NEW YORK STATE FOOTBALL: TIOGA SEEKS EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN IN CLASS D QUARTERFINALS; TAKES ON SECTION III CHAMP FRANKFORT-SCHUYLER (2019-11-14)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportVESTAL "” Tioga has won eight of the last nine Section IV, Class D titles, and has won in all seven of its New York State Class D quarter-final appearances. Friday night, the Tigers will look to make it eight in a row when they take on Section III champ Frankfort-Schuyler at 5 p.m. here at Vestal High School.
Frankfort-Schuyler enters the contest at 8-2, on a three-game win streak and ranked 12th in the State.
The Maroon Knights opened the season with five wins in a row, before losing 43-38 to Beaver River and 20-0 to Waterville on consecutive weeks. They closed out regular season with a 28-6 win over defending Section III champ Onondaga.
In the postseason, F-S beat Dolgeville 45-20 in the Section III semifinals, then avenged its loss to Waterville in the title game with a 22-6 win.
Tioga enters the contest at 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the State.
The Tigers recorded three wins (two vs. fifth-ranked Walton, and one against 14th-ranked Greene) against state-ranked teams, while the Maroon Knights had one (15th-ranked Beaver River). Both teams beat one team in the honorable mention ranks.
Not only is Tioga 7-0 against Section III champs in the quarterfinals, but its dominance has been complete - winning those games by an average score of 50 to 15.4.
"I think a lot of it speaks to the competition we face all year long," said Tioga coach Nick Aiello. "Coming out of Section IV, you feel pretty confident moving ahead because you know you've faced some of the best teams in the state.
"A lot of it is the coaches we've faced, too," added Aiello. "I feel like that prepares us both physically and in the "˜Xs and Os' - the chess matches you have to play against other coaches."
Aiello believes the carry-over from winning those Section IV titles has been a factor in Tioga's success in the next round.
"The kids are excited," said Aiello. "On Saturday, the kids were already asking about Frankfort-Schuyler.
"I think that's been a big part of our success in this round," he noted. "The kids are excited about the Section title, they stick to the process, they put in the work and they are prepared.
"Then, they strap it up and play. I think they're going to be ready to go," added Aiello. "I'm looking forward to it."
While Tioga has won eight Section IV titles since 2011, Frankfort-Schuyler's Section III title was its first since 1982. Aiello believes experience will be a factor.
"We've been here before, and not just in football," he said. "(Assistant coach) Kevin (Evanek) took the baseball team to the state semis, and we have kids who have wrestled and won at States.
"They've seen success at this level," added Aiello. "They've been there, and know what the experience is all about. They know how to handle big moments, and play in the big game."
As for the coaching staff, Aiello says the biggest thing is not trying to re-invent the wheel.
"It's really hard to get out of the Section for one because teams know you so well. They probably have seven or eight games on you.
"When you get to this point, everyone is good so it comes down simple things," said Aiello. "The team that blocks and tackles the best, that limits turnovers and penalties, and wins the field-position battle is probably going to win.
"Those are the things you can stress at practice because you're not looking to put anything new in," he noted. "You're not looking to overwhelm your guys, you just want them to go out there and play.
"If we've learned anything, that's probably it," added Aiello. "Just keep stressing the little things because ultimately that's what wins the games."
WHEN FRANKFORT-SCHUYLER HAS THE BALLThe Maroon Knights have scored an average of 31.3 points per game this season.
Junior QB Jeff DeSarro has thrown for 774 yards and nine TDs, while senior Tyler Rosati led F-S with 878 yards and 13 TDs on 110 carries.
DeSarro threw four TD passes, including two to Rosati, in F-S's 45-20 win over Dolgeville in the Section III semis. Roast also had a rushing TD.
In the Section III title game, DeSarro threw for a TD, and ran for one. Roast also had a rushing TD.
Aiello says the Maroon Knights throw a lot of different looks at opposing defenses.
"I don't know what you would call their offense.
"There are a lot of Wing-T principles in it, but they are a lot like Delhi - they do a lot of different formations to get blockers at the point-of-attack, and to isolate certain receivers," said Aiello. "They also do a lot of unbalanced looks to try to get you out of position.
"They do everything from under-center two-back sets to empty shotgun sets," added Aiello. "It's a pretty extensive defensive game plan for us, but we've seen that quite a few times this year, so I don't think our kids will be overwhelmed with it.
TIOGA'S KEY ON DEFENSE: "The key for us will be mostly alignment, as well as recognizing formations," said Aiello. "If the kids can recognize the formation, they should be able to recognize the certain number of plays they run out of that formation.
"The big key is alignment, though, making sure we have all the receivers covered, and we have guys in place to limit their big-play potential," added Aiello.
WHEN FRANKFORT-SCHUYLER IS ON DEFENSESophomore tailback Emmett Wood has rushed for 1,877 yards and 31 TDs on 177 carries (10.6 yards per carry), while senior QB Brady Worthing has added 735 yards and nine TDs on just 68 carries (10.8 yards per carry). As a team, Tioga has averaged 9.5 yards per carry, and is rushing for 336.9 yards per game.
Through the air, Worthing has completed 50 percent (31 of 62) of his passes for 433 yards and eight TDs, with just two interceptions. Senior wideout Mason Booser has been the top target with 10 receptions for 172 yards and two TDs, and sophomore Cobe Whitmore has five catches for 59 yards and one TD.
Wood rushed for 546 yards and eight TDs in Tioga's two playoff games, and Worthing added 226 yards and four TDs.
The Maroon Knights have allowed just 16.7 points per game this season, and have been especially tough against the run, allowing about 155 yards per game.
"They play a 4-4 base, but it will look more like a 6-2 to us.
"They play really good defense," said Aiello. "What sticks out to me is their defensive line, they do a lot of good things. They do a lot of the same things we teach our defensive line.
"They play really good run defense, and their best skill players are in the secondary.
"They load the box quite a bit, and they put a lot of pressure on your front," noted Aiello. "They'll have eight in the box, and they play their corners and safeties pretty close, especially against a running formation.
"It will be tough to get through to the second level, so we're going to have to grind out some drives," added Aiello.
TIOGA'S KEY ON OFFENSE: "It's going to be a big fundamental week for us, in terms of blocking technique, getting on blocks and sustaining blocks," said Aiello. "That's definitely going to be the key for us."
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IN PHOTO: Tioga's Brady Worthing. ... PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT PATTON.
