NORWICH – Coming off of their fantastic come-from-behind victory against Chenango Valley to clinch the Section IV Class B Championship last Saturday night, Feb 27th, the Tornado men now need to buckle down and focus on their next task. They are slated to play Bishop Grimes, the reigning Section III Champions in their quest for a State title.
Norwich will be looking to reignite the spark that propelled them to their magnificent fourth quarter comeback against the Warriors. Down by 14 points going into the final quarter, the Tornado erupted offensively, and played meticulously on the defense end, to outscore the Warriors 28-7 in the final eight minutes of the game.
The Tornado are definitely approaching the game with the right mindset. Senior Carlos Ithier Jr. described how much of a confidence booster the comeback was, and how much a win against Bishop Grimes would mean to the team. “It is a huge confidence booster because we always know that if we are down in a game, we can always come back!” he said. “We are pumped to play Bishop Grimes and we are going to be just as hungry as they are. I believe the comeback victory gives us a lot of confidence, but we’ll see when the day comes.”
After the Section IV Championship victory, the Tornado currently have a terrific 22-1 record. They are in the search of their first State title since 1994. Former Jamesville-Dewitt head coach Bob McKenney now coaches Bishop Grimes, who also commanded an intimidating 22-1 record on the season, suffering their only loss to Westhill. They are currently ranked ninth in the State, while Norwich is perched at the number three position. It will most certainly be a matchup for the ages when the two clash tomorrow night, Saturday March 5, at SUNY Cortland. Tip-off is currently scheduled for 2:45 p.m., but is subject to change. The winner will go on to the semi-finals in Glens Falls and face off against either Section IX's Marlboro Central or Southampton of Section XI.