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Week 8 - Western Teams with Andrew Legare & "Games of the Week" with Roger Neel
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This episode provides in-depth insight and analysis of the Section IV Western Teams, by Andrew Legare.
In this episode, Roger Neel, provides his weekly insight into the Section IV "Games of the Week". Coach Smith reviews the New York State Sportswriters Association Weekly Rankings.
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“May your football games and life, go into overtime.”
Welcome to Cover 4, 55 section for football fair, 555. The Cover 4 podcast is brought to you by TDS Performance Improvement. 60% of first-time leaders fail. TDS Performance Improvement prevents these failures by verifying often overlooked prerequisites. To see if you have the leadership prerequisites, visit TDSPI.com. That's TDSPI.com. Click the Let's Have a Conversation button and schedule your free informative conversation. Welcome to week eight, the final week of the Section 4 football regular season. Our guest football analyst is Andrew Laguerre. Andrew will be sharing his knowledge and insight for the teams in the western part of Section Four. Welcome back, Andrew.
SPEAKER_00Hey, good to see good to be back, Tim, in a lot of ways.
SPEAKER_02Glad to have you back.
SPEAKER_00Starting at Horseheads High School. And I gotta say, man, they're bringing in the crowds there at Horseheads. That place was packed. It took me a long time to find a parking spot. But once it's, you know, once it got rolling, the story of the year, and this is something new at Horseheads, they're just playing fantastic defense. And you know, they ended up beating UE 17-7. UE had been scoring a lot of points, coming off 40-point performance a week earlier against Almira. Uh, but UE didn't even get in the end zone until the final quarter or final minute, excuse me. Uh I gotta point out two kids in particular, Gannon Johnston on the D line for horse heads, Riley Loomis at safety, both playing, in my mind, at a first team all-state level, with a whole bunch of other kids on that uh defense are doing a great job. And you know, offensively, a little bit of a workman-like performance for horse heads. They give the ball to Riley Loomis. He pushes forward, very physical and smart runner. Um, so I was really impressed with horses. I've been impressed with them all season. Ramifications this game, this decide, you know, we have three teams in class A, uh, with Vestal the other. So the winner of this game earned the right to not only host the sectional final, but to get a bye into the final. So you don't have to play that semifinal. So that team's gonna be horseheads now, six and one. So they get that buy into the championship game, which is huge because Vestal is better than that rec their record indicates. Um, so now in two weeks, you know, a week and a half or whatever, we're gonna have Vestal playing at Union Endicott with the winner going to horseheads next week in the championship.
SPEAKER_02And if uh you recall when uh Union Endicott played Vestal earlier in the season, uh, Union Endicott had to make a spectacular play towards the end of the game to beat Vestal in that particular game. So that's one of those long time rivalries where you you throw out the records and it's it's just good old-fashioned backyard uh football. So you never know who's gonna come out of that and and be challenging horseheads, but uh exciting times now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Vestel, much better than the record, they're competitive every week. I I think I've seen them play twice now, and you know, that's not an easy game for anybody. So it there is some weight to getting that by into the championship game, just having to win one instead of two the rest of the way.
SPEAKER_02Definitely.
SPEAKER_00Uh and then Saturday, I was in the rain a little bit uh over at Ernie Davis Academy and uh for Corning and Almira. Uh that one ended similar situation, though uh Almira didn't necessarily have everything in their hands, but 30 to 8 Corning over Almyra, and that win gives Corning home field advantage throughout the Section 4 Class A tour double-A tournament. Uh and it also sets the field for Class A sectionals. So Corning's gonna host Binghamton in one semi, and then Almira will play Ithaca in the other semifinal. Uh those schools meet Friday this weekend, so the winner of that game is gonna earn the right to have a home game for the semifinal. But uh, you know, I saw Corning, they lost to Horseheads uh in a really close, tight game that came down to a missed field goal at the end for Corning. Uh but they're really good again. Uh Dylan Kennedy, I think uh roughly 190, three touchdowns, really physical kid running the ball, the fullback in that double wing. Um, and their wing backs are typically good. They didn't break any huge plays. And I thought Elmira defended well, you know, they they were in it, but uh just not making enough plays on the offensive side with their double wing. You know, the interesting part is Mike Johnson Jr. coaching Corning. He brought the double wing to the area to this part of the section at Corning West. Then he brought it to Elmira. Now it's back at Corning. So, you know, Mike sort of going up against a little bit of his own offense, so Almira's put its own spin on it, but you know, uh another impressive performance for Corning, which is you know, I think clearly the favorite to win a double A title this season.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I feel strongly that uh not only in the A and the A classifications, but all through so throughout Section Four, we're going to be represented very well at the state level, whoever makes it out, you know, of the uh the you know playoffs system here. And so that's a good thing. And it's kind of like the you know, the really the the root good route of football is getting back, especially after you know, we went through that COVID stuff. It really is good to see these. And and like you and I spoke before we got on the air, we're week eight already, Andrew.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's uh uh it's pretty crazy to me that we're already week eight. And uh, you know, I think part of it has to do with the weather, you know. We we've it been so warm for so long, and then uh last few days here, not the greatest weather with the with the rain and a little bit chillier, but uh you know, it definitely getting to feel like fall playoff weather and for football and all the other sports. So looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And a lot of these teams play on synthetic fields and they don't get the chance to enjoy the what I call the mud, grass, and dirt of you know, back in the day. But you're right, the weather is now more conducive to a traditional fall weather when you should be playing football. Those warm weeks at the beginning of the season almost felt like you had an extended preseason with the weather that they were playing in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it not only feels different, it smells different. And people football people know what I'm talking about. Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_02Right, exactly. Okay, all right. Uh, is there anything else you got for us out there out west in uh section four, Andrew?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just looking a little bit at this weekend. This is sort of a a transition weekend. Maybe teams get a little bit healthy and do some different things because down here, horse heads going to Oigo on Friday night. That's a non-league game. Kind of an interesting matchup in Corning because UE's coming to town and you know, UE coming off a rough rough night in horse heads, but that's a really solid program. And I know Mike Johnson was talking about UE and has a great deal of respect for their athletes and what they do. So uh I think that's a nice test for both. And maybe you you learn some things going to the sectional. So looking forward to that one. And then, you know, the other team I want to mention is Watkins Glenn O'Dessumontor. They end up with a forfeit week over Dryden. You know, we unfortunately we're still getting those forfeit weeks here and there with uh you know, uh some of it's COVID-related, some of it's injury related. But uh, you know, one thing I want to say about Watkins Glenn OM is they got a fantastic backfield. They got a quarterback, Cameron Holland, whose dad is the head coach, whose dad back in the day played for Watkins Glenn before the merger. Trayvon Jones, a dynamic player at the wing back, and you know, Owen Schultisek and Dominic Fazari. So that's a team to watch to be to be on the lookout for. It's a fun team to watch, and uh they move the ball and they're tough to defend.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I had called a game uh two years ago, I believe, when uh the quarterback there you talk about was a he was a sophomore, and uh the whole I think the whole backfield was sophomores at the time, and they were playing a playoff game against Susquehanna Valley when when they were at the top of their game, and they held their own for for quite a while in that particular game. This uh classification that you're talking about here is the C classification, and this is absolutely tough. You got uh traditional powerhouse in class C right now. Shenango Forks, they're ranked number four. You got Waverly at number eight, and then the honorable mention, you've got Norwich, and then the Watkins Glenn or Dustin Monteur. So that I keep talking about this C classification, the team that makes it out of this, if you make it out healthy, they're gonna uh represent really well, I believe, at the state level.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, section four, it seems like they always uh do well. And I think part of it is because a lot of these teams stick to a running game, but they play physical football, they execute their offenses really well. A team like Corning with a double wing, nobody wants to face that defensively. Uh, because if you're not pushed getting a huge push up front, it's so hard to deal with if you don't see it very often. You know, a lot of the double A's down here, they play each other a lot. You know, Myra Corning both running that double wing. So I mean they become more accustomed to it, but once you get to that state level, uh, these schools are you know not thrilled to play that double wing. It's like playing the wishbone at the college level these days. You don't, I don't think most big time programs are gonna schedule a team that's playing that type of offense because they don't want to see it.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. I can remember, and I agree with exactly what you're saying. When I was a defensive coordinator for Vestal, I can remember when uh we it was Corning West, we were playing at the time, and the coach Johnston was there, and they had that same offensive formation. And I I stayed up many a night thinking about how are we gonna defense this. And what I actually came up with was a literally a six-five, very unorthodox, but it was a very it was a six-five formation stacked right up at the line of scrimmage. And obviously, at the snap of the ball, you got to watch for that quick pop pass to the tight end, you got to pay attention to those eligible receivers, but also you've got to try to uh see what's going on in the backfield because a lot of times there's multiple handoffs before you even can pick up where the ball is, and that's what makes it really tough. But you're right, uh defensing that offense is very difficult.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and for me, I'm taking photos of most of my games, so you know, sometimes I'm taking a photo of a pile and the ball is elsewhere on the field, and I don't I don't see it, so it's tricky to cover, too, you know.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. That's my my point. And then if you could be an interior lineman on the defensive side of the ball and have you know, you think you know where it is, and boom, there it's going because they can do misdirections so quickly, you know, from a quarterback handing off to the fullback or the wing back who's going crossways with uh the back going the opposite direction. So if you get into some uh field that maybe it's a muddy field or even a wet synthetic turf field, that misdirection can can be to your advantage because you catch a defender going one way and they try to uh re you know go the opposite way, and it's they slip sometimes, and and there you go. That's all you need, and and you're off to the races.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then they hit you with one of those throws over the middle, and then it's like uh-oh. So yeah, who's yeah?
SPEAKER_02Then you got uh your defensive backs or your linebackers stand there pointing each other. I thought you know, I thought you so it's it does uh cause a lot of problems because, like you said, it's not traditional, but in our area, there's enough teams that run it that pretty much the coaches are cognizant of it, but stopping it's another thing, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say I I did mention all the Johnstons. I just wrote a long feature on that family. So Mike Sr. coaching at Notre Dame, junior coaching at uh horse heads, and uh Mike Senior's grandson and junior's nephew Gannon, who we mentioned, is uh having a great year at uh horseheads. And you know, and they and they got a family member in the NHL of the Penguins, so it's a that's an interesting family.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it is very uh sports-oriented, athletically inclined family. And Coach Johnston Sr., I understand, was the first quarterback at Notre Dame when Coach Haggerty started the program down there many years ago.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, early 60s, and then he was a little all American at Alfred University after that.
SPEAKER_02Exactly.
SPEAKER_00He he's still athletic, he still gets out there and practices with the team. He's 75, I think.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, he's he's 75 and he does not look 75. And I'm I'm just hoping that I got all my faculties when I get to be that age.
SPEAKER_00But uh, I'm with you on that one.
SPEAKER_02So listen, Andrew, thank you very much for taking the time to share your insight on the uh the teams out there in the western section, western portion of section four. Really appreciate it. Uh, best wishes the rest of the season, and uh, we may have you on uh at the end of the season for some some playoff activity and uh sharing some analysis with teams that uh progress on, hopefully into the state level, into the championship games and successful there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, look forward to it. And here's to as many dry games as we can get coming up.
SPEAKER_02All right. Take care.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you too.
SPEAKER_02Welcome to Games of the Week with Roger Neal, the sports voice of the Southern Tier. Welcome, Roger.
SPEAKER_01Hey Tim, thank you very much. Well, we're getting down to the close of the regular season. Hard to believe that two months have flown by as fast as they have. Things in the regular season play wrapping up this weekend, heading to section four playoffs. Let's take a little review of what happened last week. Some big games. First of all, Corning able to clinch the uh double-A Division I section four regular season title. They rolled by Elmira 30 to 8. Dylan Kennedy, big game, 27 carries, 187 yards rushing to lead the way in that one. How about Windsor? Windsor uh come from behind win. They were down early, scored 36 consecutive points, to want to beat Chenago Valley 36-9. And uh with that, also uh Horseheads coming up with a win, a big showdown at Horseheads against the UB Tigers, and Horseheads prevailed 17 to 7, handing UB its first loss of the year. With that, they win the division title in a competition. They get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They have the home field also for the championship game with just three teams playing in Class A this year. And also a big game at Maine and well. The Spartans Clubbert Johnson said he's 35-6. Score a bit misleading because the Wildcats have some very good talent, but ME speed just too much. Michael Mancini was tremendous as he has been throughout the year, helping a 35-6 victory. Also, lots of news concerning Maine andwell, as um the uh Spartans uh ruled in a Section 4 ruling that came out just several days ago that they have to forfeit five games, which would change their record from six and one to one and six. A petition has been filed protesting that. We'll see where that goes. Nonetheless, Class B competition, all the teams are going to be in the postseason, so it will not cost Maine Endball a chance to play in the Section 4 postseason tournament. They have a big one this weekend, though, at Windsor, and both going in or one and one in Class B competition. So that'll be a good battle. Horse has at a we go. Horse has two-o in class A, six and one overall, and a we go one and two in class B. And again, they're jockeying for position in the Class B competition playoffs. Binghamton at Johnson City against the Wildcats. The Patriots still looking for their first win, 0-7 overall. The Wildcats are 2-5. We said we've saw them play. Tim and I both watched them uh at Maine Inwell, and so they're looking pretty good. And it's gonna be a tough battle for Binghamton to get that first win against them. And certainly one of the best places to watch a game, Wildcat Stadium, coming up this weekend, too. So those are some of the highlights on the way, the regular season wrapping up this weekend in Section 4 high school football.
SPEAKER_02Tim, Roger, uh, like you had mentioned, it I can't believe that uh it's week eight and we're at the end of the regular season. But uh, we've got the uh section four playoffs coming up, and then uh our teams, one of our teams in each classification will move on into the state tournament. And from what you and I have been covering throughout these uh eight weeks, well, actually nine weeks, including week zero, there are some really good teams that I think they're gonna represent very well at the state level. And if not, uh maybe even in playing in that last game. And that's that's the ultimate goal is to play in that last game. So thanks for what you did during the regular season, Roger. And I look forward to teaming up with you into the playoffs. So you take care, bud.
SPEAKER_01Sounds good. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Now for the New York State Sports Writers Association, state rankings as of Sunday, October 24th. Beginning with class AA, you've got Corning coming in number 18 with a five, I'm sorry, with a four and one record. And in uh honorable mention, you have Elmira 3-3. Now, Corning has a real big game on Friday night. They have Union Endicott coming to town, so that should be a real interesting game. In Class A, you've got Horseheads coming in with number 14 with a six-and-one record, and also ranked at number 23 as Union Endicott with a six-and-one record. Class B, you've got Maine Ewell that's sitting at number seven with a six and one record. And in honorable mention, you've got Windsor with a five and two record. And ironically, the way it worked out, they're going to be playing each other this Friday. So that look for that to be a real interesting game this Friday. On to the Class C classification. You've got Shenango Forks at number four and Waverly at number eight. Now, Waverly is on an eight-game winning streak. And Shenango Forks actually plays uh at James I. O'Neill, who is ranked number six in Class C with a six and zero record. So that also should also should be a very good game getting ready for the playoffs. In Class C also, and the honorable mention, you have Norwich with a five and two record, and Watkins Glenn Odessa Montour with a four and two record. Those teams also, they're going to play each other this Friday. So it's kind of interesting how these games are playing out here. In Class D, you've got Tyoga number one still at seven and zero, and they are on an eight-game winning streak. In honorable mention, you have Delhi 6-2, Harpersville Afton 5-1, Newark Valley 5-2. And in that honorable mention, you have Delhi, who is playing this Saturday against Harpersville. So that should also be a very good game. In the eight-player classification, you've got number two, Spencer Vanetton, Cander with a 5-0 record, Green at number 3 with a 5-0 record. And at number 5 is Groton with a 5-0 record. So you got three of the top five teams in Section 4 in that eight-player classification, and they're all undefeated. In the honorable mention category, you've got Lansing at 4-2 and Trumansburg at 4-2, and they're playing each other on Friday. So a lot of interesting games and very competitive games this weekend. And I forgot to mention that Spencer Vanetton is on an 11-game winning streak, and Green is on an eight-game winning streak. So that rounds out the final state rankings going into the final week of the Section 4 football season. It's been a lot of fun bringing you these games along with all my technical uh assistance from Roger Neal and all the football analysts we have in the different areas: Nate Lull, Andrew Laguerre, Tim Burney, Dan Doherty. You guys are all doing a great job and look forward to jumping into the postseason uh next week with the uh the playoff games and then to see how we're represented at the state level. Take care. 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 4 podcast.
