Grid Preview: Norwich unveils its hurry-up offense
The scenario was set for a miracle Norwich drive to beat Windsor in regulation. About 80 seconds remained on the clock in the fourth quarter, and the Tornado needed to move 80 yards for a score.
It was not a favorable situation for the typically run-based Tornado offense, that, as recently as the 2007 season, threw the ball just 42 times over the course of a nine-game season.
What did head coach John Martinson do? He went to a hurry-up two-minute offense. “We’ve worked a lot on that in practice,” Martinson said.
The key to the offense was receiving proper protection for the quarterback, and sophomore Seth Thomsen, operating out of the shotgun formation, had plenty of time to look over the defense and deliver strike after strike. Thomsen completed 7-of-9 pass attempts over the second half, and his lone incompletions were spike-downs to stop the clock. “Tom Stoddard, our offensive line coach, has done a tremendous job with our linemen in setting up the pass protection,” Martinson said. “We still want to do what we do well (run the ball), but we’re adding a little bit to the offense each week, and we want to attack our opponent’s weaknesses.”
Thomsen’s last-minute drive did not yield a touchdown, but he did move Norwich 60 yards quite easily, and with just one remaining timeout in the Tornado’s pocket. On the last play of the game, an audible was called in which Thomsen faked a spike-down and rolled out for a pass play. Martinson later said the audible was missed, and Thomsen was pulled down at the line of scrimmage to end regulation time.
Thomsen later scored the tying touchdown in overtime, and all was well when kicker Josh Favolaro kicked the winning extra-point.
–––
Bainbridge-Guilford’s offense has struck gold after struggling the first six quarters of the season. The Bobcats had less than 200 yards of offense in an opening loss to Sidney and just one offensive touchdown, then turned it over a handful of times in the first half against Harpursville as they were locked in a 6-6 tie.
Since halftime against the Hornets, B-G has scored 116 points over 2 1/2 games putting 96 points on the board the last two weeks against Hancock and Deposit respectively.
“The one thing we have done that we weren’t doing early in the season is clicking on offense right from the start,” Mattingly said. “Our goal is to start strong and finish strong, and we were really able to do that last week against Deposit.”
–––
Below are summaries of this week’s games:
Norwich (1-3) at Sus Valley (0-4), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Although the Tornado are facing a winless Sabers team on Saturday afternoon, Martinson, his staff, and players are not taking the host club lightly.
“Sus Valley has a tradition of playing us tough over the years, especially down at their place,” the NHS coach said. “They are 0-2 in the division, and this game is probably their whole season. We need to be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
The Sabers have struggled on defense giving up over 30 points a game, and were soundly beaten by Oneonta a week ago, 41-22. Norwich, meanwhile, pulled out a dramatic division win over Windsor – the first win for Martinson as varsity mentor.
“Last week we played all 48 minutes to force overtime, and we put 29 points on the board,” he said. “The kids believe in themselves.”
Norwich is also coming off a typical rushing performance in which it gained over 200 yards on the ground. Sophomore Mackay Hotaling leads a balanced attack, while Paddy Law is averaging a team-best 7.2 yards per carry in racking up 172 rushing yards.
Hancock (0-3, 1-3) at Oxford (1-1, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Since a week one non-league victory, Hancock has dropped three straight division games, and is getting outscored by 32 points a game in those defeats.
Nonetheless, the Wildcats will continue to attack defenses with a spread offense led by quarterback Dylan Oralls. “They’ve thrown 98 pass attempts, and that is up there in the section,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “The simple fact that they will spread us out (when they are on offense) is something we need to prepare for.”
Oxford gave up big passing yards the first two weeks of the season, but has calmed opponents down the last two weeks, mainly with a steady running attack. Booker Davis rushed for over 100 yards two weeks ago, and freshman Paul Wonka came off the bench for an injured Davis to rush for over 100 yards in a win over UV-Edmeston. “Paul did a great job for us getting thrown in there on the spot,” Chrystie said. “He’s definitely earned himself a couple more carries.”
Oralls and the Hancock club average 19 points per game on offense and just under 110 yards passing per game.
Oxford had more passing yards than rushing yards its first three games. That trend changed a week ago when it eclipsed 200 yards rushing for the first time, while not completing a single pass. “Seton Catholic Central was able to control the line (against Hancock) last week, and we’ve done a good job with that all year,” Chrystie said. “We haven’t turned it over the last two weeks, and it’s something we need to continue to focus on.”
Greene (3-0, 4-0) at Walton (1-1, 2-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Greene puts its unbeaten record on the line tomorrow against a Walton ballclub coming off a 26-6 loss to a powerful Chenango Forks outfit.
It was an uncharacteristic performance by the Warriors, who is used to bullying the opponents at the line of scrimmage. Forks won the offensive and defensive line battles, and put 26 unanswered points on the board.
“They’re still definitely a formidable foe,” said Greene head coach Tim Paske. “They lost in the state semifinals (in Class D) last year, and they have a lot of those kids back. It’s a team that has a great coach and knows how to win games.”
Perhaps working against Greene is that Walton rarely loses at home, and a defeat to the Trojans would put the Warriors in the unaccustomed spot of three straight overall defeats, two straight home losses, and a losing record through five games of the season. “They have good size up front and solid backs in Chris Mead and Phil Hanley,” Paske said. “We have to be ready to play, and our kids are looking forward to it.”
Scoring 40.5 points per game, Greene still leads all Section IV offenses in scoring, and the 21 points allowed are second only to Chenango Forks. Scott Gorton has 635 yards and nine TDs passing for Greene, a translation of nearly 1,600 yards and 22 touchdown passes projected over a 10-game schedule. “We’re going to try to mix the run and pass,” Paske said. “We’ll take what the defense gives us. If they take away our passing game, we can do things in the running game. Success in one area creates opportunities in others.”
Sherburne-Earlville (1-3) at Mount Markham (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Penalties ultimately cost the Marauders an opportunity at upending Canastota a week ago. One key penalty sustained a Raiders touchdown drive, and other penalties put S-E in unmanageable down-and-distance situations. “We don’t have the type of offense that can regularly get out of first-and-20s,” said S-E coach Mike Jasper. “We have to learn to do the little things better. We’re playing harder and we’re playing better. If we play this week like we did against Canastota, we’ll be fine.”
The Mustangs are two years removed from a Section III, Class C finals appearance. Graduation took the majority of that lineup in 2008, but the Mustangs have regrouped with a young, aggressive team this season. MM’s two wins have come against division opponents, Clinton and Sauquoit Valley, and this week, it can move over the .500 mark. “This is a team that knows how to win and they’re tough,” Jasper said. “We scored on a pass last week, but we have to be successful running the ball. That’s our bread and butter.”
In the two schools’ most recent meeting, S-E picked up a 21-13 win a year ago in week three as Nate Kline ran for a career-high 271 yards.
Livingston Manor-Roscoe (1-3) at Bainbridge-Guilford (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
B-G coach Tim Mattingly confesses to not knowing much of Section IX’s Livingston Manor-Roscoe outside of a week one 28-21 loss to Hancock. The Bobcats did have game film from that game, and Mattingly was able to infer a couple of things.
“They have a couple of kids with decent size, and a 1,000-yard rusher from last year who also plays quarterback,” Mattingly said. “They run a spread offense and have some decent skill kids.”
LM-R lost to Hancock by a touchdown, but did have two TDs called back due to penalties. As a comparison, B-G played Hancock two weeks ago, and won in lopsided fashion, 52-20. “Offensively, I think we have to go right at them,” Mattingly said, who said he is making sure his team does not let down, especially after last week’s big win over Deposit. “The one thing (this week) that could stop us is complacency. We need to maintain focus, and the coaching staff is staying after them.”
UV-Edmeston (0-2, 0-4) at Sidney (1-2, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Sidney looks to even its division mark and beat its second Chenango County opponent tonight when it hosts winless UV-Edmeston.
Third-year starting quarterback, Dylan Umbra, heads up the Warriors’ attack with over 300 yards passing and 150 yards rushing. Aaron Wood tops all rushers, and set the tone in week one with a 126-yard effort against Bainbridge-Guilford.
The Storm put their first points on the board this season a week ago against Oxford, but those six points came on a special teams return. UV-E’s offense has yet to score, and through four games is averaging just 65 yards of total offense per game.
It was not a favorable situation for the typically run-based Tornado offense, that, as recently as the 2007 season, threw the ball just 42 times over the course of a nine-game season.
What did head coach John Martinson do? He went to a hurry-up two-minute offense. “We’ve worked a lot on that in practice,” Martinson said.
The key to the offense was receiving proper protection for the quarterback, and sophomore Seth Thomsen, operating out of the shotgun formation, had plenty of time to look over the defense and deliver strike after strike. Thomsen completed 7-of-9 pass attempts over the second half, and his lone incompletions were spike-downs to stop the clock. “Tom Stoddard, our offensive line coach, has done a tremendous job with our linemen in setting up the pass protection,” Martinson said. “We still want to do what we do well (run the ball), but we’re adding a little bit to the offense each week, and we want to attack our opponent’s weaknesses.”
Thomsen’s last-minute drive did not yield a touchdown, but he did move Norwich 60 yards quite easily, and with just one remaining timeout in the Tornado’s pocket. On the last play of the game, an audible was called in which Thomsen faked a spike-down and rolled out for a pass play. Martinson later said the audible was missed, and Thomsen was pulled down at the line of scrimmage to end regulation time.
Thomsen later scored the tying touchdown in overtime, and all was well when kicker Josh Favolaro kicked the winning extra-point.
–––
Bainbridge-Guilford’s offense has struck gold after struggling the first six quarters of the season. The Bobcats had less than 200 yards of offense in an opening loss to Sidney and just one offensive touchdown, then turned it over a handful of times in the first half against Harpursville as they were locked in a 6-6 tie.
Since halftime against the Hornets, B-G has scored 116 points over 2 1/2 games putting 96 points on the board the last two weeks against Hancock and Deposit respectively.
“The one thing we have done that we weren’t doing early in the season is clicking on offense right from the start,” Mattingly said. “Our goal is to start strong and finish strong, and we were really able to do that last week against Deposit.”
–––
Below are summaries of this week’s games:
Norwich (1-3) at Sus Valley (0-4), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Although the Tornado are facing a winless Sabers team on Saturday afternoon, Martinson, his staff, and players are not taking the host club lightly.
“Sus Valley has a tradition of playing us tough over the years, especially down at their place,” the NHS coach said. “They are 0-2 in the division, and this game is probably their whole season. We need to be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
The Sabers have struggled on defense giving up over 30 points a game, and were soundly beaten by Oneonta a week ago, 41-22. Norwich, meanwhile, pulled out a dramatic division win over Windsor – the first win for Martinson as varsity mentor.
“Last week we played all 48 minutes to force overtime, and we put 29 points on the board,” he said. “The kids believe in themselves.”
Norwich is also coming off a typical rushing performance in which it gained over 200 yards on the ground. Sophomore Mackay Hotaling leads a balanced attack, while Paddy Law is averaging a team-best 7.2 yards per carry in racking up 172 rushing yards.
Hancock (0-3, 1-3) at Oxford (1-1, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Since a week one non-league victory, Hancock has dropped three straight division games, and is getting outscored by 32 points a game in those defeats.
Nonetheless, the Wildcats will continue to attack defenses with a spread offense led by quarterback Dylan Oralls. “They’ve thrown 98 pass attempts, and that is up there in the section,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie. “The simple fact that they will spread us out (when they are on offense) is something we need to prepare for.”
Oxford gave up big passing yards the first two weeks of the season, but has calmed opponents down the last two weeks, mainly with a steady running attack. Booker Davis rushed for over 100 yards two weeks ago, and freshman Paul Wonka came off the bench for an injured Davis to rush for over 100 yards in a win over UV-Edmeston. “Paul did a great job for us getting thrown in there on the spot,” Chrystie said. “He’s definitely earned himself a couple more carries.”
Oralls and the Hancock club average 19 points per game on offense and just under 110 yards passing per game.
Oxford had more passing yards than rushing yards its first three games. That trend changed a week ago when it eclipsed 200 yards rushing for the first time, while not completing a single pass. “Seton Catholic Central was able to control the line (against Hancock) last week, and we’ve done a good job with that all year,” Chrystie said. “We haven’t turned it over the last two weeks, and it’s something we need to continue to focus on.”
Greene (3-0, 4-0) at Walton (1-1, 2-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Greene puts its unbeaten record on the line tomorrow against a Walton ballclub coming off a 26-6 loss to a powerful Chenango Forks outfit.
It was an uncharacteristic performance by the Warriors, who is used to bullying the opponents at the line of scrimmage. Forks won the offensive and defensive line battles, and put 26 unanswered points on the board.
“They’re still definitely a formidable foe,” said Greene head coach Tim Paske. “They lost in the state semifinals (in Class D) last year, and they have a lot of those kids back. It’s a team that has a great coach and knows how to win games.”
Perhaps working against Greene is that Walton rarely loses at home, and a defeat to the Trojans would put the Warriors in the unaccustomed spot of three straight overall defeats, two straight home losses, and a losing record through five games of the season. “They have good size up front and solid backs in Chris Mead and Phil Hanley,” Paske said. “We have to be ready to play, and our kids are looking forward to it.”
Scoring 40.5 points per game, Greene still leads all Section IV offenses in scoring, and the 21 points allowed are second only to Chenango Forks. Scott Gorton has 635 yards and nine TDs passing for Greene, a translation of nearly 1,600 yards and 22 touchdown passes projected over a 10-game schedule. “We’re going to try to mix the run and pass,” Paske said. “We’ll take what the defense gives us. If they take away our passing game, we can do things in the running game. Success in one area creates opportunities in others.”
Sherburne-Earlville (1-3) at Mount Markham (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Penalties ultimately cost the Marauders an opportunity at upending Canastota a week ago. One key penalty sustained a Raiders touchdown drive, and other penalties put S-E in unmanageable down-and-distance situations. “We don’t have the type of offense that can regularly get out of first-and-20s,” said S-E coach Mike Jasper. “We have to learn to do the little things better. We’re playing harder and we’re playing better. If we play this week like we did against Canastota, we’ll be fine.”
The Mustangs are two years removed from a Section III, Class C finals appearance. Graduation took the majority of that lineup in 2008, but the Mustangs have regrouped with a young, aggressive team this season. MM’s two wins have come against division opponents, Clinton and Sauquoit Valley, and this week, it can move over the .500 mark. “This is a team that knows how to win and they’re tough,” Jasper said. “We scored on a pass last week, but we have to be successful running the ball. That’s our bread and butter.”
In the two schools’ most recent meeting, S-E picked up a 21-13 win a year ago in week three as Nate Kline ran for a career-high 271 yards.
Livingston Manor-Roscoe (1-3) at Bainbridge-Guilford (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
B-G coach Tim Mattingly confesses to not knowing much of Section IX’s Livingston Manor-Roscoe outside of a week one 28-21 loss to Hancock. The Bobcats did have game film from that game, and Mattingly was able to infer a couple of things.
“They have a couple of kids with decent size, and a 1,000-yard rusher from last year who also plays quarterback,” Mattingly said. “They run a spread offense and have some decent skill kids.”
LM-R lost to Hancock by a touchdown, but did have two TDs called back due to penalties. As a comparison, B-G played Hancock two weeks ago, and won in lopsided fashion, 52-20. “Offensively, I think we have to go right at them,” Mattingly said, who said he is making sure his team does not let down, especially after last week’s big win over Deposit. “The one thing (this week) that could stop us is complacency. We need to maintain focus, and the coaching staff is staying after them.”
UV-Edmeston (0-2, 0-4) at Sidney (1-2, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Sidney looks to even its division mark and beat its second Chenango County opponent tonight when it hosts winless UV-Edmeston.
Third-year starting quarterback, Dylan Umbra, heads up the Warriors’ attack with over 300 yards passing and 150 yards rushing. Aaron Wood tops all rushers, and set the tone in week one with a 126-yard effort against Bainbridge-Guilford.
The Storm put their first points on the board this season a week ago against Oxford, but those six points came on a special teams return. UV-E’s offense has yet to score, and through four games is averaging just 65 yards of total offense per game.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks