Latest / Cover IV Podcast / Week 3 - Tioga County Team's Update with Tim Birney

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Week 3 - Tioga County Team's Update with Tim Birney · Cover IV Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Cover Four.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: If you're a Section Four football fan, this is your podcast.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Coach Smith, and I'll be your host.
• 0:10
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• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: That's TDSPI.com and click on the Are You Prepared to Lead People link.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to week three of the Section 4 football season.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Today, one of our football analysts, Tim Bernie, will give us an update on the Tioga County teams.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: Take it away, Tim.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Coach.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Looks like 2022 could be a pretty interesting season for Tyoga County football teams.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: As you know, there's five schools here, and I think all five of them have a pretty good shot of getting to the postseason.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we'll start out with the county seat, uh Uyghur right now, one and two under Coach Steve Burkler.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Only five teams in class B.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: So four of those will make the playoffs.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Maine Andue and Windsor obviously the appear to be the class of the division.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Maine Endwell probably separating themselves from Windsor.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so you know, we only needs a win against Johnson City or Norwich to make the playoffs.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh coming into the year, I knew they were gonna be very young.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I didn't know what to expect from them.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Was able to watch them play Waverly.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Waverly beat them 35-0.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, however, um, a very talented group of sophomores.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Steve Bidwell, the senior tailback, very, very good running back.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: He's averaging about nine yards a carry.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they lost their first two games, lost to Burke and lost to Waverly.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then they uh beat Shenango Valley last week.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a that's a good win for them.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they're one and two on the season.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, um Bidwell, very solid running back.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: They had a couple, they got sophomore uh Conlin Taylor, good hard runner, junior Brandon Schofield, quick.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh sophomore quarterback, Elijah Lewis.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they got a big tight end, Zach Bensley, um, who could end up being uh pretty good player for them.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: He looks like he has pretty good hands, um, not afraid to go across the middle.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: They caught him, uh, they hit him in the seam with a nice pass against Waverly.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, everything they did on against Shango Valley was on the ground, so they didn't try to throw the ball much, but they had pretty good success throwing against Burke in the first week.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I think as the season goes on, you might see the offense diversify a little bit.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: But this is a team that um coming into the year, I wasn't sure how many games they'd win.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think they've got a chance right now to uh to win two or three games, and I and I think they'll make the playoffs.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh moving to uh Spencer Vinette and Kander, or Spec as we call them, under Mike Chafee.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, last year, eight-man football uh co-champions in the state, dominant season for them.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, that's the good news.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Bad news is just about everybody graduated from that team, and they got a handful of leftovers back, along with um pretty decent numbers from a JV team last year.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: They were running eight-man uh varsity football, but they played an 11-man JV schedule with a lot of younger kids.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, they're there one thing is the the negative thing here is they're in class D.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so in order to get anywhere in class D, you have to beat Tyoga, defending state champ.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right, exactly.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, Walton looks pretty solid, Delhi's off to a 2-0 start.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but that fourth spot's wide open.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, there are some, you know, they put a hurting on Sydney this week, 46 or 48-26.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so now they've got Bainbridge Guildford, and you know, so the other teams, that fourth spot's wide open.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: I don't see why the Eagles can't lay claim to it.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're just as good as anybody else.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, deposit Hancock, you know, that's that's gonna be looking at that fourth spot.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, that basically, you know, if they if they take the fourth spot, that means not only they get to play Tyoga in the regular season, but they get them in this in the section four semifinals.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, a young team, I think uh Coach Chafey would take that, you know, a chance to to get his kids some playoff experience um after coming into a season where I'm not sure what the expectations were there.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll tell you, the they've got a quarterback, Jason Terryberry, had five touchdowns last week in their win over Sydney.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Pavel Joffrey, solid running back.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um they're young up front, uh, they're young all over the place.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, that's a good coaching staff up there.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, I think they've got a chance to win.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they could go four and four, you know, and if they go three and five, I still think they make that that uh postseason.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I think they're they could be uh a little bit of a surprise this year for me because I really wasn't expecting much out of that young of a team.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, then we'll move over to Newark Valley.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Ted Hardenstein's back at the helm, coaching there, and he does such a good job.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: And that staff has got so much experience.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is a team that lost 18 or 19 seniors from a class C team uh our D team last year.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now they've bumped up to Class C this year.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, so they didn't have a ton of experience back.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: They lost Mikey Wandell, who, you know, in the years and years I've been doing this job, I don't know if I've I've seen many players that were as important to their team as he was to that Newark Valley team the last couple of years, you know.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: So he's he's their middle linebacker and their quarterback, he's gone.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so you know, you're you've got to replace a bunch of uh seniors that played both ways, and then you know, then you get your schedule in January or February, and they start out the season with Tyoga and Waverly.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And Tyoga's ranked number one in the state in class D right now, and and Waverly's ranked seventh in class C.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you find out where you are real quick with a schedule like that.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: And you mentioned the senior that they lost.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: How many times have you seen a starting quarterback is also the middle linebacker?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and he was a physical middle linebacker.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: He was he was a tremendous two-way player.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, the funny thing is they come out and they they didn't look very good against Tyoga.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they didn't do much offensively.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: The only touchdown they scored um was on a long pass play late in the game uh against the Tyoga second and third team unit.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, where Tyoga was able to move the ball um effectively all game.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I'll tell you what, they got a couple kids back.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: They weren't at total full strength against Tyoga.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: They got a couple kids back, including another running back, and uh and they looked offensively like very good against Waverly.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they were able to run the ball against a defense that hadn't given up a first team defense that hadn't given up a touchdown in the first two games, uh, wins over uh Chester and a Weego.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, they came out and and Newark Valley, they were behind 14-0 a little over three and a half minutes into the game.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And then they started pounding the football on the ground uh with Landon Spoonhour and Max Flesher and a couple other backs that give it the running back by committee basically.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they they look pretty good, but defensively, you know, they they've given up 86 points in the first two games, but you know, it is Tyoga and Waverly, so you got to give them a little bit of a pass.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: The schedule gets a little bit easier until they play Shenango Forks.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think you're I think they're gonna bounce back, and I don't see any reason why they can't finish third in this division.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: If they play the way they did against Waverly um after that 14-0 start, you know, I think they're capable of beating anybody in division this side of Shenango Forks that's left.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um Joey Sherwood is the new starting quarterback.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: He was a wide receiver last year.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um lightning fast, um, very dangerous on the option, or you know, the keeper when he when he goes outside.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Landon Spoon hours, I said, big, tough, defense, deceptively quick running back, um, can get the big yard.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: The thing I love about the Newark Valley running backs is they're well coached, they're always falling forward.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: So those three-yard gains turns into four-yard gains and five-yard gains.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, as I said, Max Flesher is a playmaker, had a kickoff return against Waverly.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, got hurt on that kickoff return, did not play again after that.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: That hurt him a little bit.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, their offensive line, very physical.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they've got some big backs to go along with Spoonhauer and Flesher.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, like I said, defensively, they're they're still trying to find their way.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: I, you know, might um might take them a little bit, but I think they're gonna bounce back.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, I wouldn't be surprised to see them go four and four um or five and three, even before the you know the season's over.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think you know that one game that um that could be the difference between a third and a fourth seed in that division is uh when they play Susquehanna Valley.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Looks like looks like Susquehanna Valley is probably the other team that's in playoff consideration behind Shenango Forks and Waverly.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh speaking of Waverly, I will move over to Waverly now in that same division.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, all leads all roads through Section 4, Class C lead through Shenango Forks.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: And uh Waverly's been one of the few teams over the last 15 years that's been able to get through them and into the state playoffs.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh forks is forks is forks, so I you know you can't discount them or sell them short.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: They've they've had a couple tough games to open the year.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: I know they were trailing in the fourth quarter to uh OBL and came back and beat them.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they struggled with Windsor, but that I think is a testament that Windsor's pretty solid football team this year.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't think excuse me just for a second, too.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: The Windsor, you got to understand uh little dynamics for our listeners.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh there's they're coached by Dave Hogan's brother, Tim.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: And that's starting they started the season off basically with the Hogan Bowl, Shenango Forks and Windsor.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that I watched that game, and that game really could have gone either way.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: It was it was that close, right down the stretch.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I think if if Waverley's gonna do it, I think this is a great year for them to do it.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: They have like you alluded to the good good defense, they've got a good offense led by Joey Tomaso that's been around, you know, for a long time, got another year to go after this.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: So if the if it's gonna get done, this this I think is a year that they really got an opportunity to do that.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I I just would you took the words right out of my mouth.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think this is the year.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, forks lost both their stud running backs who were also standouts on the defense defensive side of the ball.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I've been told their all-state tight end uh got hurt in track season, and he's out for the year.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they lost an all-state lineman who was as good as anybody in the state.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, they're, I mean, don't get me wrong, you know they're gonna they're gonna reload.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: I've also heard they're a little low on numbers this year.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so you know that you know, playing with 19 or 20 kids on your roster, you get a couple injuries, and um, it's not like the old days where they had 40 kids to choose from.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, but anyway, getting back to Waverly, you you mentioned Joey Tommaso, he's looked really sharp uh the last two games.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he's got a cannon of an arm.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's about almost 6'1 now.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he he runs the ball effectively, um, but you know, he he makes his bones throwing the football for sure.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and he's got some talented receivers.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Jay Pfeiffer had 10 catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns against Nork Valley, and then added a 64-yard run for a touchdown on a jet sweep.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he is not big, but he is dynamic when he gets the football in the open field.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: He's also got a couple big receivers, uh, junior 6'4 junior Jake Ben Houghton and 6'1 uh junior Carter George.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Neither one of them played football until this year, but Jason Miller, Coach Jason Miller has him out this year, and they're both they both look good.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then they've got Isaiah Brettz, who's back from last year.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he he looked like the number two receiver coming into the season, but he's he's kind of more of the throws are going to the other guys, but he's been a big part on defense.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: They've also run the ball fairly well with uh four different running backs led by senior Gage Tedesco, who's a big bruising running back.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then they've got Caleb Beachy, who qualified for States in the 100-yard dash last year.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: So he's lightning fast out of the backfield.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he's also returning kicks for him, so he's dangerous there.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but the big thing, you know, for Waverly is a very talented and experienced offensive line.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now they lost two starting linemen, but both those young men were hurt at the end of last year.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: So they were replaced by a freshman and an eighth grader last year, who are now uh freshmen and a sophomore.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And they're both starting.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: The sophomore is 6'1, 315 pounds, and the freshman goes about 235.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they've got two other linemen that are about right around 225 in their starting center, Ty Beaman, who's also their middle linebacker, goes around 200 pounds.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: So they've got a good size athletic offensive line.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: They've also got a tight end, Nate Delil.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Nate Delil, who is um probably 195 pounds, good size tight end.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so they don't have a lot of depth there.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: The depth they do have is very young.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm when I say young, I'm talking eighth grade, ninth grade depth.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Big boys, but not very much experience.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so you know, I think um it comes down to week six is Waverly post-Shenango Forks.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that game will determine if everything else goes according to plan.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um that game will determine who has home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, again, not discounting anybody else in that division, but I think it's pretty safe to say that the Waverly and uh Shango Forks are head and shoulders, the class of that division this year.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be really surprised if they're not facing off in week 10.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: And the one dark horse, usually year after year, and and that was the years that they were state champions for a couple years in a row, is Susquehanna Valley.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: Coach Ford really has that program um right on the edge, even back in the days when they were playing Maine Anwell and Maine Anwell was on their streak.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: They main animal beat them, I think, by one point one night.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: We had we were calling that game on the radio, and they are always tough and they're always in the background, and they just seem to get there.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: But like I said, those two years that they were state champs, they had enough that definitely got over the hump.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: But they're kind of in the in the in the mix there too, but they're kind of a quiet, uh, good team, if you will.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I believe they come to Waverly this year, so that'll be uh um, and don't get me wrong, I I know how dangerous Susquehanna Valley can be, especially at home.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but like I said, I think they come to they come to Waverly the week in week seven, I believe it is, uh homecoming for Waverly that this year.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so again, not to put my put the cart in front of the horse, but you know, I I think if there's a year for Waverly to beat Shenango Forks, like you said, it's this year.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: And if you win Section 4 Class C, you have a chance to win a state title.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, Shenango Forks has proven that year in and year out.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, main endwell, I believe, was class C for a little while at one point, won a state title there.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, Waverly, Shenango Forks, week six.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's the game that everybody has circled.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see if they can both get there unbeaten.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: That leaves us with uh last but certainly not least, the defending state class D champions Tyoga.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's not very often you can say that a team loses a two-time uh New York State player of the year, Coaches Association player of the year, Emmett Wood.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, ran for more than 7,000 yards.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was close to 7,500 yards, 99 rushing touchdowns, and that was you know half a season he missed due to COVID.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, it's funny because that's probably if he gets those games back, Jesse Manuel ran for 84 or 8,500 yards.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: You're talking about him making a run at number two all time in the state.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's number five all time now, but with those games, he would have been number, he could have been two or three in the state.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Could have had number two and number three all time in New York State.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: That would have been cool.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, the other thing too, Tim, is that there's a lot of games he didn't play uh a good portion of the game because they were so far ahead that you know some of the other student athletes got an opportunity.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: So if you if you worked them like every game, the whole game, there's probably no question about that.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's wondering, you know, that's and I I go back far enough to watch Jesse Manuel play, and that was the same with him.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: And he got to figure that when Mike Hart was at Sequoia, he wasn't playing four quarters either, you know.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: So they're probably a lot of those great running backs are getting a lot of yards just and not playing a lot in the second half.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: But this Dioga team, I'm telling you, it's it's not often you're gonna lose a player like that along with some other seniors like Gavin Godfrey, ran for 900 yards um and was a was a very good defensive back.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: They lost a good group of seniors, and I think they're more talented than they were last year.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I when I watched them last year, they they weren't your traditional Tyoga just run the ball at you and pass two times a game to just to show you we could do it.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: It was evident uh throughout the season they could do it, and even in the States, uh, they threw the ball quite a bit.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: And what I'm seeing now on uh games on YouTube or uh some of these uh clips on TV news, they're putting the ball in the air and they're they're moving the ball around, so you you can't just pick one guy, and they they're up front guys are your classic Taylor guys, big maulers that are gonna clear the way for you.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: And that offensive line is fairly young, but they're and they're only gonna get better.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, they've got uh right now they've got a couple sophomores starting in there, they've got a senior center who hasn't played football since eighth grade, seventh or eighth grade.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: He's come out and done a nice job for him, Max Stadinsky.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, so I think that that unit will get better.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Coach Adam McCauley does a tremendous job with with that unit year in and year out.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's high school football, it's class D football.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're losing kids off that line every year, and every year they turn it into a very productive unit for them.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, that they're not gonna get a lot of the glory.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're gonna look at at uh junior quarterback Caden Bellis, who last year threw for 1200 yards and ran for almost 900 yards.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think he combined between throwing and rushing for 30 touchdowns.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, he that's he he the offense runs through him this year.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but he's got wide receivers, uh Evan Sickler Jr., about 6'3, Valentino Rossi, another junior, about 6'4.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they've got tailback Uzman Duncanson, who's a junior.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: He was a state championship wrestler.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: He was on the four by 100 sprint team that set the school record last spring.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: He is dynamic with the ball in his hand, he's physical.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they've got uh Drew Maycumber, another tailback they use, who is the who is the classic Tyoga tailback, you line it up, and he's gonna get you three or four yards.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they they just have this year, you know, like I said, you lose them at wood, but I think the two guys, Bellis is your established guy, but I think there's two kids right now in their three and oh start who are starting to establish themselves as potential two-way stars on this team, and that's Evan Sickler, who last year was a tremendous uh defensive back physical.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, had I think he had six interceptions last year.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, this year he's returning kicks.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: He had a 97-yard kick return against um Marlborough.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: He's had a couple 40-yard punt returns already.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's got three or four interceptions already in three games.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: He had two against uh Harpersville Afton on Saturday.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they're just a um, they've got just a embarrassment of riches offensively for a Class D school.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: And there are kids that are going to make an impact I haven't even mentioned yet.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, fullback Brennan Sendoni is only a sophomore.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's a tremendous blocker.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: He's got a couple rushing touchdowns already.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: Junior Carson Sincewall, junior Carson Sendoni has had got a couple touchdown catches.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: He's a big lanky receiver who runs pretty well down the middle of the field.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: And while teams are spending a lot of time on the wide outs, he's got an overrun down the field, and Bells has caught it uh hooked up with him a couple a couple times already this season for touchdowns, you know.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so usually what happens is we talk about Tyoga's offense so much.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you remember last year in the state championship game, they pitched a shutout.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: But this team, this defensive team is uh they lost Emmett Wood was a tremendous linebacker as well.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I think right now Caden Bellis is after starting in the secondary, the first game, moved into inside linebacker in week two against uh in their week two game and had 19 tackles against Newark Valley.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: So and he had a bunch of tackles against Harpersville Acton.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: And Uzman Duncanson's back in the inside linebacker, and he is just a dynamic presence athletically on the field.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: When he decides to go on a blitz, he's there, and he's there.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you know, we've talked about this in the past, but Tyoga is uh state powerhouse in wrestling, and a lot of these kids, most of these kids are playing football.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone that's seen the correlation between these two sports knows that most wrestlers make very sure tacklers, and that's what this Tyoga team is.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: When they get a hold of you, you aren't bouncing off tackle, they aren't arm tackling.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: They are coming in with their shoulders and they are wrapping you up.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I think I I don't think that there's a team in in class D and Section 4 that will give them a game.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think the best game they're gonna have all year was were the first two with Marlboro and Nork Valley.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't mean to short sell uh Walton either.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think Walton's the one team that if they can line up and run the football straight at Tyoga, you know, traditional Walton offense, that they could they could give Tyoga a football game and could surprise people.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I gotta see that to believe it though.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I think it looks like to me, as I said earlier, it looks like Tyoga, Walton, and I guess Delhi and Spencer Vinette and Cander were probably the four teams in Class D looking at the postseason.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: That four spots wide open, I think.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, last year we saw Walton and Delhi both um look good throughout the season and then run into Tyoga.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: And they weren't very competitive football games.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I and I, you know, I don't know.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm still not 100% sold on Tyoga their ability on fourth down and two to line up and get a first down.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: You knew if you gave Emmettwood the ball on fourth and a long one or short two, whatever, that he was gonna get that yardage.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know that they've got that back right now yet that um will do that for them, whether it's Bellis on a keeper or Maycumber or Duncanson.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: That said, I don't think you're gonna run into a situation where they need to do that with a game on the line until the state semifinals.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: And if uh it looks like it could be an interesting, you know, section the section five, six that was who uh the winner of section three, four will play the winner of section five, six in the state semifinals like they always do.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I my guess would be Tyoga runs into Randolph in the state semis.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: They look like they're loaded this year.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: They were upset last year in the state quarters by the team that Tyoga beat Oakfield, Alabama, Elba there, that Tyoga handled pretty easily.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think you know they're the team to beat.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, my I'm I'm already on record saying that Tyoga gets to the state semifinals this year, but they run into an old nemesis and Randolph, and I I think that's where it ends this year.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: But I won't be a bit surprised if Tyoga wins another state title.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: That said.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that that program is used to winning.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: Right now, they're on a 16-game win streak, and that doesn't just happen.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: You you look at you know the previous state champions from last year, Shenango Forks is on a 15-game win streak, Maine was on an 11-game win streak, you know.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: So they're the section four it is is a tough division, you know, a tough section to get out of, especially like you said, in in class C and D, and sometimes B over the history.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: But you're right, when you can get out, especially out of class D, you're gonna see, chances are you're gonna do very well at the at the state level.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: Tim, as usual, you've done a great job giving us uh a heads up and a review of where things stand right now.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: And also, you touched a little bit on some preseason stuff.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: Really appreciate what you do for us and keep on doing what you do.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Coach.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Much appreciated.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'll enjoy it.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, tell your friends, Coach Smith says visit cover4.com and be the next fan up.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Cover Four podcast.