Norwich will attempt to do on Saturday what no other team has done over the past 20 games – defeat Maine-Endwell.
The Spartans strung together 12 straight wins a year ago on their way to a Class A state championship. As good as that sounds, the look of this year’s club is nothing short of ravishing.
In eight wins this season, M-E is averaging over 50 points per game and has outscored opponents by more than six touchdowns per tilt. The Spartans’ combined margin of victory in eight games –353 points – is more than any team in Section IV has scored.
“I was talking to their coach, and this is a team that has put in a lot of time together on and off the field,” said Norwich coach John Martinson of M-E. “They are committed to do their best and improve...they really have something special there, and it reminds me of those great Chenango Forks teams. You look up and down their roster, and it’s every bit a state championship team. You look to find a weakness, but they’re balanced everywhere.”
With a formidable task ahead – and a 49-7 loss to M-E three weeks ago – Norwich will line up on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with the intention of “shocking the world,” Martinson said. “We’ve put together our game plan, and we’ll give it our best shot,” the NHS coach said. “We’ve worked on our option responsibilities. We’ll need to fight off blocks and make tackles. On offense, we’ll have to hold the ball and get some points on the board.”
In a meeting earlier this season at Norwich, the Spartans rolled to a 49-7 victory.
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The rest of Chenango County’s ballclubs will finish up their games this weekend. Below is a look at week nine’s matchups:

Windsor (3-5) at Greene (6-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Trojans may be renamed the “B killers” if they win Friday’s clash with Windsor. The Trojans have beaten three Class B teams this season – Susquehanna Valley, Dryden, and Norwich – this season, and all but the Norwich victory were blowouts. “When you move up a classification, it’s always a challenge,” said Greene coach Tim Paske. “The ball hasn’t always bounced (Windsor’s) way this season, but they’re big and battle tested.”
Greene held on to slim playoff hopes after beating Norwich last week, but those hopes rested on a Newark Valley victory over Sidney. The Warriors won that game to clinch the second Class C Division V playoff spot to eliminate the Trojans. “We knew coming into the season that we needed to beat either Sidney or Forks (Chenango), and we didn’t do that,” Paske said. “We had a chance at the end, but had to rely on other people. We’d rather be in the playoffs, but the seniors are excited to play their last game at home and go out with a win.”
Windsor’s offense is led by running back Isma’il Griffin, who has several 100-yard rushing games this season. The Black Knights also have a complementary passing game led by quarterback Josh Cady. “They’re a tough team, much better than their record shows,” Paske said.

Walton (3-5) at Bainbridge-Guilford (5-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
With its playoff loss last week to Tioga, Walton secured its first losing season in over three decades. Gone is a 31-year streak of prosperity, the longest streak – by far – in Section IV. “I’ve seen them play a couple of times, and they had a brutal schedule this year,” said B-G coach of Walton. “It’s the same Walton that I know. They move the ball and grind it out. I expect a tough game.”
The Bobcats are still smarting from a playoff loss to Groton last week, one in which they led by a touchdown in the fourth quarter. “I worry about how our kids will react this week. It was a pretty disappointing loss,” Mattingly said. “But it’s Walton we’re playing, and I think that alone should be motivation for the kids.”

Oxford (3-5) at Whitney Point (1-7), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Since an opening-game victory, Whitney Point has dropped seven straight games. Two of those opponents have come within Chenango County’s boundaries with Unadilla Valley and Greene earning victories over the Golden Eagles. Oxford will look to make it 3-for-3 Saturday and finish the season with four victories. “It’s always better to send the seniors off with a good taste in their mouth and go out winners,” said Oxford coach Ray Dayton, whose club picked up a 34-6 win last weekend. “We want to have that feeling, and we’re also playing for that rushing record.”
That rushing record, held by Josh Foulds of Unadilla Valley, is a mere 125 yards away for Oxford senior Paul Wonka. Wonka, who broke Mike Chrystie’s school record two weekends ago, has 3,530 career rushing yards in three-plus seasons with Oxford. “I think Paul’s accomplishments show that we’ve done a good job up front blocking, and that we’ve also had one of the best – if not the best – backs in the area,” Dayton said.

Deposit-Hancock (2-6) at Unadilla Valley (3-5), Friday, 7 p.m.
It’s a return home for Deposit-Hancock head coach Jeremiah Johnson, who graduated from Unadilla Valley and played for his dad Frank, now a UV school administrator. “Yes, I think having a relationship with (Jeremiah) was a key to playing this game,” said UV coach Daryl Decker. “We’re hosting the game this week because their field was torn up last week against Oxford.”
UV ran into a hot Delhi club a week ago, and with that loss, the hope of a winning season ended. Still, with a win tonight, a four-win campaign would match the Storm’s best season over the past eight years. “To be honest, we don’t know a lot about them other than they like to run a spread look on offense,” Decker said. “We need to hit them hard at the start. If we play our game, we should be fine.”

Sherburne-Earlville vs. Frankfort-Schuyler, canceled
Sherburne-Earlville coach Mike Jasper learned Wednesday that Frankfort-Schuyler was unable to field a team this weekend, so the Marauders’ final game of the season was canceled. Coming off its first Section III postseason appearance, S-E finishes the season with a 4-4 record.