Lackawanna holds off Maryvale and finishes regular season 8-0

The Steelers, ranked No. 1 in The News’ small school football poll, beat the No. 4 Flyers 14-7 to close their regular season with an 8-0 record. Ikeguwonu, a first-team All-Western New York defensive selection last season, was too much for Maryvale (5-3). Whether the Flyers doubled him on snaps or he recovered a crucial fumble in the fourth quarter, his imprint on the game was clear.

“We’re just trying to stay locked in,” Ikegwuonu said. “We had to overcome some adversity. We never had this game dialed in like other people did until it started this week. “We always go week after week to be locked in and prepared.”

This finale looked to be a season highlight in Western New York, chosen among The Buffalo News’ five preseason games to watch. It met all expectations. Sophomore running back Tyrone Clark Jr., who has an offer from Syracuse, opened the Steelers’ senior night with a 43-yard touchdown run on the team’s first drive for a 6-0 lead (the team missed the two-point attempt).

Later in the quarter, Lackawanna junior quarterback Michael Moore found senior Le’Sean Braxton Jr. for a 35-yard touchdown. After Clark’s two-point conversion, the Steelers were up 14-0 and held that lead until halftime.

The third quarter began with Clark limping after a fumble recovery at the Lackawanna 30-yard line by Maryvale junior Isaiah Hill, another player who has an offer from Syracuse.

It didn’t take long for the Flyers to capitalize on the Steelers’ misfortune as senior Jaxsyn Moritz threw a 30-yard touchdown to junior James Redd. After the extra point, the score was 14-7. Clark returned with his left ankle heavily taped later in the quarter.

With 2:15 left in regulation, Maryvale needed to go the length of the field, having taken control after a goal-line stop.

A wide-open teammate missed Moritz’s first two attempts, and Ikegwuonu deflected his third attempt.

A week after tying the Section VI touchdown passing record, Moritz struggled in his subsequent performance.

“That’s the best thing about high school football,” Maryvale coach Nick Todaro said. “This was a long fight against a very good team. I’m proud of my guys for the way we fought and had some adversity. I thought we were the more disciplined team and that kept us in the game. We just missed a few plays.”

Lackawanna was assessed 16 penalties for 145 yards compared to three penalties for 30 yards for Maryvale. Despite the mistakes, the Steelers found a way to win in their first single-digit victory of the season. Clark finished with 30 carries for 286 yards with one touchdown and one fumble.

“It was a tough battle,” Lackawanna coach Marcus Rivers said. “It was a tough win and I think we needed this before the playoffs to get back on track and understand the importance of taking every play seriously as if it were your last. We’re 8-0, but everyone will be 0-0 next week. “I’m excited for the kids, but the bigger picture is the playoffs and beyond.”

After making a surprise early exit in last year’s playoffs, Lackawanna will look to redeem itself as the number one seed. The Steelers advanced to the state semifinals in 2022.

To prepare the team for the playoffs, Rivers plans to have his team watch “Friday Night Lights” on Monday before practice.

“We’re going to watch that film so they can understand other states and the importance of taking the game seriously,” Rivers said.