Grid Forecast: Unatego coach has unique perspective
Art Rigas of Unatego has been in the unique position of coaching against two premier Class C schools over the last two weeks.
Such is the nature of Section IV’s Division V this year, as Rigas’ Spartans played Chenango Forks in week two, and his team lost 44-3 – the only three points the Blue Devils have allowed all season.
Last weekend, at home no less, Unatego fell to Greene, 40-7. The Spartans did not record their first first down of the game until their touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, and that came with most of the Trojans’ starters already out of the game. Those seven points were the first scored on Greene through 12 quarters.
Later on in the season, Unatego will host Walton, who are coming off back-to-back sectional championships and a state title in 2007. “In matching them all up, I wouldn’t want to guess which one is the best team,” Rigas said. “They are all really good teams, and unfortunately for us, they are all in our division.”
Rigas did have one prediction that is probably not that far off base. “If you get through Division V and the sectional playoffs, I would favor that team in the state playoffs,” Rigas said.
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Although the new playing surface at Greene took a little longer to complete than expected, it’s better late than never for the Trojans. Tonight, the football team will christen the field turf against Whitney Point. It’s the same surface used by Norwich High School and at Binghamton Stadium, and one the Trojans are eager to play on. “Friday, under the lights, it will be exciting,” Paske said. “It’s two 3-0 teams and a big division game. Both teams have high-scoring offenses and defenses that haven’t allowed much. Something has got to give.”
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As much of a workload Travis Frank carried for Oxford a year ago as its leading rusher, even Frank could not match the exertion of Blackhawks junior, Booker Davis. In an 18-12 win over Harpursville last week, Davis took the ball on every called running play. He had 31 carries for a career-high 152 yards. Quarterback John Wonka was credited with five carries, but three were kneel-downs at the end of the game, and two were mishandled snaps. “I think that’s the first time that has happened, and it wasn’t intentional,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “At the same time, he was getting 4 1/2 yards a carry, so why go away from that? We didn’t use all of our wrinkles on offense, and we didn’t need to.”
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Below are previews of this weekend’s games:
Windsor (0-3) at Norwich (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
The bad news for Norwich is that it is off to its first 0-3 start in eight years. The good news, all three losses were of the non-league variety, and it – along with the winless Black Knights – have as good a chance as any at winning Section IV’s Division III.
“This is where it all begins,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “Division III will be tough.”
Martinson, in observing Windsor this season, noted a physical team that has been in position to win all three of its games. The Black Knights lost to Walton by one, by three to Corning East, and led Ithaca by two touchdowns in the first half before giving up 26 unanswered points.
Noah Sibley is the workhorse fullback for Windsor, and lefty quarterback David Goetz is an adept passer who threw for one score and ran for another against Ithaca last week. Goetz also guided Windsor to a 28-14 win over Norwich a year ago. “They are a physical team that likes to mix it up with traps and counters,” Martinson said. “We’ve prepared all week to stop their trap. Our kids understand the importance of division play, and if we can take care of the football, run the ball effectively, and play sound defense, we should be okay.”
Whitney Point (3-0) at Greene (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
In three powerful wins, Greene has shown a high octane offense combined with a stone-walling defense. This week, on paper, Whitney Point will provide the Trojans with their sturdiest test thus far.
“You can’t ignore that they are averaging 35 points a game and giving up less than seven a game,” said Greene coach Tim Paske.
The Golden Eagles, coming off a winless season, have rushed for around 1,000 yards in three wins. Sam Soeffing has a team-high 334 yards and seven TDs, while averaging nearly 17 yards a carry. Tyler Donnelly and Ben Manwaring have over 400 combined yards between them and six more rushing scores. “We need to shut down their running game, and it will be a stiff challenge for us,” Paske said, whose club was recently installed among the top-20 ranked Class C teams in New York.
The Trojans have not put up eye-popping rushing numbers, but the overall offensive balance is unquestioned. In racking up 319 total yards per game, Greene has six different players with rushing touchdowns, and three more with receiving touchdowns. “We spread it around pretty good, and we like to give the ball to different people,” Paske said.
Oxford (1-2) at UV-Edmeston (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Oxford can move back to the .500 mark with a non-league victory at UV-Edmeston tonight.
A year ago, the two clubs squared off in a Thursday meeting to end the season, and the Blackhawks scored a pair of second-half touchdowns to secure a close victory over the Storm. This season, the Blackhawks boast the top-rated passing game in the area, while the Storm have yet to score a point through three weeks.
“Everyone on our team knows (UV-Edmeston) hasn’t gotten off to a good start, but I told our team to expect them to be more energized than ever to get that first win,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “I don’t want our kids falling into the trap of just looking at their record. They have struggled, but there is no room for us to let up.”
A week ago, the Blackhawks posted their most balanced offensive effort of the season in beating Harpursville. Wonka had his third straight 100-yard passing game, and Davis rushed for a career-high 152 yards.
UV-E, meanwhile, is averaging just 65 yards of total offense through three games and just 27 total yards combined in losses to unbeatens Greene and Whitney Point.
B-G (2-1) at Deposit (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Deposit, since a week one non-league loss to Sullivan West, has riddled opposing defenses scoring 55 against Oxford and 42 against Seton Catholic Central. “They have some really good skill kids, especially Darin Wignall,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “They have size on the line, speed, and they’re athletic. It’s going to be a tough game.”
B-G’s numbers on offense aren’t as voluminous as Deposit’s, but they’re still pretty good. The Bobcats scored 52 in a rout of Hancock a week ago, and have averaged 284 yards rushing per game in back-to-back victories. “They’ll probably have to stop our running game, and we’ll have to stop their passing game,” Mattingly said. “We have some size, too, and we like some of our matchups. It should be a battle.”
Canastota (2-1) at Sherburne-Earlville (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Marauders’ hopes at the school’s first Section III playoff berth will be greatly improved if they are able to upend Canastota tonight on homecoming weekend.
The Marauders were hamstrung by Cazenovia a week ago allowing two interception returns for touchdowns and a special teams touchdown. While giving up just over 200 yards of total offense, the reality is that the Lakers gained an average of nearly seven yards per play.
The steady presence through three games is S-E’s junior running back, Will Slentz, whose 401 rushing yards leads all Chenango County rushers. The Marauders have just two pass completions through three games, so a steady diet of Slentz along with second leading rusher Chris Santiago may give S-E its best chance at victory.
Such is the nature of Section IV’s Division V this year, as Rigas’ Spartans played Chenango Forks in week two, and his team lost 44-3 – the only three points the Blue Devils have allowed all season.
Last weekend, at home no less, Unatego fell to Greene, 40-7. The Spartans did not record their first first down of the game until their touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, and that came with most of the Trojans’ starters already out of the game. Those seven points were the first scored on Greene through 12 quarters.
Later on in the season, Unatego will host Walton, who are coming off back-to-back sectional championships and a state title in 2007. “In matching them all up, I wouldn’t want to guess which one is the best team,” Rigas said. “They are all really good teams, and unfortunately for us, they are all in our division.”
Rigas did have one prediction that is probably not that far off base. “If you get through Division V and the sectional playoffs, I would favor that team in the state playoffs,” Rigas said.
–––
Although the new playing surface at Greene took a little longer to complete than expected, it’s better late than never for the Trojans. Tonight, the football team will christen the field turf against Whitney Point. It’s the same surface used by Norwich High School and at Binghamton Stadium, and one the Trojans are eager to play on. “Friday, under the lights, it will be exciting,” Paske said. “It’s two 3-0 teams and a big division game. Both teams have high-scoring offenses and defenses that haven’t allowed much. Something has got to give.”
–––
As much of a workload Travis Frank carried for Oxford a year ago as its leading rusher, even Frank could not match the exertion of Blackhawks junior, Booker Davis. In an 18-12 win over Harpursville last week, Davis took the ball on every called running play. He had 31 carries for a career-high 152 yards. Quarterback John Wonka was credited with five carries, but three were kneel-downs at the end of the game, and two were mishandled snaps. “I think that’s the first time that has happened, and it wasn’t intentional,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “At the same time, he was getting 4 1/2 yards a carry, so why go away from that? We didn’t use all of our wrinkles on offense, and we didn’t need to.”
–––
Below are previews of this weekend’s games:
Windsor (0-3) at Norwich (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
The bad news for Norwich is that it is off to its first 0-3 start in eight years. The good news, all three losses were of the non-league variety, and it – along with the winless Black Knights – have as good a chance as any at winning Section IV’s Division III.
“This is where it all begins,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “Division III will be tough.”
Martinson, in observing Windsor this season, noted a physical team that has been in position to win all three of its games. The Black Knights lost to Walton by one, by three to Corning East, and led Ithaca by two touchdowns in the first half before giving up 26 unanswered points.
Noah Sibley is the workhorse fullback for Windsor, and lefty quarterback David Goetz is an adept passer who threw for one score and ran for another against Ithaca last week. Goetz also guided Windsor to a 28-14 win over Norwich a year ago. “They are a physical team that likes to mix it up with traps and counters,” Martinson said. “We’ve prepared all week to stop their trap. Our kids understand the importance of division play, and if we can take care of the football, run the ball effectively, and play sound defense, we should be okay.”
Whitney Point (3-0) at Greene (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
In three powerful wins, Greene has shown a high octane offense combined with a stone-walling defense. This week, on paper, Whitney Point will provide the Trojans with their sturdiest test thus far.
“You can’t ignore that they are averaging 35 points a game and giving up less than seven a game,” said Greene coach Tim Paske.
The Golden Eagles, coming off a winless season, have rushed for around 1,000 yards in three wins. Sam Soeffing has a team-high 334 yards and seven TDs, while averaging nearly 17 yards a carry. Tyler Donnelly and Ben Manwaring have over 400 combined yards between them and six more rushing scores. “We need to shut down their running game, and it will be a stiff challenge for us,” Paske said, whose club was recently installed among the top-20 ranked Class C teams in New York.
The Trojans have not put up eye-popping rushing numbers, but the overall offensive balance is unquestioned. In racking up 319 total yards per game, Greene has six different players with rushing touchdowns, and three more with receiving touchdowns. “We spread it around pretty good, and we like to give the ball to different people,” Paske said.
Oxford (1-2) at UV-Edmeston (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Oxford can move back to the .500 mark with a non-league victory at UV-Edmeston tonight.
A year ago, the two clubs squared off in a Thursday meeting to end the season, and the Blackhawks scored a pair of second-half touchdowns to secure a close victory over the Storm. This season, the Blackhawks boast the top-rated passing game in the area, while the Storm have yet to score a point through three weeks.
“Everyone on our team knows (UV-Edmeston) hasn’t gotten off to a good start, but I told our team to expect them to be more energized than ever to get that first win,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “I don’t want our kids falling into the trap of just looking at their record. They have struggled, but there is no room for us to let up.”
A week ago, the Blackhawks posted their most balanced offensive effort of the season in beating Harpursville. Wonka had his third straight 100-yard passing game, and Davis rushed for a career-high 152 yards.
UV-E, meanwhile, is averaging just 65 yards of total offense through three games and just 27 total yards combined in losses to unbeatens Greene and Whitney Point.
B-G (2-1) at Deposit (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Deposit, since a week one non-league loss to Sullivan West, has riddled opposing defenses scoring 55 against Oxford and 42 against Seton Catholic Central. “They have some really good skill kids, especially Darin Wignall,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “They have size on the line, speed, and they’re athletic. It’s going to be a tough game.”
B-G’s numbers on offense aren’t as voluminous as Deposit’s, but they’re still pretty good. The Bobcats scored 52 in a rout of Hancock a week ago, and have averaged 284 yards rushing per game in back-to-back victories. “They’ll probably have to stop our running game, and we’ll have to stop their passing game,” Mattingly said. “We have some size, too, and we like some of our matchups. It should be a battle.”
Canastota (2-1) at Sherburne-Earlville (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Marauders’ hopes at the school’s first Section III playoff berth will be greatly improved if they are able to upend Canastota tonight on homecoming weekend.
The Marauders were hamstrung by Cazenovia a week ago allowing two interception returns for touchdowns and a special teams touchdown. While giving up just over 200 yards of total offense, the reality is that the Lakers gained an average of nearly seven yards per play.
The steady presence through three games is S-E’s junior running back, Will Slentz, whose 401 rushing yards leads all Chenango County rushers. The Marauders have just two pass completions through three games, so a steady diet of Slentz along with second leading rusher Chris Santiago may give S-E its best chance at victory.
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