Latest / Cover IV Podcast / Broome County Team's Preview with Roger Neel & "Coach" Smith
Transcript
- 0:08SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cover Four.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: If you're a Section 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: Buckle up.
- 0:21SPEAKER_00: Let's go.
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Cover Four podcast preseason team preview for the Broome County teams.
- 0:31SPEAKER_00: I'm joined by our Hall of Fame football analyst, Roger Neal.
- 0:35SPEAKER_00: You know him as the sports voice of the Southern Tier.
- 0:38SPEAKER_00: Roger will analyze five teams and then I will analyze the other five teams.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Roger.
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: Take it away.
- 0:47SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
- 0:48SPEAKER_01: Hey, well, it's football time again, the exciting time of the year for many of us who love football, and high school football is finally back.
- 0:55SPEAKER_01: And let's start things off with a preview of the Binghamton Patriots.
- 0:59SPEAKER_01: Now the Patriots are moving down one level from AA to A.
- 1:03SPEAKER_01: It's been a tough stretch for the Patriots over the past several seasons, including last year, a one and eight record.
- 1:09SPEAKER_01: So they certainly have a lot of room to grow, but it's a far cry from some of those glorious years in the past.
- 1:15SPEAKER_01: The last section for championship of the Patriots was back in the 2017 season.
- 1:20SPEAKER_01: Leading the way for the Patriots first year head coach Vaughn Labor.
- 1:24SPEAKER_01: The new coach has plenty of experience under his belt.
- 1:27SPEAKER_01: He played at Cortland State and has been a coach in the Binghamton program for eight years.
- 1:32SPEAKER_01: Besides that, he doubles as the school's flag football coach.
- 1:35SPEAKER_01: And over the past three seasons, the Patriots flag football team has been able to win a pair of Section 4 titles and finished runner-up once.
- 1:43SPEAKER_01: Binghamton's new head coach says the first key he and his staff have been working on is rekindling that team spirit and changing the chemistry around the program.
- 1:53SPEAKER_01: So they're looking forward to a lot of improvement.
- 1:56SPEAKER_01: Key leaders for the Patriots will be senior defensive end Isaiah Azelby and Josiah Bonholm, expected to see plenty of playing time on both sides of the football.
- 2:06SPEAKER_01: Labor says the Patriots need to make big improvements on both the offensive line and the defensive line.
- 2:13SPEAKER_01: They'll be opening up their season Thursday, September the 12th at reigning state Class C champion Waverly in Waverly.
- 2:20SPEAKER_01: Let's move on to Class B, the Shadango Bounty Warriors.
- 2:24SPEAKER_01: Returning Coach Brad Tom says he's looking to form a cohesiveness with the group, and he hopes that the newcomers in the Warriors lineup can certainly add to a lot of what they have had going.
- 2:37SPEAKER_01: They're looking to get some wins under their belt and looking to do so early.
- 2:41SPEAKER_01: Coach Tom says the focus in the off-season and training camp is on now, the current moment, not to focus back on past games or past seasons, and not to look ahead to the next game, but to focus on where they are at the very moment, where they are right now.
- 2:57SPEAKER_01: So they've been working hard on that.
- 2:59SPEAKER_01: The Warriors compete in Class B in section four.
- 3:02SPEAKER_01: They open the new season by hosting Harpersville Afton on the 6th of September.
- 3:08SPEAKER_01: Now there are no easy matchups for the Warriors against Class B opponents when they face the likes of Maine and well and a we go.
- 3:15SPEAKER_01: Speaking of Class B, the Johnson City Wildcats with returning coach Todd Place.
- 3:20SPEAKER_01: Well, they have a couple of games last season in the win column.
- 3:24SPEAKER_01: They certainly are looking for more this time around as they compete in that top Section 4 Class B competition.
- 3:30SPEAKER_01: Coach Place says the Wildcats are one of the youngest teams in Section 4.
- 3:35SPEAKER_01: 11 of 22 projected starters are 10th graders.
- 3:39SPEAKER_01: The Wildcats return 10 starters from last season, including seven seniors.
- 3:44SPEAKER_01: He Wildcats include Felix Morales, who played in six and a half games last year.
- 3:49SPEAKER_01: He can do it all.
- 3:50SPEAKER_01: Last year he ran for 686 yards, averaging eight and a half yards per carry.
- 3:56SPEAKER_01: He scored six rushing touchdowns, had 10 receptions for a pair of TDs, and gained 262 yards in the air.
- 4:04SPEAKER_01: On defense, the Wildcats look for leadership and dominant play from Sam Ross.
- 4:09SPEAKER_01: He's a three-year starting defensive tackle, but a four-year starter on the offensive line.
- 4:14SPEAKER_01: At quarterback, Vanessa Morales, the younger brother of Felix, is expected to get plenty of time running the offense.
- 4:22SPEAKER_01: He also may be seeing a lot of action at the wideout spot last year as a wide receiver.
- 4:26SPEAKER_01: He had 27 catches, uh 403-yard total, and scored seven touchdowns.
- 4:32SPEAKER_01: The Wildcats set to open their season at home against Susquehanna Valley coming up this weekend.
- 4:40SPEAKER_01: What about the main Edwell Spartans?
- 4:41SPEAKER_01: What can you say except great and a scary thing for opponents in section four?
- 4:47SPEAKER_01: Head coach Hall of Famer Matt Gallagher says it's business as usual.
- 4:52SPEAKER_01: Well, if you're facing the Spartans, you probably already knew that.
- 4:56SPEAKER_01: But if you aren't and you're listening or watching what's happening on the field with them, business as usual means it's going to be a tough goal for anybody that takes them on again this year.
- 5:07SPEAKER_01: And of course, they'll be facing Class B foes like Shenago Valley, Norwich, Oneana, Owigo, and of course the Johnson City Wildcats.
- 5:15SPEAKER_01: Versatile Preston Auker takes over the quarterback role while the Spartans return the rest of the backfield.
- 5:21SPEAKER_01: A key returner is Vinny Mancini, who is superb, a speedster, and he can be a key defender at linebacker as well.
- 5:30SPEAKER_01: Coach Gallagher says that a big focus for the Spartans is replacing their starting offensive line.
- 5:36SPEAKER_01: And certainly the biggest shoes to fill will be replacing standout all-state lineman Adam DeSantis, who went both ways last year.
- 5:43SPEAKER_01: DeSantis has graduated and is set to continue his football career at Colgate University.
- 5:49SPEAKER_01: The Spartans set to open their season Friday night against their backyard rival at Spartan Stadium, the UE Tigers will invade.
- 5:58SPEAKER_01: What about Class C?
- 5:59SPEAKER_01: Susquiet about a Sabres under Coach Mike Ford have had outstanding success over the years.
- 6:04SPEAKER_01: They hope to rekindle that.
- 6:06SPEAKER_01: Not that they were bad the last time route, but they're looking to get back into the championship round.
- 6:11SPEAKER_01: Coming off playoff seasons the last two years, but exiting in the first round each year.
- 6:17SPEAKER_01: Of course, the Sabres are used to winning, capturing state Class C championships in 2018 and 19.
- 6:23SPEAKER_01: They'll be facing a tough schedule ahead, a tough task.
- 6:26SPEAKER_01: They're in the Class C Section 4 division with reigning Class C New York State champion Waverly year in and year out.
- 6:33SPEAKER_01: Shenango Forks in Windsor as well, who was a second seed in Section 4 Class B competition last season.
- 6:40SPEAKER_01: So the Sabres are a team we'll be keeping an eye on.
- 6:43SPEAKER_01: We'll see what they can do again in that tough Class C competition.
- 6:47SPEAKER_01: So, Tim, that's kind of a capsule of what's ahead for some of the outstanding teams we're looking to cover throughout the course of this season.
- 6:55SPEAKER_00: Great, Roger.
- 6:56SPEAKER_00: Uh excellent overview and preview.
- 6:58SPEAKER_00: And uh I I appreciate and I know all our listeners appreciate because I'm we are we're starting our fifth year together on the uh cover for podcast and getting a lot of positive feedback, a lot of positive vibes.
- 7:10SPEAKER_00: People are really uh appreciate what it is that you and I and the rest of the uh football analyst uh team that we have put together.
- 7:18SPEAKER_00: And as you and I were talking uh about before, it's it's a really good team, and uh I like to sit back and listen to you guys.
- 7:26SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm a fan just as big a fan as anybody else when I listen to you guys, and I also hopefully can contribute some myself to it.
- 7:34SPEAKER_00: But again, Roger, thanks very much.
- 7:36SPEAKER_00: Appreciate that, and I look forward to our games of the week coverage throughout the season, and you never know where we go with these conversations.
- 7:43SPEAKER_00: It's good stuff.
- 7:44SPEAKER_01: There you go.
- 7:44SPEAKER_01: It's time for the whistle to blow, huh?
- 7:46SPEAKER_01: There we go.
- 7:47SPEAKER_00: That's right.
- 7:48SPEAKER_00: Buckle up, buddy.
- 7:49SPEAKER_00: But the uh one coach I used to uh play for, I won't say his name, but he used to say that the BS stops when the officials' arm drops.
- 7:59SPEAKER_00: Yep, I like that.
- 8:00SPEAKER_00: That's a good way to put it.
- 8:02SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 8:04SPEAKER_00: I'll begin with the Whitney Point Golden Eagles.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: Their 2023 season began bittersweet.
- 8:10SPEAKER_00: They beat Midlakes 42-8, but lost their starting quarterback to injury.
- 8:16SPEAKER_00: They finished the 2023 season four and six.
- 8:20SPEAKER_00: That happened to be the most wins for the program since the 2019 team went five and three.
- 8:27SPEAKER_00: After spending two seasons in the independent classification, Whitney Point joins Class C Division V.
- 8:35SPEAKER_00: This division includes defending Class C state champion Waverly, Watkins Glen Odessa Montour, and two schools also making their transition from independent.
- 8:46SPEAKER_00: That would be Lansing and Dryden.
- 8:49SPEAKER_00: The Eagles have only seven seniors on their roster of 27.
- 8:54SPEAKER_00: The returning senior group is led by running back Samuel Nichols and Joe Van Redenberg, lineman Andrew Turner, and defensive back receiver Mason Armagno.
- 9:07SPEAKER_00: Coach Hankes is looking for his team to compete at a high level while returning to division play.
- 9:14SPEAKER_00: Coach feels the team has improved over the last two years and he wants to see the student athletes continue to improve and develop.
- 9:22SPEAKER_00: Coach will be looking to the underclassmen to step up and play some significant roles.
- 9:28SPEAKER_00: Every team on the Eagles schedule will be a test for this young team.
- 9:32SPEAKER_00: But by the time of November 1st game with Waverly rolls around, the Golden Eagles will know exactly where the program is at.
- 9:42SPEAKER_00: Now on to the Windsor Black Knights.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: They begin their season as they traditionally do by holding their first practice at midnight on Sunday.
- 9:51SPEAKER_00: Technically, they had to wait until one minute after midnight on Monday to be legal.
- 9:57SPEAKER_00: This is like the midnight madness practices we see with some college basketball programs.
- 10:03SPEAKER_00: Technically, the Black Knights are the first Section 14 to kick off their season.
- 10:09SPEAKER_00: Windsor has a good nucleus of 14 returning seniors.
- 10:14SPEAKER_00: This season, Windsor moves from an always tough Class B to Class C, which is just as tough if not tougher.
- 10:23SPEAKER_00: Coach Hogan realizes Class C is loaded with the likes of Shenango Forks, Waverly, and Susquehanna Valley.
- 10:30SPEAKER_00: He knows the Black Knights will have their work cut out for them, but he also knows that they can hold their own, which was evident last season when they won the Hogan Bowl by shutting out Shenango Forks 8-0 at Forks and beat a good Susquehanna Valley team 32 to 16.
- 10:49SPEAKER_00: Some student athletes to watch for is going to be the Warner's galore.
- 10:56SPEAKER_00: You got senior quarterback Ashton Werner, who is returning and amassed nearly 2,000 yards over the last two seasons rushing.
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: And you have his brother, twin brother, I'm sorry, senior wide receiver, defensive back, Conan Warner, who caught 31 passes for his 685 yards last season.
- 11:17SPEAKER_00: And also you got a newcomer, sophomore Bryson Werner, and he'll be the third Warner that joins his brothers this season.
- 11:26SPEAKER_00: There have been quite a few teams with two brothers on a roster, but not many with three.
- 11:31SPEAKER_00: This is special.
- 11:33SPEAKER_00: And then also be on the lookout for senior offensive lineman and defensive lineman Gabriel Sonderaraja.
- 11:41SPEAKER_00: The Black Knights play Section 3 Homer Week Zero as part of a double header at Shenango Forks on Saturday, September 7th at noon.
- 11:51SPEAKER_00: They need to make sure that they're not looking ahead to their week one opponent when they travel to Hagerty Field to take on the Tioga Tigers, who are on a 41-game win streak, which includes three state championships.
- 12:07SPEAKER_00: Now the Shenango Forks Blue Devils.
- 12:10SPEAKER_00: By Shenango Forks standards, last season was a disappointing 6-4.
- 12:16SPEAKER_00: You can count on one hand the number of times Shenango Forks has had four losses in a season over the last few decades, and you'll end up probably with two or three fingers left over.
- 12:29SPEAKER_00: Just doesn't happen very often to one of the best teams and programs in New York State.
- 12:35SPEAKER_00: Shenango Forks does not have their traditional big running back this year as they've had in the past, but they do have a lot more foot speed than they've had in the past couple of seasons.
- 12:45SPEAKER_00: They are young, but some of these young student athletes are very talented.
- 12:49SPEAKER_00: One key to their success will be how quickly these young student athletes develop.
- 12:54SPEAKER_00: They have some solid upperclassmen, but not a lot of veterans in general.
- 12:59SPEAKER_00: That seems to be the trend in Class C football as of late.
- 13:05SPEAKER_00: They've seen improvement over the first week or two and will continue to strive throughout the season.
- 13:11SPEAKER_00: Some key student athletes to watch are senior halfback and strong safety Finn Stark, senior offensive lineman, defensive tackle Vincent Lewis, senior fullback, strong safety Lucas Bartlow, who was the second leading rusher from last season.
- 13:29SPEAKER_00: He had 367 yards on 71 attempts for six touchdowns.
- 13:35SPEAKER_00: Junior halfback center, Tate Bender, sophomore offensive lineman, defensive end, Brady Murphy, senior offensive lineman and defensive end Drew Warpus, and sophomore quarterback Sam Paskey, who was a freshman last season, started the last three games at quarterback.
- 13:55SPEAKER_00: He rushed for 227 yards on 31 carries and had three touchdowns.
- 14:00SPEAKER_00: He was also 14 of 20 for 248 yards through the air with five touchdowns.
- 14:07SPEAKER_00: Sam Paskey and Landon Boutenko, also a sophomore, will both play at quarterback to start the season for the Blue Devils.
- 14:16SPEAKER_00: Landon was the JVQB last season.
- 14:19SPEAKER_00: Shenango Forks probably has one of the toughest, if not the toughest, schedule in the division, with three straight home games against the likes of Tioga, Newark Valley, and Maine Enwell.
- 14:32SPEAKER_00: Mark your calendars and get your ticket orders in for the annual Hogan Bowl, the weekend of October 18th and 19th.
- 14:40SPEAKER_00: This year it's hosted by the Windsor Black Knights.
- 14:43SPEAKER_00: This game could possibly have an impact on who leads the division.
- 14:48SPEAKER_00: Note, Windsor won the Hogan Bowl last season, shutting out Schnangle Forks on their home field 8-0.
- 14:55SPEAKER_00: I'm sure that's been lock of room material for the Blue Devils since the end of that game.
- 15:00SPEAKER_00: With a young roster and a handful of seniors, the Blue Devils are looking to be contenders once again.
- 15:07SPEAKER_00: The Unit Endicott Tigers football program kicks off their 121st season.
- 15:12SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
- 15:14SPEAKER_00: After finishing a disappointing 3-6 last season, Coach Bellino and the Tigers are looking to get back to their 2022 form, where they were 11-2 with a loss in a state championship game.
- 15:28SPEAKER_00: One thing the Tigers want to improve on is the way they begin their season.
- 15:33SPEAKER_00: Last season, UE only won one of their first six games.
- 15:38SPEAKER_00: That's going to be a tough task this season.
- 15:41SPEAKER_00: The Tigers are going to be tested their first three games.
- 15:45SPEAKER_00: Week zero at Maine Endwell, then two home games at Ty Cobb Stadium against a much improved Owego team and an always tough corning team.
- 15:58SPEAKER_00: The outlook in Tigertown is optimistic with 23 returning student athletes.
- 16:04SPEAKER_00: Some of those student athletes to pay attention to are quarterback Logan Barnes, who passed for 568 yards last season, and also quarterback Joe Generelli passed for 209 yards last season.
- 16:19SPEAKER_00: Running back Zakari Wells Taylor rushed for 485 yards last season, and wide receiver Kadar Shabazz, who had 172 yards worth of receptions.
- 16:32SPEAKER_00: You can expect the Coach Bellino-led Tigers to be a high-energy, very fast, and well-prepared team.
- 16:42SPEAKER_00: And now on to my final preseason preview, and that will be with the Vestal Golden Bears in Class A.
- 16:49SPEAKER_00: Vestel kicks off their 86th season and Coach Crunden's fourth.
- 16:54SPEAKER_00: He is definitely re-establishing the Golden Bears standard of football excellence.
- 16:59SPEAKER_00: Coach Crundin's first season in 2021, the team was 3-6.
- 17:04SPEAKER_00: The next season, they were 6-4 and lost to UE in the Section 4 championship game.
- 17:10SPEAKER_00: And last season, they were 8-2 and beat Horseheads to win the Section 4 Class A championship.
- 17:17SPEAKER_00: So definitely progressing there in Vestel.
- 17:20SPEAKER_00: Vestel will be a young squad with a lot of new people on both sides of the ball.
- 17:25SPEAKER_00: They returned two on defense that allowed 11.8 points per game, and they returned three on an offensive scoring machine last season that averaged 30 points per game.
- 17:37SPEAKER_00: The challenge is putting the right student athletes in the most advantageous positions and roles for the team.
- 17:43SPEAKER_00: I know as a coach, this is difficult and it takes time.
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: It's not just about individuals, but combinations and complementary skills.
- 17:52SPEAKER_00: Some of the student athletes to watch this year are junior captain JT Gannon is a wide receiver, defensive back, who caught 44 passes for 718 yards last season and nine touchdowns.
- 18:05SPEAKER_00: On defense, he had 67 tackles, five sacks, and one interception.
- 18:11SPEAKER_00: Senior captain Jaden Bernardini was a center and defensive tackle, had 54 tackles last season and five sacks.
- 18:28SPEAKER_00: Coach Cronin's looking for him to contribute more on the offensive side to complement JT Gannon.
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: Junior Juliet Adams is a running back, a defensive back, absolutely dominated the JV level last year.
- 18:41SPEAKER_00: Coach said that he could have been in the backfield last year if it were not for arguably one of the best, if not the best, running back safety in the league, Liam Neely, who's graduated.
- 18:53SPEAKER_00: Junior Jaden Harding is an outside linebacker, I'm sorry, offensive lineman and outside linebacker.
- 19:01SPEAKER_00: They're expecting him to provide some solid play at Mike linebacker, which is coach talk for middle linebacker.
- 19:09SPEAKER_00: Senior Brody Crowley with tight end defensive end.
- 19:13SPEAKER_00: And although Brody is slightly undersized for a defensive end, he more than makes up for it with his quickness and strength.
- 19:20SPEAKER_00: And then you have a sophomore quarterback who's replacing three-year starter Cam Schaefer.
- 19:27SPEAKER_00: His name is Josh Queller.
- 19:29SPEAKER_00: And he's really come along pretty well and progressed in the summertime and will continue this progression.
- 19:36SPEAKER_00: And Coach Crundan feels that he'll be ready.
- 19:38SPEAKER_00: He has the benefit of having a former D1 college coach, college quarterback coach in Shane Heard.
- 19:47SPEAKER_00: Offense, you can expect a small step back from last season's explosive offense due to only three returners.
- 19:53SPEAKER_00: This group may lack experience, but make up for it with an impressive work ethic and focus.
- 19:59SPEAKER_00: On the defensive side, similar expectations is offense due to only two returning from last season's stingy defense.
- 20:08SPEAKER_00: The size has always been a question for Vestal on defense, as they play undersized in many positions compared to their opponents, but they tend to make up for that with speed, which seems to be looking like the case again this season.
- 20:22SPEAKER_00: Some coaching staff improvements.
- 20:24SPEAKER_00: Last season, they added Coach Shane Heard that I mentioned.
- 20:27SPEAKER_00: He was a former head coach at Unionicot, and most recently the quarterback coach at Cornell University.
- 20:33SPEAKER_00: This season they add Jake Spalick to the Golden Bears roster, or I'm sorry, Golden Bears staff.
- 20:40SPEAKER_00: Jake is a former Johnson City standout who played and coached at the collegiate level for the last decade.
- 20:47SPEAKER_00: Rounding out the coaching staff, our longtime Vestal coaches John Tank Anderson and Brian Bo Donlin.
- 20:54SPEAKER_00: You gotta have nicknames.
- 20:55SPEAKER_00: Come on.
- 20:56SPEAKER_00: Friday night at Dick Hoover Stadium, VESL hosts an improved class AA Ithaca Little Red team, led by second-year coach Kyrie Brown.
- 21:06SPEAKER_00: Ithacal logged their best season in a century 7-2 last season.
- 21:12SPEAKER_00: Some additional information you may find helpful.
- 21:15SPEAKER_00: The Vestal Athletics Network, led by AD, led by athletic director Josh Gannon, is stepping up the quality of their broadcast coverage.
- 21:25SPEAKER_00: Their athletic contests will be streamed on fan.huddle.com on your computer and on the Huddle Fan app for your smartphone.
- 21:36SPEAKER_00: Their broadcast will feature multiple cameras, one dedicated to a Cylon Reporter, there will be replay and more.
- 21:44SPEAKER_00: Check out the Vestal Football Game Broadcast Friday evening.
- 21:48SPEAKER_00: The game starts at 7 and the broadcast will begin shortly before kickoff.
- 21:52SPEAKER_00: You have two options to watch the game.
- 21:55SPEAKER_00: On your computer at fan.huddle.com and Huddle is H-U-D-L.
- 22:02SPEAKER_00: So that's fan.hudl.com or on your smartphone with the Huddle Fan app.
- 22:12SPEAKER_00: On another note, WICZ Fox40 will continue to feature their award-winning Section 4 football program, Fourth and Gold.
- 22:21SPEAKER_00: Just as last season, Fourth and Gold will again feature some of our Cover 4 podcast football analysts.
- 22:28SPEAKER_00: The show will air Thursday evenings at 6.30 following Fox 40 news throughout the season.
- 22:35SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
- 22:39SPEAKER_00: Tell your friends to visit Cover4.com and be the next fan up.
- 22:45SPEAKER_00: Your inputs are never out of bounds.
- 22:48SPEAKER_00: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
- 22:55SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Cover 4 podcast.