Flanked by his teammates, Salamanca's Cory Holleran holds the NYSPHSAA Class C Far West Regional championship plaque aloft after the Warriors defeated East Rochester/Gananda on Saturday at Pittsford Sutherland High School. P-J photo by Tim Frank

PITTSFORD — Xavier Peters rushed for 235 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead top-ranked Salamanca to a 42-20 victory Saturday over No. 5 East Rochester/Gananda in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C Far West Regional at Ordiway Field at Pittsford Sutherland High School.

The win advances the Warriors (12-0) into the state semifinals for the second straight year where they will meet second-ranked Chenango Forks of Section IV. That game will be played at noon Nov. 30 at Vestal High School in suburban Binghamton.

Cory Holleran and Quentin Brown ran for a score apiece, and quarterback Maddox Isaac added 112 yards on the ground for the winners, who raced to a 22-0 lead early in the second quarter, a margin that stood at 28-14 by halftime.

The Bombers (9-2), the Section V champions, scored touchdowns courtesy of a 49-yard run by Cadearrell Sneed Jr. and a pair of TD passes by quarterback Ben Newman — 5 yards to Ray’Davion Allen in the second quarter and 12 yards to Noah Mather in the third period.

The tone of the physical game was set on the very first play from scrimmage as Salamanca linebacker Zach Trietley stuffed Newman for no gain and, two plays later, teammate Kruz Coustenis recorded a sack to force an East Rochester/Gananda punt.

Behind a strong offensive line, Salamanca's Xavier Peters finds room to run Saturday against East Rochester/Gananda. P-J photo by Tim Frank

Twelve plays later — aided by a 25-yard Isaac-to-Holleran pass — Peters scored on a 6-yard run. Isaac’s first of two successful two-point conversion aerials to Payton Bradley gave the Warriors the lead they would never relinquish. Touchdown runs of 12 and 6 yards by Holleran and Brown respectively pushed Salamanca’s advantage to 22-0 four minutes into the second period.

And though the Bombers fought their way back by halftime, Salamanca’s dominant run game was too much. In addition to his short TD burst to open the scoring, the shifty Peters found paydirt from 22, 27 and 37 yards as the Warriors’ offensive line was doing the job upfront.

Defensively, Holleran was a menace as he picked off two fourth-quarter passes, the last one in the final seconds.

Salamanca then lined up in victory formation and snapped the ball one final time.

Now it’s on to the state semifinals against tradition-rich Chenango Forks, which rolled past General Brown of Section III 42-7 on Saturday.

Salamanca gang-tackles East Rochester/Gananda quarterback Ben Newman on Saturday. P-J photo by Tim Frank

See complete story in Monday’s Post-Journal

Salamanca 16 12 0 14 — 42

East Rochester/Gananda 0 14 6 0 — 20

Sal–Peters 6 run (Bradley pass from Isaac)

Sal–Holleran 12 run (Bradley pass from Isaac)

Sal–Quentin Brown 1 run (kick fail)

ERG–Sneed 49 run (pass fail)

Sal–Peters 22 run (run fail)

ERG–Allen 5 pass from Newman (Newman run)

Sal–Peters 27 run (Isaac run)

ERG–Mather 12 pass from Newman (pass fail)

Sal–Peters 37 run (pass fail)