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Championship Chalk Talk with Coach Jason Miller · Cover IV Podcast

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're a Section 4 football fan, if you're in the right place, if this is your five fan, I'm Coach Smith and I'll be your host.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Section 4 football fans.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: This past weekend, the Waverly Wolverines won their first state championship in school history.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: In today's episode of Coach's Chalk Talk, our conversation will be with longtime Waverly Wolverines head coach Jason Miller and Section 4's newest New York State Championship coach.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Hey coach, welcome.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: Glad to have you on the Cover 4 podcast.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it very much.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, and congratulations on winning Waverly's first state championship.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I was thinking about that, and coach, there's two things that you did in doing that that no coach before you and no coach after you can claim.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's you won the first state championship for Waverly.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Coaches haven't done that before you and a coach, even if you left tomorrow and a coach came in and did it.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's not the first one, it's not like Jason Miller's.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that well, that's for sure.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And uh sure is a great feeling.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, a lot of a lot of years, a lot of work.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh just came together this year.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: This is not your first clam bake, right?
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: This year.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's uh it's it's certainly not, but uh, you know, it's just I I think everybody that's ever been there uh realizes that a lot of things got to come together uh to get to that point for sure.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: That reminds me of trying to get you on the schedule here.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: I uh was going through your people, and uh it was hard getting uh a hold of you because you got you're making the media run.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: You've been on Good Morning America, you've been on the late show, ESPN Sports Center, you've been on Choice 102 in Waverly.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Now I finally get a crack at you.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Choice 102 is right up there with them.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's about the extent of it.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Pat and I actually had the uh honor of calling your game, and it was absolutely phenomenal.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: And the seat of red that was there, it was unbelievable.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: It went from blue for the team before us, I think it was Whitesboro, and it went to red, and they were as loud or louder than any uh contingent there.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I told Pat, I said, I'm glad I'm not looking for any kind of service in Waverly right now, like you know, a gas station, restaurant.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I said, Nobody's there, they're all here.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was uh it was amazing.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know that's that's precisely what I recognize is that you know, going into the locker room uh just to see a blue from the Whitesboro fans.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Man, that's a big crowd.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: And uh when I came back out of the locker room, man, those those that side of the stands were absolutely filled up with red.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, it just made me proud.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think the community obviously uh very hungry for this and and saw the opportunity that you know you never guaranteed it'll ever come back uh and uh really supported us.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm very grateful for that.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: And they're they're always supportive, but that was pretty special.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely absolute great word is special.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Coach, tell us take us through the season and specifically how you're sending off the uh the seniors with this year's group.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, our season started back in the first week of May.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we had our uh player parent meeting May 1st, and that was on a Sunday, and we were on the field Tuesday, and every single Tuesday and Thursday uh of that first week of May, we had uh you know our conditioning workout.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: So uh that's not unlike previous years.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we do.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then it gets into June, and we start heavy on the seven on seven, still sticking with that Tuesday and Thursday, and then it becomes Sunday and in June.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so three three nights a week.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh went to our first tournament June 10th in Buffalo.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh went to Forks on June 18th, went to the state tournament uh July 15th.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, a lot of a lot of preseason work.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know uh we played a week zero game, so that week zero game, you get 10 days of practice to uh get ready for that first game.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we felt pretty good condition-wise.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you know, a lot of a lot of new kids that on this team that didn't play last year, um, whether it be upperclassmen or or kids coming over into the district.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, we had a solid first game.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Played a very good quarterback in that first week and honey and a good team in Honey Oy Falls, who lost in the uh sectional final to Monroe 21 to nothing.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: They proved they're a very good team uh and how they competed against Maine Enwell.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then uh turned around and had to had to play uh Tyoga.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was the next week, right?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was a two-night two-night affair.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Two-night affair.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so we were tested early.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, week week three of the regular season, we played Elmira.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Week week four, we played Forks.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, with the exception of the setback to Tyoga, which, you know, that was a very good game, tough game, close game.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, had our opportunities to win that game and didn't didn't uh you know didn't get it done.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um but responded to it, you know, responded real well, went up to Sydney after that and had uh uh a good game and then Elmira, and then obviously we we were fortunate come out of fortune to win.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: But as that as that's happening, you know, just building confidence.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the there's there were still at that point a lot of young kids that hadn't played a lot of varsity football.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and and in in any in any circumstance, whether it be special teams or you know, a lot of those kids were JV kids that came up uh that had now had a very significant role.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, we just continue to build momentum.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we we were pretty certain we were gonna face forks there in the final.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: That was another outstanding game.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, I truly believe, and I think what what's been proven is the two best teams in Class C in New York State are in our section.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh uh, you know, it it's a nightmare thinking about you know the eight returners on offense and eight returners on defense they have coming back.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So um, but you know, you take your you you when you take advantage of your opportunities when we have them.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, we we knew last year in the quarterfinal game we did not play well, we didn't prepare well.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there's a lot of circumstances around that game with a snowstorm and uh just kind of went up and crapped the bed on that one and uh thought we blew our opportunity.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and uh so we're very fortunate to get back to that point.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we we just had an outstanding uh really the final weeks of practice, last four or five weeks of practice.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: We were uh just extremely focused.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, there was a sense of reality setting in that you know this is gonna be our chance, and uh, you know, it sure is uh sure is a nice feeling to to you know work at something and and achieve it.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and you could tell there was different media sources that would interview you and some of your student athletes, and you could tell there was laser focus on the game and what you needed to do to prepare to get ready.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: There wasn't all this uh peripheral stuff they were talking about.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: It was laser focused, and you could you could tell, and it was uh, you know, you you could just tell it's like uh-oh, these these guys.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think a lot, I think a lot of what had to do with that is just that you know, we had been there in that position before, heading into the final.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, we were there a year before also, so two years before.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um after two successive uh you know, section, you know, playing in that game.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of those kids were seniors or core players uh that had played in three sectional finals.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: So uh that experience helps uh for certain.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, there's just a there's just a different mindset with seniors that have been there a little bit.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh, you know, they set the tone in practice and first to show up and the last to leave.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: So uh just a focused group.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Very fortunate to have had them.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I I you I joked about it, but uh you're you're starting quarterback there for five years.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: I I said, I don't know if you heard me say that, but if he was working for the school district, he'd be eligible for retirement.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: He'd be there.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: He'd been there for a while.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, it just it flew by.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he's been getting uh, you know, the the the great thing now after the season, we can talk a lot about, but uh, you know, he's he's got offers coming in quite a bit in the last week.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think he's got a favorite.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna say it, but I think he's uh he's uh, you know, I'm glad to see him get some attention uh after a season.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: We really didn't want to discuss it during the season, uh, but uh he's certainly gonna have a great college career also.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: What was interesting is uh when I was broadcasting, I got to broadcast his first game, and it was when you uh were playing Susquehanna Valley when they were really good in uh you know their run, and you brought Joey up as a seventh grader, and he got a few snaps at the end of the game.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then I got to call uh with Pat on uh WEBO in 102 uh this last week.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of interesting.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: I stopped and thought, wow, I got to call his first game and his his last snap.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: So that was pretty cool.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Which leads us right into the the next question I have for you, coach, is the what's on the horizon for the Waverly Wolverines?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: And your cupboard's not exactly bare after this year.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: No, it isn't.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, just we meeting about it tonight a little bit, and uh, you know, we we returned seven starters on both offense and defense.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh, you know, we're gonna have to settle upon a quarterback.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: We think we have a we have a freshman and a current sophomore uh that are both capable of fulfilling that role.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, that that from May to August, that we hope to settle that, you know.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: With that said, I think they can both play.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um uh you know, they're they're both very good defensive players.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not real keen on that.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know kids play both ways, especially at that position.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a little bit different.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: They're pretty equal in talent.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they're both uh, you know, obviously, you know, Ben Ben Shaw's uh a freshman and our starting inside linebacker had a tremendous year.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um so you know, we'll let them battle it out, and uh both of them are gonna do a cape, be very capable of doing the job they need to do.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think we'll be a little bit more run-oriented.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but that's gonna be hard to do with a 6-4, you know, Xavier Watson on the outside.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: So um defensively, you know, I think we should be solid.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: We obviously lose some very good people on both sides of the ball, but uh defensively, I think that uh, you know, our interior, interior of our defense, with the exception of Jake Benjamin, will be back.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: So uh and they got better and better as the year went on.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: And uh this will be the third year for the most of them, their third year of starting on varsity.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so early on in the year that we're gonna certainly rely on our on our defense.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, the the the schedule is a is a mystery now.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: I expect that we'll have a uh once again a very difficult schedule.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it'd get any harder than it was last year.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but uh, you know, the the past uh the precedence set by section four is if you do good, you're gonna get a brutal schedule.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: So um so we'll we'll we'll take it as it comes.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Section four as a as a section is no, they're they're tough, tough football teams.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: And if you can get out of section four, you got a really good chance of doing some damage in the at the state level.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's there's no question about that.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we we've known that for years.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously, our biggest obstacle has been forks.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh they've got a ton back.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so in my eyes, and I think if anybody knew the game of football and follows it, um you know, without a team that includes Joey Tommaso and Jay Piper and Jake Van Houten, um to me, they're they're you know, they're just simply the favorites at this point in December.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: So sure.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we've got a lot of a lot of work to do.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: And coach, uh, thanks again for taking the time and and again to you and the whole Waverly Wolverines football community.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent job.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: And you you're definitely setting the bar very high.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I know you've got uh some youth in the pipeline.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's evident that I saw those uh young student athletes at the games and uh and the stuff that you know your players or your student athletes do at the lower levels, you know, going into the the schools and things like that's a big deal.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know when I was young, varsity player come to our school, knows my name, talks to me.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: I noticed the coach, that's a big deal, coach.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And you can keep your uh pipeline full by doing that.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we have uh, you know, we've got a really good connection with the community with uh doing a lot of things uh throughout the season uh on a weekly basis, uh that uh you know a lot of people appreciate, but uh I don't know if they appreciate more than I do.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I mean I just I love the fact that uh you know people that they're the kind of kids that that the community wants to support, and uh that's a big factor in the program.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it is, and it really is.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm looking forward to seeing good things out of you in the in the program in the future.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: So thanks again, coach, and again, congratulations to you and the whole football community.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: You take care.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, very proud and thank you for supporting Section 4 football.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it, Tim.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
• 14:12
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• 14:18
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• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Cover 4 podcast.