Most people know Health Sciences running back as Antwan Ceasar. His coach Ty Parker likes to refer to his star senior as “The Closer.”
Ceasar earned that nickname in Week 1, after a 22-point fourth quarter included a 92-yard touchdown that helped lift the Falcons to a 58-43 win at Starpoint.
“I told him, ‘Trust me, I got y’all. I’m not letting y’all down,’ ” Ceasar said. “It’s my senior year. Put it on my back.”
Friday night, Parker did.
After fourth-seeded Pioneer (9-2) pulled within 11 late in the Section VI Class B final at Highmark Stadium, Ceasar led a game-clinching ground attack that bled out the final six minutes of a 38-27 win for No. 3 Health Sciences (10-1).
“He’s a playmaker,” Parker said. “Sometimes he makes plays when the plays ain’t there, and that’s his greatest attribute. He gets out of small holes, small situations and makes big plays. … When you’re playing in elite football games like this, you gotta have playmakers, and Antwan’s our guy.”
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The shifty Ceasar – who also consistently bounced off would-be tacklers with an underrated physicality – finished with 215 yards on 29 carries, but it was his back mates Tyrone Hughes Jr., Kevin Pitts and Montrice Webster who found the end zone on short runs. Senior QB Shamere Banks also threw for a pair of scores to senior Demetrious Payne and sophomore Brandon Carroll.
“I feel like this is a special group of guys, so without them, I wouldn’t be able to get in open space,” Ceasar said. “I give that to my line and my whole team.”
Parker was also quick to credit an offensive line that has improved all year. It opened up plenty of holes against Pioneer, as Health Sciences finished with 325 yards rushing on 54 carries.
“They don’t get talked about enough,” Parker said. “They talk about the guys that score the touchdowns, but they don’t talk about the guys that are the reason why we’re scoring the touchdowns.”
There was a heavy dose of Ceasar on the opening drive, but Hughes capped it off with a 5-yard run. After Banks threw an interception, the Falcons came back with one of their own, as Webster caught a tipped ball at the line by classmate Sheldon Cunningham and returned it 45 yards for a 14-0 lead with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
A fourth-down stop by the Panthers set up their first score: a 56-yard pass from junior Gavin Schwab (13-for-18, 258 yards) to senior Dalton Giboo (six catches, 185 yards) with 7:24 left in the half. Just 2:36 later, Giboo scored again on an 86-yard pass from Schwab to tie it at 14-14.
Health Sciences reclaimed the lead, 21-20, with 1:13 remaining before halftime on a 22-yard catch by Payne.
Pioneer marched 75 yards down the field to open the second half, finishing a methodical drive with an 11-yard pass from Schwab to junior tight end Sam Platt. The PAT kick made it 21-20 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.
But Health Sciences returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield and scored less than three minutes later on a 1-yard run by Pitts (10 carries, 54 yards) to take the lead for good, 26-21, with 2:31 to go in the third.
The Falcons extended their lead two plays into the fourth on a 41-yard pass from Banks to Carroll. Then junior Jeremiah Shuford forced and recovered a fumble on the Pioneer kickoff to set Health Sciences up at the 30. Seven plays later, Webster took a QB sneak in from the 1 for a 38-21 lead with 7:37 to go.
Pioneer ended a quick drive with an 11-yard toe-tapping catch by junior Karter Giboo to cut the deficit to 38-27 with 6 minutes left, but Health Sciences ran out the rest of the clock to end any hope of a Panthers comeback.
Health Sciences/Buffalo Academy of Science/Global Concepts is a first-year merged program, but Parker led a Health Sciences/WNY Maritime squad to three straight sectional titles in 2019-21 and state semifinal appearances in 2019 and 2021.
After a year away, they are looking forward to the Far West Regionals at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Williamsville South. The Falcons’ opponent, either Monroe or Honeoye Falls-Lima, square off for the Section V title at 8 p.m. Saturday at SUNY Brockport.
“We had a sour taste in our mouths and had to wait a year, but we couldn’t wait for this any longer,” Parker said. “We knew how good we were. Last year we were young. We have 13 seniors this year, so we were just waiting for our moment, and we wanted to prove that we could play elite level football. I don’t take anything away from Pioneer – they’re a great football team – but today we showed that we’re a dominant program and we’re here.”
