Norwich coach John Martinson said the football season seems a little out of alignment. The Tornado (3-1) play just their fifth game of the season tonight, yet it is their last regular season home game. “I have this feeling that the season was pushed up, and with the flood, it’s been different,” the third-year Norwich coach said.
As is customary, Norwich honors its seniors before its final home game before taking the field against longtime rival Oneonta. Emotion will not be in short supply for the Purple-clad men, and the urgency of a division win is omnipresent. “There wasn’t much to say to get the kids ready, they know the importance of this game,” Martinson said. “It’s a division game, it’s our rivalry game, and it’s the senior game. We’ve had a good week of practice. There are a couple guys dinged up, but we’ll be ready to play.”
While many teams lost one game due to the flooding last month, Oneonta had two games fall off the schedule. As a result, it’s just the fourth game of the season for the ‘Jackets, and their accompanying 1-2 record. Martinson isn’t deceived by Oneonta’s mark. Oneonta led state-ranked Greene at halftime, beat division rival Chenango Valley two weeks ago, and played to the wire against Class A Vestal before losing by a single touchdown.
“Unless you’ve actually seen them play, you can’t determine how good they are,” Martinson said, warning those who might look past Oneonta’s mark. “They’re a well-coached team, and this is as close to championship game as it’s going to get. It’s a must-win for us. We know their overall record means nothing because they’re 1-0 in the division, and we’re 1-0 in the division.”
Norwich patrons will hear the name Bryce Wooden called over and over Friday. Wooden is averaging around 25 carries per game to lead Oneonta’s no-huddle attack. Brendan Lord quarterbacks the offense, and Anthony Delgado is a big-play receiver. Delgado also has a kickoff return for a TD.
Martinson has guided Norwich to the playoffs each of the previous two seasons. A win Friday will put Norwich in a favorable position to make it three straight postseason appearances. “If we’re 2-0, that doesn’t mean we clinch because there still is the potential for a three-way tie,” Martinson said. “Winning a second league game certainly won’t hurt, and we’ll see how things play out.”
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UV-Edmeston (1-4) at Greene (5-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Due to a soccer game earlier in the evening, Greene’s division game with the Storm will start a half-hour later than the usual 7 p.m. kickoff. UV-Edmeston had its biggest win a season ago when it knocked off Greene. It was the first division win for UV-E over the Trojans in program history, and Greene coach Tim Paske is mindful of that. His returning players also remember.”We’ve talked about last year,” Paske said. “On any given night, if you turn it over and give the other team opportunities to score, it gives a team the feeling they can beat you. It’s like blood in the water for a shark.”
So far this season, Greene has mostly avoided turnovers in winning five straight games and ascending to the top five of the New York State Class C poll. The task at hand for the visiting Storm is to get its playmakers in open space against a stingy Greene defense, and avoid the turnovers itself.
“They have a three-headed monster on offense,” Paske said of the Storm’s Justin Hofer, Kody Homann, and Brandon Miles. “Their guys, remind me a lot of Jeff Carlin. If they get you one-on-one in the open field, most of the time, they’re going to beat you. Coach (Brian) Banks has done a nice job getting his skill kids in space.”
In terms of playoff implications tonight, Greene is seeking its third division win with one remaining date against Sidney. based on its current record, the Trojans have the inside track to one of two Division V playoff spots. UV-Edmeston, with one division loss already, needs to win all of its remaining division games to qualify for playoffs.
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Bainbridge-Guilford (4-0) at Walton (4-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Last year, B-G had its best chance to beat Walton in 30 years. A go-ahead TD with 13 seconds left gave the Warriors a close win, and it spurred the club to yet another Section IV title.
