FROM THE PRESS BOX: NOTHING IS CERTAIN IN THESE TRYING TIMES (2020-12-02)
We are living in strange, odd, stressful (you pick the adjective, and it will likely apply) times, and it’s taking a toll on nearly everyone — from small businesses to elementary school students. ...more

YOUTH BASKETBALL: SOUTHERN TIER HAWKS HOSTING 'OPEN GYMS' AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB (2020-11-29)
Valley Sports Report
OWEGO — With local community youth programs shut down or severely hampered by Covid-19 restrictions, the Southern Tier Hawks AAU basketball program is offering open gyms each Monday night through the end of January here at the Tioga County Boys & Girls Club.
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PRO HOCKEY: START OF ELMIRA ENFORCERS SEASON PUSHED BACK TO JAN. 15 (2020-11-25)
Valley Sports Report
ELMIRA — The Federal Prospects Hockey League, home of the Elmira Enforcers, recently announced it will move back the start date of its season to Jan. 15.
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YOUTH BASKETBALL: SOUTHERN TIER HAWKS HOSTING FOUR-WEEK WINTER WORKOUT SESSION (2020-11-25)
Valley Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Reggie Hawkins, program director of the Southern Tier Hawks AAU basketball program will be hosing a four-week Winter Workout session beginning Dec. 7 here at the St. Mary’s Rec. Center. ...more

DISTRICT 4 VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS' FIELD, MILLER NAMED CLASS AAA ALL-STARS (2020-11-20)
Valley Sports Report
Athens seniors Taylor Field and Kayleigh Miller were named District 4, Class AAA volleyball all-stars as the result of voting announced Friday. ...more

NTL CROSS COUNTRY: ATHENS FATHER-DAUGHTER DUO EARN TOP LEAGUE HONORS — FIVE WILDCATS, ONE REDSKIN EARN ALL-STAR ACCOLADES (2020-11-18)
Valley Sports Report
Athens sophomore Emma Bronson was named NTL Girls “Runner of the Year,” and Athens coach Mike Bronson — Emma’s father — received the NTL Boys “Coach of the Year” accolades in recent voting by the league’s coaches. ...more

HIGH-RISK WINTER SPORTS MAY BEGIN JAN. 4 IN NEW YORK (2020-11-17)
Valley Sports Report
LATHAM, N.Y. — The New York State Public High School Athletic Association has announced Jan. 4 will be the start date for high-risk winter sports. Those sports include basketball, competitive cheerleading, ice hockey and wrestling. ...more

NTL PUSHES BACK START OF 2020-21 WINTER SPORTS SEASON (2020-11-17)
Valley Sports Report
The Northern Tier League announced Tuesday it would push back the start of the winter sports season after a vote held Monday at its fall meeting.
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NTL VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS' FIELD, HANSON EARN TOP LEAGUE HONORS; THREE LADY WILDCATS NAMED TO ALL-STAR TEAMS (2020-11-16)
Valley Sports Report
Athens senior Taylor Field and head coach Heather Hanson received top postseason honors, and three Lady Wildcats — seniors Leah Liechty, Kayleigh Miller, and Kylie Jayne — earned all-star accolades recently in voting by the NTL volleyball coaches. ...more

WOMEN'S COLLEGE SOCCER: ATHENS' ROE TO PLAY AT D-I WAGNER COLLEGE (2020-11-12)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens senior Emma Roe will make a big jump next fall, from the NTL soccer fields in Bradford County to the Division 1 soccer pitch at Wagner College on Staten Island. ...more

BAKER'S SPORTS PEN: PUTTING A WRAP ON THE DISTRICT 4 FOOTBALL POSTSEASON (2020-11-11)
The local football season may have ended two weekends ago with Athens, Canton and Troy all dropping decisions in their respective playoff contests. However, District Four wrapped up its post-season tournaments this past weekend with plenty of outstanding games. ...more

NYSPHSAA TWEETS LOW- & MEDIUM-RISK WINTER SPORTS CAN BEGIN NOV. 30 (2020-11-10)
Valley Sports Report
LATHAM, N.Y. — NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas tweeted that low- and moderate-risk winter sports can begin play on Nov. 30. ...more

NTL BOYS SOCCER: SAYRE'S HUGHEY NAMED LEAGUE'S "OFFENSIVE CO-MVP" — ATHENS, SAYRE WELL-REPRESENTED ON ALL-STAR TEAMS (2020-11-10)
Valley Sports Report
Sayre junior Mason Hughey was named the NTL boys soccer “Co-Offensive MVP,” and four of his teammates were honored, including a trio of second-team all-stars, while Athens had nine players recognized, including two first-team selections, and four second-team honorees. ...more

(CORRECTED) NTL GIRLS SOCCER: ATHENS' ROE NAMED 'PLAYER OF YEAR' — THREE LADY WILDCATS NAMED TO FIRST TEAM (2020-11-10)
Valley Sports Report
Athens senior Emma Roe was named the NTL girls soccer “Player of the Year,” two of her teammates were named to the first team, and one to the second team in recent voting by the league’s coaches. ...more

NTL VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS HONORS MILLER, FIELD FOR CAREER MILESTONES (2 PHOTOS) (2020-11-09)
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — The Athens volleyball program honored a pair of seniors — Kayleigh Miller and Taylor Field — here Monday afternoon for their milestone achievements late this season. ...more

IAC ADs CONFIRM DECISION TO POSTPONE START OF WINTER SPORTS UNTIL JAN. 4 (2020-11-07)
Valley Sports Report
ITHACA — By a vote of 19-0 Friday, the Interscholastic Athletic Conference athletic directors confirmed their earlier decision to postpone the start of the winter season until Jan. 4 at the earliest. ...more

DISTRICT 2-4 VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS' BID FOR DISTRICT TITLE FALLS SHORT AT UNBEATEN BERWICK (24 PHOTOS) (2020-11-05)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
BERWICK — Berwick’s 6-1 sophomore middle hitter Cece Isenberg neutralized Athens’ biggest strength, and 5-10 sophomore Sarah Steeber was nearly unstoppable on the outside as the top-seeded and unbeaten Lady Bulldogs ended the Lady Wildcats season here Thursday night in the championship match of the District 2-4 Sub-Regional volleyball playoffs. ...more

BAKER'S SPORTS PEN: STATS DON'T ALWAYS TELL THE FULL STORY ... AND MORE (2020-11-05)
“Alex, I’ll have upside-down stats for 100 please.”

Team A outgains Team B, 272-261, in total yards.

Teams A runs more total plays than Team B by a margin of 68-42 with a 41-15 upper-hand in the opening two quarters. ...more

DISTRICT 2-4 VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS PLAYS FOR FIRST DISTRICT TITLE SINCE 2005; TAKES ON UNBEATEN BERWICK (2020-11-05)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens volleyball plays for its first District title since 2005, and it will do so a hostile environment — the home court of the top-seeded and unbeaten Berwick Lady Bulldogs.
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VALLEY BOWLING CENTER: FAMILIAR NAMES TOP CHARTS IN LEAGUE BOWLING (2020-11-04)
Valley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Mike Cole, Rob Heuser, Jim Sjoblom, and Belinda Floyd topped the charts in league bowling here at the Valley Bowling Center from Oct. 12 through Oct. 21.
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YOUTH BASKETBALL: SOUTHERN TIER HAWKS HOSTING CAMP NOV. 27-29 — ORGANIZATION PLANS MORE TEAMS (2020-11-04)
Valley Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — It’s not as easy as it has been in the past, but the Southern Tier Hawks will host a three-day camp — Nov. 27-29 — for two age groups here at St. Mary’s Rec. Center. ...more

FROM THE PRESS BOX: ATHENS VOLLEYBALL SHINING LIGHT OF VALLEY FOR FALL SEASON (2020-11-04)
I’ll be the first to admit, when the fall season began I didn’t expect the Athens volleyball team to be the last team standing, but here they are, and what a ride it’s been. ...more

DISTRICT 2-4 VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS SWEEPS TUNKHANNOCK; ADVANCES TO SUB-REGIONAL FINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2020-11-02)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TUNKHANNOCK — Seventh-seed Athens was dominant at the net, and nearly flawless at the service line in a sweep of sixth-seed Tunkhannock here Monday evening in the semifinals of the District 2-4 Sub-Regional volleyball playoffs. ...more

THE WEEK AHEAD: ATHENS VOLLEYBALL ONLY VALLEY TEAM STILL STANDING; IN ACTION MONDAY (2020-11-01)
Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens volleyball is the only team still standing in the Valley, and their trip to Tunkhannock Monday evening for the semifinals of the District-2-4 Sub-Regional volleyball playoffs is currently the only event on the docket this week. ...more

DISTRICT 4 FOOTBALL: DANVILLE RIDES 37 FIRST-HALF POINTS TO 43-0 WIN OVER ATHENS IN CLASS AAA SEMIFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2020-10-31)
Valley Sports Report
DANVILLE — K.J. Riley threw a 61-yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage, and added four more first-half TD throws to lead Danville to a 37-0 lead at the intermission en route to a 43-0 win over Athens here Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the District 4, Class AAA playoffs. ...more

DISTRICT 4 GIRLS SOCCER: MIFFLINBURG TAKES DOWN TWO-TIME DEFEDING CLASS AAA CHAMPION ATHENS, 3-2 (24 PHOTOS) (2020-10-31)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — To paraphrase a famous American sports entertainer, “to be the champion, you have to beat the champion.” ...more

DISTRICT 4 BOYS SOCCER: JERSEY SHORE ENDS YEARS OF FRUSTRATION, EDGES ATHENS, 1-0, IN CLASS AAA SEMIFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2020-10-31)
BY TIM TAYLOR
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Jersey Shore erased the bitter taste of three consecutive PIAA District 4 semifinal losses to Athens here Saturday afternoon, downing the Wildcats, 1-0, in a Class AAA semi-final match-up. ...more

ON TAP TODAY: ATHENS GIRLS, BOYS HOST PLAYOFF DOUBLEHEADER, WILDCAT FOOTBALL ON THE ROAD (2020-10-31)
Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens teams are featured in a trio of District 4, Class AAA semi-final playoff games Saturday afternoon, including a rare home soccer doubleheader at Alumni Stadium. ...more

FROM THE PRESS BOX: POSTSEASON PROGNOSTICATION (2020-10-30)
Postseason football is upon us, and only three of the six Bradford County football teams — Athens, Canton, and Troy — qualified in a season that sees fewer teams in the playoffs because of concerns surrounding the on-going pandemic.
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DISTRICT 2-4 VOLLEYBALL: ATHENS UPENDS SECOND-SEED GREATER NANTICOKE IN EPIC FIVE-SET THRILLER (48 PHOTOS) (2020-10-30)
By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
NANTICOKE, Pa. —  Seventh-seeded Athens won the first two sets, but needed to rally in the fifth set to pull out a thrilling 3-2 win over second-seeded Greater Nanticoke in the quarterfinals of the District 2-4 Sub-Regional volleyball playoffs. ...more

DISTRICT 4 CROSS COUNTRY: PANDEMIC CHANGES COST TRIO OF ATHENS BOYS TRIP TO STATES; BRONSON FINISHES 20TH FOR GIRLS (13 PHOTOS) (2020-10-29)
Valley Sports Report
TURBOTVILLE — Of all the NTL teams, the new pandemic changes to the PIAA Cross Country Championships hurt Athens the most. ...more

DISTRICT 4 CROSS COUNTRY: SAYRE'S CLAYPOOL MISSES TRIP TO STATES BY 1 SECOND (6 PHOTOS) (2020-10-29)
Valley Sports Report
TURBOTVILLE — For the first 3.05 miles, Sayre’s Carrie Claypool ran in the top five in the girls’ race at the District 4 Cross Country Class A Championships. ...more

NTL VOLLEYBALL: SAYRE CLOSES 2020 CAMPAIGN WITH LOSS AT COWANESQUE VALLEY (2020-10-29)
Valley Sports Report
WESTFIELD, Pa. — Sayre closed out a winless 2020 campaign with a 3-0 loss to Cowanesque Valley here Thursday night in NTL volleyball actions. ...more

BAKER'S SPORTS PEN: DISRTRICT 4 FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS SET — NEWS & NOTES (2020-10-29)
For the third consecutive postseason, the Canton Warriors will be hosting the Muncy Indians in a battle for the District Four, Class A championship. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Miller A. Moyer Field. ...more

ON TAP TODAY: DISTRICT 4 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS, PLAYOFF VOLLEYBALL ON THE DOCKET (2020-10-28)
Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — There are two events on Thursday’s docket — the District 4 Cross Country Championships, and a District 2-4 Sub-Regional volleyball match.
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