At first glance, looking at the body of work logged by our six Chenango County football teams, nothing appears to jump off the page, so to speak.
Greene, for the third time in four years, registered the best overall record, yet failed to make the Class C playoffs. Down the line, B-G recorded its seventh straight winning season and third playoff appearance in four years. As you dig a little deeper, you’ll realize that the makeup of this year’s ballclubs – and the 24 all-star selections on our pages today – are more the blue-collar, under-the-radar individuals constantly nipping at your heels.
Here’s one statistic that reveals the competitiveness: For only the second time since all six grid outfits joined the Section IV Football Conference in 1995, every team recorded at least four victories. Aside from the Bobcats, Norwich made the playoffs a fourth straight year, and Sherburne-Earlville qualified for the Section III playoffs for the first time since leaving Section IV over a decade ago. Every club was in position to have a winning season, and all but one club had a chance to reach the playoffs as late as week seven.
None of the ballclubs was tearing it up offensively week after week, nor was any team playing defense like Chicago’s famed “Monsters of the Midway.” What we did see was steady production, and some record-breaking individual efforts at three schools.
Returning all-star, Oxford senior Paul Wonka, broke his school’s all-time rushing mark in week seven, and in his final game wearing a Blackhawks uniform, established a new all-time Chenango County rushing mark finishing his career with 3,726 rushing yards in 32 career games.
Perhaps the biggest surprises were B-G senior fullback Jake Mazzarella and Unadilla Valley quarterback Kurt Haycook. Mazzarella, following a long line of great B-G backs, set a new single-season school rushing record, and he did so on the final drive of his career totaling 1,365 yards, while rushing for a county-best 18 scores. “For whatever reason, we’ve continued to have running backs come in and do a great job for us,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly, who has had four different running backs rush for over 1,000 yards over the past six seasons.
Haycook never started a varsity game at quarterback until this year. He proceeded to set a Unadilla Valley record throwing for 953 yards and 13 scores, while also completing better than 51 percent of his passes. Haycook’s quarterback rating of 135 (based on the NCAA computation method), was 30 points better than any other starting quarterback in Chenango County.
While not a record performance, Oxford receiver Andrew Golden became the first person in 14 years to record as many as 40 catches in season. (The last person to do it was Oxford grad Ronny Smith). Golden’s 87 career catches, according to our statistics, is second in Oxford history behind Smith.
Golden and Wonka are two of nine returning all-stars. Making it two straight appearances in this issue are B-G’s Austin Bauerle and Corbin Palmer; Norwich’s Grant Brightman and Kyle Edwards; Austin Jasper of Sherburne-Earlville; and Unadilla Valley’s Justin Hofer and Kody Homann.
New faces not already mentioned are Greene’s Dan Treadwell, Garrett Huttleston, Trevor Flohr, Chris Kehoe, and Cole Browning; Keagan Franklin, Ryan Hayes, and Mike Oralls of Norwich; Brett Hufnagle of Oxford; and Unadilla Valley’s Richie Conklin and Alex Avolio.
All-Star selections this year were based on our observations of Chenango County players and the recommendations of area head coaches. Players who do not receive a varsity letter from their team are not eligible for the all-star squad. Below we have summarized the seasons of our two-dozen all-stars.

Teams listed Alphabetically

Bainbridge-Guilford

Jake Mazzarella, sr., running back, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
In his first and only full-time season as a starting running back, all Mazzarella did was establish a new Bainbridge-Guilford single-season rushing record. In his first three games this season, Mazzarella had over 600 yards and eight touchdowns, and he finished with 1,365 yards and 18 touchdowns, both area-best totals. Mazzarella broke the record on his team’s final drive of the season, and capped off his career with a short touchdown run. “He just came into the year in great shape,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “He has tremendous breakaway speed, and is just a physical runner. He really did exceed all of our expectations this season.”

Austin Bauerle, sr., tight end 6-foot-2, 215 pounds
Bauerle was far and away Bainbridge-Guilford’s leading receiver, but he was also a tremendous blocker on the offensive line helping his team average a county-leading 225 yards rushing per game. He finished with 19 catches for 281 yards with a pair of TD receptions. On defense, Mattingly said, he was also a team leader at defensive end. “He has a great set of hands and is such a good route runner,” Mattingly said. “If you throw it anywhere near him, he can make that catch. He did a great job for us on both sides of the ball, and showed tremendous leaderhip this year.”

Corbin Palmer, sr., defensive back/quarterback, 5-foot-10, 165 pounds
Not only was Palmer the quarterback on offense, he was also, arguably, the quarterback of the Bobcats’ defense. In addition to his pass coverage responsibilities, Palmer had a nose for the ball, and was consistently in on tackles. Palmer also directed the only offense that rushed for over 2,000 yards and passed for over 600 yards during the season. He completed 42 percent of his passes and threw for seven scores. “He did as good a job of running our offense as anyone I’ve coached,” Mattingly said. “He is a disciplined, smart kid, and he’s also tough.” Palmer threw for TD passes in seven of nine games, and had a season-best 126 yards passing in a victory over rival Oxford.

B-G honorable mention: Bobby Holden, sr., defensive line; Timmy Walts, sr., offensive center.

Greene

Dan Treadwell, sr., RB/DB, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds.
Treadwell, who had all of 15 carries his junior year, became the Trojans’ leading rusher in 2012 finishing with 561 yards, scoring six TDs and averaging 7.9 yards per carry. This from back who never carried the ball as many as 10 times in a game until the final two games of his career. “He did a little bit of everything for us, and he did them all well,” said Greene coach Tim Paske. Treadwell had three special teams touchdowns returning two kickoffs and one punt return to paydirt, had a team-high five interceptions, and caught seven passes. Over his three-year varsity career, he had 15 interceptions, the most of any player in Paske’s 10-year coaching tenure. Treadwell finished with nine touchdowns and seven two-point conversions leading the Trojans with 68 points. “He was huge for us and a special player this year,” Paske said.

Trevor Flohr, sr, offensive guard 6-2, 186 pounds
Certainly not the largest offensive lineman for Greene, Flohr made up for that with strength, speed, and technique. He had 38 pancake blocks – better than four per game – and as an inside defensive tackle, registered 67 defensive tackles. A three-year starter, Flohr was a true unsung hero who was rewarded with the “FOOL Award,” which stands for Fraternal Order of Offensive Lineman. “He has a motor that doesn’t stop,” Paske said. “On the offensive line, he loves to pull and does a lot of the trap stuff. He was a guy we definitely liked to run behind...he was a great kid to coach. He’s a team player, and will do anything for you.”

Garrett Huttleston, sr. offensive guard, 6-foot, 278 pounds
A veteran offensive lineman and two-year starter for the Trojans, Huttleston was a key component in the Trojans’ ability to push the line surge forward. He had 32 pancake blocks, and was a workhorse in the trenches either as a pulling guard or straight ahead power blocking on simple dive plays. “Garrett helped open a lot of holes for us,” Paske said. “He’s another guy who loved to pull or kick out the defensive end, and another guy who is tough to replace. He’s one of those gentle giants, but once the lights are on, he flips and switch and becomes an animal.”

Chris Kehoe, sr., center, 6-0, 260 pounds
A four-year starter on the offensive line at center, Kehoe was the most experienced of an already veteran offensive line, and led a powerful offensive line with 39 pancake blocks. Kehoe performed at a high level all season despite coming off a broken leg the previous spring. “He was a great leader up front for us and captain the past two years,” Paske said. “He took a lot of pride in his snaps, and rarely did we have a fumbled snap. When defenses gave us an odd look up front, the key for us was Chris handling the nose. He was able to handle the opponent’s nose, and had a heck of a final year for us.”

Cole Browning, sr., linebacker, 5-11, 185 pounds
Every successful team has a player like Cole Browning on it. It’s someone who can fill in competently at any position, and perform the duties unselfishly and with pride. Browning was asked to play tight end and running back on offense the first part of the season, and finished the last three games as the starting quarterback. On the other side of the ball, Browning moved between defensive safety, linebacker, and even defensive end. “He is someone who always sacrificed for the team, and did whatever was needed to be done,” Paske said. “He was an all-around player for us and had a great attitude.” Browning averaged nearly eight tackles per game, he forced three fumbles, was in on a couple of sacks, and had a fumble recovery. “He is someone who truly believes in the team concept,” Paske said. “He’s a positive kid, and the younger kids all look up to him.”

Greene honorable mention: Mike Beckwith, sr.; Trevor Parrish, sr.; Lane Whittaker, sr., Joel Roselle, jr.; Jeremy Flohr, sr.

Norwich

Kyle Edwards, sr., running back, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds
The world “versatile” comes to mind when describing Edwards, a returning all-star pick for Norwich. Edwards led Norwich in rushing yards, receiving, returned punts, and was the team’s punter averaging well over 35 yards per kick, with 12 punts pinning opponents inside the 20. Defensively, he was third in tackles and led in interceptions. In the win against Oneonta, Edwards put together Norwich’s single-best individual performance of the season rushing for 112 yards, catching 100 yards worth of passes, and returning a punt 66 yards for a touchdown. “He a great leader with a great work ethic,” said Norwich coach John Martinson. “He could do everything for us, and he helped us become more two-dimensional on offense.”

Grant Brightman, sr. linebacker, 5-foot-11, 215 pounds
Norwich’s preeminent defender the past three seasons, Brightman was hobbled the last six games with a severe ankle injury. After missing a pair of games, Brightman returned over the final four games playing almost exclusively defense – and on good leg. “He was still our second tackler, and remained our anchor on defense,” Martinson said. “He was very intense and knowledgeable player, who brings great confidence and assurance to his teammates, no matter what side of the ball he’s on.”

Michael Oralls, so., fullback/linebacker, 6-foot, 195 pounds
A starting linebacker, Oralls stepped in for an injured Brightman midway through the season, and led the Tornado in rushing over the final five games. He had a team-best six rushing scores, 6.9 yards per carry, and three 100-yard rushing games over the last five games. Defensively, Oralls was Norwich’s leading tackler, and when he wasn’t playing fullback, started at tight end. “He really stepped up on both sides of the ball for us,” Martinson said. “Not only was he an outstanding receiver and blocker, he was a determined runner who has great balance. On defense, he was very aggressive and passionate.”

Ryan Hayes, jr., center/defensive end, 6-foot, 210 pounds
A two-year starter for the Tornado, Hayes anchored the offensive line, and was also a ferocious defender leading the team in sacks and tackles for a loss. Fundamentally sound, Martinson said that Hayes is diligent in learning his assignments and strives to perfect every technique. “He is determined to do his best in all aspects of the game,” Martinson said. “He’s a great shotgun center, and many calls at the line of scrimmage. He was also a leader on our offensive line.” Perhaps Hayes’ defining moment came in the Owego game when he made a game-clinching tackle inside the 10-yard line as time expired.

Keagan Franklin, jr. cornerback/kickoff returner, 5-9, 145 pounds
Franklin is the idyllic football player; one who understands his role and buys into the team concept. A dynamic ballcarrier, Franklin did not see many rushing attempts this season, instead becoming a steadying influence as the team’s top kickoff returner and starting defensive cornerback. “He’s very quiet, yet is a determined, focused young man,” Martinson said. “He has exceptional speed, and he carries out his duties on the team with great execution and pride.” Franklin was third on Norwich’s club in all-purpose yards, averaged 22.5 yards per kickoff return, and had an 84-yard TD return. He also was a solid member of the defensive backfield, one that often required one-on-one coverage.

Norwich honorable mention: Michael Sutton, jr.; Levi Lorimer, sr.; Jared Wilber, sr.; Danny Carson, sr.; Matthew Burke, jr.

Oxford

Brett Hufnagle, sr, 5-10, 215, offensive guard
While Hufnagle’s teammate, Paul Wonka, earned most of the headlines rushing for a county record 3,800-plus yards, Hufnagle was blocking up front for the majority of those yards starting at offensive guard the past three years. “He’s a guy that pulls all over the place whether we’re running power or counter plays,” said Oxford coach Ray Dayton. “He’s that athletic, and a tough, tough kid. It’s tough to play guard in our offensive system, but he did a great job for us. I really can’t say enough good things about him, and he’s someone we’ll really miss.”

Andrew Golden, sr. receiver, 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
Golden completed the hat trick winning Chenango County’s receiving title for the third straight season. Golden caught a ball in every game and at least three in seven of nine contests hauling in a career-best 41 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns. For his career, he finishes with 87 catches, 1,350 yards, and 14 receiving touchdowns. His catches and receiving yards are second on our Chenango County all-time list behind Ron Smith of Oxford, who caught over 100 passes in the late 1990s. “We felt Andrew needed to touch the ball several times a game, and he was a big-play threat for us,” Dayton said. “He has great hands, and he’s the type of guy that makes a quarterbacks look good. I think basketball is his number one sport, but I really believe with his size, movement, and hands, he has the potential to be a D-1 tight end.”

Paul Wonka, sr., running back, 5-foot-8, 210 pounds
What more can be said about Wonka that has not already been documented? To review, Wonka rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of eight games he played this year, and his 1,207 yards pushed his career total to 3,726, to eclipse the mark of previous record-holder Josh Foulds of Unadilla Valley. Along the way, Wonka broke the Oxford school record for career rushing yards, and his 151 yard rushing per game was a testament to his consistency and durability. An all-state running back a season ago, more accolades should be forthcoming for the senior workhorse. “He’s everything you’re looking for in a running back,” Dayton said. “He has size, he’s dedicated to the weight room, has decent speed, is elusive, yet he’s not afraid to put his head down to gain that extra yard. In most one-back systems, you split the carries. When you have a back like Paul, you just give him the ball and watch him operate. It was no secret what we were trying to do on offense, and they still couldn’t stop him.”

Oxford honorable mention: Cameron Heggie, jr., receiver; Richard Ryan, so., offensive center.

Sherburne-Earlville

Austin Jasper, jr, linebacker 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
For the second straight season, Jasper led the Marauders in tackles averaging nearly 11 per game as the starting middle linebacker. Jasper accumulated those statistics and maintain his high level of play despite sufering a torn medial collateral ligament early in the season. One of the team’s leading rushers early on, he was relegated to mainly blocking duties in a switch to tight end on offense. Still, he averaged eight yards per carry, while also catching a pair of TD passes. “He was just a big, physical player in the middle of the defense, and when he wasn’t in there, we had a totally different defense,” said S-E head coach Mike Jasper. “He just brings that physicality to our run defense and our overall defense. He makes the right reads, he fills gaps, and roams sideline to sideline. It was another solid season for him.”

Matt Smith, sr., defensive back, 6-foot-1 190 pounds
Smith anchored the Marauders’ defensive pass coverage leading the team with four interceptions this year. He also doubled as S-E’s quarterback throwing for nine touchdowns and over 400 yards. “He’s a rangy, athletic kid, and has good instincts to the ball,” Jasper said. Smith moved from cornerback to safety this season, and therefore was expected to provide run support in additional to reading pass plays. “It was a big change moving him on defense,” Jasper said. “He is so aggressive and was the edge setter on our run defense. He got to the ball and he made a lot of plays for us.”

Cody Marango, so., linebacker 5-foot-10, 178 pounds
Well thought of as a quarterback, Marango was an unknown quantity on defense. From the scrimmage in August, Marango left no doubt he would be a key player on the S-E defense. “He was probably our biggest surprise this year,” Jasper said. “He did a lot of lifting in the offseason, and you could see his confidence blossom. In the scrimmage, he was coming up and decking people. We were very concerned at his position entering the season, but he really stepped up. He laid the wood all year long, and he had a lot of forced fumbles and forced turnovers.” In what may a preview of the future, Marango saw significant playing time at quarterback in his team’s final game throwing two second-half TD passes at Utica Notre Dame.

Sherburne-Earlville honorable mention: Felix Rodriguez, sr., defensive back; Adam Alishauskas, jr., offensive line; Garrett DuVall, so., fullback; Julienne Alsheimer, sr., linebacker.

Unadilla Valley

Alex Avolio, so., offensive line, 6-0, 215 pounds
Richie Conklin, so., offensive line, 6-0, 270 pounds
Unlike the rest of our all-stars, Avolio and Conklin are paired together as one. Situated next to each other on the right side of the UV offensive line, the two sophomores began what will likely be a banner three-year partnership for the Storm. “Both sides of the ball, they were huge for us,” said UV first-year coach Daryl Decker of his two young linemen. “They are both really hard-working kids. Alex is the consummate student athlete, who works hard in practice, and off the field in the weight room. Richie is one of those raw-boned farm boys. He played his heart out who has that strong work ethic.” Avolio and Conklin made a bold announcement to Decker before the final game of the season against Deposit-Hancock. “They both came to me and said, ‘coach, we want you know, you can run behind us all day long.’ I said I would, and we did.” Not only did the Storm run the ball well against Deposit-Hancock, it put up a season-high 56 points. “We’re really glad to have these two guys back for two more years,” Decker said.

Kody Homann, sr., running back, 5-foot-9, 180 pounds
You would be hard-pressed to find someone who got more out of a play than Homann. The returning senior led UV in rushing yards, receiving touchdowns, defensive tackles, and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. He was second in Chenango County with 16 total scores and 100 points, and was never too far away from making a big play. He is also the only player in the area with at least five rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns. He finished with 997 combined rushing and receiving yards, and if you factor in returns, he easily exceeded the 1,500-yard mark. “He’s such a versatile player for us, and he knows how to put himself in the right position to make plays,” Decker said. “The kid loves football and absorbs everything you tell him. As a running back, he knows where to cut and how to read blocks. When we used him as a receiver, he ran great routes and catches everything we threw at him. He’s just a football kid.”

Kurt Haycook, sr., quarterback, 6-foot, 180 pounds
A backup quarterback until this season, Haycook produced the best single season by a Unadilla Valley (or UV-Edmeston) quarterback since the school entered 11-man football in 1995. Haycook was the lone area starting quarterback to complete more than 50 percent of his passes, and was also the only local QB to throw at least one TD pass in every game. He had 13 TD tosses and averaging 119 yards passing in eight games. Couple that with his ability to scramble and extend plays, Haycook was one of the pleasant surprises among area players this season. “Just his composure in all situations, it really blew me away,” Decker said. “He had not played much quarterback at all since I had him on JV in ninth grade. He took charge and led our boys this year.” Haycook had six 120-yard passing days in eight games, and five games with at least two TD passes.

Justin Hofer, sr., wide receiver 6-0, 160 pounds.
Hofer was the Storm’s big-play receiver and a potential game-breaker in any situation. After failing to catch a pass in UV’s season opener, Hofer averaging nearly five catches per game over the final seven contests scoring on six TD receptions. Of course, four of those TDs were for more than 35 yards, and he returned a pair kickoffs for TDs. If not for penalties, Hofer would have had at least three more returns for TDs. His 33 catches for 543 yards were both number two in Chenango County, and in most years would have easily landed him our receiving title. “He was more than just our speed guy,” Decker said “He was a real leader that wants to win, and will do what he can.” Hofer was also one of his team’s best defensive players, despite his slight, wiry frame. “He flew to the ball, and he had perfect tackling form,” Decker said. “He really made some big hits.”

Unadilla Valley honorable mention: Dillon Rifanburg, so.; Thomas Meyers, sr., Seth Beadle, sr.