Chad Bartoszek is the 2023 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Coach of the Year.

Salamanca is loaded with athletes.

Jaxson Ross is going to play Division I baseball, having signed with St. Bonaventure.

Tayoni Galante — who was injured this season — is going to play Division I lacrosse at the University at Albany.

Lucus Brown is undoubtedly going to play college basketball at a high level and Arlen Newark is outstanding at track and field.

Chad Bartoszek brought them all together on the football field this fall and the Warriors won their first Section VI championship since 2001.

Salamanca then beat Le Roy for its first New York State Public High School Far West Regional win since that same magical season 22 years ago.

While the Warriors’ season came to an end a week later in the Class C state semifinals against Waverly, it was still one of the most successful campaigns in program history.

Bartoszek was named the Class C South and Western New York Coach of the Year.

Junior linebacker Zach Trietley was named the Class C South Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 120 tackles, including six for a loss, to go along with two sacks, two fumble recoveries and a fumble forced. Trietley also ran for 148 yards and five touchdowns.

Junior Warrick Kyler, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive lineman, was named to the league’s First Team after anchoring an offensive line that led the way for 1,404 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 1,713 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air.

Senior wide receivers Arlen Newark and Lucus Brown were both also First-Team all-stars in the league. Newark caught 25 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns, while Brown caught 20 passes for 507 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Senior Keegan Hardy and junior Cory Holleran joined Trietley on the First-Team Defense. Hardy was in on 23 tackles, while Holleran intercepted four passes and was in on 79 tackles.

Junior quarterback Maddox Isaac was named to the Second-Team Offense, while the Second-Team Defense was littered with Salamanca seniors Jaxson Ross, Carmine Hoag, JT Auman and Dekkyn Krantz.

Warriors junior Kyle Lecceardone and senior Cameron McGraw were honorable-mention selections.

Salamanca lost to Class D Franklinville/Ellicottville 25-15 to open the season before opening its Class C South schedule with a 40-15 win over Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton. Another league victory, 25-7 over Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove, helped the Warriors take over the league lead, and they never relinquished it.

After a nonleague win over Silver Creek/Forestville, Salamanca topped Fredonia 41-8, but lost to nonleague Clymer/Sherman/Panama 37-6.

That seemed to be a turning point for the Warriors.

In Week 7 against Southwestern, Salamanca trailed on the goal line in the final seconds before tying the game to force overtime. The Warriors won that game 14-7 to set up a de facto league title game in Week 8 against Portville/Cuba-Rushford. Again, Salamanca eked out an 8-7 win to earn the division’s No. 1 seed for the postseason.

After an easy win over Cleveland Hill in the quarterfinals, the Warriors took down Portville/Cuba-Rushford again to earn a spot in the sectional final at Highmark Stadium.

There, Salamanca stunned No. 1 overall seed Medina 36-23 and then a week later the Warriors beat Rochester’s best, Le Roy, 21-13 on a touchdown catch by Cattaraugus-Little Valley transfer Payton Bradley with 6 seconds remaining at Williamsville South High School.

Although Waverly shut out Salamanca in the state semifinals at Cicero-North Syracuse High School a week later, that did not diminish the Warriors’ accomplishments this season.

Bartoszek is the 2023 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Coach of the Year.