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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.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Buckle up.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go.
• 0:25
  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, thanks, coach.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Well, when I think of the 2025 Section 4 football season, the word that comes to mind is change.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Not only are there a few teams moving from eight-man to 11-man and 11-man to eight-man, vice versa, there, there's also a lot of head coaching changes.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that's especially the case for the northern teams.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And as a reminder of that, that's the six Tompkins County teams, Ithaca, Dryden, Lansing, Shermansburg, Gronton, and Newfield, as well as the northernmost section for football team, that being Moravia.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll go over all seven of those teams, and well, we'll start off with the biggest one.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Only makes sense to do so, and that of course is Ithaca in class AA.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: The big story for them, I mentioned coaching changes, and the Little Red have that with Johnny Aikens taking over the program after two years with Kyrie Brown as the head coach.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: He went 9-10 over those two seasons where it was really uh up and down to say the least.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: 2023 was brilliant.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: They went 7-2.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: That was their best record this century, their first winning record since 2010.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: But you go back to last year, and it was uh certainly struggles for Ithaca as they finished 2-8.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, their only wins coming against Oswego and Newark Valley.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: There were a couple close games in there that maybe in another scenario could have gone their way, you know, losing to Binghamton by a point, Dryden by two.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: So they easily could have had three or four wins last season.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but Johnny Akins is now the new head coach as he's trying to help turn this program around.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: And luckily for the little red, this is someone that is already well embedded in their uh system.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: He was the defensive coordinator for the past couple years under Coach Brown.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: He played football at Studio Cortland, by the way, graduated in 2019, and since then has coached multiple sports at Ithaca High School.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: So that's made the transition obviously pretty smooth.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: He's know that he knows these players really inside and out.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember one of the things I remember that stuck out when I was talking to him a couple weeks ago at one of his practices was that one of their mantras, or really a team motto, I should say, actually spells out Ithaca.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's individuals that honor accountability, commitment, adaptiveness.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: So there you go.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So that just kind of shows the sort of culture that uh Coach Aikens wants to build for Ithaca, and that is one of a winning culture as well.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, they think what they do uh during practice, when you know the fan base, the community's not seeing what they're doing, that is what's gonna make the difference in trying to turn things around and get this team back into a winning unit.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, in terms of key returning players, gonna use a couple quarterbacks, uh, Jack Barton a junior, Chivon Williams a senior, their starting QB.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Last year, Noah Butler, of course, graduated.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Also graduated Miko Green, a linebacker, and uh their wideout corner, Christian Barton.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: They've got a lot of good playmakers on this team, the two that really stood out to me from last season, Jasmine Robbins, a sophomore, great basketball player, by the way, and Leo Fiorello, a junior.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Owen Webster also stands out.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's a tight end and linebacker.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's a senior, he's hungry, he's got an edge, and most importantly, brings leadership to this team.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: They also have a pretty experienced O-line that's made up of a couple seniors with Bowden Greensbone and Hain Cornell, Harris Germain a junior, Gavin Cornell, a sophomore, all those guys return.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's going to be huge no matter who you put in under center, whether it is Jack Barton or Shabon Williams.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: So after a disappointing 24-24 campaign, they're looking to bounce back, new but familiar face as head coach.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think the schedule's slightly easier than last year on paper, but as we all know, football is not played on paper.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: But I could see them upping their win tally by a game or two.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, they had a couple close games last year.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think what's going to be the difference there is just having uh more returners on their team.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: And they already do have a game under their belt.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: They play week zero this past weekend where they got shut out uh 42-0 by Fairport, but we'll see if they can try and bounce back from that uh when they play Shenango Valley for their home opener this Friday.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: So now I want to focus on the two teams that are moving up from eight-man football to eleven-man football.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: And what better way to start with the defending Section 4 8-man champions, that of course being Shermansburg.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: For the first time since 2013, the Blue Raiders have an 11-man football team.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And boy, for the past really since then, I mean, decade plus, it's been quite the journey for this Blue Raiders program.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because they did not have a team between 2014 and 2018.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think in 2018 they combined with South Seneca, who's a Section 5 team nearby.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: So they were resurrected as an eight-man team in 2019, and it's been gradual progress ever since then, culminating, as we said, in that first ever Section 4 title last year where they got their revenge against Moravia after getting blown out by them a couple years ago in the sectional final.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: They would go on to lose to Moravia, though, in the regional semifinals.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, we'll talk about the Blue Devils later on, but uh they had one heck of a season last year, going 8-2 in their final year in eight-man football.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the team is going to look a lot different from last year.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you have four All-State players graduating.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Nick Nelson, uh, of course, their All-State quarterback, Dakota Hamilton, who is a force to be reckoned with as a running back and a linebacker.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: He's now playing football at St.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: John Fisher, by the way, and wrestling.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: So uh pretty cool and pretty rare to see a two-sport athlete at the collegiate level, but that'll be exciting to watch.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: But either way, they also lost Mason von Gordon, Derwin Good, another all-state player, Lucas Grove.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: He also is playing uh football at Fisher and uh doing track and field, Owen Fulton, an all-state lineman, as well as Quinn Van Valen.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I know it's a a mouthful, but luckily they do have a good amount of key returners as well.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Aiden Clark Abezus is the big one, of course, a senior.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: He was really their jack of all trades last year.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny, when I was talking to head coach Chad Doolittle a few weeks ago, and we were talking about Aiden, he compared him to Steelers quarterback Cordell Stuart.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: That name rings a bell, because he was nicknamed Slash since he could do anything, and that's exactly what Aiden Clark Abezas is going to continue to do this season.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I thought he was gonna be the starting quarterback, but it looks like it's gonna be Vincent King because they already do have a game under their belts as well, playing last uh over the weekend, and really impressive win, by the way, over Bainbridge Guilford, a team that went 6-3 last year.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: They won that one 41-16.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: So Vincent King had a great debut under center.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Big shoes to fill with Nick Nelson.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of playmakers, still got a good amount of those.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, running back duo, seniors and Connor Sherwood and Eamon Herman, uh, Will Brainerd and David Williams are gonna be the really the two go-to wide outs.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then on the line, they retain uh junior Logan Hare and his fellow junior Caden Doolittle.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the transition from eight-man to 11-man football will have its challenges.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Usually, when the dominant forces in eight-man move back up to 11-man, there's a bit of a fall-off.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think back to 2021 when Spencer Burnett and Candor was the best eight-man team in the league.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: And they followed that up in 11-man in 22, where they went four and five.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I would expect the Blue Raiders to have a similar season at or above 500 just because of the sheer amount of talent.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they'll be in the mix, I think, for a post-season birth, but uh this will be much stiffer competition.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Tyoga's in their division, but I think that second playoff spot in the division is up for grabs.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: And with Schermersburg already getting off to a winning star, mightily impressive win over Bainridge Gilford, that could very well go a long way.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: But they have a tough test coming up uh this Friday.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna be at Del High, the defending Section 4 Class D champions.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Then moving on to Gron.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: They are the other team that has moved from eight-man to 11-man in the northern region of Section 4, first time since the spring of 2021.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, that was the COVID season that they were last in 11-man football.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And numbers are strong, which is great to see.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, head coach Nick Dyson was expecting about 24 players, but they currently have 28 on the roster, and he credited the current senior class for recruiting players.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: I also asked him a few weeks ago what the transition is going to be like going from eight-man to 11-man.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the big thing really is just eight men in the box.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be the first time really since their youth days for this Gronton team that they are gonna see eight men in the box in a six-man front compared to a three-man front, but they'll certainly be prepared for it.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: They've had plenty of time to do so, especially with uh you know Section 4 football practices getting on pretty early.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last season, Gronton went five and five or fifth place in eight-man.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Started out strong winning their first three games, then fell off a little bit in the mid-season, lost four or five.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, end of the regular season with a win over Newfield.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: They would have missed the playoffs, actually, since they were outside of the top four, but the combined Unitigo, Franklin, Unidola Valley, and Gilbertsville Mount Upton team is actually ineligible for postseason play because their combined enrollment was too large.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: So uh Broughton ended up getting that four spot and they ended up uh losing to Moravia pretty heavily in the semifinals, but good to get have some postseason experience for this team that returns a good amount of players.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's interesting because they used three quarterbacks last year, which you don't often see in Gene Mitchell.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Gade Siemens and Cam McLean.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Jane and Mitchell's graduated.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're probably going to see both Gade Siemens and Cam McLean at some point, but it's interesting just looking at the roster that's out on Schedule Galaxy at the very least.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Cam McLean is the only quarterback listed on the roster while Gade Siemens is a running backslash linebacker.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I still expect Gade Siemens to get some playing time under center, but but who knows at this point.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: We we haven't seen Gronton yet.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they're playing against Walton this Friday, welcoming them to Ross Field.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: That'll be a great atmosphere, and uh shameless plug, we'll be we'll be covering that game on ESP at Ethica.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: So definitely tune in for that.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, they this will be uh like Shermansburg, it will be a challenging transition transition from eight-man to 11-man, but I think they're hoping to be competitive, grind out games, they have a run-heavy offense.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: So again, they are very well in the mix to try and get a playoff spot in that Class D division.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: So now let's talk about the two 11-man teams moving down to eight-man, and we'll start off with Dryden.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I talked about the word change.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, there's two big changes for this Dryden team, and also with Lansing, which we'll get to after this.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Not only do they move down to eight-man football for the first time in program history, by the way, they have a new high coach, Chris Nightingale, who is another familiar face in this program.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: He takes over from Ralph Becker after three stints leading the Lions.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he's been at Dryden, Chris Nightingale for 10 years, both under Ralph Becker and Justin Wood, who by the way is now their defensive coordinator.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: So back to playing eight-man football.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: The good news for Dryden is that they knew this was going to happen.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: It was inevitability given the, I guess, lack thereof of numbers uh that they had entering 2025 that they knew were gonna they were gonna have.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: But the good news is they for eight-man, they have some great numbers.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: They have 22 players without any freshmen.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd say they're certainly one of the largest eight-man football teams uh in in the section, and that is really encouraging.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last season, three and six record in Class C.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, only wins coming against Ithaca.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Mightily impressive beating a class double A team, Skylar Storm and Oxford.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: They had a chance to make the playoffs last year if they had beaten Lansing in their final game of the season.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they're big rivals, but they ended up uh ended up getting shut out.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: So no playoffs are drying.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll tell you, I think there's a great chance they make the eight-man playoffs because of the players that they are returning.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And it really starts with the Miles brothers, Jay and Carmelo.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Jay, all-state selection for the second straight year.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's already the school's all-time leading rusher in just three years on Varsity, rushed for over a thousand yards once again.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: And it'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to a narrower field, so there's kind of less space for him to roam, but I think he's still gonna absolutely feast in the eight-man scene because he is still Jay Miles.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: The big change he made during the offseason was uh in conditioning, he was in the weight room a lot and he put on some some good pounds.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: He's still, but he is still Jay Miles, as Coach Nightingale said to me, still got the speed, still has the vision, he's still the total package.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that will compliment Melo Miles as well, uh, who really kind of just wants to run through you while Jay Miles is more of the, I guess, elusive running back who can also still run through people, of course.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh their new quarterback will be Wyatt Minarski, who backed up Brennan Poole last year.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: Poole uh was going to be a junior this year, but he actually ended up transferring to uh prep school for hockey.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: So White Minarski gets the reins for the Lions.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh another leader on this team, Coach Nightingale, said Terms of the key defensive player to watch out for, definitely Gavin Valenti, a junior linebacker.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Nightingale described him as a heat sick-seeking missile.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: So that will certainly be fun to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, as I said, certainly a year of changes through dry, new head coach, new landscape.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: But again, the transition should be smooth under Nightingale, and they're going to continue their identity of running the football with the Miles brothers.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Jay Miles will be one of the best players in the eight-man scene.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm confident he will lead this team to a successful season where they should finish in the top four and qualify for the playoffs.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh their first game will be at New York, New York Mills, a section three team, this Friday.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So over to their rivals, then Lansing, who just like Dryden, moving down to eight-man football for the first time since in a few years, I think since 2018.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the move down to eight-man football is actually more of a surprise for Lansing, given that when all the schedules were released, it seemed like it would just be business as usual for them in Class C.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: However, they made the decision last month to move down to 8-man because they just do not have the numbers.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: They graduated a whopping 15 seniors, and they also had a few key returning players not returned for this year's team.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: So they have 16 players.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: That is exactly half of last year's roster.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and oh, by the way, they have their old rivals head coach now leading the way in Ralph Becker.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: That was certainly one of the most jaw-dropping moves, I would say, during the Section 4 football offseason with Ralph Becker leaving his post at Ryan.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: He's been there forever, you know, three stints coaching the Lions.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, he's really loved the culture at their rival school.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: So he's really excited when talking to him.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: He can sense how excited he is to lead this team.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: Last season, really great, six and three record, their first year in class C since 2017.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they were independent for a couple years and uh ended up making the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Shenango Forks.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: But they had a really, really great season, but unfortunately, they've just lost so, so many players from last season's team.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: It is going to be tough to replicate that, though maybe there will be a difference being an eight-man.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, you lose your lone all-state player and quarterback, Jackson Mayo, who is also their top rusher and their top tackler.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a significant loss.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: Logan Mayo also not returning, uh, Alex Bowles, uh not returning Cooper Hollister, Corbin Lovejoy, uh, Dith, Ryan Petagrosso How call graduating.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: But they still do have a few players to watch out for.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Their top returner absolutely is Brandon McMillan, a senior, a split end, uh, one of their really lone returners from last season's team.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: He was the only player, actually, that recorded any receiving or rushing stats.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh Coach Becker said he's really the top kid in terms of not just leadership, but coachability.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, other players to watch out for.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: He had senior Oliver Jackson.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: He is 6'6, 310 pounds.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: So he's gonna be one of the biggest players in the eight-man scene.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Logan Andres, a junior, he'll be their starting fullback, tailback.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Xander Gilbert will be the starting quarterback, a senior, and then Jacob Bowen certainly watch out for him a sophomore.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: He's a real hitter.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I think from the outside looking in, this is gonna be an incredibly challenging season for the Bobcats.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: You lose almost all of your starters from last year.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: As I said, still some talent on this team.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: The biggest challenge, and I think this goes for a lot of programs, especially the smaller ones like Lancing, is gonna be to stay healthy with such a small roster and also to see if they can get enough games in.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because schedules are out, they kind of had to switch things around with kind of that last-minute switch to eight-man football.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: So as of right now, this recording, they only have four games scheduled.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I think they still need to fill in a few more slots, but uh, they're willing to play on a Sunday, a Thursday, or Tuesday, whatever they can to get in games.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, their first game will be this Friday at Unitego Franklin.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So then the final Tompkins County team, uh, before we move on to our final team, Moravia, let's talk about Newfield.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: The big thing for them is that unlike the other teams, there aren't really many changes with Newfield's team.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, pretty much the entire team is back.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: They only lost two players from last season's team.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: And not only that, they added quite a few as well.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: They ended last year with just 14 players.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: They've consistently been one of, if not the smallest program in Section 4 football, but now they're up to 19.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: So they no longer have the smallest roster in Section 4 football.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's a really, really encouraging sign, and they are really led by a very big senior class.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: They had uh two years ago, I think they only had one senior, and then last year they were last year they had one senior, two years ago they just had two seniors.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: So this is a big senior class that is going to lead the way and hopefully turn things around.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last year going one and seven, the year prior, they went winless.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: So could have been a couple more wins, I should say, left from last year.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the Unitego Franklin game uh we broadcasted.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: They were up 22 to nothing, but allowed 24 unanswered points to lose, lose by two.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: So could have had another win or two thrown in there last year, but uh this is a very experienced group, and they're gonna lean on that this season.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Warrior Minor, another year for him starting under center, growing in confidence.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Ian Valentine, who's currently the head coach, is now going to be their offensive coordinator as well, and he's been adjusting very well to that.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of great playmakers.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: The two that stand out, of course, are Malcolm Jenkins, very versatile player, a team captain.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Lamaris Spears as well, his fellow senior.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: He's got athleticism, he's got speed, he's got energy.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: So watch out for those two in terms of uh in terms of all the stats.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Jackson Chafee, a senior, uh, he was uh at Jack of all trades for them last year.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: He was a center, a tight end.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: He was even their third string QB.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna play more linebacker this year, and then bringing back a couple linemen as well will be important.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: The senior Jesse Ayres is their center, and Jacoby McCula is a junior guard.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm feeling more optimistic about this year's Newfield team than I have in years past simply because they have pretty much the same squad from last year.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, they struggled last year, but the fact that they all have another year of football under their belt, I think it'll go a long way.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now, not saying they're gonna magically transform as the team to be in the eight-man scene, but I think they can improve their record by at least two or three wins, and I think they have a decent shot at trying to crack the top four and make the playoffs.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: But boy, do they open up against a very tough test indeed this Saturday when they host Moravia.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: And speaking of those Blue Devils, we will round things off with Moravia.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Big story for them.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're still the team to beat in eight-man football.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny because I feel like I'm kind of repeating myself from last year's preview because in 2023 Moravia was the dominant force in eight-man football.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: They were breaking records left and right, but they lost a ton of talent from that team.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: Luke Landis, Aiden Kelly, Kyler Proper, etc.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: But they still had an incredibly successful 2024 season.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: And while they did lose out on that sectional title to Sherman'sburg, they got their revenge in the regional semifinals on Black Friday, or I think it was the day after that.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Either way, uh beat Sherman'sburg in what was uh one of the best football games.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: I think four football games of the season, a 42-40 win.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that meant they made their second straight regional final, uh, where they lost to Frankfurt Schuyler at the Dome.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, that game was supposed to be played in Moravia, but was moved due to the weather at the only open time slot, which is Brighton early at 8 a.m.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: And as another aside, you're probably wondering, well, why did Moravia make it into the regional tournament, eight man regional tournament, despite not winning the sectional title?
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: Well, last year, uh section four was one of the sections to earn an at large bid, meaning that both sectional finalists make the tourney.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: Moravia found a new life, and obviously they made the most of it, uh, making it to a second straight regional championship.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what?
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: They want to go for three straight this year, and it's the same.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Picture.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: They lose a ton of talent from last year's team.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Starting quarterback, Thomas Palmer, All-State selection.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's graduated.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Four other All-Stelections graduated.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: Joe Baylor, wide receiver, one of the best wideouts in the section, standing at 6'4 and making just some incredible catches all season long.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Riley Jones, another receiver, all-state receiver, leaving running back Hunter Boynton, and then a couple players on the line as well, Ethan Dehart, Scott Raymond, and Logan Wells.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: But this is Moravian.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: They seem to breed athletes, and they have a ton of those this year.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: Eli Landis, now the starting quarterback, was more of their Swiss Army knife last year, but he'll be under center.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: That last name, Rizabel, by the way, his brother Luke was the starter for a couple years.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: So Eli, you know, his presence under center also brings back the running game.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: He can obviously run as we saw last year, and he can throw the bar.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: He looks really good at that.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: And last year they lean more pass heavy, which makes sense when you have an outstanding wide out in Joe Baylor, who can catch almost anything his way.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: But now the offensive thing is going to be a bit more balanced this year, which uh obviously will read some great things.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Jaron Francis, if there is a wide out, I definitely watch out for him.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: He played mainly off the edge last year, but I think he's gonna emerge as their top threat in the receiving game.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's also very tall as well, so he'll be easy to spot.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: Dylan Palmer, another great receiver, also a jack of all trades.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: Noah Corbett, it'll be his time to lead the backfield.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: He actually led the team in tackles and was one of the top tacklers in the state, but he's gonna be a really great downhill runner for them.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then the O-line, that will look a bit new.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's probably where the most challenging adjustment period, I think, is gonna happen.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Trevor Wells a junior, Tanner Austin a senior, and Brain Perot a sophomore are three of their key linemen.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: So again, I feel like I'm repeating myself from last year's preview, but it really is the same case.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: 2023, lost so much talent.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: Last year, still very successful.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: Same exact deal this offseason.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Most of their starters graduate, they return plenty of talent, and that's why I still think they're the team to beat in Section 4 8-man football until proven otherwise.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: And there's never been a repeat Section 4 champion in 8-Man since the championship began in 2018.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: So no team has won it twice, which is pretty crazy to think about.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: Just shows you the level of parity every year that Section 4, 8-man football brings.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a really underrated uh appreciation of 8-man football around these parts.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: But I think this is the year we do see somewhat an eight-man team win a title for a second time.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: Though I will say, Dryden and Lancey, I think will be certainly the biggest threats to uh Moravia as the team to beat in Section 4 8-man football.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: As I said, they open up the season this Saturday at Newfield.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: So looking forward to the next few months of all the Greniron action, especially with our northern teams.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Already have a few more games under our belt, but bring on some more football.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, uh Ryan, great job as you always do.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: Very thorough.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I know our uh our listeners, especially the student athletes and all the uh the support communities uh love to hear things like that.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: You do a great job.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: We really appreciate it.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, and uh look forward to having you on.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh maybe this year, we're gonna maybe doing some uh uh games of the week and uh get you come on maybe for five or six minutes, ten minutes or so, and just give an insight on the upcoming games of the week.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: So some things we're looking at doing here to always improve.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: Appreciate you uh Nick like you having on the staff.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: We appreciate having you on the staff.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: Take care.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds good.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for having me.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: Tell your friends to visit cover4.com and be the next fan up.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Your inputs are never out of bounds.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_01: In football and life, it's not where we line up, it's where we wind up.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Cover Four podcast, and I'm gonna do that.