Tioga County Team's Preview with Tim Birney

In this episode, our Football Analyst, Tim Birney will give you an in-depth preview of the Tioga County Teams in Section IV.

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SPEAKER_00 0:18

I'll be your host. Let's go. Welcome to the Cover Four Podcast preseason team preview of the Tauga County teams with the original TB. That would be Tim Burney, our award-winning cover four podcast football analyst. Welcome, Tim, and go get him.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Hey Coach Smith, how are you today?

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Good. Thanks for joining us, and we appreciate you sharing your insight and your knowledge about the teams in Towga County. Let it rip, Tim.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

Hey, you know, let's start with Newark Valley. Uh coming off a come from behind 19-14 win over Schuyler, the former Watkins-Glen Odessa Montour uh conglomerate. They were down 14-0 at half. Uh came back in the second half to win 19-14. You know, Ted Hardenstein and crew over there is a great coaching staff. Um, you know, they were riddled with injuries last year. Um, they've been getting a little healthier this year. Um, got some new faces on the team, obviously, every year, high school sports, that's the way it works. Um, I'm sure that crew will do a nice job of putting that uh team together. Um, I think you'll look for the same thing you get out of them normally, pretty good defense. Um, they'll like to run the football with some uh trick plays thrown in here and there. Like I said, uh a lot of their success, they've had some great athletes. We know when they win their state, you don't win a state title without great athletes, but there was a lot of great coaching involved in that too. You know, the following year after their state title, they lose to Skinny Atlas and uh uh who who went on, I think, I believe, to win the state title that year. So just a uh, you know, it's a great program. They've they've struggled the last couple years. Um, I'm not sure you know how many wins they're gonna get this year. Class D is pretty tough. Uh their division, though, um is doable. I mean, Tyoga and Spec are probably the two teams I'm looking for to come out of that division into the playoffs, but Newark Valley is a solid three in that division and and could make a run at either Speck or Tyoga. Um, I believe the other three teams in that division are Trumansburg, um, Green Oxford, and Groton. The other three teams all coming back from eight-man football into the to 11-man, which is nice to see. Um, so I think the Cardinals have a solid shot this year of making a run at that second playoff spot in the division. And I, you know, Tyoga's outing in week one, you know, leaves me scratching my head a little bit. So, or in the in the week's double zero game. So I think that division's wide open. Uh let's move over to um we'll stay in class D with Speck. Uh they had a nice win yesterday over, you know, uh perennially rebuilding Harpersville Afton. Uh put up 40 points early in the game and rolled on to a to a big win, 53-14, I believe it was. Uh, they've moved Jacoby Foster into quarterback, tremendous athlete. Um, they've got a couple really good running backs. Uh Logan uh Eamon is the uh the lead guy, very explosive. If he stays healthy this year, they're gonna be really, really dangerous. Um, and I believe really explosive, scoring could score a lot of points this year. Uh defensively, those same athletes play on defense. Uh, it's a lot of two-way starters. You know, Class D football is is all about two-way starters, not a lot of depth for a lot of these schools. Um, I think they're gonna be pretty dangerous this year. And um, they could make a run at Tyoga. Like I said, uh, you know, scratching my head a little bit after Tyoga's um week double zero loss to Windsor. You know, uh let's talk a little bit about Tyoga. Uh just ravaged by injuries last year, yet still made it to the Class D finals to lose an overtime by one point to Delhi. Um, they get a lot of skill players back this year. Um, they lost a couple linemen, a couple big all-state linemen in Garrett Godfrey and Tate McCauley. That's gonna hurt them up front a little bit, at least early on. And then in the week zero game, they lost Derek Mills, their their two-year, he this is his third-year starting. He's only a junior. Um, good chance he's out for the season, which you know, starting center, losing him early on. At least, you know, they have the advantage of having a bye this week in week zero, so they'll have they didn't play this past weekend. So, you know, that gives them two weeks to get ready, uh, somebody ready at center uh for the deposit handcock game in week one. Um, I think Tyoga, you know, in my in my opinion, coming into the season before this loss to Windsor, I had them, you know, as a team to be in class D. Um, but I was really surprised at their inability to move the football. Um, you know, their only touchdown of the game was set up on a long kickoff returned open in the second half by Caden Cole. He took inside the 10 and they were able to punch that in. But otherwise, I believe they only had two first downs the entire game. Uh, just could not move the football. Windsor was doing some stuff up front against the young offensive line that they struck. And I and I think you get into Class D plus a couple more weeks coaching, watching the film, they're gonna be a better football team. And I still think, you know, maybe I'm making too much of this, but I'm curious to see, you know, how that offensive gel line gels uh in coming weeks because you know the other division in Class D is really tough. Bainbridge, Guilford, Deposit Hancock, Delhi, Walton, all four of those teams are gonna be battling for two playoff spots. And Tyoga plays uh three of those teams. You know, they don't play Walton, but they get Deposit Hancock and Delhi in weeks one and two, and they play BG later in the season. So, you know, Tyoga's gonna know, gonna have a pretty good field for the other division once the postseason rolls around. Um, I still think before it's all said and done, Coach Ayalo and Coach McCaulay will have that team ready to roll. And um, I think they're gonna be the team to beat in class D. But you know, they they definitely have not separated themselves at like they had in years past. You know, let's move over to a UI go now. Um talk a little bit of class. What is that, B? The classifications are different depending on what sport it is. So class B football this year. Um, you know, Wigo graduated about 20 seniors, um, including a lot of their skilled players, a lot of their or a couple of their linemen. Um, so they're they got a lot of new faces on both sides of football. I really thought this was going to be a rebuilding year and that they would take some lumps against the likes of you know Shango Forks and Mainewell and Waverly. And then they went out there in week zero and lost seven to six to a Shango Forks team that I thought and still do think was probably the best team in section four. Um, you know, they brought back a ton, just lost a couple players from a team that upended Waverly in the section finals last year. Um, you know, I I think they're gonna be a really good football team and make a run of the state title. And, you know, yeah, they're they're class C, but a Uego hung with them and played them tough and just showed the kind of defense that uh, you know, Patton Taylor wants to play and held that team at what I think is gonna put up a lot of points this season uh to one touchdown. You know, so hats off to Patton Taylor and that crew at Oego because um you know they uh they didn't get the memo that this was a rebuilding year. They look pretty good right out of the gate. And uh, you know, that's that's impressive. I mean, you that's impressive regardless. When you lose 20 seniors and you come out against a team like Snango Forks, um, and I know that coaching staff up in Snago Forks, you know, they they cross their T's and dots their I's they were ready for that football game. They Ouigo didn't do anything to surprise them, I guarantee you that. So that just shows you that Ouigo got down in the trenches and played a pretty good football game against a really good football team. Absolutely, that that makes, you know, that makes me wonder too about Class B because Maine Edwell lost 20 kids. You know, Waverly's got most of their squad back, but they did lose a couple dynamic playmakers, which you know really changes the way they're gonna play offense this year, I think. You know, so let's go over to Waverly. Let's move right on over to Waverly. You know, the uh the Wolverines lost Xavier Watson, a 6'5 wide receiver who's gone on to Yukon. He's gonna be an HPAC slash tight end at UConn. Um, has not got on the field yet for him, but you know, he's so athletic and he he did so many great things. You know, he made uh sophomore last year sophomore, this year junior quarterback Benny Shaw's life pretty easy. Um when you can throw the football up and you got a 6'5 receiver that can get off his feet to go up and get it. And he did it last year, all year. Uh but they also lost Colson Keithly, who was an outstanding inside linebacker and uh return man and tailback and uh slot receiver, and you name it, he did everything for him. And he was a threat every time that he touched the ball to go the distance, just like Watson was. Well, you take those two kids off an offense, you know, that's an offense that goes from scoring, you know, 40 points a game, maybe to scoring 25 or 28 a game. You know, that's a big difference. Um, if they score 28 points a game this year with that defense, they're gonna win a lot of football games because they bring back most of their defense. You know, obviously Colson Keith plays a big hurt at inside linebacker, but um Dave Shaw, the defense coordinator, does a great job with that. You know, Jason Miller lets him run the show on defense for the most part, and he's done a great job for years. Um, it's a unit that usually gets better and better, which is kind of scary because they opened their season in week double zero against the defending PIAA Class A double A champions, Troy, who scored 50 points a game last year. Now, granted, they lost some quality uh seniors to graduation, but they brought back a ton. And I don't think anybody expected Waverly uh to beat them, and they did 14 to 13. You know, Troy shot themselves in the foot in the first half with some costly penalties uh that slowed down a couple drives. But in the second half, Waverly just manned up and and uh went you know mono a mano and did a great job. They stuffed a two-point conversion uh with about three minutes left in the game to hold on and beat them 14 to 13. Actually, it wasn't even that much time left. It was down inside uh a minute and a half or so. And uh, but a great win for them. Uh I was wondering, I had them pegged at maybe six and four this year because they they they're gonna play Snangle Forks in the regular season, they're gonna play main end well in the regular season, and then probably play Maine and well in the Class B championship round. Um, of course, they got to get by a weego to do that and a couple other teams, but that was where I was thinking. And now, you know, they beat Troy. If they could beat a defending state champion in Troy in Pennsylvania that's coming back with a lot, um, and I'm not knocking forks or Maine Endwell, but that shows me that you know they they've got the potential to beat anybody on their schedule this year. Um defensively, they're good. They're really good. Uh, you know, they've got Troy Beaman and and Matthias Wells at defensive ends, and they they kind of control the perimeter when they've got really good linebackers, they're young, a little bit of a linebacker, but if that Troy football team with its offensive line they have can't get out to the second level to stop, you know, to to uh slow down the linebackers. I'm not sure how many teams around here can. My only concern with with Waverly is uh the loss of those playmakers. But you know, they were able to run the football, they threw it enough to keep Troy honest. Um, you know, they've got a great kicking game in Hogan Shaw kicking and punting, uh that makes a big difference field position wise, especially when you have a good defense. Uh I think Waverly's gonna make some waves. Um uh I think it comes down to them in Maine Endwell again. Umiko makes me wonder though. You know, you a game like they had against Forks, I think they've put themselves in the mix here in Class B as well. That's gonna be a fun, uh, fun season to watch. Um but I I like uh Waverley's chances to get to the finals against Maine Endwell, and then we'll see where the cards fall from there. Uh just to recap though a little bit, you know, I think Newark Valley's rebuilding in the right direction. I think they've got a shot at uh making a run at Class D. And it comes down to them and Spec and Tyoga, those three teams in the same division. Two of those three teams are gonna make the playoffs, I believe. Um, you know, the only team, the only wild card in that division probably is Trumansburg coming back to eight from eight-man to eleven-man football. You know, they've had a history, but it's I think it's really tough to come back in your first year from 11-man, um, especially against programs like Tyoga and and Newark Valley and Spec and jump right into the playoff mix. But we'll see. You know, that's why they play the games. You know, and then the other two teams in the county um are in the same division, we go and waverly. And they're gonna be against Maine End. Well, so two of those three teams are gonna are gonna get into the finals. So it's gonna be uh a pretty interesting season, Coach. I'm looking forward to it. Um this weekend, you know, or the first two weekends, week double zero and week zero, you know, I've I've had a chance to reflect on those. And I've kind of moved my evaluation of Waverly up a notch after their big win over Troy. Um, I've moved my evaluation of Oigo up a few notches after their 7-6 loss to Forks. You know, spec I expected that with Harpersville Afton. You know, I want to see them against a little better competition, but I do think offensively they're gonna be pretty good. Um, but that also comes down, as you know, to to line line play. So we'll see how their line matches up against some better teams. Um, you know, and it's gonna be a fun season. I I'm just I'm really looking forward to it a lot more. In the past, I you know, I've pretty much known exactly or thought I knew anyway, exactly where teams were gonna fall and been pretty accurate on that. And this year, I'm really uh I'm not. I think Tyoga's got a chance to win Class D. But you know, if they get any more injuries up front, will it, you know, they there's a chance they could slide into a knot instead of a home game in round one, they end up on the road. So it's just it's just you know really, really tough to tell.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yeah. Uh great summary of all the Tiger teams. The one you kept hitting on uh was the up-and-coming uh a weego Riverhawks and Patton Taylor is doing a great job down there, it's building a true program, and that's how you actually reload the next student athlete up. And it you know, it mimics Waverly and their success along with May Anwell and their success. So it's it's not anything that I would say it's not secret sauce, it's putting in the hard work, not only at the varsity level, but at the youth level and having that pipeline full and doing the right things in the offseason. So that's what makes for exciting football. And you you re uh summarized that very well and really appreciate what you do, Tim, and uh keep on doing the good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Thanks, Coach. Much appreciated.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

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