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Cover IV Showdown - Waverly vs. Maine Endwell · Cover IV Podcast

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to cover four.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a second four football fan, this is your fight here.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Coach Smith, your host.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not being tuned, double knot your pleas.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Here we go.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the first Cover 4 showdown of the 2026 season.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Coach Smith, and we have a terrific matchup coming up your way Friday night as the Waverly Wolverines travel to Anwell to take on the main Enwell Spartans.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: But before we talk football, there is something significant about this particular Friday night.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: September 11, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, and the events of 9-11 changed our country forever.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Twenty-five years later, we remember those who were lost, the first responders and other heroes who ran towards danger, the families who continue to carry those losses, and the spirit of unity and service that followed.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Football is obviously just a game, but football is also about community.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: It is about people coming together, competing together, supporting one another, and being part of something larger than yourselves.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So as we watch these young student athletes compete Friday night, I think it's worth taking a moment to remember what September 11th represents.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: We remember, we honor, we care, and we never forget.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk some football.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Each team has been selected by the New York State Sports Writers Association as a team to watch.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Both teams come into this game one and zero, and both teams know how to put points on the scoreboard.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly opened the season with a 36-23 victory over Port Jervis, while Maine well Maine and well opened with a 47-33 win over Webster Thomas.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: That's a total of 83 points scored in week one between these two teams.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: But here is what caught my attention.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Both teams also gave up more than 20 points.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: So my question heading into Friday night is simple.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Which team can make the plays defensively when the game is on the line?
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I have a feeling there are going to be plenty of opportunities.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start with the visiting Waverly Wolverines.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly comes into this game, like I said, 1-0 after that 36-23 win over Port Jervis.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly is a program that knows how to win.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: The Wolverines went 9-2 last season, and they have been one of the consistently successful programs in Section 4 over the past several seasons.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Head coach Jason Miller is back for another season, and Waverly has plenty of recent history to build on.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, Waverly went 13-1 in 2023, 9-2 in 2024, and 9-2 again last season.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: So this is not a team that is going to be intimidated by a trip to Maine Anwell.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: And there's another reason I'm particularly interested in this cover four showdown.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly has already proven it can beat Maine Anwell.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: The two teams met last October in Waverly, and the Wolverines came away with a 28-20 victory.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: But this time, the game is in Anwell, and Maine Anwell will certainly remember what happened a year ago.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly has already shown they can score.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now I want to see what their offense can do against a Maine Anwell defense that will be looking to make a statement.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's turn our attention to the home team.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: The Maine Anwell Spartans are also one and zero, and they open their season in a big way, traveling to Webster Thomas and coming away with a 47-33 victory.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: 47 points gets my attention.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: But so does 33 points Maine Anwell gave up.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: So just like Waverly, the Spartans enter this game knowing they can score points, but they also know they will need to tighten things up defensively.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Historically, Maine Edwell has been one of the most successful football programs, not just in Section 4, but in New York State.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Just two seasons ago, in 2024, the Spartans went 13-1, won the Section 4 Class B championship, and advanced all the way to the New York State Class B championship game.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Last season was a different story.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Main Endwell finished 5-4, but this is a program with a long track record of success.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: And now the Spartans get Waverly at home?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: That should make for a very interesting Friday night.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: The rematch.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Teams who handle the emotions of the moment usually win.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: There will be mistakes physically, mentally, and then there will be turnovers.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Who will be able to take advantage of these mistakes?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, the line of scrimmage.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I call it the line of scrimmage control.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: When you have two teams capable of scoring quickly, controlling the football and controlling the line of scrimmage can become extremely important.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: And defensively, we know both teams can score.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: The team that makes the critical defensive stops usually has the advantage.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the cover four showdown for week two.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoy the game.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and tell your friends to visit cover4.com to submit your next fan up ideas or ask Coach Smith a question.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: At cover four, your ideas are never out of bounds.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: In football and life, it is not where you line up, it is where you wind up.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Cover 4 podcast.