Latest / Cover IV Podcast / Tioga County Team's Preview with Tim Birney
Transcript
- 0:08SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cover 4.
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: If you're a Sector 4 football fan, you're in the right place.
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: This is your podcast.
- 0:16SPEAKER_00: I'm Coach Smith and I'll be your host.
- 0:19SPEAKER_00: Fuck her up.
- 0:21SPEAKER_00: Let's go.
- 0:25SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Cover Four Podcast preseason team preview of the Tauga County teams with the original TB.
- 0:34SPEAKER_00: That would be Tim Burney, our award-winning Cover Four Podcast Football Analyst.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Tim, and go get him.
- 0:44SPEAKER_01: Thanks, coach.
- 0:45SPEAKER_01: Appreciate you having me on again.
- 0:47SPEAKER_01: Always a pleasure.
- 0:48SPEAKER_01: Let's start out with uh Spenche Vinette and Cander, or as we affectionately call them around here, Spec.
- 0:54SPEAKER_01: Five and five last season.
- 0:56SPEAKER_01: Big story for this team is new coach, Jared Wayman, Athens High School graduate.
- 1:02SPEAKER_01: So some ties to the valley here.
- 1:04SPEAKER_01: But not only is a first-year coach at Speck, he's a first-year varsity coach.
- 1:09SPEAKER_01: And boy, that's just a steep learning curve for young guys when they step into the head coaching role.
- 1:15SPEAKER_01: Because as you know, it's more than X's and O's.
- 1:18SPEAKER_01: You're basically a CEO.
- 1:20SPEAKER_01: So you have to do everything.
- 1:21SPEAKER_01: Transportation, you name it.
- 1:23SPEAKER_01: So the the the uh the logbook, as they say, is really full for these guys.
- 1:29SPEAKER_01: And um, so it'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to that.
- 1:32SPEAKER_01: You know, on the field, he loses an all-state defensive back who was also the quarterback in Jason Terriberry.
- 1:39SPEAKER_01: Um does bring back some uh returners, about a half dozen of them that got started both ways.
- 1:45SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think you'll see um Logan Eamon and his brother David Eamon uh both getting a lot of starter, you know, a lot of time on both sides of the ball.
- 1:54SPEAKER_01: Rodney Vaught, wide receiver.
- 1:56SPEAKER_01: Uh there's some potential there.
- 1:58SPEAKER_01: I think um a lot of it comes down to uh first year coach.
- 2:02SPEAKER_01: It's plain and simple.
- 2:03SPEAKER_01: You know, moving on to Newark Valley, uh a really tough summer for them, obviously.
- 2:08SPEAKER_01: They lost one of their best players in that tragic car crash.
- 2:12SPEAKER_01: Uh they have another player that's out for the season with a knee injury.
- 2:16SPEAKER_01: He was a uh Tyoga County player for us, Cooper Davis.
- 2:21SPEAKER_01: Uh so but if if anybody can overcome that kind of adversity, it's Ted Hardenstein and that coaching staff.
- 2:29SPEAKER_01: They do such a good job up there.
- 2:31SPEAKER_01: Uh they were four and five last year, lost to Tyoga in the Class D semifinals, easily could have finished the season at six to six and three, a couple tough losses.
- 2:40SPEAKER_01: Uh they do bring back 11 juniors and nine seniors with quite a bit of playing time.
- 2:45SPEAKER_01: And like I said, great coaching staff up there.
- 2:47SPEAKER_01: It'd be interesting to see uh how they fill out their skill position players.
- 2:54SPEAKER_01: They've got some pretty good uh linemen, I think three starting linemen both sides of the ball back.
- 2:58SPEAKER_01: Tight end Gabe Merrill, also a linebacker's back.
- 3:02SPEAKER_01: I think you'll see Nate Hinckley at quarterback, uh, probably Logan Rhodes running the ball quite a bit.
- 3:07SPEAKER_01: I think this could be a team to watch.
- 3:09SPEAKER_01: Uh still got to go through Tyoga in Class D.
- 3:13SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we'll see, we'll see uh how Newark Valley handles that adversity.
- 3:19SPEAKER_01: A lot of times, you know, in those situations, teams play with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, a little more uh a little more drive.
- 3:26SPEAKER_01: So we'll see how they respond.
- 3:28SPEAKER_01: And like I said, great coaching staff there.
- 3:30SPEAKER_01: So I I think we'll see Newark Valley uh possibly a little improved on that four and five from last season.
- 3:39SPEAKER_01: Next, we go Riverhawks.
- 3:42SPEAKER_01: Team to watch here.
- 3:43SPEAKER_01: Five and five last year, but four of their losses to state ranked teams.
- 3:47SPEAKER_01: They upset Windsor in the Section 4 Class B semifinals before losing the main end.
- 3:52SPEAKER_01: Well wing back a senior laden team.
- 3:57SPEAKER_01: Elijah Lewis at quarterback, Joseph Palladino will be running the ball, Conlin Taylor at running back and linebacker, Jack Bucksbaum at wide receiver, Evan English at tight end.
- 4:07SPEAKER_01: Um they've got some linemen back, Bobby Strubble at linebacker.
- 4:11SPEAKER_01: I think this is a team to watch.
- 4:13SPEAKER_01: Uh I like I said, Patton Taylor did a great job there in his first year, uh, but you still got to beat Main Ewell.
- 4:22SPEAKER_01: And, you know, unfortunately, you know, for years Waverly couldn't get through Shenango Forks until they did.
- 4:29SPEAKER_01: For years, Tyoga couldn't get through Walton until they did.
- 4:33SPEAKER_01: So if Uigo's gonna beat Maine Endwell, this is the year because they've got a ton of seniors on this team, uh, but good numbers.
- 4:40SPEAKER_01: I think 66 kids.
- 4:42SPEAKER_01: So impressive numbers for the for the Riverhawks and Patton Taylor.
- 4:47SPEAKER_01: Um I look forward to seeing uh their progression this year.
- 4:51SPEAKER_01: And like I said, if they're if there's a year to beat ME, this is the year for them.
- 4:55SPEAKER_01: You know, then we'll move on to Waverly, you know, state champions in Jason Miller's 21st season.
- 5:02SPEAKER_01: That was a sphere section title, second in a row.
- 5:07SPEAKER_01: They've beaten Shenango Forks three times in a row, four times in a row, and I think that's I think they're the only team to do that in the last 30 years.
- 5:19SPEAKER_01: Uh even Maine Enwell, I don't think has beat had beaten Shenango Forks four times in a row.
- 5:24SPEAKER_01: Um however, uh, you know, I had a we're doing a podcast here in the Valley now, two guys talking sports, and we had Jason Miller on, it'll be airing this week, and we had Jason Miller on.
- 5:35SPEAKER_01: He said, as long as Dave Hogan is still at Shenango Forks, Section Four titles still run through Shenango Forks.
- 5:42SPEAKER_01: And um and I I have to agree with Jason on that.
- 5:46SPEAKER_01: I I I'll tell you what, Waverly loses Joey Tommaso and Jay Piper, two of the most prolific um quarterbacks and wide receiver, you know, of all time in New York State.
- 5:57SPEAKER_01: I think both of them were number three uh passing yardage, touchdowns, receiving yardage, and receptions.
- 6:03SPEAKER_01: Uh so quite a quite a hit they take there.
- 6:06SPEAKER_01: But they bring back four offensive linemen and we'll plug a guy that played a lot into the fifth spot.
- 6:13SPEAKER_01: I think you'll see them change up a little bit.
- 6:16SPEAKER_01: They've got a couple running backs uh who have stepped forward and Fletcher Good and Cooper Robinson.
- 6:22SPEAKER_01: I think they'll get a lot of touches.
- 6:24SPEAKER_01: You know, they have Xavier Watson who's committed to UConn as 6'5 wide receiver, who is you know 205 pounds and gets off his feet, built like a, you know, just ripped.
- 6:34SPEAKER_01: The kid's a physical specimen.
- 6:36SPEAKER_01: And they've got Colson Keithly in the spot in the slot.
- 6:39SPEAKER_01: Uh, you saw what he could do in the state championship game last year.
- 6:43SPEAKER_01: Uh, they've got a lot of weapons.
- 6:44SPEAKER_01: They've got a young quarterback, though, sophomore Ben Shaw, who was honorable mention All-state last year, inside linebacker as a freshman, more than 100 tackles on the season.
- 6:54SPEAKER_01: So the kid's tough and he's got a football IQ.
- 6:57SPEAKER_01: He's a gym rat in every sense of the word.
- 7:00SPEAKER_01: Um, I know there's some concern there because he's playing linebacker and quarterback, and he's only 145 pounds.
- 7:06SPEAKER_01: Uh, but like I said, uh good football IQ, pretty good arm.
- 7:11SPEAKER_01: He's not Joey Tomaso, but Joey Tomaso as a sophomore wasn't Joey Tommaso as a senior either.
- 7:17SPEAKER_01: So I I think you'll see him progress as the season goes on.
- 7:20SPEAKER_01: I think you're gonna see a little different attack out of them this year.
- 7:23SPEAKER_01: I would think they're gonna they'll run the ball a lot more with that offensive line they've got, and that'll set Shaw up to hit his receivers downfield, whether it's Keith Lee or Watson.
- 7:33SPEAKER_01: Um and defensively, um, they're gonna be very good.
- 7:37SPEAKER_01: They they they bring back the majority of their front seven.
- 7:41SPEAKER_01: Um they lose a couple defensive backs, but they've got athletes that I think they could fill in there.
- 7:47SPEAKER_01: Uh and as Jason Miller said, if you're gonna play Waverly, you better bring your lunch bail because it's gonna be really tough up front.
- 7:55SPEAKER_01: They are very, very good up front.
- 7:57SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, and like I said, I think it's Waverly Stango Forks.
- 8:01SPEAKER_01: Um, although Windsor Windsor's got some good, good skilled players back, but it's all about what you got up front.
- 8:07SPEAKER_01: Seven on seven, a different animal than than uh 11-man football.
- 8:13SPEAKER_01: So if you're gonna beat Waverly, you better be good up front.
- 8:17SPEAKER_01: Um I like I said, I think it goes, it comes down to Waverly and Forks again.
- 8:21SPEAKER_01: Uh Windsor beat Forks last year in the regular season, so they could play a role if they're down in Class C this year.
- 8:27SPEAKER_01: Be interesting.
- 8:28SPEAKER_01: I think the winner of the Waverly Forks game has a shot to run the table in the states.
- 8:32SPEAKER_01: We've seen the successes Section 4's had at States.
- 8:35SPEAKER_01: Uh, so there's no reason to think they couldn't do it again if they get there.
- 8:39SPEAKER_01: You know, then we move on to Tyoga.
- 8:42SPEAKER_01: Uh boy, 41 wins in a row, three state titles in a row, six Section 4 titles in a row, 11 in the last 12 years.
- 8:49SPEAKER_01: Nick Gaello has built a machine there.
- 8:52SPEAKER_01: Uh that said, they lose two-time Class D player of the year in Caden Bellis.
- 8:59SPEAKER_01: They lose two running backs uh who are both outstanding linebackers in Uzman Duncanson and Drew Macumber.
- 9:05SPEAKER_01: They lose a 6-4 wide receiver in uh Valentino Rossi, who may start at Brockport this year in his freshman season.
- 9:12SPEAKER_01: They lose a 6-3 receiver in Evan Sickler, who was an outstanding defensive back as well.
- 9:17SPEAKER_01: They lose a 6-2 tight end in Carson Sendoni, who was a great blocker, had good hands.
- 9:22SPEAKER_01: And you know that so you think about their production, those six skill players I just mentioned.
- 9:28SPEAKER_01: It's incredible to think that they are still the prohibitive favor in Class D this year, because they bring back four uh four offensive linemen that started last year and have two more that played half a game every game because they were winning by 50 points nearly every week in the in the uh regular season and even into the state finals and semifinals.
- 9:51SPEAKER_01: They had 63-0 in both those games going into the fourth quarter.
- 9:55SPEAKER_01: Uh, so you're gonna see some new faces at the skill positions.
- 9:58SPEAKER_01: It all starts up front with them.
- 10:00SPEAKER_01: I said how good Waverly was.
- 10:01SPEAKER_01: Uh Waverly, you know, Maine Endwell's always line is always really good, but Waverly in the real in the small schools, Waverly and Tyoga are one and one B, uh, depending on who you talk to.
- 10:12SPEAKER_01: Tyoga fans will tell you their line's better.
- 10:14SPEAKER_01: Waverly fans will tell you theirs is.
- 10:16SPEAKER_01: Uh but Tyoga's offensive line, Tate McCauley, uh, Garrett Godfrey, those kids anchor a line that's going to be outstanding again this year.
- 10:26SPEAKER_01: I think you'll see Nick Giello run the football more this year.
- 10:29SPEAKER_01: Uh depend on that offensive line early against a really tough schedule.
- 10:33SPEAKER_01: They start with class B Maryville, who was 9-1, lost in the Section 6 championship game last year.
- 10:39SPEAKER_01: Then they play Windsor and Shenango Forks in weeks one and two.
- 10:43SPEAKER_01: So, you know, really tough lineup.
- 10:46SPEAKER_01: I think you'll see them run the ball, like I said, more to get those skill players uh up to up to speed a little bit where they can maybe diversify their offense later in the season with the passing game.
- 10:58SPEAKER_01: Uh Jaden Duncanson, who's a three-time uh state place winner on the wrestling match.
- 11:04SPEAKER_01: So we got quarterback.
- 11:05SPEAKER_01: Uh they got a couple new faces, uh, one of them Jake Brown, another Shane Platukas, who will help them in the backfield.
- 11:12SPEAKER_01: Both I think will be really good linebackers for them.
- 11:15SPEAKER_01: And, you know, they really are uh retooling there, they're not rebuilding.
- 11:21SPEAKER_01: And I honestly think, you know, they're they are the prohibitive favor in Class D.
- 11:27SPEAKER_01: Excuse me.
- 11:28SPEAKER_01: And I think they'll end up running into Kleimer Sherman Panama again in the state semifinals.
- 11:33SPEAKER_01: Uh they'll get an up close look at them week zero because uh, you know, Tyoga opens up at Waverly against Maryvale at three o'clock on Saturday, and Waverly plays Kleimer Sherman Panama at 6 p.m.
- 11:45SPEAKER_01: uh in the nightcap of that doubleheader.
- 11:47SPEAKER_01: So Nick Aiello and his coaching staff will have a good look at CSP.
- 11:51SPEAKER_01: Um and like I uh like Nick said, they'll have a good look at us too.
- 11:55SPEAKER_01: So, you know, it's kind of uh interesting that you got two teams playing in the same place on the same day.
- 12:00SPEAKER_01: They'll probably end up playing against each other in the state semifinals.
- 12:04SPEAKER_01: So, you know, to recap, I think Tyoga and Waverly both have an outstanding chance to win Section 4 titles and go deep into the playoffs.
- 12:14SPEAKER_01: Will they will they repeat at states?
- 12:17SPEAKER_01: I I don't think so.
- 12:19SPEAKER_01: I think Tyoga gets to the semis.
- 12:21SPEAKER_01: Uh Waverly probably gets to the semis from there, it's a crapshoot.
- 12:26SPEAKER_01: Um I I I if I had to put my life on the line, I say they both get to the state semis.
- 12:32SPEAKER_01: Um then you you look at a Uyghur, boy, you gotta get you gotta beat Mainland well.
- 12:38SPEAKER_01: And that's that's a tall order.
- 12:40SPEAKER_01: They return um a lot of skill players this year.
- 12:43SPEAKER_01: I know they're gonna be a little younger up front, but they tend to reload too instead of uh rebuild.
- 12:49SPEAKER_01: And then Spencer, Vanette, and Cander and Newark Valley, I think they're both gonna be very competitive, uh, but both in Class D with Tyoga.
- 12:57SPEAKER_01: And that's that's just a tall task.
- 13:05SPEAKER_00: Very good, Tim.
- 13:06SPEAKER_00: I think you summarized that very well.
- 13:09SPEAKER_00: Hit as you do, you hit the proverbial nail right on the head multiple times.
- 13:14SPEAKER_00: And the the five seasons we've been doing this, usually you are spot on with your uh diagnosis and uh uh you know predictions for uh play as it goes through the season and down the road.
- 13:29SPEAKER_00: It's funny.
- 13:30SPEAKER_00: If you if I go back, I know there's a lot of episodes that I could listen to early in the season and go back and then listen to the episodes later on in the season, I'll say, man, he got a crystal ball or what?
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: I think you got a crystal football, is what you got.
- 13:46SPEAKER_00: So listen, the original TB, you did it again, appreciate it.
- 13:51SPEAKER_00: Best wishes this season, and you know, we're gonna be having other conversations as the season goes by.
- 13:56SPEAKER_00: I heard you're I heard you're um doing the play-by-play for Vestal on their uh live stream, or yeah, the best it's uh the Vestal uh Athletics Network.
- 14:06SPEAKER_00: I'll be actually doing the color.
- 14:08SPEAKER_00: I'm a I'm a color commentator, and they're bringing in uh a number of interns from Syracuse University, the Newman uh Newhouse School, which is which is prestigious.
- 14:17SPEAKER_00: Plus, we're cup augmenting that with some students at Vestal, and it's really uh a pro-level, a professional level production.
- 14:27SPEAKER_00: We've got um you know, a technical director, we've got uh replay, we've got on-field camera uh roaming, sideline reporter, we've got fixed cameras.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: Uh it's it's gonna be really uh an interesting setup.
- 14:42SPEAKER_00: And you know, we're not gonna be obviously perfect out of the shoe, but I know that I'm learning a lot myself because I've been predominantly radio without the cameras in my mug.
- 14:52SPEAKER_00: Now you have the camera in your mug occasionally, and you have uh all sorts of other things at your disposal.
- 14:57SPEAKER_00: We've got replay is gonna be great.
- 14:59SPEAKER_00: You could be sitting in the stadium watching the game, and you can have your smartphone listening to the commentary, but you can also see you know the replay itself right there.
- 15:09SPEAKER_00: So that's that's another neat aspect of it.
- 15:11SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm really excited for you know I'm an excited guy, anyways, when the when the the football season comes around.
- 15:17SPEAKER_00: The only thing is we're we're getting a lot less uh mud, grass, and dirt fields, you know, with a new field there.
- 15:24SPEAKER_00: I believe it uh was it Unitego Franklin, I believe.
- 15:27SPEAKER_01: New York State likes to give away money.
- 15:29SPEAKER_00: So I'll take some.
- 15:31SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no again.
- 15:32SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 15:33SPEAKER_00: Listen, thanks again, Tim.
- 15:34SPEAKER_00: Really appreciate what you do, not only for for us and our our listeners, but what you do for sports in general uh around uh this area and the in the valley.
- 15:45SPEAKER_00: I love reading your report and your teammates' reports.
- 15:48SPEAKER_00: They go uh deep, uh, and it's right up there, if not better, than some of the stuff that you'll see on uh ESPN or in Sports Illustrated.
- 15:57SPEAKER_00: You guys do a great job.
- 15:58SPEAKER_01: Hey, if you get a chance, um we've got uh Jason Miller and Nick Giello on our Two Guys Talking Sports podcast this week.
- 16:05SPEAKER_00: Hey, I'm I'm way ahead of you, coach.
- 16:07SPEAKER_00: I listen to that stuff.
- 16:08SPEAKER_01: Do you?
- 16:08SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, I've been listening to that.
- 16:10SPEAKER_00: I listened to you guys, Two Guys Talking Sports.
- 16:12SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's fun.
- 16:13SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the title is fitting fitting.
- 16:16SPEAKER_01: We're enjoying it.
- 16:17SPEAKER_00: Oh, I can tell, and it's a lot of fun.
- 16:19SPEAKER_00: It's it's fun to do it.
- 16:20SPEAKER_00: Plus, you know, you're sharing this.
- 16:21SPEAKER_00: I like the the human interest stories behind the scenes, not just the coaches and the student athletes and you know the support staff.
- 16:29SPEAKER_00: I like to get, as you know, through some of these episodes, the stuff behind the scenes, the people that don't really get a lot of credit that make things happen.
- 16:37SPEAKER_01: Well, that's what I like like with um all our coaches so far.
- 16:41SPEAKER_01: I've tried to ask questions that are more about them and more about their journey than than just the X's and O's and stuff like that.
- 16:49SPEAKER_01: And you'll you know, you'll see that again with Ayello and um and Miller this week.
- 16:53SPEAKER_01: It's it was fun.
- 16:54SPEAKER_01: You know, those guys are both good friends of mine.
- 16:57SPEAKER_01: I know them very well, so that helps.
- 16:59SPEAKER_01: It makes it a lot easier to know what to ask them to.
- 17:02SPEAKER_01: So absolutely.
- 17:03SPEAKER_00: Like you mentioned, Jared Wayman there at Specific and Keander.
- 17:07SPEAKER_00: Not only is he uh the head coach, he's the face of the program.
- 17:11SPEAKER_00: You have their logo, and usually right next to that's his picture.
- 17:14SPEAKER_00: And as the leader of the program, everybody looks to you to emulate you.
- 17:19SPEAKER_00: Uh what you do, you don't necessarily have to say anything, but it's what you do, body language and your behavior, and you have to do all the interviews and all that stuff.
- 17:27SPEAKER_00: So it's not just lining up and going through the X's and the O's, like you said, there's a lot of stuff on the periphery that kind of pulls you away.
- 17:34SPEAKER_00: I was just talking to uh Kyrie uh Brown, the head coach at Ithaca High School, and he's knee deep in stuff that's not it's football related, but it's on the periphery.
- 17:46SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 17:46SPEAKER_00: It's not the X's and O's, it's not between the lines.
- 17:48SPEAKER_00: So it's uh kind of a rude awakening.
- 17:51SPEAKER_00: I mean, these these guys don't go into this blind, but once you're faced with it, it it's hard because you're pulled in a lot of different directions.
- 17:58SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, you know, you go in and you're trying to get ready for the season and get ready for the first days of practices, and all of a sudden you got to call kids and make sure they got their physical so they can practice, you know, stuff like that.
- 18:09SPEAKER_01: You know, just crazy.
- 18:11SPEAKER_00: Well, all the little nuances, and I used to give this to other coaches so that they had some responsibilities too.
- 18:16SPEAKER_00: Just a simple thing as a student athlete packing their equipment bag for an away game.
- 18:21SPEAKER_00: And what I did is I had them start start at your head or start at your feet, and then just go right up through or down.
- 18:29SPEAKER_00: So, okay, I got my helmet, got my uh mouthpiece, I got my chin strap, got my neck roll if you wear it, your shoulder pads, you know, your uh if you wear the uh rib protector, your girdle, your pants, thighs, knees, socks, shoes, jock, and you're ready to go.
- 18:47SPEAKER_00: Go up top down or bottom up and go through it.
- 18:50SPEAKER_00: And you don't think I would tell a student athletes because we didn't have enough people that would keep track of all that stuff.
- 18:55SPEAKER_00: You don't have your equipment, you don't play.
- 18:57SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 18:58SPEAKER_00: You know, so that that kind of rang the bell for them and got their eyes open and said, Oh, okay, got it, coach.
- 19:04SPEAKER_01: Yep, no doubt.
- 19:05SPEAKER_01: So all right, buddy.
- 19:07SPEAKER_00: You and I could talk all day.
- 19:08SPEAKER_00: You know, another couple of guys talking football.
- 19:10SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
- 19:11SPEAKER_00: All right, okay, have a great day.
- 19:13SPEAKER_00: You two, take care.
- 19:15SPEAKER_01: Bye now.
- 19:16SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
- 19:20SPEAKER_00: Tell your friends to visit cover4.com and be the next fan up.
- 19:25SPEAKER_00: Your inputs are never out of bounds.
- 19:29SPEAKER_00: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
- 19:35SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Cover Four podcast.