The prospects for our Chenango County football teams did not look good after two weeks. Four of the six clubs were still looking for a win, and the collective winning percentage was a mere 25 percent.
Funny thing, good teams find a way to turn things around.
After three weeks, three clubs still had not picked up a win, but the overall record the rest of the way was a better-than-.500 clip, and the result was 2 ½ dozen deserving all-stars.
We unveil our 2014 Evening Sun Football All-Stars on today’s sports pages with the knowledge that not only are the final records – thanks to those aforementioned poor starts – deceiving, but perhaps the quality of individual players are underrated.
Sure, we have the stars, returning all-stars Michael Oralls of Norwich and Cody Marango of Sherburne-Earlville – both veterans of this yearly honor – but also plenty of deserving newcomers and players to watch.
Before getting into the individual player summaries, we went to our six area coaches and asked them to talk about their respective seasons. Who better to size up the past, present and future of local clubs?
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*Bainbridge-Guilford head coach Tim Mattingly: “Winning our last two games, we’re hoping the guys coming back and use that going into next season.”
* Greene coach Dave Gorton: “We have 17 of 22 starting spots coming back next year. We’ll have an experienced team, so I’m eager to get back to it.”
* Norwich coach Mike Chrystie: “The senior class laid the foundation for the program, and the underclassmen have all bought in. We made the sectional semifinals last year and the finals this year. We all want to get back there.”
* Oxford coach Jeff Newton: “This was a great first year to get the kids to understand what it takes to win. The last few games, they really stepped up, and now know what it takes to get to the next level.”
* Sherburne-Earlville coach Mike Jasper (Jasper announced his resignation at the close of the season): “My best memories are celebrating the highs and getting to coach my son Austin. We achieved a lot of firsts here over the last six years.”
* Unadilla Valley coach Mark Segina: “We improved on both sides of the ball from last year to this year, but still need to improve on the fundamentals. We have building blocks in place to take the next step.”
So we said at the top, the 2014 season began inauspiciously, but most clubs finished respectably. Perhaps that was a function of younger players finding their footing on the varsity level. Better than half of our contingent -16 players – earned all-star nods as underclassmen. To our knowledge, that is the most underclassmen to earn postseason accolades in this publication over the past 20 seasons.
As has been our wont, the selection of players came from our own observations of players during the season and the recommendation of head coaches.
We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast yesterday, and we hope you devour the summaries of each of our all-star selections.
BAINBRIDGE-
GUILFORD
Ben Bivar, fr. linebacker 5-9, 150 pounds
The only freshman on our all-star team, Bivar made a big splash for the Bobcats on both sides of the ball. As a linebacker, he was a sure tackler with a nose for the football, and from week two forward, he was the team's starting fullback running for 525 yards and two TDs including the game-winning score in an overtime victory over Whitney Point. "Defensively is where he really stood out," Mattingly said. "As a freshman, he played far above his years, and was great as far as being where he needed to be, and making tackles...he's going to be a heck of a player for us."
Bailey Green, sr., receiver, 6-0, 175 pounds
Green didn't start out as the team's go-to receiver, but he sure ended as the team's number one threat on the outside. Green didn't catch a pass until the third game, and averaged nearly two catches a game the rest of the season for the run-dominant Bobcats. "He was our most improved player as far as stepping up to a senior leadership role, and he ran great pass routes for us," Mattingly said. "He was our number one guy when we wanted to throw the ball." Green had three TD receptions and averaged 16.1 yards per catch. He also had a critical pick-six interception return for a score in a victory over Unadilla Valley.
Tyler Hart, jr. defensive tackle, 6-0, 230 pounds
Hart started at fullback, but was quickly moved to offensive tackle to shore up his team's blocking. Hart was integral to the offensive line, but where he really shined was on the defensive line. "He just has that motor that won't quit," Mattingly said. "He did a great job pressuring the quarterback with penetration, and I'm sure he led the team in tackles behind the line of scrimmage."
Dylan Moffitt, sr., running back, 5-8, 155 pounds
Despite battling injuries all season, Moffitt turned in one gritty performance after another. One of those players who played "bigger than his size," Moffitt racked up 908 yards rushing (101/game) and scored eight touchdowns. As he returned closer to full health the past two weeks, he mounted his best two games rushing for 398 yards and four scores against Candor and Whitney Point respectively. "He just loves the game, and he was a warrior out there," Mattingly said. "A lot of his yardage came on natural ability. He had the talent to elude and break tackles, and ran tougher than his size. We needed to get him the ball, and he created a lot on his own."
Dylan Mondore, jr, linebacker, 6-2, 250 pounds
Mondore was the Bobcats' monster in the middle of the defense. "He did a heck of a job for us at linebacker," Mattingly said. "He stepped up to plug holes and did a great job of pursuing to the ball. We didn't keep tackle totals, but I have to believe he was our leading tackler this season." Mondore was particularly effective late in the season, and made several tackles for losses in a two-point road victory over Unadilla Valley, B-G's first win of the season.
B-G honorable mention: Phil Ives, defensive line; Brandon Sickler, defensive line.
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GREENE
Luke Erickson, so. running back, 5-10, 170 pounds
In an offense that likes to spread the wealth, Erickson was the Trojans' breakout offensive performer leading his team in rushing with 577 yards, and also topping his team in pass receptions with 11. Erickson returned punts and kickoffs as well taking one punt back for a score, and easily surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards. "He's a hard runner who reads blocks, sets them up, is a good pass receiver, and a good blocker," Gorton said. "He's a very complete player, and the improvements he made from last year to this year were dramatic."
John Hadac, jr. defensive end, 6-4, 195 pounds
Over the second half of the 2014 season, no team played better team defense than Greene, and Hadac was a key component to the Trojans' collective efforts. He led the team with nine sacks, and also likely led his team in drawing penalties. "I've never seen a kid get held as much as (Hadac)," Gorton said. "He can't be blocked by just one kid. You have to double-team him, or hold him." Hadac never came off the field, but his defensive prowess had other teams taking notice. "Other coaches would come up to me after games and talk about what an outstanding player (Hadac) was," Gorton said.
Cole Nelson, sr., fullback/linebacker - 6-0, 195 pounds,
A versatile, unselfish player, Nelson made big plays at big times scoring the winning touchdown in what was considered an upset win over Lansing, recorded sacks, had key interceptions, and returned a punt for Greene that led to the winning score against Lansing. Perhaps Nelson's quintessential play of the season was a run stuff against Sidney from the one-yard line holding the Warriors from building a two-touchdown lead before halftime. "Cole is the kind of kid who is a gutsy player that will give you everything he has, every play," Gorton said. "As our fullback, he's the best blocking fullback I've seen here in my 12 seasons with Greene."
Phil Nelson, jr. offensive tackle/ nose guard jr., 6-0, 245 pounds
As much as anyone on the Trojans, Nelson benefited from his time in the weight room during the offseason showing a dramatic increase in strength. "He was the anchor of our line, and he could hold his own against anybody he played against at nose guard," Gorton said. "He just plugged the middle, and after we moved him to nose guard, our defense as a whole became much better." On the offensive side of the ball, Nelson and Hadac made for a strong one-two combination at tackle and guard. "Once they got together (Hadac and Nelson), we started relying on them and running behind them on offense," Gorton said.
Wyatt Vander Bunt, sr. 6-4, 260 pounds, guard and tackle on offense
The Trojans found out how much they missed Vander Bunt when he missed a game and a half in weeks three and four due to injury. "He was a very difficult hole for us to fill," Gorton said. "In addition to being a great leader, he was one of those kids on defense who was quick, and had speed. It was surprising how fast a kid that big could move." On defense, Vander Bunt helped the Trojans dominate that side of the ball for the last five games. "When he came back from injury, he was just throwing people around on defense," Gorton said. "After his return from injury, we really started to stop the run as a team."
Greene honorable mention: Lucian Austin, defense; Zach Orzell, quarterback.
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NORWICH
Cole Brightman, jr. offensive line, 6-0, 240 pounds
A second-year starter at center for Norwich, Brightman has never missed a snap except in late-game blowouts, and takes great pride in initiating the pistol offense that requires a precise snap each time. "He is one of our leaders, and he became a dominant player up front," Chrystie said. "Cole is very strong with good hands, and his feet improved from last year to this year. He's a guy that once he gets his hands on you, you're not going anywhere. The more one-on-ones we have with Cole, the better off we'll be because he'll handle his guy."
Adrian Hoffman, sr. defensive end, 5-11, 190 pounds
Relentless is the word the best described Hoffman's play as a senior. A two-way player, Hoffman made his mark on the defensive side of the ball at defensive end. "He was a little undersized for his position going up against offensive linemen that were 250, 260 pounds," Chrystie said. "But you wouldn't notice that because of the way he plays. There were stretches in the season where he was unblockable. He was always in the backfield hitting backs and the quarterback. He got off the ball, and was a great spark for us on defense." Hoffman was among the team leaders in sacks and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His quickness at the point of attack set him apart from other defenders at his position.
Jamison Luke, jr. offensive line. 6-2, 215
Chrystie opined on Luke as "the best lineman I've ever coached and the best feet of any lineman I've coached," the NHS coach said. "He's as intelligent as they come up front and he knows all five positions on the line." On-the-fly adjustments? Luke easily adapted, and he completed his blocking assignments with consistency and aplomb. "He's a gifted athlete who finds himself on the football field on the line," Chrystie said. "He's a special player, and his confidence is starting to grow from that. We're looking for big things out of him next year."
Michael Oralls, sr. running back, 6-1, 200 pounds
Oralls' yards were not usually pretty as he ground out real estate gaining the tough yards inside - and many of his yards came after initial contact by the defense. "Every yard he gained, he deserved," Chrystie said. And Oralls gained a lot. He finished his career second all-time among Norwich running backs with 2,780 yards, and after his 1,254-yard season, became just the second documented Norwich back with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Oralls finished with 22 touchdowns, the most by a Norwich player in 15 seasons, and had two or more scores in eight of 10 games. "The way he ran the ball forced people to want to block for him because he gave everything he had on every carry," Chrystie said. "He had the ability to run over you, and he had to ability to run by people."
