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Northern Team's Preview with Ryan Gineo · Cover IV Podcast

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Cover Four.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: If you're a Section 4 football fan, you're in the right place.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: This is your podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Coach Smith, and I'll be your host.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: Buckle up.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Cover Four podcast preseason team preview for the Northern teams of Section Four.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: I'm joined by our former rookie of the year, football analyst Ryan Ginio of ESPN Ithaca.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Ryan, and let her go.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh, coach, thanks again for having me on here uh for another exciting Section 4 football season.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Last season's gonna be tough to top, of course, with uh a couple state titles.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: And some of my teams that I cover, the normal uh the northern teams, had some great success as well.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: And you talked about in the in the uh previous episode, the first episode of the season, how one of the big changes uh for this year is that the independent league is no more.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: It had a brief two-year stint, but that is no more, meaning that all the 11-man teams in Section 4 football have the chance to compete for a New York State title.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that's uh pretty cool to see some of our teams, uh, namely Ithaca, Dryden, and Lansing going from the independent division back into class football.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: For Lancey and Dryden, they're back in Class C.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: And for Ithaca, who I'm going to start off with here, they are back in class AA.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And uh last season it was a really, really successful one-year stint.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh started off a little slow.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: They lost their first two games of the season, but then they just hit their stride.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: They uh won their last seven games, so they finished seven and two.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's their first winning record since 2010, and that's also their best record this entire century.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's how good it was, and that's how much uh Ithaca football has been really revitalized here under head coach Kyrie Brown, who is Ithaca through and through.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: He was a little red-along.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: He played uh college football over on South Hill at IC, and he's just brought this new energy and excitement to a program that has had, quite frankly, a lot of losing uh these these past couple of decades here.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, you can look back at last year and say, hey, you know, they they face schools much smaller than theirs, but it's far from easy.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: I remember uh Coach Brown uh telling me last year, and even when I talked to him earlier this year, saying, hey, it's still 11 guys against 11 guys, so you don't know what's what's gonna happen out there.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's always gonna be tough.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, some of the games last year are great examples of that.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: They grinded out a win against Whitney.12 to six.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Dryden in what's called the Battle of Route 13.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: And then they pulled off an even greater comeback in their final game of the season against Johnson City, where they were down 22-0 at halftime, and they put up 28 unanswered to win it by six.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: So uh incredibly successful first season for Kyrie Brown.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Really excited to see what they can build this season in in class uh double A here.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but they will be without a couple of their key players in terms of graduation, uh, namely Danny Parker, who is just a Swiss Army knife, basically, played pretty much uh just about everywhere.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Ethan Husick, uh Nick Talbot, who was their leader on defense, Caleb Kerfoot, who is their starting quarterback, all have graduated.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: But that will allow some other players to really step up in those roles.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm looking at Lavell Lewis.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: He's a junior, he's electric out of the backfield.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he started off last season on probably the best note possible by returning a kick 90 yards to the house.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: So uh he's prom to be the lead back for Ithaca with Danny Parker graduating.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: And uh head coach Kyrie Brown said that he's one of the best athletes he's ever played with or coached.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: So don't just take my praise of Laval Lewis from me.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Take it from Coach Brown.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: He knows talent when he sees it because he's not only played with a great talented players, but he's also coached them as well.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: And as for the quarterback situation, it will be interesting because it's pretty much open tryouts there.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Coach Brown said that four players are currently competing for the top spot, including last year's backup quarterback, uh Jonah Jacobstein.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see what happens there.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and Miko Green is expected to step up uh in that Nick Talbot role as uh the starting linebacker, who of course is the uh quarterback of the defense.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: So uh overall for Ithka, I'm really excited to see what they can do in class double A here, back with the likes of Elmira and Corning.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: I I think it is gonna be more difficult for them.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: It seems like it is gonna be a tougher schedule and with some key losses.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't anticipate their record to be as stellar as what it was last year at 7-2.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: I still think they'll be a solid program.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: So they've got a really strong resilient backbone as well, given the amount of games they had to come back from uh last season.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: So really excited to see what the Little Red can do this year.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: And then uh the two other teams that were in the Independent League, but now in Class C, we'll dive into uh Dryden and Lansing.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll start with the Dryden Lions.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Really the big picture for them is that from 2022 to 2023, there was a lot of turnover in terms of the roster, a lot of graduations and all that.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: But from last year into this year, it's the exact opposite.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Not much turnover.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they graduated just over half the team heading into 2023.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: This season, they only lose six players, five graduates and one transfer.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, looking at some of the key losses, not really many big ones uh apart from their uh their starting quarterback and Brandon Williams, which I suppose thinking back on it now, that that is pretty significant, of course.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he was really good in his first and only year as the starter, 10 touchdowns, four picks, nearly 700 yards in the air, and was uh a section four All-Star.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: But you just look at the amount of talent returning for them for a team that was kind of middle of the road last season.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: They finished five and six, just couldn't find any consistency.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think they'll hit their stride more this year.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a big, big reason for that is Jay Miles because he was an All-State honorable mention last year, and he's just an unstoppable force on the ground.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: He rushed for 1,400 yards.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: That nearly doubles his freshman year tally.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: He led the team with 17 touchdowns, 14 of them rushing.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: And he's also much more of a threat in the receiving game.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: His freshman year, he only had one reception for negative one yards.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Last year, seven receptions, 104 yards, three TDs.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I know that's that's a lot of stats I'm throwing at you right there, but that just goes to show you how dynamic of a player Jay Miles is, not just in the backfield, but also in the receiving game.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then his brother Carmelo Miles, he's more of that receiving threats uh for the team.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh 341 yards, three TDs last year.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Danny Murphy as well is another receiver to watch out for, over six feet.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: So uh he can definitely grab the any maybe air it throws uh by the quarterback, but he was a first-team all-star and the second leading receiver.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then they bring back some um great guys on defense and Hunter Covington uh on the on the O line and the D line, as well as Aiden Davis, uh a defensive end for them there.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: So unlike most other teams in the area, Dryden's pretty much kept everybody aboard from last season.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that experience is gonna come in handy with uh a more difficult schedule ahead in Class C.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the big question mark, of course, is who is going to be under center?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And well, I don't have that confirmed whatsoever, but it it could be last year's backup, Brennan Poole.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's probably expected he'll take the reins.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: He saw a little bit of playing time last year, but regardless, whoever takes over under center, whether it is Brennan Poole or somebody else, they're gonna have plenty of weapons at their disposal.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: That should bode well for the Lions.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know what?
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think they'll surprise some people and they'll and they'll fare well uh in a tough division there in Class C.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, that division that both Dryden and Lansing are in, uh they have the defending state champions in Waverly.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So uh not too bad whatsoever there.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll go over to Lansing.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking of them, uh the big story for them is while a lot of other teams in this area have seen turnover in terms in terms of their quarterback, whether they graduated or other circumstances, uh Lansing does return uh their starting quarterback from last year, and that is Jackson Mayo.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: And he's entering a senior year.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I he impressed me last time out.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: He had a section four first team all-star nine.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember uh a game I called last year against Dryden, and he was just automatic near the goal line.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Almost Jalen Hurts like he was he was punching in uh quite a few touchdowns.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think he finished with three on that night in what was a big win over the rival Lions.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: But I think that experience will go a really long way with other teams seeing a transition at the most important position uh on the gridiron there.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: And you look back at last season for the Bobcats, really uh solid season for them at six and four.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: It was a little bit of a slow start at 0-2, but then just got going, won five of their next six, lost to Ithaca, but then uh beat Spencer Burnett and Candor to end the season in what was a double overtime thriller.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: So really solid program.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: They've got uh Cooper Hollister uh is another key returner uh as a running back and a linebacker, and then Asher Benson and Griffin Montfort Balfour in the trenches, that's gonna be huge as well to protect the quarterback.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: So this program has continued to improve and improve ever since they got back to playing 11-man football in uh 2022.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So now that they're back in class C play, can they make a push for the playoffs?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to look at this division again because I already mentioned Waverly, which let's face it, they're no doubt gonna lock up the top spot, leaving only one spot up for grabs then in that uh in that class C division.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, there are two divisions this time around in Classes C and Classes D.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: So for that second spot in that in that class C division, it's gonna be a tight race with themselves.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: We already talked about Dryden, but then there's also uh Watkins, Glenodessa Montour, and then Whitney Point.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Can't count them out.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: But I think the Bobcats will have a great chance, mainly because Jackson Mayo's back under center.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, even though he's lost a couple weapons on offense in Austin Crandall and Mason Braid, he's still gonna have great protection and a great running game.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I could easily see them competing in the postseason come November.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: So now we go from the 11-man scene to the eight-man scene here.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh four remaining four teams I'll talk about, all involved in eight-man football.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna go in order of how they finished last season in terms of worst to best.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna start out out of those four teams, the worst of the bunch uh from last year, and that was Newfield.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, the Trojans had a really, really tough 2023 campaign.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: They finished winless at 0-8.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: However, only four of those games they actually ended up playing.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: So they lost those first four games, and all of them weren't particularly close.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but then unfortunately, they had to cancel the the rest of the season and forfeit those remaining four games.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they simply did not have enough players.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they started with 15, but then uh five were removed uh from the team due to some uh code of conduct violations, so they ended with with just 10 players.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: So a really rough season for them, and it's gonna be a little bit tougher as well uh without Austin Jenny under center.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: He was their starting quarterback.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: He was a first-team all-star, really, really uh talented player there.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: However, they still got that X Factor in Malcolm Jenkins.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: He is really a treat to watch out on the field because, like Danny Parker of Ithaca, he's a real Swiss Army knife as well.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: He can play running back, receiver, linebacker, defensive back, one of the most versatile players throughout the area, and is by far Newfield's best player.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: So he'll be relied on heavily no matter where he is on the gridiron.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: So this season, Trojans are just looking to put last season behind them, look ahead to a much improved campaign.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's still going to be an uphill battle for them, uh, in all honesty, due to being one of the smaller teams uh in throughout Section 4.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: They only have 15 players and uh and a need for a new quarterback, of course.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: But I think their biggest goal is just to get through this season, play a full season, try and play all eight games here.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: And even if they do go winless, just try to complete it and you know give these kids a full season here because they they certainly deserve it, uh, given the work that they've put in uh throughout this season and even last season when uh they they couldn't play any more games.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: So then we'll go over to Groton next.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I wanted to talk here about uh before I dive into the specifics of of Groton is how eight-man football has changed in section four in terms of the playoffs.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: So in years past, uh eight-man football in the section was divided up into two divisions.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you had the east and you had the west.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: The top two teams from each division will go on to the playoffs.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, a little bit of a flaw in that system arose when it came to Groton, because last year the Red Hawks finished the regular season at 6-2, which was only good enough for third place because they were in the same division as Moravy and Shermansburg, who were clearly the best two teams in the section when it comes to eight-man football.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: But despite beating the top two teams in the East Division in Green and Itigo Franklin, and finished with a better record than both teams, they missed out on the playoffs.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I think they understandably felt hard done by uh because of the the playoff system there, but that's not going to be the case this season.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's they're not gonna run into that issue because eight-man football is now just in one big seven-team division to avoid that scenario.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Top four teams go through.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: So uh we'll see if Groton can make the cut there.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I think they have a good chance of doing so because, again, last year was really good for them.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned they they go six and two.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh their only losses, uh, as I said, were to Moravia and Sherman'sburg, and they they got blown out in both games, so they are still, I think, uh a step behind those two programs right now.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: But make no mistake, this is still a very, very good side.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they they're pretty much all six of their wins were blowouts.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: I should say five of the six.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: They had a close win uh against Green, but uh, this is still a really good team, though they will suffer uh some big losses, namely Nick Karandeev, who is uh a phenomenal running back, and uh he was an all-state selection uh last year and also two years ago when Rotten were the dominant force in eight-man football, and Garrett Moffitt is not going to be under center.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: He graduated.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Nick Gammel graduating as well, great tight end.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: But they returned guys like Caden Antrim uh on the line, Carmelo Riley Israel, another great lineman, and Jaden Mitchell, who's a great cornerback and wide receiver.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, well, last year they took that step back from dominating the eight-man scene.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, with this new eight-man playoff format, I think they have a really strong chance of making it back.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Questions will need to be answered, though, who's gonna start at quarterback, who's gonna lead the backfield as well, but I think they've got enough pieces to compete, even if they might still lag behind the likes of the next two teams I'm gonna be talking about.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we now go to Shermansburg.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: And the big story for the Blue Raiders is that they got a new coach, and of the 10 teams we cover uh at ESPN Ithaca, only two uh have a new head coach, uh, one of them being the Blue Raiders.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: So Chad Doolittle has taken over the program, and it's not like this is some uh random.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he had he knows Trumansburg football uh near and dear.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: He spent the past few years as a modified coach.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: He's been involved with Trumansburg uh football for 15 years.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's he was the commissioner of the youth program.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the fact that he's worked with pretty much the entire team since they first started playing when they were really, really young, I think makes that transition to head coach that much smoother.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: He knows what they respond to and what they don't respond to.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: And speaking of that, when I chatted with him last week, actually, uh, the team was working with their entire youth program.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: They took time out of their own practice to run drills with the next generation of football players in town.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that was something uh Coach Doolittle wants his team to pride themselves on.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Really two things, a sense of community as well as togetherness.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: And he told me that there are 150 kids that are involved in all levels of Trumansburg football.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a pretty telling sign that they could be back playing 11-man football in the near future, possibly as soon as next year.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: But for right now, in eight-man football, they're doing pretty darn well for themselves.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last season is anything to go by.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: They went 8-2.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: Both losses coming to Moravia, who pretty much just steamrolled everybody.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: So there's there's no shame in losing to them, of course.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so they they're still gonna be a really, really good team, still gonna uh compete with them.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: However, uh they do have a major loss in the backfield with Chandler Wrights, a really, really uh talented running back and linebacker, back-to-back All-state selections.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: I believe he's the first ever Sherman'sburg Blue Raider to be an All-State football selection.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: He's the program's all-time leading rusher.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: He's now playing at a really good D3 program out in Massachusetts at Springfield College.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: So that is a major loss in the backfield.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: That being said, besides that, Sherman's Burgund pretty much everybody.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that starts with the quarterback and Nick Nelson.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: He was an all-star honorable mention last year.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: And like Jack Sameo of Lansing, we talked about earlier, he's gonna have plenty of experience under center entering his third season as the starter.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: And you might think to yourselves, well, he's got a new head coach.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: How's he gonna adapt to that?
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think that's gonna be an issue because the system is not gonna be changing that much.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're still gonna be, I think, option heavy, but they're just gonna add a little bit more flavor to the playbook, uh, according to Coach Doolittle.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: So uh that's a really big advantage for Trumansburg this season.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of the running game, it's not like it's gonna be absolutely vacant without Chandler Wright because Dakota Hamilton is gonna step up big.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: He was a first-team all-star.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he's gonna take over the lead, and he was a very productive running back, even though Chandler Wright had uh more of the stats and more of the production.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: He still had 854 yards on the ground, 12 touchdowns.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: He was a threat uh receiving wise as well, and he was second on the team in tackles, so he's a great all-around player as well.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then in terms of other weapons, you got Mason Von Gordon back uh as a great receiver, and then uh on the in the trenches, you got Owen Fulton, Lucas Grove, as well as Quinn Van Valen.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: So really everyone is pretty much set here uh apart from from Chandler Wright in the running game.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: But even then, I think it's I think they're gonna be just fine running the ball.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, throughout the history of eight-man football in Section 4, albeit somewhat brief, uh, they started having uh Section 4 championships in 2018, but the trend has been the teams have taken turns being the dominant force.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: I might have talked a little bit about this in last season preview, but the trend has continued.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: A different team or a different school has won the Section 4 eight-man title since 2018.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: It was first Elmira Notre Dame, followed by Lansing, then yeah, the COVID year, so no uh sectional tournament there.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: But then back from COVID, it was uh Spencer Vanette and Candor in 2021.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: It was Groton two years ago, and then of course, which we'll talk about to close things up, uh Moravia was just unbelievably and record-breakingly dominant last year.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that this trend might continue this season.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think it is Trumansburg's turn to be the top dog in eight-man football.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: They've got all the pieces, right?
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: They got a veteran quarterback, they've got a great ground game, their strength in the trenches.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying it's a guarantee, though, that they'll come out on top since, as we know, football is not played on paper.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I see them this year as the favorites to win the eight-man title and win their first sectional title in program history.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: But the team they have to dethrone, and the last team I'm gonna be talking about is, of course, the Moravia Blue Devils, and what a 2023 campaign it was.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: It was Moravia's turn to be the team to beat.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: And they weren't just dominant, they were arguably the best eight-man football team we have ever seen in Section 4 football because they broke not one, but two sectional eight-man records.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: First one was most points in the season.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: They scored a whopping 670 in 13 games.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: That smashed the record that Groton uh set for themselves in 2022.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: And they also set the eight uh the Section 4 eight-man record for the largest point differential in the season at plus 540.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that broke the uh record of Spencer Bennett and Canner in 2021.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: They had plus 456.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: So just absolutely crushed their way to their first ever sectional title.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: That included a 74-41 shootout over Trumansburg in the final.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: So then you think to yourselves now, hey, this team could go on a run here and win that regional or de facto state championship.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: And well, they got off to a good start there.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: They shut off so uh shut out Sullivan West in the regional semifinal 44 to nothing.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: But then in that regional final against Pembroke, who won it all in 2022, came up a little short there.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: They were shut out 36 0.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: Dragons got their second straight title.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: I do think the game would have been closer had Moravia not been riddled by injuries and sickness, and that included the absence of Kyler Proper, um, who Who is just one of the best athletes I've ever covered, regardless of sport.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so you know, the the loss there, it it wasn't indicative of what Moravia achieved uh that past season, of course.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the remain one of the reasons why I have Schoensburg is maybe slider favorites over Moravia for for the eight-man football title is that Moravia's just lost so much talent.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you mentioned Kyler Proper, first team Allstate selection.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: He made some of the most incredible, incredible runs I've ever seen at any level of football.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I really do mean that.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: And he's now playing at Wilkes University, by the way, uh down in Pennsylvania.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Luke Landis, their quarterback, another first team All-state selection.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: He's graduated.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: Aiden Kelly was an All-State honorable mention.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: He's graduated.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: Drew Nye, uh a talented wide receiver.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Seth Parker and Drew Family as linemen also all have graduated.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: That being said, this team is not devoid of talent.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to look to Thomas Palmer here because he's going to be taking over as the starting quarterback.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember uh head coach Fred Ott said last year that he would start for a good amount of teams in section four, but it just so happened that he was behind one of the top quarterbacks in section four.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now he did see some playing time last year because, well, they blew out so many opponents that you know you can rest your starters in the fourth quarter.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that's gonna be some really valuable experience.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like Palmer is being thrown right into the fire here uh as the starting quarterback of a team that is gonna have a giant, I mean humongous target on their back now throughout the eight-man scene.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he's gonna have that experience, and that's gonna go a long way.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: And he's gonna be helped out by still a good amount of weapons in Hunter Boynton in the backfield.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna be the lead back for them uh now.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I was really impressed with him last season when Kyler Proper went down with injury.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: He filled in for him, and I was really impressed by what he offered.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh great, great speed as well.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: Riley Jones gonna be a threat uh as a wide out.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Ethan DeHart, Scott Raymond, uh, gonna be great replacements in our, I should say, mainstays uh in the trenches there.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: But I think the biggest thing as well is Joe Baylor coming back.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Moravia dominated the entire Section 4 uh football landscape there without one of their top receivers.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: Joe Baylor standing at, I think, six foot three, missed all last season due to a knee injury.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, he was a first team Allstate selection in 2022.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: So the fact that he is back this season, that is gonna help out Thomas Palmer, under center, and Moravia in general to try and defend this title.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: And listen, it's gonna be difficult to repeat what they did last season, but that being said, you know, the more I think about it, the more I feel that Moravia really do have a solid chance here of being the first repeat Section 4 eight-man champion.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I get it.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Losing three All-State Caliber players is tough, but the holes in the lineup, as I said, seem to fill themselves.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't get significantly weaker, I don't think, in many areas.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: Running game, as I said, will still be strong with Hunter Boynton.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Riley Jones, Joe Baylor, top-tier wideout combo, O-line, D-line weren't totally gutted.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that all makes life easier for Thomas Palmer, his first full season starting.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's gonna be a two-horse race for the eight-man title, hopefully an entertaining one.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, I should mention that Moravia's first game this season is gonna be a rematch of last year's eight-man regional championship at Pembroke.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: So that one I'm really looking forward to to watching there and following along because that should be a really, really great showdown.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: And overall, for our northern teams here, I think it's gonna be a great season for all teams.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really excited to get underway here and uh bring on all the football.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Uh as a fan, not as you uh the host of this podcast, but as a football fan, you've got me, I'm ready to put the equipment on and go.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: And my my days have long passed.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm back in the days with no face masks.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: Just kidding, I had face masks.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: But that's a great job, Brian.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: Really appreciate that.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: You set up everybody, coaches, uh, student athletes, and families in their community uh with a great informative session.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I can't wait to get this put together and get that out there.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: My goal is to get this out there for everybody for tomorrow, Thursday, so they can digest everything and listen to it before the game started the weekend.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks again.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: Really appreciate what you do and keep doing what you do up there in that northern area and that ESPN Ithaca.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate you having me on again.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: All right, take care.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: All right, see ya.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: Tell your friends to visit cover4.com and be the next fan up.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: Your inputs are never out of bounds.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Cover Four Podcast.