All but one of Chenango County’s football teams is vying for a winning season, yet just one is in the postseason hunt as we embark on week eight, the penultimate in Section IV’s regular season.
Greene, a playoff qualifier last year in Class C, needs to shake off consecutive losses and defeat Tioga tonight at home to duplicate that feat. Both teams enter with identical won-loss records within Division V with all the respective wins and losses coming to the same teams. “We have an opportunity to make the playoffs two years in a row, and not too many players from Greene can say that,” said Greene head coach Tim Paske. “We talked to the kids and asked them what type of legacy do they want to leave behind. We want to establish a consistent program and make this a year in and year out thing. We’re right at the level where we want to be competing with the top teams. Now it’s time to take that our turn and beat those top teams.”
Elsewhere, Sherburne-Earlville and UV-Edmeston renew a longtime rivalry this evening. The Storm need to win their last two contests to finish with a winning record, while the Marauders have an eye on a four-win season.
Norwich is one win from a five-win campaign, and can do that by knocking off Windsor on its senior recognition night at the new Ulrich Field.
Oxford is one game below .500 and travels to Whitney Point Saturday in a non-division game, while B-G, already with a winning season secured, makes the trip to Delhi for its last Class D division game. Below are capsules of this week’s contests:
Tioga (3-4) at Greene (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
One team will play out its schedule with a meaningless week nine game, while the other will travel to Unatego for the first round of the Class C playoffs. The Trojans are coming off back-to-back losses, the first time in nearly 2 1/2 seasons, but both were to playoff-bound opponents in the division. In fact, all of the Trojans’ defeats have come to this year’s Class C playoff qualifiers.
“After last week’s loss Lansing, we told the guys in the locker room that our playoffs start now,” Paske said. “If we want to win and make the playoffs, this is really our first playoff game. That’s the approach we’re taking.”
The Tigers lost one of the top backs in Section IV, Eric Wiseman, to injury at the start of the season. Josh Manuel has stepped in to lead the traditionally-strong Tioga running game, while David Ulrich has grabbed a few yards on the ground himself, while also moving into the quarterback spot on occasion. Wiseman, according to Paske, may suit up tonight, and as the top returning rusher in Section IV, he presents an additional threat to the Trojans’ defense. “Wiseman is a heck of a back, but a couple others (Manuel, Ulrich) have stepped up,” Paske said.
Playing the comparative score game, the Trojans’ losses the last two weeks were by single digits – one in overtime to Trumansburg. Meanwhile, Tioga has suffered lopsided losses to Greene’s three conquerors by a combined 125-33.
Greene quarterback Nate Whittaker, who was a starting tailback a year ago, has found his groove from the signcaller’s spot. He is completing 57 percent of his passes this season for a county-leading 562 yards and eight TDs. Over the last two weeks against stiff divisional competition, Whittaker has put together his two best games throwing for 198 total yards and one score, while rushing for 99 yards and three TDs. Jake Wentlent has established himself as the Trojans’ go-to back with a team-high 536 yards this season.
Sherburne-Earlville (2-5) at UV-Edmeston (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
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