NEW YORK STATE FOOTBALL: TIOGA ROLLS OVER OAE, 49-6, AND INTO CLASS D TITLE GAME (24 PHOTOS & VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS)) (2021-11-26) By TIM BIRNEY Valley Sports Report CICERO, N.Y. - With the wind whipping and snow flurries in the air, Tioga turned to an old recipe for success: a ground-and-pound running game that legendary coach Jim Haggerty would have been proud of, to punch its ticket to the New York State Class D championship game.
Tioga, ranked No. 1 in the state, rolled to a 49-6 win over second-ranked Oakfield-Alabama-Elba here Friday afternoon, and will face fifth-ranked Moriah next Friday at the Carrier Dome.
Tioga coach Nick Aiello points to his team's 28-27 loss to defending and eventual state champion Clymer / Sherman / Panama on the same field in the 2019 state semifinals.
"I tell the boys, "˜you either win or you lose, and if you lose, you better learn from it,'" he said. "In every loss, (the coaching staff) has had at this level, we've tried to take something away from it.
"The seniors bring that experience, too," noted Aiello. "They understand when we talk about big games, and how to perform in certain situations.
"It kind of all came together today. It was a dominant performance, and I'm very, very happy for them," added Aiello. "They worked hard to get this victory today."
"We lost this game twice, we weren't losing again," said Tioga's senior tailback Emmett Wood. "Our seniors were ready to go, and that's why (pointing to scoreboard) that happened."
The Tigers pounded out 412 yards on the ground and did not attempt a pass in the win. Wood led the way with 189 yards and four TDs on 26 carries, and senior fullback Gavin Godfrey added 160 yards and two scores on seven carries.
Aiello likes to spread the ball around on offense, and tries to maintain an aerial threat, but the weather changed his thought process.
"We knew we had the horses to play a little old-fashioned Tioga football," he said. "It was about finding plays that were there, and once we found them, we didn't mess around.
"We were driving the ball into the end zone, so we didn't want to change what we were doing, and kill any momentum we had," added Aiello. "We stuck with the plays that were working and went with it."
"We were looking to pound the ball on them, and it worked, so we didn't go away from it," said Wood.
Godfrey, who scored on runs of 52 and 65 yards in the fourth quarter, and Wood credited the offensive line.
"I think our line is always under-sized, but we fire off the ball a lot faster than most teams, and other teams haven't been able to handle it," said Wood. "We just have to keep it going."
"Our line was doing it's job," said Godfrey. "If you get the ball and there's a wide-open hole, you beat one guy and you're in the end zone."
OAE entered the game averaging 45.5 points per game, and more than 400 yards per game in total offense. The Aggies rushed for 136 yards on 38 carries, and added 5 yards through the air.
"The guys watched the film, and they did their scout sheets," said Aiello. "We were really trying to get them prepared for (OAE's) speed, especially their speed to the outside, and not letting them get into creases.
"We had to have contain, but we also had to have fills," noted Aiello. "The kids listened, and the defensive effort today was just outstanding."
Aiello said his team's work in the film room was a key to the victory.
"Our kids were very prepared.
"Leaving the (practice) field (Thursday) and going home for Thanksgiving, I could relax a little bit, and enjoy my meal because these guys, at practice, were calling out what was going to be there," said Aiello.
"And, we also felt our speed matched their speed, even though we were concerned about it," added Aiello. "That's been a strength for us all year; I thought our speed would counter theirs, and it did."
Godfrey agreed with his coach.
"It came down to watching film," he said. "Out of any formation (OAE) lined up in, we had a good idea of what play was coming, and we made some plays."
Senior linebacker Isaac Peterson said it was a team effort.
"Everyone had their keys," he said "We had to stop their buck sweep, that's their main play, and we did.
"We had to play our game," added Peterson. "I think our physicality wore them down. It happens to every team ... we hit as hard as we can every game, and it wears them down every game."
OAE's Kameron Cusmano returned the opening kickoff to midfield, and the Aggies picked up a pair of first downs - the second on an 8-yard run by Noah Currier on fourth-and-8 - to move the ball to the Tioga 28.
Peterson made a pair of big plays, sandwiched around a tackle-for-loss by senior Justin Hopkins that left OAE facing 4th-and-12. On fourth down, Tioga sophomore Karson Sindoni got a hand on OAE QB Bodie Hyde's throw, which was hauled in by Gaige Armbrewster, who was immediately dumped for a 3-yard loss by sophomore Ousmane Duncanson to force a turnover on downs.
The Tigers took over with 5:31 remaining, and drove 67 yards on 14 plays in a drive that chewed up nearly 6 1/2 minutes.
Wood, who carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards on the drive, capped the march with a 1-yard TD run with 11:12 remaining in the first half. Sophomore Gavin Fisher tacked on the PAT kick to make it 7-0.
Senior Matt Watson came up with a key defensive play on OAE's ensuing possession, and the Aggies were forced to punt after three plays netted just three yards.
The punt was for negative-1 yard and the Tigers took over at the Aggie 30. Again, Wood did the majority of the work, carrying the ball three times for 20 yards. He capped the six-play drive with a 10-yard TD run with 6:53 remaining in the first half. FIsher's kick made it 14-0.
OAE's next possession resulted in three plays for minus-12 yards, thanks to Wood and Bellis dumping Currier for a 5-yard loss on first down, and Peterson sacking Hyde for a 7-yard loss on third down.
The Tigers took over at OAE's 47 following another punt, and needed just two plays to find paydirt. Wood ripped off a 37-yard run, and capped the quick scoring drive with a 10-yard run with 4:52 remaining in the half. Fisher, who was 7-for-7 on PATs, made it 21-0.
The Aggies hit on a trio of big plays on its next possession - a 10-yard run by Armbrewster, a 36-yard run by Currier, and an 11-yard run by Connor Scott - to move the ball to the Tioga 8.
On fourth-and-goal at the Tioga 5, Peterson stopped Hyde for a 2-yard gain to force a turnover on downs.
Tioga took possession at its 3 with 2:27 remaining in the half, and was able to pound out a pair of first downs to run out the clock and take a 21-0 lead into the half.
The Tigers, who won the pre-game coin toss and deferred, took the second-half kickoff, and quickly marched 58 yards on eight plays.
The key play on the drive was a 28-yard scamper by sophomore QB Caden Bellis, who had 55 yards on seven carries. Peterson finished off the scoring drive with a 4-yard TD run with 7:44 remaining in the third quarter.
OAE's ensuing possession lasted 14 plays and nearly 7 minutes, but ended on downs when Duncanson sacked Hyde at the Tioga 41.
The fourth quarter was about big plays for the Tigers.
On the fifth play of Tioga's drive, Godfrey, who had 21 yards on his first four carries in the game, ripped off a 22-yard run to the OAE 8-yard line. Wood finished off the drive with his fourth TD of the game, an 8-yard run with 9:59 remaining in the game to make it 35-0.
On the second play of its ensuing possession, Scott broke several tackles on his way to a 56-yard TD run to put the Aggies on the board with 9:13 remaining in the game.
After recovering the onside kick, Godfrey broke loose up the middle on a 52-yard TD run with 9:04 left in the game to make it 42-6.
After Tigoa forced OAE into a punt on its next possession, Godfrey scored on the first play, this time hurdling one of his blockers on the ground on his way to the end zone on a 67-yard run with 5:15 remaining in the game. Fisher's seventh PAT kick made it 49-6.
Scott led OAE with 67 yards and one TD on just two carries, while Armbrewster had 61 yards on 16 carries. Hyde, who was sacked three times, had 17 carries for 0 yards.
Hyde completed 3 of 8 passes for 5 yards.
Peterson and Godfrey, who both delivered crushing lead blocks on offense, and crushing hits on defense, said they just love being on the field.
"I've loved defense since I was a little kid, it's kind of my thing," said Peterson. "But I really love every second of playing on both sides of the football."
"There's nothing like running the ball into the end zone, but defense is fun, too," said Godfrey. "Making hits on big plays, there's nothing better than that."
The Tigers, now 11-0, will face Moriah, also 11-0, Friday at noon at the Carrier Dome for the Class D title.
"It's unbelievable," said Aiello. "I can't be more excited, or proud of these guys.
"It's been their goal since (they lost to CSP in 2019)," he noted. "To have a goal like that, and to watch these kids, some of them 14 or 15 years old, put the work in, and put it altogether and continue to achieve them ... it's just something special to be a part of."
Godfrey and Wood are both excited to get to the Dome.
"It means a lot to win this game," said Godfrey. "I look at (OAE), and I was there two years ago; that feeling stuck with me right here (pounding his chest).
"We've worked hard for this for two years, now we're here. All the work paid off.
"Now, we just have to win next week," added Godfrey.
"Playing in the Dome? That's all I've wanted since I saw Jesse (Manuel) score his last touchdown," said Wood.
"It's happening now ... just one more win," added Wood with a smile.
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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga's Gavin Godfrey. IN PHOTOS 2-3: Tioga's Emmett Wood. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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