Chenango Grid Preview
Basking in a one-point win over Norwich last Saturday, Greene returns to its division schedule tonight against Newark Valley as the lone area team at home this weekend.
Trojans head coach, Tim Paske, said he wouldn’t want to make trips up to Class B a regular occurrence, but in recent years, his team has not fared badly. Greene is 4-0 in its last four matchups against Class B opposition with victories over Oneonta, Whitney Point, and of course the Purple Tornado.
“After the loss to Unatego, we wanted to refocus and show we still belonged (among the best teams),” Paske said. “Norwich is solid and will continue to be solid. They were more physical than Unatego and their backs run hard. As long as they held the ball on offense, to keep them 90 yards under there season was good for us.”
Norwich finished with a respectable 238 yards on the ground, but it needed that elusive extra yard at the end to pull out the win. Greene stopped a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line to preserve a one-point win. Chris Engler hit Norwich back Mike Moon high, D.J. Beckwith got to Moon low, and Justin Van Wert rocketed in to finish off the tackle a yard short of paydirt. It was a perfect example on defense, Paske said, of his team’s philosophy. “We have 11 guys out there on defense, and I want them all to have the mentality of ‘run the ball at me,’” Paske said. “We had three other guys get to the pile on that last play against Norwich. We want everyone in relentless pursuit of the football.”
Sizing up that finish with Norwich and having four-plus years of games to draw upon, Paske rates that moment among the most dramatic. “The first time beating Unatego at their place (2005), there was another big defensive play at the end of that game,” he said. “Those two (Norwich, Unatego) have been big wins, but never before did we have to make a play at the end of the game where ‘this is it.’”
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Second-year Sherburne-Earlville coach Mickey James told us this week that the Marauders will likely move back to Class C competition next season. Playing in Class B the past three seasons, S-E will be joined by division rivals Ilion and Clinton in the move down. Enrollment numbers will decline at Sherburne-Earlville next year and New York State is bumping up the basement Class B enrollment number, James said. “I’d like to stay in Class B,” James offered upon hearing the news. “I want to beat some of these schools we’ve been playing.” James also mentioned a stark difference in his team from last year – the one that went 0-8 – and the one this year that is off to a 2-1 start including last week’s thrilling 21-20 overtime win over A-P-W. “That’s a game we wouldn’t have won last year,” James said. “Our mental toughness showed in the overtime period, and that’s a big difference over last year. Several times we’ve had our backs against the goal line and buckled down. As coaches, it would make it easier for us if they buckled down everywhere.”
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The Marauders look for a 3-1 start this weekend when they travel to Clinton Saturday. The rest of this weekend’s football games includes Oxford’s trip to Hancock tonight, while the rest play on Saturday afternoon. Norwich is at Chenango Valley, B-G visits Walton, and UV-Edmeston is at Deposit.
This week’s game capsules:
Oxford (1-2) at Hancock (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Hancock has a pair of Section IV titles, but none over the last nine seasons, and the Wildcats have struggled to win a game the past three seasons. Losses to Eldred, Delhi, and Harpursville by a combined 122-34 give little indication much has changed on the southeast side of Section IV. Oxford, meanwhile, is reeling from its most lopsided loss since section-wide division play began in 1993. The 56-0 drubbing at the hands of Walton isn’t likely to be an aberration considering the powerful lineup the Warriors field this season. And head coach Mike Chrystie anticipates his team will still be in the playoff mix at the end. “You hate to say it’s a race for number two, but at this point, after seeing the other teams in our division or playing them, I think it is safe to say we’re all battling for the second spot in our division,” Chrystie said. “There are a number of teams that can get that second playoff spot, and we’re one of them.” The common opponent for Oxford and Hancock is Harpursville, who beat the Blackhawks by four and the Wildcats by three touchdowns. Hancock scored 20 second-half points in blowout time against the Hornets, so the 278 yards rushing is a somewhat deceiving statistic. Oxford’s offense has slowed since the third quarter of the Harpursville contest, but should find some holes tonight against a porous Hancock defense.
Bainbridge-Guilford (2-1) at Walton (3-0), Saturday, 1:30
Not only does Walton’s offense seem to be an irresistible force, but the defense is laying claim to the immovable object role as well. Giving up minus-47 yards rushing to Oxford last week, the Warriors have allowed less than 10 total yards rushing this season through three games this season. B-G coach Tim Mattingly watched the Warriors dismantle Deposit two weeks ago, a Deposit team that handled his Bobcats by 20 points seven days ago. “Walton is just that good,” Mattingly said. “Deposit was more physical than us on both sides of the ball, but Walton had more size and was more physical than Deposit. I’m sure Walton will try to do the same things to us that it has done to its previous three opponents.”
What B-G has on its side is talented skill position players who present threats to most defenses. Chris McGinnis is a mobile quarterback who can get the ball down the field; junior running back Dustin Ross is a breakaway threat; and Dylan Whittaker is a sure-handed receiver who is on track to lead B-G in receiving a second straight season.
Walton’s offense starts with its running game, and bruising fullback Richard Fletcher tops a balanced and tough attack.
S-E (2-1) at Clinton (0-3), Saturday, 2 p.m.
James said Clinton is at the point his club was last year noting his opponent’s youth and inexperience. In the schools’ first meeting two years, the Marauders won by six touchdowns in a shutout victory. A year ago, Clinton was badly outplayed by the Marauders, yet still won, 14-6. “Their quarterback is probably their best player,” James said. “He can run and throw. We have to take care of him or he could give us trouble.”
The win last year was the only one Clinton has had the past two years, and it looks like 2007 might be another difficult one for the Warriors. James and the Marauders aren’t looking past this week’s opponent, though. “We can’t afford to take anyone lightly,” he said. “You can’t roll your helmet out there and expect teams to lay down for you.”
Still on the mend for S-E is junior running back Nate Kline, who is missed last week’s win over A-P-W, and may miss this week’s game as well. Otherwise, the small S-E lineup (only 20 dressed for last week’s game) is healthy. “When we lost to Holland Patent, guys were constantly coming off the field injured,” James said. “Last week, the only time anyone came off the field was because of leg cramps.
Newark Valley (1-2) at Greene (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
A victory here would give Greene a pair of division wins and on track to make the postseason a second straight season. Unatego and Lansing are the current front-runners, and with Trumansburg forced to forfeit its early wins, the Trojans have the inside track to the number three spot. Still, Paske and his team are resolved to focus on this week’s opponent. “We’re definitely guarding against looking past (Newark Valley),” he said. “We’re still a relatively young team, and the big thing for us is to make ourselves a better team than last week.”
The Cardinals’ lone win was one of the forfeits yielded by T-burg, and it’s losses were by a combined 84-14 to Lansing and Unatego. Ed Nicholson and Devin Beach lead the ground game in an offensive system similar to the tight formation utilized by Sidney.
The Trojans unveiled a wrinkle in their offense last week moving to a shotgun formation for much of the first half against Norwich. It proved effective, although Norwich did have its share of defensive stops. “We’ve been repping (the shotgun) a lot in practice,” Paske said, who noted the increased effectiveness of quarterback Nate Whittaker in that formation.
UV-Edmeston (1-2) at Deposit (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Storm head coach Jack Loeffler knows his team is perceived as the underdog in this week’s non-division battle with Deposit. The Lumberjacks showed no ill-effects of a 46-12 loss to Walton two weeks ago by responding with an impressive 42-22 win over B-G. It was that same Bobcats team that rolled over UV-Edmeston 32-14 in week one. “They are big and physical and like to get outside sometimes,” Loeffler said of Deposit. “That has been a problem for us on defense, but if we can stop their outside running, we have a chance.” While the defense has its concerns, perhaps more worries reside within a UV-E offense that totals just under 137 yards and nine points per game on offense. The intangible factor here, Loeffler said, is his team is in high spirits coming off its first win – an immeasurable statistic. “We’re probably the underdog in everyone’s eyes, but we had a good week of practice and the kids are anxious,” he said. “We think we can attack them on offense with what we have, and if not, we’ve put in some new offensive plays that we can throw in there.”
Norwich (2-1) at Chenango Valley (3-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
The Warriors are again off to a fast start and have won 10 out of 12 games dating back to last season. The bad news for Norwich is that CV is probably starting to peak, especially after an impressive 32-8 drubbing of perennial power Elmira Notre Dame a week ago. The defense gave up a season-low 163 yards, while running back Trevor Cola added two more TD runs. Cola had four scoring runs, two TD receptions, and a 90-yard kickoff return for a score. He averages better than 10 yards a touch this season, and is one of many weapons in the Warriors’ arsenal. Quarterback Matt Mullins is a threat to run or throw, although he hasn’t done much running and is completing only 33 percent of his passes (7-for-21). Mullins threw for 66 yards and a TD last year against NHS, and Cola had 163 yards rushing and two TDs in CV’s 24-14 win over the Tornado. Norwich’s best defense may again be a ball-control running game that is averaging 296 yards a game. Chris Mattingly has a team-high 392 rushing yards, while Mike Moon has 248 yards. It should prove a big test for Norwich against a stingy CV defense that gives up under 200 total yards and just nine points a contest.
Trojans head coach, Tim Paske, said he wouldn’t want to make trips up to Class B a regular occurrence, but in recent years, his team has not fared badly. Greene is 4-0 in its last four matchups against Class B opposition with victories over Oneonta, Whitney Point, and of course the Purple Tornado.
“After the loss to Unatego, we wanted to refocus and show we still belonged (among the best teams),” Paske said. “Norwich is solid and will continue to be solid. They were more physical than Unatego and their backs run hard. As long as they held the ball on offense, to keep them 90 yards under there season was good for us.”
Norwich finished with a respectable 238 yards on the ground, but it needed that elusive extra yard at the end to pull out the win. Greene stopped a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line to preserve a one-point win. Chris Engler hit Norwich back Mike Moon high, D.J. Beckwith got to Moon low, and Justin Van Wert rocketed in to finish off the tackle a yard short of paydirt. It was a perfect example on defense, Paske said, of his team’s philosophy. “We have 11 guys out there on defense, and I want them all to have the mentality of ‘run the ball at me,’” Paske said. “We had three other guys get to the pile on that last play against Norwich. We want everyone in relentless pursuit of the football.”
Sizing up that finish with Norwich and having four-plus years of games to draw upon, Paske rates that moment among the most dramatic. “The first time beating Unatego at their place (2005), there was another big defensive play at the end of that game,” he said. “Those two (Norwich, Unatego) have been big wins, but never before did we have to make a play at the end of the game where ‘this is it.’”
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Second-year Sherburne-Earlville coach Mickey James told us this week that the Marauders will likely move back to Class C competition next season. Playing in Class B the past three seasons, S-E will be joined by division rivals Ilion and Clinton in the move down. Enrollment numbers will decline at Sherburne-Earlville next year and New York State is bumping up the basement Class B enrollment number, James said. “I’d like to stay in Class B,” James offered upon hearing the news. “I want to beat some of these schools we’ve been playing.” James also mentioned a stark difference in his team from last year – the one that went 0-8 – and the one this year that is off to a 2-1 start including last week’s thrilling 21-20 overtime win over A-P-W. “That’s a game we wouldn’t have won last year,” James said. “Our mental toughness showed in the overtime period, and that’s a big difference over last year. Several times we’ve had our backs against the goal line and buckled down. As coaches, it would make it easier for us if they buckled down everywhere.”
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The Marauders look for a 3-1 start this weekend when they travel to Clinton Saturday. The rest of this weekend’s football games includes Oxford’s trip to Hancock tonight, while the rest play on Saturday afternoon. Norwich is at Chenango Valley, B-G visits Walton, and UV-Edmeston is at Deposit.
This week’s game capsules:
Oxford (1-2) at Hancock (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Hancock has a pair of Section IV titles, but none over the last nine seasons, and the Wildcats have struggled to win a game the past three seasons. Losses to Eldred, Delhi, and Harpursville by a combined 122-34 give little indication much has changed on the southeast side of Section IV. Oxford, meanwhile, is reeling from its most lopsided loss since section-wide division play began in 1993. The 56-0 drubbing at the hands of Walton isn’t likely to be an aberration considering the powerful lineup the Warriors field this season. And head coach Mike Chrystie anticipates his team will still be in the playoff mix at the end. “You hate to say it’s a race for number two, but at this point, after seeing the other teams in our division or playing them, I think it is safe to say we’re all battling for the second spot in our division,” Chrystie said. “There are a number of teams that can get that second playoff spot, and we’re one of them.” The common opponent for Oxford and Hancock is Harpursville, who beat the Blackhawks by four and the Wildcats by three touchdowns. Hancock scored 20 second-half points in blowout time against the Hornets, so the 278 yards rushing is a somewhat deceiving statistic. Oxford’s offense has slowed since the third quarter of the Harpursville contest, but should find some holes tonight against a porous Hancock defense.
Bainbridge-Guilford (2-1) at Walton (3-0), Saturday, 1:30
Not only does Walton’s offense seem to be an irresistible force, but the defense is laying claim to the immovable object role as well. Giving up minus-47 yards rushing to Oxford last week, the Warriors have allowed less than 10 total yards rushing this season through three games this season. B-G coach Tim Mattingly watched the Warriors dismantle Deposit two weeks ago, a Deposit team that handled his Bobcats by 20 points seven days ago. “Walton is just that good,” Mattingly said. “Deposit was more physical than us on both sides of the ball, but Walton had more size and was more physical than Deposit. I’m sure Walton will try to do the same things to us that it has done to its previous three opponents.”
What B-G has on its side is talented skill position players who present threats to most defenses. Chris McGinnis is a mobile quarterback who can get the ball down the field; junior running back Dustin Ross is a breakaway threat; and Dylan Whittaker is a sure-handed receiver who is on track to lead B-G in receiving a second straight season.
Walton’s offense starts with its running game, and bruising fullback Richard Fletcher tops a balanced and tough attack.
S-E (2-1) at Clinton (0-3), Saturday, 2 p.m.
James said Clinton is at the point his club was last year noting his opponent’s youth and inexperience. In the schools’ first meeting two years, the Marauders won by six touchdowns in a shutout victory. A year ago, Clinton was badly outplayed by the Marauders, yet still won, 14-6. “Their quarterback is probably their best player,” James said. “He can run and throw. We have to take care of him or he could give us trouble.”
The win last year was the only one Clinton has had the past two years, and it looks like 2007 might be another difficult one for the Warriors. James and the Marauders aren’t looking past this week’s opponent, though. “We can’t afford to take anyone lightly,” he said. “You can’t roll your helmet out there and expect teams to lay down for you.”
Still on the mend for S-E is junior running back Nate Kline, who is missed last week’s win over A-P-W, and may miss this week’s game as well. Otherwise, the small S-E lineup (only 20 dressed for last week’s game) is healthy. “When we lost to Holland Patent, guys were constantly coming off the field injured,” James said. “Last week, the only time anyone came off the field was because of leg cramps.
Newark Valley (1-2) at Greene (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
A victory here would give Greene a pair of division wins and on track to make the postseason a second straight season. Unatego and Lansing are the current front-runners, and with Trumansburg forced to forfeit its early wins, the Trojans have the inside track to the number three spot. Still, Paske and his team are resolved to focus on this week’s opponent. “We’re definitely guarding against looking past (Newark Valley),” he said. “We’re still a relatively young team, and the big thing for us is to make ourselves a better team than last week.”
The Cardinals’ lone win was one of the forfeits yielded by T-burg, and it’s losses were by a combined 84-14 to Lansing and Unatego. Ed Nicholson and Devin Beach lead the ground game in an offensive system similar to the tight formation utilized by Sidney.
The Trojans unveiled a wrinkle in their offense last week moving to a shotgun formation for much of the first half against Norwich. It proved effective, although Norwich did have its share of defensive stops. “We’ve been repping (the shotgun) a lot in practice,” Paske said, who noted the increased effectiveness of quarterback Nate Whittaker in that formation.
UV-Edmeston (1-2) at Deposit (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Storm head coach Jack Loeffler knows his team is perceived as the underdog in this week’s non-division battle with Deposit. The Lumberjacks showed no ill-effects of a 46-12 loss to Walton two weeks ago by responding with an impressive 42-22 win over B-G. It was that same Bobcats team that rolled over UV-Edmeston 32-14 in week one. “They are big and physical and like to get outside sometimes,” Loeffler said of Deposit. “That has been a problem for us on defense, but if we can stop their outside running, we have a chance.” While the defense has its concerns, perhaps more worries reside within a UV-E offense that totals just under 137 yards and nine points per game on offense. The intangible factor here, Loeffler said, is his team is in high spirits coming off its first win – an immeasurable statistic. “We’re probably the underdog in everyone’s eyes, but we had a good week of practice and the kids are anxious,” he said. “We think we can attack them on offense with what we have, and if not, we’ve put in some new offensive plays that we can throw in there.”
Norwich (2-1) at Chenango Valley (3-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
The Warriors are again off to a fast start and have won 10 out of 12 games dating back to last season. The bad news for Norwich is that CV is probably starting to peak, especially after an impressive 32-8 drubbing of perennial power Elmira Notre Dame a week ago. The defense gave up a season-low 163 yards, while running back Trevor Cola added two more TD runs. Cola had four scoring runs, two TD receptions, and a 90-yard kickoff return for a score. He averages better than 10 yards a touch this season, and is one of many weapons in the Warriors’ arsenal. Quarterback Matt Mullins is a threat to run or throw, although he hasn’t done much running and is completing only 33 percent of his passes (7-for-21). Mullins threw for 66 yards and a TD last year against NHS, and Cola had 163 yards rushing and two TDs in CV’s 24-14 win over the Tornado. Norwich’s best defense may again be a ball-control running game that is averaging 296 yards a game. Chris Mattingly has a team-high 392 rushing yards, while Mike Moon has 248 yards. It should prove a big test for Norwich against a stingy CV defense that gives up under 200 total yards and just nine points a contest.
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