Salamanca quarterback Maddox Isaac and the Warriors will take on East Rochester/Gananda in the NYSPHSAA Class C Far West Regional on Saturday. P-J file photo by Tim Frank

If you’ve attended a Salamanca football game this fall, you will have seen seniors Maddox Isaac, Zach Trietley, Cory Holleran and Xavier Peters display their talents, which have helped the unbeaten Warriors run off 11 straight wins that have them sitting atop the New York State Sportswriters Association Class C rankings.

And if you’ve looked a bit closer, their sidelines have also included youngsters from the school district in Cattaraugus County who hope to one day take the field on Friday nights at Veterans Memorial Park.

It’s all by design.

“I like it,” Salamanca head coach Chad Bartoszek said earlier this week, “so that our young athletes are around these guys. We aren’t angels, we’re not perfect by any means and we have our flaws, but I think the connection that they have in terms of being role models and mentors for our youth is huge.

“And, on top of that, they’re just fantastic football players.”

The Warriors will have a chance to show just how good they are at 3 p.m. Saturday when they meet Section V champion and fifth-ranked East Rochester/Gananda (9-1) in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Far West Regional at Pittsford Sutherland High School in suburban Rochester.

The winner advances to the NYSPHSAA Class C semifinals next weekend.

“It’s always great to still be playing football at this time of year,” Bartoszek said. “It’s a special feeling. It is different from last year (when the Warriors lost to Waverly in the state semifinals). Last year was so new to our program, new to Salamanca. It had been a long time and the season was special for a lot of reasons.

“I think this year we’ve had just a lot of success. The expectations really elevated about midseason after we got through a tough stretch. The kids are responding differently. I believe as coaches we are as well, (because) we want to keep playing. This isn’t just icing on the cake. This is where we’re supposed to be and we want to keep rolling.”

To do so, Salamanca will have to find a way to corral the Bombers, who captured their second sectional title in four years by knocking off LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford 26-13 last weekend.

In that game, senior quarterback Benjamin Newman completed 18 of 20 passes for 189 yards and three total touchdowns; senior running back Cadearrell Sneed ran 22 times for 148 yards, caught five passes for 56 yards and scored two total touchdowns; senior defensive back Noah Mather collected nine tackles and picked off a pass; and Sneed added six tackles and a sack.

“I was very impressed with them,” said Bartoszek, who is in his sixth year at his alma mater. “They look the part. I think in a lot of ways you’re going to see a similar style of offense to Salamanca. They have a lot of pieces that exemplify why they are here, and I think it really starts with their quarterback. He owns the pocket and he knows where he wants to go with the ball, and he’s good at getting it there accurately.”

On top of all that, Bartoszek was quick to point out the size of East Rochester/Gananda’s linemen.

“It’s a big part of why (they’re 9-1),” he said.

The Warriors, who advanced to the Far West Regional by virtue of a 40-14 win over Portville at Highmark Stadium, will counter with plenty of skill, speed and size, too.

Offensively, Isaac has completed 59 of 90 passes for 1,291 yards and 21 touchdowns, and has run for 942 yards on 58 carries and 15 TDs; Peters has amassed 1,160 yards on the ground on 82 carries and scored 16 touchdowns; and Holleran has a team-leading 22 receptions for 611 yards and seven scores, and has two special teams returns for TDs.

Leading the defense are Trietley with 135 tackles, including 21 for loss, and four sacks; and Holleran with 105 stops, including 14 for loss, and seven interceptions.

“I don’t think it will hit me until I’m old or retired,” Bartoszek said, “but it is the reason I do what I do, and our coaches will say the same thing. We just want to provide opportunities, and these guys are really responding. It’s cool.”

The Salamanca-East Rochester/Gananda winner will take on the winner of No. 4 General Brown (Section III)-No. 2 Chenango Forks (Section IV) in the semifinals. That contest will be played at noon Nov. 30 at Vestal High School. The Class C state championship is scheduled for noon Dec. 7 at the JMA Dome in Syracuse.