AA-Plus Attack

Jamestown’s Chase Bonta is stopped by Lancaster’s Brandon Budelewski during Friday’s Section VI Class AA championship game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
P-J photo by Tim Frank

ORCHARD PARK — The distance from Lancaster High School to Highmark Stadium is a shade over 20 miles.

The Legends still felt right at home, particularly quarterback Alex Krupa and his flashy collection of receivers.

Krupa completed 19 of 28 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns to Gang, the last coming with 3:21 remaining, to send No. 2 Lancaster to a 28-21 victory over No. 4 Jamestown in the Section VI Class AA championship game at the home of the Buffalo Bills.

The win advances the Legends (9-2), who have made nine straight appearances in the sectional final, into the Far West Regional. That game is scheduled for next Friday at SUNY Brockport.

A word of advice for Lancaster’s Section V opponent: It better be prepared for an aerial circus.

Red & Green’s Carson Panebianco walks into the end zone for a touchdown to end the first half.
P-J photo by Tim Frank

In addition to Gang, who also scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to go along with his seven catches for 89 yards, senior Justin Hartwig had seven receptions for 176 yards and Blake Minsterman and Daniel Ahearn combined for five catches for 64 yards.

For the Red & Green, who finished the season 6-5, they just couldn’t find a way to consistently deal with those skill players.

But it wasn’t without a fight.

Jamestown turned the ball over on its first three possessions — a fumble, an interception deep in Lancaster territory and on downs — but its defense kept the Red & Green in the game and trailed only 7-0 after a 1-yard TD run by Andrew Moberg early in the first quarter.

In fact, after Jamestown stopped Lancaster on fourth down at the latter’s 42-yard line, it needed eight plays — highlighted by a pair of passes from Dominic Gonzalez to Carson Panebianco. Chase Bonta capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown plunge. Jarron Cotter’s extra-point boot made it 7-7 with 4:41 left in the second quarter.

It wouldn’t be the last time that Gonzalez and Panebianco came up big, thanks to a huge interception by Jericho Thagard, whose long return down the sideline gave Jamestown a first down at the Lancaster 23 with two seconds remaining, giving it one play before intermission.

Miraculously, it worked.

Under pressure, Gonzalez rolled right and floated a pass toward Panebianco, who stood near the goal line, but appeared to be double covered. The ball, however, was tipped right into Panebianco’s waiting arms. He took one step into the end zone for the touchdown. Cotter booted the extra point and the Red & Green went into the locker room with a 14-7 lead.

After intermission, Lancaster used Krupa’s arm to set up his 17-yard touchdown pass to Gang, a short touchdown run by Gang and a 53-yard TD pass to Gang, the last one coming with 3:21 left in the game.

Jamestown, whose second-half touchdown came on Bonta’s 2-yard run with 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, had one last possession, but a holding call negated a trip into the red zone and then Gonzalez was picked off by Hartwig, his eighth interception of the season.

NOTES: Bonta led the Red & Green’s ground attack with 142 yards on 36 carries and the two touchdowns, and Gonazalez completed 17 of 27 passes for 173 yards. … Panebianco caught five passes for 74 yards and Ayden Sameulson had five receptions for 62 yards. … Panebianco was credited with nine tackles and Cole Bloomquist added eight.

Jamestown 0 14 0 7 — 21

Lancaster 7 0 7 14 — 28

Lan-Moberg 1 run (Schlesinger kick )

Jam-Bonta 5 run (Cotter kick)

Jam-Panebianco 23 pass from Gonzalez (Cotter kick)

Lan-Gang 17 pass from Krupa (Schlesinger kick)

Lan-Gang 1 run (Schlesinger kick)

Jam-Bonta 1 run (Cotter kick)

Lan-Gang 53 pass from Krupa (Schlesinger kick)