Key NTL match-ups in football season’s first week

FRIDAY, SEPT. 3

TOWANDA AT TROY

The Black Knights will travel to Alparon Park in a key NTL Large School early season match-up.

Towanda is looking to see how far they’ve come from the first days of practice.

"I think we’re a work in progress," Towanda coach Craig Dawsey said. "The kids have a great attitude and we’ve gotten better since day one."

Even though they beat the Trojans twice last year, Dawsey isn’t going to underestimate them.

"They are a heck of a football team," he said. "We’re hoping to stop what they’re going to do. They have good, talented backs and are stout on defense."

To do that the Knights are going to have to keep the Trojan offense off the field.

"You have to control the clock and can’t turn the ball over," Dawsey said. "We have to keep their offense off the field as much as we can, take that control away. Hopefully, we can accomplish that. We’ve got to try and take away things they do well. They’re very balanced, they run very well and throw very well."

Trojan coach Kevin Schucker isn’t going into the game light-hearted either.

"From what I have seen they are big and they are very physical," Schucker said of the Knights. "They’ve got some good skill people offensively and defensively. I don’t know who any of the kids are yet, but they look good from what I’ve seen, and until they get beat, they are the champs."

This first game is key for the Trojans, no matter who they play.

"It’s going to set the tone for the whole season for us," Schucker said. "We’ve got a tough first half of the year and we’ve got to start well to finish well. This could be a make-or-break game for us."

Schucker believes playing Towanda will be a good litmus test to see where they are in the season.

"We know how good we are right off the bat because Towanda’s a well prepared, well coached team," the Troy coach said.

He’s hoping to get some good support for this big home game.

"I hope we have a good crowd," Schucker said. "If we win I’m sure they will support us every week, and if we get a good start I’m sure they will support us away, too, because Troy’s always been a very supportive place."

ATHENS AT WYALUSING

The Rams start off a new season by hosting the Wildcats.

Wyalusing coach Jim Huffman knows it will be a tough early test for his team.

"They are always tough," Huffman said. "They are well coached, they always have good size. They are always a sound ball team. You can never take them lightly."

His team is excited to get started, though.

"They have been waiting, they’re very excited," Huffman said. "I have a real deep group of seniors. They are just very excited to get the season started."

Huffman likes how his team has rounded into shape in this early part of the season.

"I am very pleased with where we have come from," he said. "We still have improvement to do in certain situations. You have to get to the first game to know where you are at. You can practice all you want, but you need to get to play that first game under your belt to see where you are at and where you need to make adjustments."

Athens coach Jack Young is hoping his young team can respond in their first game.

"They’re getting better everyday," Young said. "They need to go out there and give it everything they’ve got. Hopefully they can help the older kids win football games."

The veteran coach wants his players to stick to the fundamentals in their first game this season.

"I think the keys are for a pretty good game the first week of the season is to limit mental mistakes," Young explained. "Turnovers, penalties and just being a good fundamental football team week one helps you win a game."

The Wildcats have had to battle the elements some this week.

"We’ve had a hot week," Young said, "but the kids fought the elements pretty good and we’re pretty excited about everything."

Except for the bus ride.

"Were not sure how long the trip is going to take," Young mentioned. "That’s one problem that happens as a visiting team."

However, that shouldn’t diminish his team’s appetite to win.

"They know its a bit of a rivalry game," Young said. "They took one to us last year."

COWANESQUE VALLEY AT NORTH PENN

The Panthers kick off the season by hosting in-county rivals CV in a large school NTL match-up.

"It’s time now and they are excited about it," North Penn coach Tom Dickinson said about his team. "The scrimmages are scrimmages; now it counts for real."

Dickinson knows they have to be prepared for the Indians ground game.

"They are a big team with a couple of good running backs," he said. "They aren’t going to put the ball in the air much, but they are going to look to run it down our throats, so we have to be prepared."

The Panther coach is hoping his team gets a better result than last year’s opening game.

"It was tough losing in overtime to Towanda," he said. "We are hoping that this team that went through that will learn from that experience. It would be great to start 1-0."

Regardless, they aren’t looking past CV at all.

"It’s got to be one game at a time and the first one is Friday," Dickinson said. "The first opponent is CV, we’re not looking ahead to anything. That’s where we have our eyes set."

The Indians know that to get anywhere for them, they are going to have to stop North Penn’s new offense.

"Were going to have to play pretty solid defense" CV coach Jeremy Loveland said, "They’re running the spread, we want to keep the ball out of their hands, so were looking to control the ball. We want to keep the ball in our hands and play good, solid defense."

The Indians have been focusing on getting better these last few weeks.

"Were doing good" Loveland said, "Were getting better each week, improving on our scrimmages to have a good game."

The CV coach is going to have to get big games out of veteran starters Tyler Bowers and Chris Gunn. Bowers, a third year starter, is the team’s starting running back and linebacker while Gunn, a two-year starter, plays fullback and line backer.

"Were looking for big things out of those two."

CANTON AT WELLSBORO

The Warriors will look to get their season off right with a win over the Hornets week one.

Canton edged Wellsboro last year in a muddy one, but the Hornets will look to get revenge from the home loss.

NEWARK VALLEY AT TIOGA

The Tigers face a tough Newark Valley team in their opening game at home. First-year head coach Nick Aiello believes his team is ready to meet the challenge.

"We had good, focused practices this week," Aiello said. "Coming off a scrimmage I think we are ready to play. We played focused and aggressive. Hopefully that will carry over."

One big different this year is David Ulrich moving from quarterback to running back, but that hasn’t fazed the Tigers at all.

"I think the whole team has responded," Aiello said. "It’s a team effort, not a one-man effort."

The Tigers’ coach knows that NV will be hungry to get its season off to a strong start, too.

"I know they were very good last year," Aiello said. "They always play aggressive football."

He’s hoping that his team keeps it simple for the first game.

"The plan is just to go in as a team and play with confidence."

VESTAL AT WAVERLY

The Wolverines will host Class A power Vestal tonight. Waverly coach Jason Miller knows that his team is in for a tough one.

"They’re more of a veteran team than we are," Miller said of Vestal. "They’re more experience up front, returning 10 starters from their offense. It will be an enormous challenge for us. I can’t predict a win or loss."

His team won’t back down, though.

"I think they’re ready for a challenge," Miller said. "I just want them to go out and have fun and not worry about mistakes. We feel like we’ve come a long ways, we just have to take it one play at a time; good or bad, forget about the last one and move on."

Miller is hoping the home crowd will give his young team a little bit of a jolt.

"There’s always a little more excitement, familiarity with being at home," he said. "Opening week is exciting. Hopefully we feed off that excitement and just play with a lot of energy."

SATURDAY, SEPT. 4

SAYRE AT CMVT

Sayre will make the long trip to Columbia Montour Vo Tech to start the season. Head coach Larry Hanafin will be taking a lot questions down with him.

"There are a lot of question marks," Hanafin said. "We have not been in a game situation. I feel OK. I think if we play the way we’re capable of we have a chance."

The Sayre coach just wants to keep things simple for his team.

"Ninety percent of what we’re doing we just want to come off the ball," Hanafin explained. "We want to come off the ball and have backs carry out fakes; take what the other team gives us. Defensively, the biggest concern is staying within our responsibility, slide to the ball, stay and do our assignment and be sound."

CMVT may not be known as a football power, but Hanafin knows this team has brought back quite a few players from the team that beat Canton a year ago.

"They beat Canton and we didn’t," Hanafin said. "They had a better record than we did. On paper and on film, they’re pretty good. We don’t look at this as favorites."