Trojans face experienced Unatego squad
If Unatego was going down its checklist of things to accomplish in the 2007, it already has one thing crossed off the list – avenging a loss to Oneonta from last season. Next on that list would have to be defeating Greene. “We’ve beaten them the last two years, but they have 20 players returning, so they are definitely a solid team,” said Greene coach Tim Paske.
The Spartans went 7-2 a year ago and shared the Class C division title with the Trojans and Sidney Warriors. A 28-6 lopsided loss to Greene was the lone black mark that kept the Spartans out of the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players, Unatego may well be the division favorite. “They are huge up front, they have an explosive kid in the backfield (Alex Hendrickson), an experienced quarterback (Kyle Palmer), and they probably have only two or three players that go both ways,” Paske said. “We have our game plan and we need to stick to it.”
Greene is getting used to winning on the varsity level with back-to-back winning seasons and an eye on making the playoffs for the second straight year. Junior quarterback Nate Whittaker directs the offense, and Whittaker is probably the team’s most explosive offensive player on the field. Running backs Garrett Hickey and Luke Wentlent had big days, as did receiver Justin Van Wert. “This a fun group and they’re methodical in their approach to the game,” Paske said. “This is a group that has won at every level, and teams that are used to doing that are easier to motivate.”
Game keys: Paske said that his team cannot take any plays off on defense against Unatego’s diverse offense. His offense’s ball control may serve as the best defense.
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Elsewhere this week, Norwich plays at Dryden on Friday and B-G has the lone local home game as it entertains Seton Catholic Central. Saturday contests include Oxford at Harpursville; UV-Edmeston at Newfield, and Sherburne-Earlville visits Holland Patent. Please read on for a look at this week’s contests:
Norwich (1-0) at Dryden (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Dryden did not accumulate much in the way of offense after an opening score in a 28-6 loss to Corning West a week ago. Receiver Dale Riley scampered for a 19-yard score, and he also was quarterback Doug Bushnell’s favorite target with 55 receiving yards. The Purple Lions are coming off just a 1-8 season, although they are infused by a bevy over JV promotees who were part of a 9-0 team. “They are a big, physical team like Johnson City,” said Norwich coach John Pluta, “but I don’t think they have as much speed as Johnson City.”
Corning West pounded Dryden with the running game to the tune of 299 yards. Expect a big dose of runs from Norwich as well, who accumulated 356 yards on the ground a week ago led by 176 from Chris Mattingly and 97 from Jesse Prosser.
Game keys: Norwich must control the ball and avoid the big play when it is on defense.
Sherburne-Earlville (1-0) at Holland Patent (1-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.
Week one proved Sherburne-Earlville is much better than the winless team a year ago. Billy Northey’s 324 rushing yards, which is easily one of the top two or three rushing totals in school history, were more than any one-game team total from the Marauders a year ago. “He’s the real deal,” said S-E coach Mick James of Northey. “He sees the field, he’s strong, fast and does a lot of good things.” Of course, the blocking to spring Northey was better, yet James says his team cannot make some of the “young” mistakes it made against Ilion when it plays Holland Patent. “They have a really good quarterback (Jared Keyte) and we don’t want to get into a shootout with them,” James said. “We have to control the ball and finish drives. They have some good skill kids, but I think we’re more physical.”
Game keys: James said it best: Ball control on offense and playing physical.
Seton Catholic Central (0-1) at Bainbridge-Guilford (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
Seton Catholic Central had no trouble moving the ball against Newfield, especially running back Chris Perry, who finished with over 200 yards rushing in a 32-20 loss to the Trojans. The Saints’ aggressive, stunting defense gave up the big play one too many times, and that could play into B-G’s big-play ability with speedy junior back Dustin Ross. Ross had a pair of 61-yard TDS in last week’s win over UV-Edmeston. A win in week two would make it two straight years the Bobcats started with a pair of wins. “We need to wrap up on Perry and stay in our cut-back lanes. If we can contain him and take good angles, I think our pursuit will hold them down,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly
Offensively, Mattingly will continue to mix the pass and run. Senior Chris McGinnis threw two scores last week, and again tight end Dylan Whittaker is availing himself finishing with four catches. a week ago.
Game Keys: B-G needs to swarm to the ball on defense and play tough up the middle.
Oxford (1-0) at Harpursville (0-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Harpursville let its contest with Candor a week ago get away from them as the Indians scored the final 28 points to make the final look lopsided. For the Blackhawks, head coach Mike Chrystie faces an Oxford alumni across the field in Mike Curtis, who is a 1996 graduate. Curtis is also receiving help from his dad, John, who was Chrystie’s head coach for four seasons. “There is always extra motivation to go against a coach you know, worked with or played for,” Chrystie said. “I grew up and got along with Mike and we’re friends. It’ll be a competitive game and it’s a division game, so it means that much more.”
Oxford’s run defense was stifling giving up just 29 yards on the ground to Edison, and if you erase the one long scoring pass, gave up less than 60 total yards. Offensively, the Blackhawks’ running game jelled nicely with the three-back set of Scott Shackelton, Dustin Christophersen, and Travis Frank. Quarterback John Witchella is slowly easing into a comfort zone as Chrystie adds to his senior QB’s repertoire.
Harpursville, Chrystie said, operates its offense out of a mini-shotgun called the “Pistol.” It’s a different style of offense, he said, in which the Hornets will run or pass at any time. Victor Coronado operates at the QB slot, while Chris Snow and Todd Terpstra are the many recipients of carries out of the backfield.
Game keys: More consistency in the offense. The Blackhawks did all of their offensive damage at the beginning and end of last week’s game against Edison.
UV-Edmeston (0-1) at Newfield (1-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Newfield, a playoff team a year ago, appears poised to make another run at the postseason after downing Class C Seton Catholic Central. Returning quarterback Mike Armstrong is coming off a 1,000-yard passing season, and the Trojans add balance to the offensive side of the ball with a number of carriers getting the call. “They’re similar to B-G in that they are physical up front,” said UV-E coach Jack Loeffler. “They run almost everything out of the shotgun and try to get outside. We need to force everything back to the middle.”
The Storm’s defense was hurt on the outside in the running game with Dustin Ross speeding for two scores, as well as a long TD pass. Up the middle, UV-E’s defense remained stout.
Offensively, UV-E did not jell until later in third quarter and through the fourth. Eric Bennett had a nice start to the season rushing for 83 yards, and Loeffler would like to see the same type of numbers from fullback Tom Giordano and running back Jay Lloyd. “Our goal is to simply average four yards a carry,” Loeffler said. “If we do that, we’ll never have to punt.”
Game keys: UV-E needs to avoid giving up the big play on defense. On the flip side, Newfield’s defense was susceptible to the run in its win over Seton – especially on the outside.
The Spartans went 7-2 a year ago and shared the Class C division title with the Trojans and Sidney Warriors. A 28-6 lopsided loss to Greene was the lone black mark that kept the Spartans out of the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players, Unatego may well be the division favorite. “They are huge up front, they have an explosive kid in the backfield (Alex Hendrickson), an experienced quarterback (Kyle Palmer), and they probably have only two or three players that go both ways,” Paske said. “We have our game plan and we need to stick to it.”
Greene is getting used to winning on the varsity level with back-to-back winning seasons and an eye on making the playoffs for the second straight year. Junior quarterback Nate Whittaker directs the offense, and Whittaker is probably the team’s most explosive offensive player on the field. Running backs Garrett Hickey and Luke Wentlent had big days, as did receiver Justin Van Wert. “This a fun group and they’re methodical in their approach to the game,” Paske said. “This is a group that has won at every level, and teams that are used to doing that are easier to motivate.”
Game keys: Paske said that his team cannot take any plays off on defense against Unatego’s diverse offense. His offense’s ball control may serve as the best defense.
––––
Elsewhere this week, Norwich plays at Dryden on Friday and B-G has the lone local home game as it entertains Seton Catholic Central. Saturday contests include Oxford at Harpursville; UV-Edmeston at Newfield, and Sherburne-Earlville visits Holland Patent. Please read on for a look at this week’s contests:
Norwich (1-0) at Dryden (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Dryden did not accumulate much in the way of offense after an opening score in a 28-6 loss to Corning West a week ago. Receiver Dale Riley scampered for a 19-yard score, and he also was quarterback Doug Bushnell’s favorite target with 55 receiving yards. The Purple Lions are coming off just a 1-8 season, although they are infused by a bevy over JV promotees who were part of a 9-0 team. “They are a big, physical team like Johnson City,” said Norwich coach John Pluta, “but I don’t think they have as much speed as Johnson City.”
Corning West pounded Dryden with the running game to the tune of 299 yards. Expect a big dose of runs from Norwich as well, who accumulated 356 yards on the ground a week ago led by 176 from Chris Mattingly and 97 from Jesse Prosser.
Game keys: Norwich must control the ball and avoid the big play when it is on defense.
Sherburne-Earlville (1-0) at Holland Patent (1-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.
Week one proved Sherburne-Earlville is much better than the winless team a year ago. Billy Northey’s 324 rushing yards, which is easily one of the top two or three rushing totals in school history, were more than any one-game team total from the Marauders a year ago. “He’s the real deal,” said S-E coach Mick James of Northey. “He sees the field, he’s strong, fast and does a lot of good things.” Of course, the blocking to spring Northey was better, yet James says his team cannot make some of the “young” mistakes it made against Ilion when it plays Holland Patent. “They have a really good quarterback (Jared Keyte) and we don’t want to get into a shootout with them,” James said. “We have to control the ball and finish drives. They have some good skill kids, but I think we’re more physical.”
Game keys: James said it best: Ball control on offense and playing physical.
Seton Catholic Central (0-1) at Bainbridge-Guilford (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
Seton Catholic Central had no trouble moving the ball against Newfield, especially running back Chris Perry, who finished with over 200 yards rushing in a 32-20 loss to the Trojans. The Saints’ aggressive, stunting defense gave up the big play one too many times, and that could play into B-G’s big-play ability with speedy junior back Dustin Ross. Ross had a pair of 61-yard TDS in last week’s win over UV-Edmeston. A win in week two would make it two straight years the Bobcats started with a pair of wins. “We need to wrap up on Perry and stay in our cut-back lanes. If we can contain him and take good angles, I think our pursuit will hold them down,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly
Offensively, Mattingly will continue to mix the pass and run. Senior Chris McGinnis threw two scores last week, and again tight end Dylan Whittaker is availing himself finishing with four catches. a week ago.
Game Keys: B-G needs to swarm to the ball on defense and play tough up the middle.
Oxford (1-0) at Harpursville (0-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Harpursville let its contest with Candor a week ago get away from them as the Indians scored the final 28 points to make the final look lopsided. For the Blackhawks, head coach Mike Chrystie faces an Oxford alumni across the field in Mike Curtis, who is a 1996 graduate. Curtis is also receiving help from his dad, John, who was Chrystie’s head coach for four seasons. “There is always extra motivation to go against a coach you know, worked with or played for,” Chrystie said. “I grew up and got along with Mike and we’re friends. It’ll be a competitive game and it’s a division game, so it means that much more.”
Oxford’s run defense was stifling giving up just 29 yards on the ground to Edison, and if you erase the one long scoring pass, gave up less than 60 total yards. Offensively, the Blackhawks’ running game jelled nicely with the three-back set of Scott Shackelton, Dustin Christophersen, and Travis Frank. Quarterback John Witchella is slowly easing into a comfort zone as Chrystie adds to his senior QB’s repertoire.
Harpursville, Chrystie said, operates its offense out of a mini-shotgun called the “Pistol.” It’s a different style of offense, he said, in which the Hornets will run or pass at any time. Victor Coronado operates at the QB slot, while Chris Snow and Todd Terpstra are the many recipients of carries out of the backfield.
Game keys: More consistency in the offense. The Blackhawks did all of their offensive damage at the beginning and end of last week’s game against Edison.
UV-Edmeston (0-1) at Newfield (1-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Newfield, a playoff team a year ago, appears poised to make another run at the postseason after downing Class C Seton Catholic Central. Returning quarterback Mike Armstrong is coming off a 1,000-yard passing season, and the Trojans add balance to the offensive side of the ball with a number of carriers getting the call. “They’re similar to B-G in that they are physical up front,” said UV-E coach Jack Loeffler. “They run almost everything out of the shotgun and try to get outside. We need to force everything back to the middle.”
The Storm’s defense was hurt on the outside in the running game with Dustin Ross speeding for two scores, as well as a long TD pass. Up the middle, UV-E’s defense remained stout.
Offensively, UV-E did not jell until later in third quarter and through the fourth. Eric Bennett had a nice start to the season rushing for 83 yards, and Loeffler would like to see the same type of numbers from fullback Tom Giordano and running back Jay Lloyd. “Our goal is to simply average four yards a carry,” Loeffler said. “If we do that, we’ll never have to punt.”
Game keys: UV-E needs to avoid giving up the big play on defense. On the flip side, Newfield’s defense was susceptible to the run in its win over Seton – especially on the outside.
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