Grid Preview: B-G meets Groton in Class D quarterfinal playoff game
Groton (5-1) has not played an official game in three weeks. It squared off in an exhibition game last week against Schuylerville, and received a forfeit one week earlier against Thomas Edison. Will that give B-G (5-2) the competitive edge heading into tonight’s Class D playoff opener? “I really think that both teams are pretty evenly matched,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “We’ll do our stuff, and see what happens.”
Groton is not the same club that beat B-G two years ago in the Class D playoffs. It lost to Oxford, 28-20, in week two, and in the game against Schuylerville, the final score reported was an outrageous 67-7 loss for the Indians. “We’re not looking at their game last week,” Mattingly said. “They have a quick running back, a quarterback who can throw, and good receivers. Defensively, they are physical with aggressive linebackers.”
The Bobcats’ number one key will be to re-establish running back Jake Mazzarella. Mazzarella was averaging over 170 yards rushing per game the first six weeks, but was held to 30 yards and a season-low 10 carries against Windsor. “The bottom line is that we have to establish Jacob and the running game,” Mattingly said. “We’ll mix it up on offense, but we’ll need to be successful running the ball if we want to win this game.”
Greene (5-2) at Norwich (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
If tonight’s meeting is anything like the first time these two clubs met, it should be an entertaining affair as the Tornado finish up their home schedule. In that contest in 2007, the Tornado were stopped on a fourth-and-one at the one-yard line late in the fourth quarter in a 16-15 Trojans victory.
Since that win, Greene’s program has continued to flourish with a pair of Section IV finals appearances, and last week it clinched the program’s eighth straight winning season, one of the longest current streaks in the section. “We’re very impressed with how well Greene executes. They are fast, physical, and tough,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “We expect a physical game, and we’ll need to be more aggressive this week on both sides of the ball.”
While Greene is coming off a 22-8 road win over Whitney Point, the Tornado have back-to-back home losses to Maine-Endwell and Chenango Valley by a combined 84-21 score. Those losses, however, came to the number one ranked Class B team in the state (M-E), and the two-time defending Section IV Class B champion. “We look at last week’s game (against Chenango Valley) as an aberration,” said Greene coach Tim Paske. “The film I have seen, Norwich is much better than that. They have a lot of good skill kids, and they can do almost what they want to do on offense.”
On the line for Greene is another win over a school in a larger classification. For Norwich, a win would generate some momentum as it heads toward a Class B playoff appearance next week. “Overall, our team is excited about playing Greene. It’s our senior night and final home game,” Martinson said. “We must learn from our past two games, but look ahead at what opportunities are in front of us.”
Delhi (3-4) Unadilla Valley (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
Unadilla Valley gets a second home Friday night game, and in Delhi, one team will see its hope of a winning season fizzle. For Delhi, plus-.500 campaigns are old hat, while UV is looking to avoid an eighth straight losing season.
“We expect to see Delhi football. It’s been successful (under Dave Kelly) for 40 years, so why not continue it?” said UV coach Daryl Decker. “Delhi will be fighting for a winning season, just like us. This is our opportunity to create a tradition in Class D.”
Decker guided his club to an impressive shutout win last weekend, and in doing so held the opponent, Roscoe/Downsville, to negative yards. Decker understands that his opposition was not a strong team, but that doesn’t dismiss a team’s need to perform to expectations. “You still have to run your plays correctly to make them work, and we did,” Decker said.
Oxford (2-5)at Deposit-Hancock (2-5), Friday, 7 pm.
The Blackhawks face a Deposit-Hancock ballclub that has experienced the ultimate in extremes. In its three division losses, D-H has lost by a combined score of 125-6. Conversely, in its two victories, the host Eagles have won on the scoreboard by an aggregate, 80-7. “They’ve been up and down this year. We know they are pretty young and have a decent quarterback,” said Oxford coach Ray Dayton. “When you play Deposit/Hancock, the two programs have a tradition of tough, hard-nosed football. We expect to see a little bit of everything from them.”
Oxford ran for just 57 yards last week against Moravia, by far the lowest total in Dayton’s near two years at the helm. The Blackhawks coach expects that to turn around. “Our performance running the ball last week was unacceptable,” Dayton said. “We want to be a running team, we just didn’t get it done and you can’t have the turnovers we committed.”
Sherburne-Earlville (4-3) vs. Utica Notre Dame (4-3), Saturday, 3 p.m. at Waterville
Utica Notre Dame took General Brown deep into last week’s Class C quarterfinal losing 33-30. The Jugglers’ other defeats this year came to state-ranked Herkimer and Class B Vernon-Verona-Sherrill. “It’s another test against a playoff-caliber team, and our mindset is that we need to win games against these types of teams,” said S-E coach Mike Jasper
The importance of this game extends to the Marauders’ hope for a third straight winning season in 11-man football. Something that has not happened in 40 years when the Marauders finished above .500 from 1970-1972 as a member of Section III’s Center State Conference. To accomplish that goal, S-E will need to tighten up a defense that allowed nearly 500 yards of offense in a loss to Skaneateles last week. “We certainly need to be better on defense than last week,” Jasper said. “If we can establish the run to set the tempo, it gives us our best chance to win.”
UND’s offense was led, until last week, by running back Jordan Chrobak. Chrobak is out this week after suffering a concussion, but Jasper said the Jugglers still have plenty of weapons. “Private schools always do (have more weapons), so this should be another strong test for us,” the S-E coach said.
Groton is not the same club that beat B-G two years ago in the Class D playoffs. It lost to Oxford, 28-20, in week two, and in the game against Schuylerville, the final score reported was an outrageous 67-7 loss for the Indians. “We’re not looking at their game last week,” Mattingly said. “They have a quick running back, a quarterback who can throw, and good receivers. Defensively, they are physical with aggressive linebackers.”
The Bobcats’ number one key will be to re-establish running back Jake Mazzarella. Mazzarella was averaging over 170 yards rushing per game the first six weeks, but was held to 30 yards and a season-low 10 carries against Windsor. “The bottom line is that we have to establish Jacob and the running game,” Mattingly said. “We’ll mix it up on offense, but we’ll need to be successful running the ball if we want to win this game.”
Greene (5-2) at Norwich (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
If tonight’s meeting is anything like the first time these two clubs met, it should be an entertaining affair as the Tornado finish up their home schedule. In that contest in 2007, the Tornado were stopped on a fourth-and-one at the one-yard line late in the fourth quarter in a 16-15 Trojans victory.
Since that win, Greene’s program has continued to flourish with a pair of Section IV finals appearances, and last week it clinched the program’s eighth straight winning season, one of the longest current streaks in the section. “We’re very impressed with how well Greene executes. They are fast, physical, and tough,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “We expect a physical game, and we’ll need to be more aggressive this week on both sides of the ball.”
While Greene is coming off a 22-8 road win over Whitney Point, the Tornado have back-to-back home losses to Maine-Endwell and Chenango Valley by a combined 84-21 score. Those losses, however, came to the number one ranked Class B team in the state (M-E), and the two-time defending Section IV Class B champion. “We look at last week’s game (against Chenango Valley) as an aberration,” said Greene coach Tim Paske. “The film I have seen, Norwich is much better than that. They have a lot of good skill kids, and they can do almost what they want to do on offense.”
On the line for Greene is another win over a school in a larger classification. For Norwich, a win would generate some momentum as it heads toward a Class B playoff appearance next week. “Overall, our team is excited about playing Greene. It’s our senior night and final home game,” Martinson said. “We must learn from our past two games, but look ahead at what opportunities are in front of us.”
Delhi (3-4) Unadilla Valley (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
Unadilla Valley gets a second home Friday night game, and in Delhi, one team will see its hope of a winning season fizzle. For Delhi, plus-.500 campaigns are old hat, while UV is looking to avoid an eighth straight losing season.
“We expect to see Delhi football. It’s been successful (under Dave Kelly) for 40 years, so why not continue it?” said UV coach Daryl Decker. “Delhi will be fighting for a winning season, just like us. This is our opportunity to create a tradition in Class D.”
Decker guided his club to an impressive shutout win last weekend, and in doing so held the opponent, Roscoe/Downsville, to negative yards. Decker understands that his opposition was not a strong team, but that doesn’t dismiss a team’s need to perform to expectations. “You still have to run your plays correctly to make them work, and we did,” Decker said.
Oxford (2-5)at Deposit-Hancock (2-5), Friday, 7 pm.
The Blackhawks face a Deposit-Hancock ballclub that has experienced the ultimate in extremes. In its three division losses, D-H has lost by a combined score of 125-6. Conversely, in its two victories, the host Eagles have won on the scoreboard by an aggregate, 80-7. “They’ve been up and down this year. We know they are pretty young and have a decent quarterback,” said Oxford coach Ray Dayton. “When you play Deposit/Hancock, the two programs have a tradition of tough, hard-nosed football. We expect to see a little bit of everything from them.”
Oxford ran for just 57 yards last week against Moravia, by far the lowest total in Dayton’s near two years at the helm. The Blackhawks coach expects that to turn around. “Our performance running the ball last week was unacceptable,” Dayton said. “We want to be a running team, we just didn’t get it done and you can’t have the turnovers we committed.”
Sherburne-Earlville (4-3) vs. Utica Notre Dame (4-3), Saturday, 3 p.m. at Waterville
Utica Notre Dame took General Brown deep into last week’s Class C quarterfinal losing 33-30. The Jugglers’ other defeats this year came to state-ranked Herkimer and Class B Vernon-Verona-Sherrill. “It’s another test against a playoff-caliber team, and our mindset is that we need to win games against these types of teams,” said S-E coach Mike Jasper
The importance of this game extends to the Marauders’ hope for a third straight winning season in 11-man football. Something that has not happened in 40 years when the Marauders finished above .500 from 1970-1972 as a member of Section III’s Center State Conference. To accomplish that goal, S-E will need to tighten up a defense that allowed nearly 500 yards of offense in a loss to Skaneateles last week. “We certainly need to be better on defense than last week,” Jasper said. “If we can establish the run to set the tempo, it gives us our best chance to win.”
UND’s offense was led, until last week, by running back Jordan Chrobak. Chrobak is out this week after suffering a concussion, but Jasper said the Jugglers still have plenty of weapons. “Private schools always do (have more weapons), so this should be another strong test for us,” the S-E coach said.
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