Grid Forecast: Greene, Oxford vie for playoff spots

In the one-game-at-a-time approach that coaches like to impart on their players, the game this week for local gridders Oxford and Greene means everything.

The Blackhawks and Trojans, who played to a 20-15 final won the Greene to start this season, have playoff bids on the line.

Oxford has the tougher road, and they head to Delhi Saturday with the loser playing a meaningless non-league game in week nine, while the winner will face Candor in the Class D semifinals. “We’ve been pretty loose and haven’t shown any nerves,” said Oxford coach John Curtis of his team’s mindset. “We’ve been pretty loose all year, but we’ve been tough in the games.”

Greene, meanwhile, faces a Seton Catholic Central team that is off back-to-back losses. As things stand right now, a victory for the favored Trojans would vault them into a Class C semifinal next week against Division V champion Lansing. Only a loss combined with a Unatego upset of unbeaten Sidney would keep Greene from its first playoff appearance since 2000. “We haven’t been there in a while, and the kids are excited to be playing at Alumni Field (in Binghamton) this weekend,” said Greene coach Jeff Paske. “If we win this week, we get to go back and play there again.”

Other than those two matchups, Norwich plays at Oneonta tonight, S-E faces Jordan-Elbridge, and Walton hosts B-G Saturday. UV-Edmeston has a bye. Please read on for capsules of this week’s games:

Greene (6-1) at Seton Catholic Central (3-4), Saturday, 7 p.m. at Binghamton Alumni Stadium

For the second time in three weeks, Greene faces a top-five passer in Section IV. Evan Tripicco pilots the Saints’ offense and has completed 50 percent of his passes for 736 yards and six scores. Shane O’Neil leads the receiving corps with 19 catches for 229, and Chris Perry has a team-high 495 yards rushing. “Trippico is a solid quarterback who delivers the ball well when he sets his feet,” Paske said. “We want to put pressure on him, and we just need to read our keys. Offensively, as long as we execute, we should be fine.”

Greene blanked the Saints last year at home and won at Alumni Field two years ago in the rain, 12-6.

Oxford (5-2) at Delhi (5-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Delhi presents perhaps the best one-two backfield punch in Section IV with Nate Rockefeller and Brenton Hood combining for 1,429 yards, 14 rushing TDs and a near eight-yard-a-carry average. James Card is no slouch as the third back with nearly 400 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. “We’ve got to play some good defense, and I’m pretty sure Coach Kelly (Dave) will run his top two guys most of the time,” Curtis said. “They will probably get their share of yards, but we want to limit their attempts and hold them under 200 yards.”