Saitta's kick powers Sandwich past Geneseo

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:08PM

SANDWICH - Sandwich kicker Matt Saitta hasn't been playing football for long, but he already knows how to come up big when the game is on the line.

Saitta, who plays on the soccer team and joined the football squad for the first time this year, made a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give Sandwich a 10-7 win over Geneseo in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

The junior's game-winner came after the Indians took the ball at their own 41-yard line after a Geneseo punt with 2:49 to go and moved 37 yards in eight running plays. After both teams called timeouts, Saitta lined up on the left hash mark and his high kick glanced off the right upright and in to give the Indians their biggest win in school history.

"It felt amazing to put a team like that down, it's the best thing I've ever done," Saitta said. "The coaches tell me to keep my head down and follow through. I looked down a little longer (this time) and looked up and saw it hit the post, it was just exciting."

Though it was just his third field goal attempt of the season, Sandwich coach Derek Avery was more than confident to put the game in his hands.

"He does a nice job in practice and we haven't needed to kick many field goals this season," Avery said. "(Saturday) he found enough of the upright to sneak it in. Once we got inside the 30, I felt he has the distance for that."

In a game dominated by both defenses, Saitta's heroics broke a tie that had existed since Sandwich quarterback Justin Wegener hit P.J. Crotty on an 9-yard swing pass with 9.6 seconds to go in the first half that tied the game at 7-all.

That came in response to Geneseo taking a 7-0 lead with 2:04 to play when Tyler Fisher hit Andrew Walters on a 59-yard scoring strike.

That was Geneseo's lone big play of the night, as the Sandwich defense held the Maple Leafs to just 141 total yards, including Geneseo's vaunted Wing-T rushing attack to just 82 yards on 27 carries.

The Indians, meanwhile, controlled the game and the clock, putting up 254 yards of offense, 184 of which came on the ground. Crotty had 74 yards on 10 carries, while Tim Schmitt toted the ball 17 times for 58 yards.

Conner Voss had 39 yards rushing, but was lost for the game - and most likely the season - when he went down to a serious left leg injury with 5:49 to go in the game.

"Our kids showed character all night, and we battled back when things weren't going our way," Avery said. "To hold that offense to really nothing other than that one big play is outstanding for our defense, and our offense did enough to control the game and give us a chance to win. It's something we have done well all year."

In winning 10 games for the first time in school history, the Indians (10-1) head to Mendota for an unlikely state quarterfinal matchup. Mendota, a 16-seed, entered the playoffs with a 5-4 record, but has pulled off two upset wins.

"That's what it is all about, anyone can win on any given night," Avery said. "I know Mendota has won a couple of big games, and both teams feel like they have a good chance to come out with a win and get to the semifinals."

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