By Patrick Newell
Sun Sports Editor

Note: Area teams listed alphabetically

Bainbridge-Guilford

Willie McGinnis, sr., 6-3, 245 pounds, linebacker
A three-year starter on both sides of the ball for the Bobcats, McGinnis again brought a big load on defense as captain of his team, and made the transition to fullback on offense from offensive line, and gave his team a physical presence in the backfield. “He was a leader on offense and defense with a tremendous work ethic and his motor is always running,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “A lot was expected of him this season, and he didn’t disappoint at all.”

Ray Neubauer, sr., 5-10, 220 pounds, center
Not only was Neubauer the Bobcats’ center, but he was the centerpiece of the Bobcats’ offensive line. Among several varsity newcomers and experienced players, Neubauer finished off his third year as a varsity starter, and was regarded by head coach Mattingly as the club’s best offensive lineman. “He just really matured this year and took on a leadership role,” Mattingly said. “He helped our other linemen and did an outstanding job making calls. Technique-wise, he was our best guy.”

Dylan Whittaker, jr., 6-2, 190 pounds, tight end
Whittaker was B-G quarterback Chris McGinnis’ go-to receiver, and was a big reason for the Bobcats’ improved passing game this season. After missing all of last year with an elbow injury, he became an integral cog on both sides of the ball. He had a team-high 12 receptions for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns. “He really stepped up his game over last year, and came back bigger, faster, and stronger,” Mattingly said. “He came up with some huge plays and clutch catches for us this season.”

Nate Seymour, sr., 5-9, 150 pounds, outside linebacker
Pound-for-pound, you would be hard-pressed to find a tougher linebacker in the area. A jack-of-all-trades for the Bobcats, Seymour not only started at linebacker, but was a slot-back and ballcarrier, punt returner, kick returner, and receiver. “He’s an awful tough kid and just made great plays,” Mattingly said. “He was very deceptive as a running back. He could run physical, or he could juke and jive.” Seymour had two interceptions this season, and Mattingly said Seymour was someone who played much bigger than his size.
B-G Honorable mention: Cody Ruff, offensive tackle, sr.

Greene

Keith Savory, sr., 6-0, 240 pounds, running back
Savory nearly became the Trojans’ first 1,000-yard rusher this decade, and the first 1,000-yard rusher in Chenango County in six years coming up just a couple dozen yards shy (979) in Greene’s first playoff appearance since 2001. “What can’t you say about him?” said Greene coach Tim Paske. “He was just a special player for us, and I am honored to have the opportunity to coach him. He’s a great kid on and off the field, and was a leader in the locker room.” A three-year representative on this all-star collection, Savory earned his first two distinctions at linebacker, where he again led the Trojans in tackles finishing with over 300 in his 27-game varsity career. “The position he played on defense, we called it the ‘king,’” Paske said. “And he definitely was the king.”

Jesse Mares, sr., 6-0, 250 pounds, offensive line
A three-year starter for the Trojans on the offensive line, Mares played the tackle position and led the club with 11 pancake blocks. He also improved his downfield blocking this year moving past the initial level of attack. “He was always good at the first level of blocking, and every once in a while he used to get to that second level,” Paske said. “We talked to him about getting to that second and third level, and he took pride in doing that this year and staying on his blocks.”

Will Bennett, sr., 5-8, 165 pounds, defensive line
Not the largest of defensive linemen, Bennett made up for his diminutive size with quickness, tenacity, and a motor that wouldn’t quit. As Paske put it, “he just had a nose for the football.” Bennett pursued down the line of scrimmage, often times staying on the tail of the offensive guard to make the play from behind. “He is a smart, solid kid, and he was able to use his quickness to his advantage this year,” Paske said.
Bennett was also part of Greene’s multiple back rushing rotation finishing with 197 yards rushing

Nate Whittaker, so., 6-0, 165 pounds defensive cornerback
A big-play maker, Whittaker scored on a long-range TD run the first offensive possession of Greene’s season, while also scoring a defensive touchdown on an interception, a special teams TD on a kickoff return, and a pass-receiving touchdown. “He’s very explosive, and when he gets into the open field, he kicks it into another gear,” Paske said. “Defensively, on his side of the field, I don’t think he was beaten for a big play all season. He ran a lot of things down and used his speed to his advantage. He has that knack to be around the ball and get to the football.” Whittaker led Greene with four interceptions, and will be the club’s top returning rusher next year finishing with 361 yards this past season.

Jake Wentlent, jr., 5-8, 165 defensive nose tackle
A fireplug in the middle of the Greene defensive line, Wentlent, while undersized as a nose tackle, used his relentless pursuit to the football to nullify opposing center. And in the kicking game, he was top-notch. “He completely changed our kicking game with his coverage,” Paske said. “He loved to blow people up and annihilate them on returns. He’s just another one of our kids whose engine doesn’t stop.” A wrestler in the winter months, Wentlent used great hand-to-hand skills to work past opposing centers and get to the ball carrier. On offense, he backed up starter Keith Savory at fullback and averaged over five yards a carry.

David Micha, sr., linebacker., 6-0, 225 pounds
Playing along side Savory the past two seasons for the Trojans, the duo finished one-two in tackles, and were stout forces against a stingy run defense. “We’ll have two sets of shoes that will be difficult to fill next year,” Paske said of Micha and Savory. “David was a tremendous defensive stopper for us. Keith would stuff things up the middle, and if they went off tackle, David would be there to stuff it. Defenses had to game plan around those two.” A starting tight end and important part of the rushing attack, Micha also had his share of carries finishing with three touchdowns, and even had a special teams touchdown scoring on a punt return against Sidney.

Corey Breck, QB, 6-0, 170 pounds
Breck had the biggest shoes to fill of any first-year starter on the Trojans – or perhaps any first-year starter in Chenango County. Stepping in for Kurt Spear, a four-year starter and the area’s all-time passing leader, Breck responded with an area-leading 10 TD passes including scoring tosses in seven of nine games. Of the two games he didn’t throw a score, one ended up his highest yardage total of the season, and the second was a season-ending playoff loss to Lansing. “He did a heck of a job for us, and I really wish we could have him another year because he improved so much during the season,” Paske said. “He has great knowledge of the game of football, and when he finally got his chance to play, he took advantage of it.” Breck had a career-high three TD passes against Seton Catholic Central, and finished with 594 yards passing in guiding the Trojans to their best single-season record in seven years.
Greene honorable mention: John Carlin, SE, jr. Ronnie Smith, offensive line, jr. D.J. Beckwith, offensive line, jr.; Tyler Kehl, OL, so. Adam Brigham, jr, nose tackle

Norwich

Robert Martin, sr., quarterback/ linebacker, 6-0, 205 pounds ---
A two-way starter this year and a three-year starter at quarterback, Norwich head coach John Pluta was most pleased with the leadership role his veteran signal-caller exhibited on and off the field. In the Tornado offense, throwing the ball is almost a mere detail in the complicated set of play-fakes and timing. “He is a real talent, big and strong, and a physical runner,” Pluta said. This year, too, Martin saw his first significant action on defense, and started every game at linebacker winning defensive player of the game on two different occasions. “He’s a good athlete and he was able to make the adjustment to defense,” Pluta said. Martin threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns.

Keegan Edwards, sr., 6-2, 165 pounds, end/safety
Offensively, Norwich didn’t throw the ball often, but when it looked for the big play, it usually went to Edwards. The senior, who moved from back-up quarterback last year to a pass-catching position, made the acrobatic catch look routine. On defense, he was the last line of defense playing safety. He had a team-high three interceptions. “He was a solid tackler for us and was able to see everything in front of him,” said Pluta. “He was a good blocker in our running game and made some spectacular catches.”

Chris Mattingly, jr., 5-11, 185 pounds, running back
A second-year starter for the Tornado, Mattingly was called upon to pound the ball on the inside a little more this season. A punishing runner who rarely went down with the first tackle attempt, Mattingly’s biggest strength is his downhill running. “The thing about Chris is that he is always going toward the goal line,” Pluta. “When he makes moves, he’s going forward, and that’s the sign of a good running back.” Mattingly led Norwich in rushing for the second straight season and had three 100-yard rushing days including a season-high 139 yards against Sus Valley. Mattingly finished with 650 yards, his second straight 600-yard-plus campaign.
Norwich honorable mention: Shane Thompson, sr. cornerback, j5-7, 130 pounds.

Oxford

Eric Betts, sr., 6-0, 180 pounds, linebacker
The leading tackler for Oxford the past three years, Betts was a late-season call-up as a freshman, and finished with nearly 300 tackles over his career. He has a team-high 81 tackles this year in just seven games to easily lead the club. “Speed is his biggest strength – and his relentless pursuit of the ball,” said Oxford head coach John Curtis. “He was our best linebacker by far, and had a real nose for the ball.” Betts was also second on Oxford’s rushing list with 271 yards and three touchdowns.

Ben Burdick, sr., 6-2, 195 pounds, split end
Chenango County’s top receiver with 24 catches this season, Burdick made up for a injury-shortened junior season catching at least two passes in seven games and at least one reception in each contest this year. He had a season-best four catches in three different games this year, and his TD reception in the win over Tioga keyed the Blackhawks’ victory. “He was just a tremendous receiver for us this year,” Curtis said. “We wanted to get him the ball as much as possible.”

Scott Shackelton, jr., 5-8, 160 pounds, running back
Not even cast as the primary starter in week one, Shackelton’s nose for the goal line was quickly noticed by Curtis, and after week two was the primary ballcarrier. Shackelton finished with 17 touchdowns on the season, 639 yards rushing, three 100-yard rushing games, and a season-high 165 yards in a win over Newfield. “We didn’t think he would be playing as he did,” said Curtis. “With Betts out the first two games, yeah, he was a big surprise. We were amazed how quick he was in the games. He was elusive and able to find the holes.”

Nate Eldred, sr. 6-0, 230 pounds, center
Sometimes the snap is an often overlooked aspect of the offensive game, but when you operate out of the shotgun a good percentage of the time, you need a reliable center snap, and Eldred delivered consistently for the Blackhawks, while also acting as an effective blocker. “He was our best lineman this year and was really good as a one-on-one blocker,” said Curtis. “He dropped some weight from last year, and was pretty quick off the ball. He had really good footwork.”

Pat Wade, sr., 5-10, 150 pounds, cornerback
Wade clearly played much bigger than his size finishing with 53 tackles – or about six a game – from a defensive back position. Aggressively supporting the run, he was also the Blackhawks’ best pass defender, Curtis said. “He tackles really well and was really aggressive,” the 11th-year coach said. “We played a lot of zone and some man-to-man defense in pass coverage. We trusted him out there.”

Dustin Christophersen, jr. 6-1, 180 pounds, defensive end
Christophersen plays every down on defense for the Blackhawks, and will likely occupy a starting position against on the defensive line, but he is the very definition of a pass-rushing specialist. He led the Blackhawks with six sacks, while also added eight tackles for a loss. He was among the team leaders in tackles (38) and is a three-year starter. “He has a real nose for the ball and he’s a real tough kid,” said Curtis. “He was relentless to the ball.”
Oxford honorable mention: Steve Locke, sr., quarterback; Dustin Prosser, sr., safety; Travis Frank, so., linebacker.

Sherburne-Earlville

Chris Pike, so., offensive guard, 5-8, 225 pounds
Already a third-year varsity player, Pike won the physical battles up front creating much-needed room for the Marauders backs to rush. A two-way starter as well, Pike was one of two S-E players selected as a Section III division all-star. “He’s strong, explosive and smart,” said S-E coach Mick James of his burly sophomore lineman. “He’s learning more and more, and I believe the guards have to be your smartest linemen. It was a new system for him and everything was new for these kids, but we expect Pike to be really good next year.”

Billy Northey, jr., 5-10, 170 pounds, strong safety...
With three 100-yard rushing days and 690 yards rushing, Northey was arguably the Marauders’ most valuable offensive weapon, and on defense, head coach Mick James called Northey his best defensive player. “He just made plays for us, and next year he could be one of the best two-way players in our league,” James said. On the high school level, strong safeties are needed for run support, but also must drop into pass coverage. “Our safeties need to know when to come up and when to stay back, and he did a good job knowing when to do that,” James added. Northey was named a Section III Class B division all-star along with Pike.
S-E honorable mention: Wheeler Brunschmid, linebacker, 5-9, 160 pounds

Unadilla Valley-Edmeston

Claude Davis, sr., 6-2, 245, defensive end
A three-year starter for the Storm on both sides of the ball, Davis came into this season a few pounds lighter and with a little more quickness – bad news for opposing defenses. A three-time area all-star, Davis regularly drew double teams on defense, yet still came away as the leading tackler. On offense, it was no surprise most running plays in key situations followed his lead. “For his size, he’s quick, strong, and he’s relentless,” said UV-E head coach Jack Loeffler. “There was a lot expected of him and he was up to the challenge. Losing the weight certainly didn’t hurt him at all.”

Tom Giordano, jr., 6-0, 210 pounds, fullback
Giordano had the best second-half rushing average in the area, and finished with around 70 yards rushing per game. His breakout performance came in week five when he rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns against Moravia to help the Storm end a 13-game losing streak. He ended the season with a 238-yard performance against Hancock, far and away the best single-game effort by a Chenango County back this season. “The biggest difference for Tom was that he only had to worry about one position on offense and one on defense,” Loeffler said. “Last year he played five, six positions, and he didn’t settle in. It took a couple games, but he began to run like a fullback. He was relentless and he’s dedicated to the weight room and football. We’re excited about him coming back next year.”

Jake Curtis, jr., 5-10, 230 pounds, middle linebacker
The center of UV-Edmeston’s defense at linebacker, Curtis was a stout run defender who dissected plays quickly and “brought a load,” said first-year UV-E coach Jack Loeffler. “He’s extremely bright and called our defenses on the field,” Loeffler added. Curtis had two interceptions and had a knack for always moving toward the ball. “He reads plays and moves well side to side,” the UV-E mentor said. “He has very good football instincts, and that helped him a lot.”