Norwich beat two Class B sectional football champions in 2008: Oneida of Section III, and Section IV’s Waverly. Yet, those marks of distinction on a solid winning season were overshadowed by a tie for last place in Section IV, Class B divisional play.
“The number one goal set by our eight seniors this year is to win the division,” said Norwich first-year head coach John Martinson, who served as an assistant football coach for 22 years. “We want to win as many games as we can, but those divisional games are really important. Yes, we won six games last year, but we were 1-3 in the division.”
Norwich’s lone divisional win came against Chenango Valley, who also finished with an overall winning record. Those two clubs, though, shared the bottom spot in Section IV’s Division three.
Chenango Forks has dropped out of Norwich’s division and fallen into the Class C enrollment classification. Sliding into Forks’ spot is Susquehanna Valley. Windsor, Oneonta, and Chenango Valley remain on Norwich’s division slate.
“Right now, we’re setting the foundation and traditions of the program and how things are run,” Martinson said of the preseason practice schedule. “It’s tough on the kids, but they expect it.”
The focus for Martinson and his staff for the 64 varsity and junior varsity players is conditioning along with establishing the core fundamentals including proper stance, lining up correctly, and understanding the rules.
“To be honest, the preseason is pretty much the same as it’s always been,” Martinson said. “It’s a quick pace and we’ve kind of gotten used to it. It’s different not having John (Pluta, retired Norwich coach) here. There is a lot more responsibility that I have taken on.”
Norwich, who has not made the postseason in four years, opens its season Friday, Sept. 4 when it hosts Owego in a