Things are heating up for high school football in Western New York. With the playoffs underway, the Bills and ADPRO Sports selected a pair of deserving football coaches as the winners of the Coach of the Week program. Chosen for their commitment to success on the field, and unwavering dedication to mentoring young athletes, were Phil Vecchio of Olean and Jasson Jobson of Eastridge.
As the Buffalo Region Coach of the Week, Vecchio put together a game plan that helped Olean defeat Newfane 26-24 in the first round of the Section VI Class B playoffs. Coming into the contest, the Huskies were viewed as the underdogs, as the Panthers were the higher seed. Despite the odds, the Huskies stayed the course and managed to come out on top, scoring on a few huge plays in the process.
The exciting matchup featured a 51-yard hook and lateral for a touchdown, 80-yard pass for a TD, 90-yard kickoff return for a TD and a 79-yard game-winning Hail Mary. The victory, although not easy to come by, was the result of persistence on both sides of the ball for Olean. Down 24-20 late in the final quarter, the Huskies found themselves in a do or die situation. Staring down a fourth-and-10 from their own 21-yard line with just :14 left in regulation, sophomore quarterback Railey Silvis tossed it 45 yards. To Newfane's chagrin, Olean wide out Gavin Kulp came down with it and took it in for the score.
Silvis closed out the game with 243 yards passing and three touchdowns. Kulp also had an impressive performance, catching three passes for 141 yards and two scores. On defense, Aiden Nenno and Nick Fratercangelo both compiled 12 tackles to lead the defensive efforts.
Next up, the Huskies will face Albion on the road in the Section VI Class B semifinals this Friday, Nov. 1.
The Rochester Region Coach of the Week, Jasson Jobson, also had quite the weekend, with his team defeating Brighton 40-35 in the first round of the Section V Class A playoffs. Not only did the victory keep Eastridge alive in the postseason, it also propelled them to a perfect 8-0 on the season. Despite what the score may suggest, the game was tough throughout – especially in the first half. Leading 24-14 at halftime, the Lancers found themselves up just 32-28 later in the fourth quarter. After converting a fourth down, Brighton took a late lead. Eastridge wasn't going to give up, however. Senior Matthew Brantley returned the kick to the 50-yard line to give his team great field position to work with. Just four plays later, ball carrier Ruben Torres rushed for a one-yard touchdown with under a minute left on the clock.
To ensure the victory for the Lancers, Tony Arnold intercepted a Brighton pass. Leading the way on offense, was Torres, who finished the game with 112 yards rushing on 18 carries for three touchdowns. Brantley shared the workload, rushing eight times for 92 yards and a score. On defense, Aries Holt compiled 13 tackles, five of which were solo.
Eastridge will use the win as fuel as they prepare to take on Canandaigua in the Section V Class A semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Check back on buffalobills.com each week for the announcement of the Coach of the Week winners and tune in to "One Bills Live," presented by Kaleida Health, each Tuesday afternoon to hear the winners announced on the show. Good luck to all the high school football coaches this season from the Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports!
About the program:
The Buffalo Bills are once again proudly partnering with ADPRO Sports in 2019 to recognize some of the best high school football coaches Western New York has to offer, through the High School Coach of the Week program. During the 2019 high school football season, the Bills and ADPRO Sports will recognize 11 coaches from both the Buffalo and Rochester regions on buffalobills.com. The winners will be selected by a committee of high school football experts from each region.
