Dakota Vandermark of Bainbridge-Guilford, and Kurt Shear of Greene set new single-season rushing records for their schools, and the running duo head up our 2010 Evening Sun Football All-Star Team.
From a team perspective, Norwich returned to the playoffs a second straight year, Greene made it six straight winning seasons under head coach Tim Paske, and B-G fifth-year head coach, Tim Mattingly, piloted the Bobcats to a fifth straight winning campaign.
Norwich typically dominant with its running game, used a stingy defense that allowed less than 14 points a game during the regular season to garner a Class B playoff spot.
“We asked a lot of our defense, and they really gave us a lot,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “We just need to improve our rushing game next year, and the passing comes off of our running. We’ll be back and we’re optimistic about next year.”
Greene found itself in a division that included state-ranked Sidney and Chenango Forks, yet still managed to post its best rushing numbers in the eight years under Paske. With the exception of losses to Forks and Sidney, Greene’s defense was usually pretty sound. “We just turned it over too many times in key situations,” Paske said of the losses. “We had nine players this year with varsity experience when we started the season. With young kids in key positions, it put us in situations that can be stressful. By the end of the year, we improved.”
Perhaps one of the big surprises this year was the re-emergence of Sherburne-Earlville’s football program. It had been several years since the Marauders posted a .500 record, and 23 seasons since S-E won six games in 11-man football. S-E finished the season on a five-game winning streak, and if the offense had jelled a bit sooner, the Marauders may have earned their first-ever Section III playoff berth.
As it turns out, S-E led the county in total defense and scoring defense. “From what I’ve seen in the past, after the first four games (1-3 record), we could have tanked the rest of the season,” said S-E second-year coach Mike Jasper. “We kept working and realized we could win games. We went to the Clinton game, and just explosded. The kids developed confidence and bought into the program and what we were doing.”
Unadilla Valley-Edmeston, buoyed by an influx of new players, ended a two-year winless streak to win four games, the highlight of that a 14-7 win over Greene, the first win for the Storm over the Trojans.
“We went 4-4 in our regular season games, and we’ll build off this season as we go forward next year with a full offseason,” said UV-E coach Stan Foulds.
Getting to our list of all-stars, only five players return from last year’s group. That includes Daren Terpstra and Billy Holden of B-G; Seth Thomsen of Norwich; Greg DuVall of Sherburne-Earlville; and John Wonka of Oxford.
Below we have summarized the season and career accomplishments of our all-star players. Teams are listed in alphabetical order with their respective all-star picks.

Bainbridge-Guilford

Dakota Vandermark, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, running back
Vandermark set Bainbridge-Guilford’s single-season rushing record, doing so in the fourth quarter of his final game as a Bobcats player. He had a County-best 1,339 yards rushing to go with 12 TDS and had 1,978 yards rushing over the past two seasons. “He ran much more physical this year, and had great breakaway speed,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “
Vandermark topped 100 yards rushing six times this season, and had a career-high 322 yards rushing against Deposit-Hancock, one of the top rushing performances in Chenango County history.
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Billy Holden, jr. 6-2, 220 pounds, fullback
The Bobcats had an outstanding one-two punch in the backfield with Vandermark testing the edge of defenses, and Holden powering up the middle. Despite his large size, Holden had impressive speed in the open field. He proved that with a 67-yard TD run up the middle against Oxford when he went virtually untouched. He finished with 599 yards rushing and nine scores. He also had a big interception for a touchdown in week one against UV-Edmeston to secure a victory. “He really came into his own this year, and teams had to respect his inside running,” Mattingly said. “He’s a tough, strong kid, and on defense, he brought it every time.”
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Danny Gormley, sr., 5-7, 140 pounds, defensive back
Gormley usually gave up size to the other team’s receivers, but never backed down, and made up for his smaller frame with intelligent and aggressive play. “He always did an excellent job in coverage, and we always put him on the other team’s best receivers,” Mattingly said. “He was a sure tackler in the open field, and he would come up and stick you. He’s a great kid, and we’ll miss him and his leadership.” Gormley also was an able pass receiver for a team that did not throw the ball much. He finished with four catches for 60 yards.
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Daren Terpstra, sr., 5-9, 160 pounds, linebacker
Terpstra, who was called into duty last year as a running back, but saw most of his time this season at linebacker. With fresher legs, Terpstra capped a standout career as the captain and leader of the Bobcats’ defense. “He was always communicating to the guys and was really good about calling out formations in certain sets and what the other team was about to run,” Mattingly said. “He got guys in the right spots, and he had a nose for the football. He was a kid, for his size, who played bigger. He was intense, and that rubbed off on the other kids.”
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Ryan Burt, sr., 5-9, 220 pounds, offensive tackle
A backup fullback until this year, Burt, was moved to the offensive line as the Bobcats needed to replace four of five starters from the previous season. Despite his lack of experience at offensive tackle, he became the team’s best offensive lineman. “He’s one of those kids who rose to the occasion and exceeded all of our expectations,” Mattingly said. “He was a kid who wanted to run the ball, but to his creidt, he made the switch to the line and did whatever we needed. He is a big, strong kid who was quick on his feet. He did an outstanding job for us.”
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Greene

Kurt Shear, sr., 5-10, 186 pounds, running back
In his first and only season as a full-time starting running back, all Shear did was establish a new Greene single-season rushing record. He had two 200-yard rushing games this season, the high a 243-yard performance in a 41-12 victory over Lansing. He had 11 rushing scores, led the area with 224 carries, and finished with 1,309 yards, just 30 shy of the area’s lead. “At the beginning of the year, we evaluated our team and felt Kurt would be a strong weapon,” Paske said. “It turned out that way. With Keegan (Cerwinski) at quarterback, we had a nice combo.” Even though Shear was stocky and powerfully built, he also proved tough to catch. Only one time was he caught from behind in the open field, Paske said. “We had very few negative plays with Kurt running the ball,” Paske said. “He’s a heck of a player, and one who definitely shined this year.”
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Alex Kenyon, sr., 6-1, 245 pounds, offensive line, linebacker
A three-year starter for the Trojans, Kenyon had 32 pancake blocks this season, second on the team, and had 82 pancakes for his career. On defense, he was the Trojans’ second leading tackler and had three sacks to lead the team to go with one interception. “Alex had a great motor,” Paske said. “He’s a quiet guy, like Kurt, but he never quit and never gave up. He was definitely a leader on our offensive line and a guy the other guys looked up to and counted on. He’s that type of kid that helps you establish a program.”
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James Church, sr., 5-10, 175 pounds, offensive guard
Of Greene’s offensive linemen, Church led the way with 38 pancake blocks this season as the Trojans went on to lead the area with over 2,500 rushing yards this season. “He’s a kid that just worked his butt off in the weight room,” Paske said. “He did a heck of a job on the offensive line as one of our pulling guards. He relished that role and loved to finish blocks. He was an improved player, and his work in the offseason showed up on game days.”
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Keegan Cerwinski, 6-0, 180 pounds, quarterback
Greene became more of a running team this year, and the balance of the offense was swayed in large part due to Cerwinski’s running abilities as the signal-caller. Cerwinski led all area quarterbacks with 633 yards rushing and nine scores. He also threw an area-best seven TD passes for 346 yards. He was a breakaway threat to score every time he pulled the ball down, and had three 100-yard rushing days. “He’s a tough kid who was more than willing to put his shoulder down,” Paske said. “He has the speed to take it far, and was a nice complement to Kurt (Shear). He’s someone who we tried to get to the edge, and he also threw the ball better on the run instead of in the pocket. That’s where he threw the majority of his touchdown passes.”
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Norwich

Tyler Hoffman, sr., 5-11 190 pounds, fullback/defensive line
Hoffman did all of his work in the trenches. As a fullback in the Norwich offense, all of his carries came between the tackles, and he hit the holes with power, while always finishing off his runs pushing forward. Defensively, he worked as an interior defensive lineman. “He’s a mild-mannered kid off the field, but on the field, he really enjoys contact and plays for contact,” Martinson said. “He was a leader through his work ethic, and an anchor on both sides of the ball.” Hoffman led Norwich with five rushing touchdowns, and finished with 349 yards rushing. Hoffman was also selected, along with teammate Josh Favaloro to play in the 21st Annual Ernie Davis Senior Classic football game.
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Josh Favaloro, sr., 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, running back, defensive end
Favaloro had his hand in just about everything for the Tornado with the exception of doling out water during timeouts. He led Norwich in yards per carry (6.3), had three rushing TDs and 364 yards, he was a cornerback on first and second down, and defensive end on passing downs, while also serving as punter and kickoff specialist. “He helped us out in a lot of areas, and he was a very consistent player on both sides of the ball,” Martinson said.
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Seth Thomsen, jr., 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, defensive back/quarterback
Thomsen’s number one attribute, Martinson said, was his consistency. Thomsen did not make a lot of mistakes, and had only two interceptions entering the playoff game with Owego. “He did all of the things we asked him to do,” Martinson said. “We’re not a big throwing team, but he was a great leader in the huddle.” Defensively, Thomsen played defensive safety, and was also the primary kickoff and punt returner. He had one punt return for a touchdown, and added four rushing touchdowns to his season resume to go with a pair of TD passes and 329 yards passing.
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Teddy Jerome, sr., 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, offensive/defensive line
A senior tri-captain for the Tornado, Jerome was often the vocal leader for the Tornado, whose season was cut short due to a knee injury. “He was a leader on our offensive line, and other kids looked to him in the huddle,” Martinson said. In six-plus games, Jerome averaged three to four tackles per game as an interior defensive lineman, and added two fumble recoveries. “The rest of the team enjoyed his vocal leadership, and he played with a big purple heart,” Martinson said. “He played with passion, and that’s how I coach. It was nice to see that emotion.”
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Grant Brightman, so., 6-foot, 195 pounds, linebacker
Brightman had big shoes to fill stepping in for graduate Alex Williams, a three-year starter in the middle of the Tornado’s defense. After one season, Brightman appears to be on his own bright path of three-year success. He led the Tornado in tackles with 51 and had two interceptions. “He really did a tremendous job for us, and I couldn’t have asked for any more out of him,” Martinson said. “He has a nose for the ball and his fundamentals are outstanding. He’s a player that fought off blocks and never gave up on a play. He tried to make plays sideline to sideline.”
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Levi Lorimer, so., 6-4, 340 pounds, offensive line
Lorimer is proof of the axiom, “you can’t coach size.” Despite trimming down from last year, Lorimer was still the largest Norwich lineman, and combined with his physical play, it made him a staple up front for the Tornado, who reached the playoffs a second straight season. “He was a very solid performer all year long,” Martinson said. “We talk about our guys up front owning their man and winning every down. He took that to heart, and was really solid. He plays with intensity, and he will only get better.”

Oxford

Booker Davis, sr., 6-0, 200 pounds, linebacker.
Davis was Mr. Versatility on offense playing tailback, fullback, and ultimately tight end, and he was the heart of the Blackhawks’ defense playing middle linebacker. Head coach Mike Chrystie said the scheme of his team’s defense was to flow everything to the linebackers, and the opposition certainly noticed Davis’s impact. “More than once, coaches from the other teams complimented us saying they couldn’t block (Davis) and what a great middle linebacker we had,” Chrystie said. “The best thing about Booker is that he always put the team first. He wasn’t about statistics, he did whatever was needed to make our team better.”
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John Wonka, sr., 5-10, 170 pounds, linebacker,
Wonka was a three-year starting quarterback for the Blackhawks throwing for 2,035 yards and 15 TDs, and this year he truly proved his worth on defense at linebacker. Although Wonka was not the biggest linebacker in the area, he used every bit of his size to deliver a blow. “He was one of our more physical players, and he loved to hit on defense,” Chrystie said. “He brought it every game, and no one was going to run through him. He was one of those kids who went 1000 miles per hour on every play, and did whatever was called for.” Wonka also ran for 266 yards this season and added five rushing scores.
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Andrew Golden, so., 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, receiver
In his first season as a wideout, Golden swept the titles at receiver finishing with an area-best 21 catches to go with 302 yards for a 14.4 average. Golden was at his best in an early-season game with Section IV Class D division champion Delhi. Golden had six catches and two TD receptions, each TD catch one in which he outjumped and outfought the defender for the ball. “We told Andrew that the other teams would not have anyone with his same physical capabilities,” Chrystie said. “He has a good frame and good hands, and once he gained confidence in his ability to make plays, his game stepped up.”
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Sherburne-Earlville


Greg Duvall running back, 6-0, 175 pounds
After the first four games, DuVall was averaging about six carries a game. He became the Marauders’ starting tailback in week five, and had eight rushing touchdowns and four 100-yard rushing games the rest of the way to finish with 718 yards – fourth in Chenango County this season. “He had almost 600 yards the last five games, and that kind of speaks for itself,” Jasper said. “With him being able to run so hard between the tackles, that opened up the rest of the offense, and (his running ball) was a key to our overall improvement on offense.” DuVall finished his varsity career with his best game running for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a win over UV-Edmeston.
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Ethan Johnson, sr., 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, safety
While we didn’t keep interception statistics in the area, Johnson picked off six passes this year, likely the high among all Chenango County defenders this season. He had three in a victory over Little Falls returning two for touchdowns. One of those picks was called back by penalty, but it was apparent that Johnson’s ball-hawking ability was a key to the Marauders’ pass defense. “He became a really good defender this year,” Jasper said, who also charged Johnson with starting quarterback duties. “You could see his confidence grow, and in addition to his interceptions, he became a big help in the running game.”
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Cody Santiago, jr., 6-foot, 220 pounds
Santiago, playing defensive end, was able to shuck offensive linemen on his way to making defensive plays. He had 44 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks, and his best game was an 11-tackle performance against Frankfort-Schuyler. Early in the season, he was inserted as a starting offensive lineman, and became a devastating blocker as well. “He was just manhandling people on defense,” Jasper said. “He had quite a few tackles for a loss, and was harrassing quarterbacks pretty well. For a defensive lineman to make that many tackles, he has to be hustling around.”
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Justin Coye, sr. 5-10, 192 pounds, linebacker
On a team that led the area in total defense and scoring defense, Coye was the top tackler playing linebacker for the Marauders. Coye finished with 77 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, and one fumble recovery. Coye was especially adept as a run stuffer, while creating havoc on opposing offenses. “He was always around the ball,” Jasper said. “He quietly went about leading the defense, and I would look to him and know we would be able to stop people. He was tremendously improved over last year, and he led our defense.”
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Eric Eichler, sr., 5-10, 260 pounds, defensive line
A fourth-year player for the Marauders, Eichler overcame injuries in his senior season to become a league all-star. Perhaps a turning point for Eichler was when an ankle injury limited him to defensive duty only. He finished with 26 tackles, a sack, but was primarily a disruptive force on the interior defensive line. “His position isn’t really designed for making a lot of tackles. He was trapped and double-teamed a lot,” said S-E coach Mike Jasper. “Rarely did you see him go backward. He scraped down the line and created piles. He was more fresh playing just defense, and he made a big impact for us.”
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Unadilla Valley-Edmeston

Brett Gage, sr. 5-11, 170 pounds, running back
Gage went from a season where he actually finished with negative rushing yards to the number three running back in Chenango County. Gage had three straight 100-yard games midway through the season with a high of 133 yards in an overtime victory over Unatego. He finished with 724 yards averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and rushed for 88 yards or more five times. “He was really our go-to man when we had to have a good running play,” Foulds said. “He ran even better than I expected. He fought hard for the extra yards, and did an all-around good job for us.”
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Eli Conklin, sr. 6-foot, 170 pounds, linebacker
Similar to teammates Westbrook and Rifanburg, Conklin emerged from the shadow of a winless 2009 season to shine in his final season of varsity football. A starting running back a year ago, Conklin transitioned to become more of a one-way defensive player, and emerged as a key defensive stopper. “He was a huge staple of our defense this year,” Foulds said. “He was a big playmaker. Whenever we needed that stop, he picked it up and took over.” Conklin was also credited with forcing two fumbles this season.
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Will Westbrook, sr., 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
Westbrook was a bludgeoning fullback who softened up the middle of defenses, while rarely going more than a couple yards without making contact, and was a solid presence on defense playing linebacker for the Storm. After not gaining more than 19 yards in any of the first four games, Westbrook averaged over 50 yards and nearly five yards a carry the last five contests, again running mainly between the guard and center. “He was like a battering ram and someone we went to for that tough yard,” Foulds said. “On defense, he was a sticker at middle linebacker. He filled the hole with enthusiam, power, and gave everything he had. He did a great job on that side of the ball.”
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Calvin Rifanburg, sr., 6-foot, 180 pounds, offensive/defensive line
A holdover from teams that did not win games the previous two years, Rifanburg pared his weight down, and the player who was once called “Chunk” became an integral part of the Storm’s much-improved 2010 team. “He knew what he had to do and when to do it,” said UV-E coach Stan Foulds. “He learned and listened, and was just a good all-around football player on both sides of the ball. He was a great practice and game player, and made some big stops for us on the defensive side of the ball. “ Rifanburg also had two fumble recoveries playing defensive end.