, but Parker sacked Jamison on third down and on fourth and 11 Jamison couldn’t find Nelson in the middle of the field.

Cheektowaga advances to play in the Regional Finals against a Section V opponent next weekend in Rochester.