THE FINAL WORD: WHAT GOOD IS A SCHEDULE IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW IT? ... AND MUCH MORE (2019-09-18)
If a game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., then it should start at 6 p.m. A late start can be inconvenient, but an early start just shouldn't happen.
When high school schedules are released prior to the season each game has a start time noted with it.
The IAC and NTL generally have the same start time for a particular sport. For example, soccer games in the IAC start at 4:30 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m. in the NTL. There are exceptions, of course, and those start times are noted on the schedule.
Tuesday's Waverly-Notre Dame girls soccer game at Memorial Stadium was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. I wheeled into the parking lot at 5:58 p.m., and the game clock read 37:38.
Let's get one thing straight, I'm not worried about missing a couple minutes of a game. I rarely get to see a complete game anyway, since I shoot two or three events a night.
But if I were one of those Notre Dame parents trying to find a parking spot, and missed the first five minutes of the game, I'd be upset.
The biggest offender in the past has been the IAC softball championship games at Cornell. Tioga and / or Waverly parents and fans have taken time off work to attend those games, and driven an hour for a 3 p.m. start, only to find the game in the second inning at the scheduled start time. That's happened four times in the last five years.
There's a simple fix, start the game when they are scheduled to start, especially when you're charging an entrance fee - it's the right thing to do.
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Speaking of the Waverly girls soccer team, it got put through the ringer in a 72-hour period with games against Athens and Notre Dame.
The Lady Wildcats were dominant in a 2-0 win Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, controlling the ball throughout and limiting the Lady Wolverines to just one shot in 80 minutes.
Athens moved the ball with precision, led by junior midfielder Emma Roe, who is a ball of energy and not afraid of physicality.
Junior Hannah Blackman had a beautiful goal to open the scoring, looping the ball over her head and over the Waverly keeper's head into the net.
Roe added an insurance goal with a long-range shot that she rifled in just under the crossbar. On Monday, Roe scored four goals in a 6-0 win over Williamson.
Last night, Waverly dominated play in a 1-0 win over IAC rival Notre Dame. The Lady Wolverines dominated possession of the ball, and had several good scoring runs, only to come up empty.
The lone goal came when senior Melina Ortiz hit a laser shot just under the crossbar from about 30 yards out.
With the win over Notre Dame, Waverly remains the team to beat in the IAC South Large School Division, but I don't know if this team has enough to get back to the Section IV, Class B title game for the fourth year in a row.
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The Athens volleyball team is off to a 4-0 start, and also won the Williamson Tournament. It's been a long time since this program has played with the swagger it has now.
This is by far the most athletic and well-coached team the Lady Wildcats have put on the floor in years.
Junior Leah Liechty can be a force at the net, and junior Kylie Jayne is becoming a consistent presence in the middle.
Cassidy Stackpole, Kayleigh Miller, Haley Barry, and Taylor Field provide great coverage of the court, and freshman Jenny Ryan may be the best newcomer in the area.
Athens will get a much better idea of how far it has come when it travels to unbeaten powerhouse North Penn-Liberty tonight.
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The defending IAC champion Waverly girls swim team dropped a 94-73 decision to Watkins Glen Tuesday night.
The Lady Wolverines have a slew of talented young swimmers, led by sophomores Willow Sharpsteen, Lourden Benjamin, and Delaney Vascoe, and should find themselves right back in the IAC title mix over the next couple years.
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The Athens boys dominance in the NTL is impressive. They are 5-0 in league play, and have outscored their opponents 46-2, including three consecutive shutouts.
The state of the league, and the dominance of his program has forced coach Jake Lezak to load up his non-league schedule.
The Wildcats dropped a 1-0 decision at Maine-Endwell last week, and host IAC power Trumansburg tonight. They also play a home-and-away series against Corning, with the home game slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. They could also play Ithaca in the final week of the season, if the postseason schedules allow.
If you haven't seen this team play, you're missing an entertaining 90 minutes. Tonight's game should be a good one.
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The Sayre girls dropped a 10-6 decision to Sullivan County Monday night, but sophomore Roz Haney scored five goals, including the 50th of her career.
Haney has a strong leg, impressive foot skills, and incredible speed with the ball at her feet. She is one of the best to come through the Valley, and she's only a sophomore.
The Lady Redskins are dangerous because of Haney and senior Abby Moliski, but their small roster - 11 most of the time - does present limitations, and the top teams will take advantage of those limitations.
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The Final Word returns later this week.
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