Is Bainbridge-Guilford for real in 2007? The 2-0 start to the season bears a great resemblance to the 2006 squad that began with three straight wins – two of those shutouts. Coming off a 27-0 shellacking of Seton Catholic Central, tonight’s home contest against Deposit opens a rigorous Class D division schedule that includes Walton, Delhi, Oxford, and an improved Harpursville club.
Perhaps the biggest difference this year is the maturation of B-G senior quarterback Chris McGinnis, and the emergence of home run running back Dustin Ross. Already a vocal leader on the team and in his third year as a varsity starter, McGinnis is leading by example with much-improved statistics. He has three TD passes and one rushing TD against just one interception. Last year, he did throw six TD passes, but was also intercepted 13 times.
Ross, meanwhile, has TD runs of 31, 54, 61, and 61 yards, and is averaging nearly nine yards a carry. “Chris is growing in confidence and has improved a lot over last year,” said second-year B-G coach Tim Mattingly. “We have some pretty good skill kids, and we’re trying to get the ball in the hands of kids who can make plays.”
In this week’s opponent, Deposit, B-G is wary of the 2005 Class D, Section IV champions. That vigilant approach comes despite a 36-7 Bobcats romp last year and the Lumberjacks’ 46-12 blowout loss to Walton last week. “It will be a good test for us,” Mattingly said. “They have some big, physical kids and decent speed. It should be quite a battle Friday.”
Deposit will test the Bobcats’ secondary behind its senior quarterback, Brett Hauber. Hauber has four TD passes and 207 yards passing through two games. In addition, he has one rushing TD.
Game keys: Will B-G’s swarming, quick – but undersized – defense hold up against Deposit’s running attack?
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Elsewhere, after much anticipation and an early rescheduling, Norwich opens its artificial surface field Saturday night against Greene in what is the first known meeting between the two schools. Friday night, Sherburne-Earlville hosts A-P-W, Walton comes to Oxford, and UV-Edmeston looks for its first win when it entertains Spencer-Van Etten. Read on for an inside look at this week’s contests:
Greene (1-1) at Norwich (2-0), Saturday, 7 p.m.
Greene hopes to follow in the footsteps of its fellow Class C compatriots, Sidney and Unatego, who had wins over Norwich a year ago. Greene coach, Tim Paske, knows emotions will run high on the Norwich side, especially unveiling a state-of-the-art field. “I’m sure there will be a lot of rah, rah stuff,” Paske said. “It’s exciting for our kids to play on this field, and it will be a festive atmosphere. We’re looking forward to competing at this level.”
Trekking to the Class B ranks, as it is against Norwich, isn’t foreign to the Trojans. Greene has wins over Whitney Point and Oneonta over the past two seasons, and it is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and a Class C playoff appearance in 2006. Still, the Trojans’ recent success does not match the established winning tradition of Norwich, who are looking as imposing as ever on the offensive side of the ball. “They are solid and physical up front,” Paske said. “They have good running backs who are tough and run hard.”
Greene has its share of tough running backs as well. Jake Wentlent, Garrett Hickey, and Chris Engler should see most of the carries this week, then there is perhaps the Trojans’ most dangerous weapon, quarterback Nate Whittaker. Whittaker showed flashes of his ability last week against Unatego, and is completing better than 50 percent of his passes. Paske hopes his offense can sustain drives, but more importantly, finish drives with points. “Norwich is such a good offensive team, the more we control the clock on offense, the better for us,” he said.
This contest interrupts and busy division schedule for both clubs, but it is a stern test and an opportunity to pick up momentum for next week’s return to division play.
Game keys: Will Norwich impose its will on the offensive and defensive lines? Greene also has a shallow depth chart, while Norwich is much deeper at several positions. Unatego wore Greene down last week with greater numbers, so will that again be a factor?
