Section IV Football Season Preview - Tompkins County Teams with Dan Doherty

This episode provides in-depth analysis and review of the Section IV Tompkins County Teams, by Dan Doherty, Sports Reporter and Play-by-Play Analyst for ESPN Ithaca.

Teams: Ithaca, Dryden, Watkins Glen/Odessa Montour, Newark Valley, Groton, Lansing,  Moravia, Newfield, Spencer Van-Etten/Candor, Trumansburg

To follow the Tompkins County teams in Section IV, use the following information to access ESPN Ithaca:
Listen on 107.1 FM or 1160 AM
Website: espnithaca.com
Facebook: facebook.com/espnithaca
Twitter: @ESPNIthaca (mine is @DanDohertyESPN)
Instagram: @ESPNIthaca
Download the ESPN Ithaca mobile app on Apple or Android.
On Saturday mornings from 10-11 Dan hosts "Game Day"

This podcast will run weekly during the season and continue as long as a Section IV Football team is playing.

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome to Cover Four. If you're a Section Four football fan, this is your podcast. I'm Coach Smith, and I'll be your host. Our guest today is Dan Doherty. He's from the ESPN Ithaca station. He's a sports reporter and a play-by-play analyst. Welcome, Dan. Hey, how's it going? Good. Glad to have you. Thanks for taking the time. Dan's going to cover the Section 4 football season preview, specifically the Tompkins County teams that he covers. All right, quick pitch to you, Dan. You got the ball. Go with it.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Yeah, so it's it's it's a bit beyond Tompkins County. We got we got 10 teams uh that we cover. Uh they we got Seneca County, uh or Skylar County, I should say. Uh, and and we go down to Cortland County sometimes. So uh the area is a little wider than just Tompkins County, but yeah, our main core is the Tompkins County team. So, but I'll start with a team that's not in uh Tompkins County, it's Tyoga County. It's the the probably the best team in my area right now. It's uh Spencer Burnett and Candor. Uh they moved to eight man last year and they were just incredible. They they were they went undefeated to 5-0 uh with uh outscoring opponents uh by over 100 points. And the thing that makes them scary this year is all their core is back this year. Uh so Hunter Henry and Devin Beach are both two bullying brutal backs uh in the backfield, and their quarterback is Nick Thomas, who's very talented as well. Uh so the fact that they have those three players back, I don't know how they're gonna lose again this season. So I think they're they're gonna have another great uh run in in eight-man. And I mean, there's postseason now, so they'll have something extra to play for this season. So uh Spencer Vinett and Kander uh I think is gonna make a lot, a lot of noise uh heading into uh the eight-man season, their second uh trip to uh eight-man football. Uh then we have Lansing in our area. They they went four and one last year. They were the Section Four champions uh two two seasons, two two seasons ago, not the shortened season, yeah. Uh the season beforehand, they went to the intersectional championship and uh unfortunately lost uh in that game. Uh, but now they are in a transition phase. They just had their quarterback, Ben Vincent, who was a phenomenal athlete. He's uh graduated and is now playing for Alfred University. So uh the key for them is how do they replace a super talented quarterback uh like Ben Vincent? Uh we'll be covering their game against Moravia to open up the season. That's uh tomorrow. So uh I will know more about what their quarterback situation is and how they'll be adjusting uh to uh the to to not having uh Ben Vincent uh on that roster. They do have Eric Kahn, who's been on the team since his sophomore year. He's a very talented player, and Carson Crandall as well is a is a great target. Uh he's a tight end uh for the team and uh great, great athlete as well. Uh then Watkins Gonadessa Montour. They are a combined team of the Seneca Indians. Uh they went three and one last season, and uh they are also looking for uh a new quarterback, uh, or actually the Cameron Holland, my apologies. Uh Cameron Holland is back for a senior season, so they have some senior leadership uh at at the QB position, which is always important. Uh Owen Schultezek is a great player. Uh Traven Jones is also excellent uh in in the backfields. He's he's come back for a senior year. So uh they are a team that's fun to watch since they exclusively hand it off. They they they never pass the ball. It's very, very rare to see them pass the ball. They just uh they have three guys in the backfield at all times, and you don't know where they're going. And that's usually a style you see in eight-man football, but they take it to 11-man and and see how teams can uh adjust to that. And I mean, I called a great game with them last year. Uh they were playing Groton and they were down 14-0 at halftime, uh, and slowly but surely chipped away at the lead and scored 28 unanswered points to uh to win the game 28-14 in the second half. And uh it was a very impressive performance. So they are uh they are a fun team. Uh and uh, you know, that that having that combined uh team is it always helps. I mean, like I just said, Spencer Vanette and Candor is probably the best team in our area. So having a player pool from two schools uh is very, very helpful uh when you are you know trying to trying to make an impact uh in in section four. Uh then in eight man, we have the the Newfield Trojans. They actually played uh last night. They opened up their season against Thomas A. Edison and won 25 to 6. Uh they are also in a transition phase. They're their quarterback, Jacob Humble. Uh, he has graduated. He is now playing for St. John Fisher uh in the Empire Eight. And uh now they have given the reins to uh Jalen Hardison, who is a superb athlete. Uh he is a phenomenal basketball player. So now he gets to show his skill on the gridiron. Uh and it he got off to a great start. A 25-6 victory over uh Thomas A. Edison is is uh is very impressive. And uh they do have a new coach this year. Uh they had Jeff Stein for the past two seasons, uh, but now they have Hank Newbert, who has been around the area for a long time. He was the assistant coach at Lansing. Uh he was the assistant coach for Newfield for a long time, but now he's back as the head coach. Uh, and and he's just got a great outlook on things. A very, very positive guy, uh, and and just a great football coach. So I'm excited to see what the Trojans could do this season. They're already off to a great start. It was the first day of school for them, and then they went down to uh uh to play their first football game. So it was an exciting start to the year for the Newfield Trojans on on Wednesday. Uh the Moravia Blue Devils, they're also eight-man now. They they made the switch last season. Uh they went three and two, uh, but they are already one and oh this season. They played a week zero game against Weedsport, and they're calling that the CUGA ball now. Uh, and they won with the last second touchdown to Tacoma Lee. It was 21 seconds left. Uh, they they get the toss to uh Tacoma Lee and he scores to win 36-32, uh, which is a phenomenal finish. They have a new quarterback by the name of Luke Landis. He's a sophomore, uh great three-sport athlete, uh, baseball, basketball, and football. Uh, and it it's it seems like he's off to a great start. The I mean Tacoma Lee talked about him and said he's uh he's a great leader for this team. Uh so Moravia's got a good outlook for the next few years in the in the eight-man circuit. Uh, so I'm excited to see what they can do this season. Again, like I said, I'll be covering their game against Lansing tomorrow. Uh, that'll be a fun way to start my season uh on ESPN Ithica with that with that broadcast. So uh that'll be uh a fun game for sure. Eight-man's always uh uh fun to watch, um, you know, with with that open field and a whole lot of touchdowns. Uh Newark Valley has always been a powerhouse. Uh last year they did uh take a few licks. They went three and two uh last season, but they do have a senior quarterback in Mike Wandell, uh, who is who's a great athlete. Uh like he's he plays baseball. He was a great pitcher for that team. Uh and they they always have a good running game, a strong defense, a strong offensive line. Uh, you know, as as a lot of teams in the area move to eight man, uh Newark Valley is one that, you know, they don't have trouble filling out a roster. Uh, that's a that's a football town for sure. I mean, they're they're a couple years removed from a state championship. So that that football pipeline is still strong and and they're still pumping out talent. Uh, so they expect Mikey Wandell to do great things in the senior season and uh hopefully that'll lead to success for the uh the Newark Valley Cardinals. Uh the Trumansburg Blue Raiders, they are eight-man uh now. They they they came back in 2019 after a six-year hiatus uh and decided to come back in in the eight-man variation. They had a uh a solid season last year. It did it is a two and three record, but when they won, they dominated. They they still outscored opponents despite losing uh the majority of their games. So their their offense is high powered. Uh and uh it's it's led by uh a core of seniors this year. You have Ethan Fulton at the quarterback position. And uh from my experience last year, it seemed like the farther he threw the ball, the more accurate he was, uh, which was incredible to watch. And and and uh behind him, he's got Bryce Grove, who's just a real hard-nosed powerback, which is great in eight-man football. When you have only three blockers ahead of you, you gotta hope that your running back can do the work uh as well. And then he certainly does. And then Aiden Alexander is a supremely talented uh wide receiver, and having that core of seniors is really gonna lead this Trumansburg team to success uh this season. But they do have that very tough Spencermanett and Candor team to contend with um in in eight-man here in section four. I mean, that that eight-man division is just really, really fun with you know Newfield, uh Lansing, Moravia, Trumansburg, and Spencer Manette and Candor. That's uh just tightly contested uh competition. And I'm excited to see how it plays out with uh with the playoffs uh this season and who's able to you know contend for an intersectional championship uh this year. Then Groton has moved to eight-man this season. They they've been 11-man for the longest time, and uh it's a it's a true football town, uh, but the numbers just weren't there uh these past couple of years. So they were playing bigger schools. I think they they had six games on the schedule last year, only two of them were were against Class D competition, and they're a Class D school. So they were constantly playing bigger schools and and just getting roughed up. I mean, they they ended their season with uh a game against Class B A Wigo, and and they got they got really beat down. And and the coach saw that and said, we should probably make a change. And uh over the offseason, uh they did, and and now they're now they're an eight-man team, and I think that'll do them well. Uh I I talked to coach Joe Manning out of practice before the season, and um, I mean, he's excited for the year. He's got Austin Hunt returning at quarterback. Uh, and you know, he's he's had a couple months to uh to study up on the eight-man game and how everything works in in that regard. Um, because it it's not it wasn't a late switch. Like we had Spencefinette and Kandor last year. They kind of right before the season, they said, Oh, we're gonna do eight-man, and that kind of leaves the coach in a tough spot. But even though that that happened, they still went undefeated. Uh, so I think moving from 11-man to eight-man will will do this grotten team well. And uh and I mean his goal, Joe Manning, is is to go undefeated this year. So uh we'll see if they can do that. I think when when teams move from 11-man to eight-man, I think it it can definitely be a positive boost uh to their results for sure because they're playing similar-sized schools, they're playing schools that they're used to playing. Uh and yeah, that that's that's that that's gonna do the uh Groton Indians uh uh very well. Uh then we have Ithaca, which uh they they had a tough season last year. They lost a game, got quarantined, then lost a game, uh, or two games rather, they played an extra game as well. Uh so they they they're a class double A school, uh, but they do have a senior quarterback that I'm very excited to see, Chase Sposito. Uh he's been their starter since his sophomore year, and he is uh he has a great, great arm. Uh and as long as he has the targets of throw to he can really impress on the football field. So uh even if they haven't had the results these past couple years, uh Chase Sposito is really one to watch uh under center. He is just uh a great, great uh throwing talent. Uh, I mean, I've seen him throw just dimes down the field. Uh so uh we'll have their game late in the season against Binghamton. Um, and uh I'm I'm I'm excited to see what uh Sposito can do in his senior season because like I said, he's probably uh one of the more talented quarterbacks as far as arm talent goes that that I've seen in this area. Uh then lastly, Dryden. They are uh switching their quarterback this season. They are sticking with 11-man football. Uh they they did get beat up on last season. They went 0-5 um uh with a pretty rough point differential. Uh, but they are having a switch at quarterback Ryan Weiser. Uh will be taking over the reins uh after their uh quarterback Brady Rose graduated. And uh Weiser uh was a very good baseball pitcher, and apparently, like I've said these uh for a couple of these teams, being a very good baseball pitcher is uh a good talent translation to a good quarterback. So uh that could be the change that this team needs. Uh so Ryan Weiser is the guy to watch for Dryden and hopefully he can lead them to a little bit of success uh this season because they are uh a couple years removed from you know being an impactful team in section four. But you know, you never know when you're switching quarterbacks, you could uh strike gold with someone. So uh we'll see how that plays out uh for the Dryden Lions, and I believe that is uh all my teams.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Yes, it is, Dan. Great job, great insight. And I'm sure our uh I'm sure our listeners will really appreciate this. And what I'll do, so our listeners know, I'll put your uh information in the show notes so they know how to uh get uh listen to the games via ESPN uh Ithaca, because like you said, you have a few different games throughout the season that I'm sure they'll be interested in. Anything else you want to add at this point?

SPEAKER_01 13:56

So yeah, we'll uh we'll be covering that game tomorrow, Lansing vs. Moravia. Uh it's a seven o'clock kickoff. Uh, and that's you know, ESPN Ithaca app and uh ESPN Ithaca.com. I believe that's uh the only place you can find it because I think we'll have Yankees on the radio airwave. So ESPANIThica.com and the ESPN Ithica app uh is where to listen to that game. Uh and then I mean throughout the season we'll have games on every Friday, except for I believe the 19th, because I'll be going home that day. So uh I have a wedding to attend, so I won't be covering a game that that night. Um, but also on Saturday mornings, I have a uh a show called Game Day uh that runs from 10 to 11 a.m. uh live on ESPN Ithica 1160 a.m. 107.1 FM and 11 uh ESPANITHA.com and ESPanithica app. And I I run through all the the high school scores from the previous night, uh talked to some college football players like this week for our first show. I'll be talking to uh the Ithaca College quarterback AJ Wingfield. Uh so he'll be a guest on my first show and uh just breaking down the local scene, the college scene, and uh giving my NFL picks at the end of the show. So um yeah, that's uh it's it's it's always fun having that because we didn't have it last season um with you know no college sports going on. So um but it's back this year, you know, high school's in action, college is in action. Uh so ready to to hit the ground running on that on uh Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

Yeah, it feels good to be back with a what I call a true traditional football season where the you know the humidity's down a little bit, a little bit of a slight chill in the air in the morning. You got that smell of cut grass in some places, a lot of places on you know the net, the uh artificial turf. But it just it's starting to feel right again and having these kind of conversations. So thanks again, Dan, and uh best wishes to you in a successful season. And uh uh a lot of our listeners know that you'll be on probably at least at once or twice more, or some of your teams go uh the distance, then we'll maybe have you on so that you can help cover those as we go you know through the season. So appreciate what you do and keep doing it. Thank you. Great, yeah. Thank you for having me. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe. And remember, tell your friends. Coach Smith says visit cover4.com and be the next fan up. In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up. Thank you for listening to the Cover Four podcast.