Oxford shoots for winning season
A local football coach told me this week that once the games start, the season moves really fast.
It seems like yesterday – actually, it was nearly two months ago – when the six area football teams debuted in 2014. Tonight, three of those clubs are in action in season-cappers with Oxford hosting Deposit-Hancock, Bainbridge-Guilford entertaining Whitney Point, while Unadilla Valley travels to Mount Markham.
Below is a look at our three games on tap for this evening:
Deposit-Hancock (5-3) at Oxford (4-4), Thursday, 7 p.m.
Oxford narrowly missed qualifying for the Class D playoffs, but can set things up nicely for next year with a victory against Deposit-Hancock. The Blackhawks went 1-8 a season ago, but is in position to post just the second winning season since 2006. "The big thing the kids have learned is being a winner and what it takes to win games," said Oxford first-year coach Jeff Newton. "Our seniors have set a great foundation for the next few years. We are trying to bring back the winning tradition at Oxford, and the kids are starting to see the hard work and dedication it takes."
Deposit-Hancock is coming off a first-round playoff loss to defending Section IV champion Tioga. Still, the Eagles possess a number of weapons on offense led by quarterback Ronnie Ballard and receiver Brandon Macumber. "They're a good team, and we'll have to play disciplined football, execute, and get rid of the mental mistakes," Newton said.
Deposit-Hancock is coming off a big disappointment in a playoff loss to Tioga, so we like the Blackhawks here.
Prediction: Oxford
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Whitney Point (2-6) at Bainbridge-Guilford (2-6), 6 p.m.
A pair of two-win clubs tangle in an early start. The Bobcats rallied for their second win of the season last week, and produced their highest point total in the process. Meanwhile, Whitney Point was blanked for its sixth loss, and the Golden Eagles are the third lowest scoring team among Section IV Class C and D teams.
"They're similar to us, so it should be a good matchup,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. "Our focus will be stopping their tight end (Gabe Schrauger), and their quarterback is a pretty good athlete."
Both clubs eschew fancy formations and wide-open play – most of the time – so this one will be decided in the trenches. "They line up and come right at you, and we have the same philosophy," Mattingly said. "It should be a good game."
Prediction: Bainbridge-Guilford
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Unadilla Valley (2-6) at Mount Markham (3-5), 6 p.m.
After picking up some momentum with a victory over Delhi in week six, UV has struggled on offense and defense the past two weeks in losses to Unatego and Oxford.
In this intersectional clash, Storm head coach Mark Segina is familiar with the Mount Markham program from his stint as a head coach at Cooperstown as well as preseason scrimmages.. "We're expecting a fun, competitive game to end the season," Segina said.
Both clubs are near mirror images with big-play personnel. The Mustangs were in a brutal division this season that at one point had four state-ranked Class C teams. One of those setbacks came to Chenango County ballclub Sherburne-Earlville, 42-25. "They run a lot of different things on offense, and we'll need to stay on task and trust our key reads," Segina said.
For UV, it hopes to reestablish the offense that averaged over 30 points a game the first six weeks of the season. "We have been focusing on the fundamentals and basics during this short week, and trying to tie up loose ends on the season," Segina said. "We have some things we want to work on to see if they are promising building blocks for next year as well."
Prediction: Mount Markham
It seems like yesterday – actually, it was nearly two months ago – when the six area football teams debuted in 2014. Tonight, three of those clubs are in action in season-cappers with Oxford hosting Deposit-Hancock, Bainbridge-Guilford entertaining Whitney Point, while Unadilla Valley travels to Mount Markham.
Below is a look at our three games on tap for this evening:
Deposit-Hancock (5-3) at Oxford (4-4), Thursday, 7 p.m.
Oxford narrowly missed qualifying for the Class D playoffs, but can set things up nicely for next year with a victory against Deposit-Hancock. The Blackhawks went 1-8 a season ago, but is in position to post just the second winning season since 2006. "The big thing the kids have learned is being a winner and what it takes to win games," said Oxford first-year coach Jeff Newton. "Our seniors have set a great foundation for the next few years. We are trying to bring back the winning tradition at Oxford, and the kids are starting to see the hard work and dedication it takes."
Deposit-Hancock is coming off a first-round playoff loss to defending Section IV champion Tioga. Still, the Eagles possess a number of weapons on offense led by quarterback Ronnie Ballard and receiver Brandon Macumber. "They're a good team, and we'll have to play disciplined football, execute, and get rid of the mental mistakes," Newton said.
Deposit-Hancock is coming off a big disappointment in a playoff loss to Tioga, so we like the Blackhawks here.
Prediction: Oxford
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Whitney Point (2-6) at Bainbridge-Guilford (2-6), 6 p.m.
A pair of two-win clubs tangle in an early start. The Bobcats rallied for their second win of the season last week, and produced their highest point total in the process. Meanwhile, Whitney Point was blanked for its sixth loss, and the Golden Eagles are the third lowest scoring team among Section IV Class C and D teams.
"They're similar to us, so it should be a good matchup,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly. "Our focus will be stopping their tight end (Gabe Schrauger), and their quarterback is a pretty good athlete."
Both clubs eschew fancy formations and wide-open play – most of the time – so this one will be decided in the trenches. "They line up and come right at you, and we have the same philosophy," Mattingly said. "It should be a good game."
Prediction: Bainbridge-Guilford
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Unadilla Valley (2-6) at Mount Markham (3-5), 6 p.m.
After picking up some momentum with a victory over Delhi in week six, UV has struggled on offense and defense the past two weeks in losses to Unatego and Oxford.
In this intersectional clash, Storm head coach Mark Segina is familiar with the Mount Markham program from his stint as a head coach at Cooperstown as well as preseason scrimmages.. "We're expecting a fun, competitive game to end the season," Segina said.
Both clubs are near mirror images with big-play personnel. The Mustangs were in a brutal division this season that at one point had four state-ranked Class C teams. One of those setbacks came to Chenango County ballclub Sherburne-Earlville, 42-25. "They run a lot of different things on offense, and we'll need to stay on task and trust our key reads," Segina said.
For UV, it hopes to reestablish the offense that averaged over 30 points a game the first six weeks of the season. "We have been focusing on the fundamentals and basics during this short week, and trying to tie up loose ends on the season," Segina said. "We have some things we want to work on to see if they are promising building blocks for next year as well."
Prediction: Mount Markham
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