However, that kick hit the upright.

On the very next play, Salamanca made the Cardinals pay as Maddox Isaac connected with Corey Holleran for an 80-yard touchdown pass and the Warriors never looked back en route to a 33-8 nonleague football victory at Raymond Van Wie Field on Friday night.

“With our first touchdown it was about what they were doing to us,” Salamanca head coach Chad Bartoszek stated. “They were all up in our business, they’re a sound coaching staff and their defense knew our offense, they knew where to be. … For us to make that play really set the tone because teams can do that to you and you don’t make that play and it is a long game. We were able to catch one which then set up the next couple.”

Things went from bad to worse on the next possession for the Cardinals as their attempt to answer the Holleran touchdown resulted in a fumble from a bad pitch that had boom or bust potential, setting up Salamanca in good field position.

Randolph’s Kevin McElwain (9), Carter Conley (3) and Domanik Clark (25) bring down Salamanca’s Xavier Peters (7) during Friday’s nonleague football game at Raymond Van Wie Field in Randolph. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

“The first one kind of hit him on the hands,” Randolph head coach Brent Brown said about the team’s fumbles. “I think he had the whole sideline, that was probably going to be a touchdown and instead we turn the ball over. The second one, I don’t know if it was a bad pitch or what happened, but that’s a big play for us is running the option and that’s the risk you take when you run it. We had gotten a few first downs and we were moving the football and that just turned the whole game right there.”

It didn’t take long for Salamanca (7-0, 6-0 Class C South) to reach the end zone again, but this time it was Isaac connecting with Xavier Peters for a 46-yard touchdown.

Following a missed PAT, Randolph looked to cut into the 13-0 deficit before halftime and would receive the ball first in the second half with a chance to even the game on two straight possessions.

A 20-yard run from Connor Braley made the drive look promising, but the Salamanca defense settled in and Randolph had to resort to an aerial attack to make up for the length of field needed to cover in under two minutes.

Randolph could not connect on a pass and after a punt it was Salamanca’s turn to try and score with only 1:20 on the clock.

Well that was way more than enough for the state’s No. 2 team in Class C as Holleran put on the jets receiving a screen pass from Isaac and taking it to the house for 69 yards and the 19-0 lead.

“Cory, on both sides of the ball, he’s your guy,” Bartoszek stated. “He’s where you need him, he’s smart, he’s efficient and I think what catches teams is his speed. He’s a little wiggle and he’s gone. Those two plays and he broke the game open.”

The immediate score was another gut punch to a Randolph offense that can take plenty of time when marching down the field. However, things got worse for the Cardinals before halftime as a quarterback Jaxon Morrison was fighting for extra yards on a 13-yard run he was taken down hard by a flurry of Salamanca defenders and he had to exit the game.

“That was tough,” Brown said about losing his quarterback for the game. “… Offensively, that kind of goes out the window there.”

The scary injury saw Morrison leave the field during halftime on a stretcher and then an ambulance.

“We’re thinking of Morrison,” Bartoszek stated. “I talked to Brown before the game and we just want to get out of here healthy. We’re really thinking of him and I told our guys that. We don’t want that to happen to anybody.”

Salamanca continued to pour it on in the second half, once again capitalizing on Randolph errors. An error from the punting team set up the Warriors on the Randolph 31-yard line and on the first snap of the quarter for Salamanca Quinton Brown rushed it home for a touchdown that was followed by a 2-point conversion from Peters.

Isaac continued his strong day under center on the next Salamanca possession when he set up the Warriors in the red zone connecting with Avery Brown for 38 yards, but Randolph’s Domanik Clark hauled Brown down just short of the endzone.

Isaac finished off the drive with a 13-yard pass over the top to Avery Brown again on fourth down. The senior quarterback finished the day with just 5 for 7, but made the most of it with four touchdown passes and 243 yards.

Holleran’s 149 yards on two catches was the game-high and Quinton Brown led the Salamanca ground game with 53 yards and the score.

Randolph (4-3, 3-1 Class D) prevented the shutout in the fourth quarter when Reagan Smith rumbled into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown and followed up with the 2-point conversion that set up the final score 33-8 in favor of the Warriors.

Smith came away with the touchdown, but the Randolph offense went through Braley who led the team in rushing with 87 yards.

“We haven’t played a team like this since Week 2,” Brown stated. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, I mean you don’t want to see your quarterback get hurt. Other than that it was probably good for us, next week we’ve got Gowanda and you’ve got to beat them to get the bye. We’ve got a long week of work.”

Salamanca 0 19 14 0 — 33

Randolph 0 0 0 8 — 8

Sal–Holleran 80 pass from Isaac (Chudy kick)

Sal–Peters 46 pass from Isaac (kick failed)

Sal–Holleran 69 pass from Isaac (pass failed)

Sal–Quinton Brown 31 run (Peters run)

Sal–Avery Brown 13 pass (Chudy kick)

Ran–Smith 36 run (Smith run)