Published: November 08, 2009 12:21 am      

NORTH TONAWANDA: Tailgaters revel in Jacks' big win

The chili was hot, the sausages were on the grill and Kim Tuzzo was just fine thinking about everything except for the big game.

Saturday was an anxious day for the mom of the starting quarterback for the North Tonawanda football team. Mrs. Tuzzo’s son, Mike, was playing in the biggest game of the season thus far — the Section VI Class AA final at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

“I’m trying to occupy my mind,” she said over a bowl of the chili she prepared earlier in the day for the dozen or so tailgaters in her party. “I can’t think about the game. It just means too much. It’s pretty nerve-racking.”

Elsewhere around the Ralph Wilson Stadium parking lot, the NT faithful were reveling in the festive atmosphere for the second straight November. All were hoping for a better result than last year’s championship loss to Orchard Park, and their hopes were fulfilled quickly with the Jacks storming out to a 34-0 halftime lead on their way to a 54-7 victory, a far cry from the tight contest they endured last year.

A few rows away from the Tuzzo party, the Fritzes were delighting in s’mores made by Josh’s grandmother, Sharon Mangold, as well as Wegmans subs and a pie from Pizza Junction.

For Dan Fritz, the older brother of Josh Fritz, a junior on the NT squad, being back at The Ralph in a more relaxed setting was a welcome but odd experience. He was a wide receiver on the last NT team to win the sectional title, in 2002. This time, rather than being out on the field, he was lounging in a chair.

“It’s a little weird,” he said. “But it’s nice to watch it out here, and it’s a little more entertaining than the Bills.”

Sporting her younger brother’s No. 79 jersey, Kaitlin Fritz was confident in how the Jacks would do.

“It’s not going to be a good game for Lancaster,” she said, smiling. “It’s going to be a blowout.”

Turns out, she was right on the money.

The Lumberjacks have fed off the energy of their fans at the Lumberjacks Sports Complex all season, and the NT faithful were happy to show up in force again to support the Jacks in their big game Saturday.

“It’s amazing to see all the support from the fans,” junior Paul Lukasik said. “It’s a lot of fun, hanging out with friends and getting ready to watch your friends play. Everyone’s been looking forward to this for a while.”

The Fritzes purchased tickets to a Bills game, something that Josh Fritz wanted his family to do, but it just so happens that the game falls on the same day as the state Class AA final. While NT isn’t quite there yet , the Fritzes are ready and willing to sell those tickets if necessary.

“We won’t miss much,” Dan Fritz said of not going to the Bills game.