VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' HANSON NAMED 'SUPER 7 COACH OF THE FALL' (2021-07-28)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY "” Heather Hanson guided the Athens volleyball team to its first District championship game appearance in 15 years this fall, and has been named the 2020-21 Valley Sports Report "Coach of the Fall."

Hanson took over a program that had floundered for a decade under a variety of coaches. In her first year, she took the Lady Wildcats to district playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. In her second season, Athens won its first postseason match since 2006, and this year the Lady Wildcats advanced to their first title match since 2005.

Hanson's secret: she knows the game, can relay that knowledge to her players, and her players will run through a wall for her, which is really a big key for any successful coach.

"2020-21 Super 7 Coaches of the Fall:"
Heather Hanson, volleyball, Athens: See above.

Mike Bronson, cross country, Athens: Bronson coached the Wildcat boys to an unbeaten 10-0 record and their second consecutive NTL title. Bronson, along with Scott Riley and Mark Johnson, were named the NTL "Coaching Staff of the Year."

Jack Young, football, Athens: Young directed a dramatic Wildcat turnaround in 2020. Athens posted a 1-10 record in 2019 - one of the marks in program history - but bounced back with a 5-1 record in the regular season.

Nick Aiello, football, Tioga: Aiello directed the Tigers to a 5-1 record this spring, with wins over Waverly and Owego. The lone loss was a 29-23 thriller against Newark Valley. Aiello has a career record of 96-23 in 11 seasons.

Rich Pitts, girls soccer, Athens: Coming off back-to-back District 4 titles, Rich Pitts directed a very young Athens team to a 9-2-1 regular-season mark, and back into the postseason, before the season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Shamokin.

Greg Hughey, boys soccer, Sayre: On the heels of a 1-11 record in his first season, Hughey directed Sayre to a 5-9 record and a trip to the District 4 playoffs. The improvement from one win to five wins is impressive in its own right, but the fact the Redskins played more than half the season without four-year starter Cody VanBenthuysen, who will play at Elmira College in the fall, makes it even more impressive.

Jake Lezak, boys soccer, Athens: Lezak directed the Wildcats to an 11-2 regular season mark, with both losses to league champ Wellsboro. Athens saw its season end in a 1-0 loss to Jersey Shore in the District 4 semifinals.