SECTION IV FOOTBALL: WAVERLY'S MILLER BELIEVES DEPTH COULD BE KEY TO SUCCESS IN 2024 (2024-09-05)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportWAVERLY — Fresh off a state title, longtime Waverly coach Jason Miller believes the 2024 Wolverines are the deepest team he’s fielded in his 22 years on the sidelines.
(Waverly open its season at home Saturday against Clymer-Sherman-Panama. Game time is 6 p.m.)
“I really think depth is our biggest strength,” he said.
“At most positions, we have a depth that other teams just don’t have; and that always bears significant throughout the year.
“The more we can get younger kids playing on varsity, and ready to go, the better we’ll be,” noted Miller. “A lot of people talk about ‘next man up,’ but if you don’t have that capability, you don’t have that capability.
“The big thing for us last year was playing 14 games. We got a half-season that I always longed for,” said Miller. “Those four or five extra games are critical heading into the next year. You’re playing another half-season where your kids are practicing and getting better, and you can assess. Everyone else is practicing basketball, and we’re still practicing football.
“And, most of these kids got a lot of playing time in the postseason,” continued Miller. “Other than the state championship game, we had opportunities to get those kids playing time in those games.
“If you end up playing that much, you get better,” Miller added.
Waverly returns eight starters on defense, and seven on offense, but will have to replace the prolific passing duo of QB Joey Tomasso and slot receiver Jay Pipher.
Tomasso’s replacement will be sophomore Ben Shaw, and his play is Miller’s biggest concern.
“Ben’s play at quarterback is really important,” he said. “He’s going to have to do his job, he’s going to have to protect the ball, manage the offense, get people lined up correctly — he’s going to have to do all the things a quarterback has to do that becomes second nature in your second or third year.
“In your first year, its not second nature; there’s a lot of things to think about pre-snap,” noted Miller.
“We haven’t changed our offense at all, so he just has to execute, and make sure we don’t turn the ball over.
“So far, he got a lot of looks this summer in 7-on-7, he’s done a nice job of reading defenses,” Miller added.
Miller concedes his work on the sidelines will be important to Shaw’s development.
“Play-calling is really important,” he said. “In the preseason, we’ve tried to install things, like simple RPOs (run-pass option), to get him to recognize where we want him to go.
“The worse thing he can do is pick a receiver before the play. We just don’t do that, we didn’t do it when Joey (Tomasso) was young, we’re not doing it when Ben is young.
“If we want to get the ball to someone, we’ll find a way to get him the ball, it just won’t be down the field,” noted Miller.
“We’re going to make people defend the entire field — vertically and horizontally; and figuring out how to do that is on me,” he added.
Junior J.T. Williams will anchor the offensive line at center, with senior Kam Hills and junior Troy Beeman at guards, and sophomore Carson Rockwell and senior Jack Cheresnowsky at the tackle spots.
Juniors Tim George and Kayne McCutcheon will serve as back-ups at tackle, and senior Lincoln Sharpsteen will back up at guard.
Junior Dalton Davis will serve as Shaw’s back-up at quarterback, and 8th-grader Axel Murray will be called on if necessary.
Senior Fletcher Good, and junior Cooper Robinson will see the majority of time at tailback in the early going. Senior Payton Fravel is one or two weeks away from returning after tearing his ACL in state championship game, and having surgery.
Sophomore Bryce LaForest will also see some action at tailback.
“We have a ton of depth at running back,” said Miller. “We probably have eight kids who could see carries if we need them.”
Sophomore Matthias Welles will start at H-back, with senior Xavier Watson and junior Hogan Shaw manning the x-receivers, and senior Kolsen Keathley starting in the slot.
In “10” personnel, Davis will be the other slot receiver.
Junior Ronin Ault will also see some snaps at the x-receiver.
Miller said Wolverine fans will see business as usual, despite the graduation of Tomasso.
“I think you’ll see more of the same.
“Our goal is to control line-of-scrimmage and pound the football,” he said. “If the defense gives an extra man in the box, then we’re going to throw it.
“The plan, the strategy, and the scheme hasn’t changed at all, not one bit.
“I think you’ll see a few balls thrown downfield to Xavier (Watson) if the match-up is there, but there will be more play-action, and more Matthias (Welles) touching the ball in certain situations, so that’s different, but other than that nothing has changed,” noted Miller.
“What you will see that’s a little bit different is that Kolsen (Keathley) will carry the ball a little bit more,” added Miller. “Fletcher (Good) and Cooper (Robinson) are new and still learning, and Peyton (Fravel) is about two weeks out from his ACL surgery.”
Miller said he’s depending on his guys in the trenches.
“I want to lean on the offensive line all year,” he said. “They’re going to be expected to do what I expect them to be able to do, and that’s win the battle up front.”
Defensively, Hills and Beeman will anchor the defensive line at the tackle spots, with Welles and Cheresnowsky at defensive ends.
Ben Shaw and senior Nate Peters will start at the inside linebacker spots, with Keathley and either Good or Robinson at the other outside backer.
Davis and Watson will start at cornerback, and Hogan Shaw will man the free safety spot.
George and McCutcheon will see reps at defensive tackle, and Sharpsteen will see snaps at defensive end.
LaForest, and sophomores Justin Koenig and Parker Larson will see action at inside linebacker, and sophomore Chase Wheeler will see reps at cornerback.
Waverly’s offense has garnered the headlines the last two years, but its defense, while a bit overlooked, has been just as good.
“Our defense has been really good the last couple years, and I don’t much difference from last year to this year with this group,” said Miller.
“The speed is there, the size is there … we return three of the four linebackers.
“Matthias is that much bigger and stronger, and quick for his size. I think he’s going to have an excellent year,” noted Miller.
“You’re going to have to be very good at tight end or tackle to block (Matthias), and I feel the same way inside with Troy (Beeman) and Kam (Hills),” he said. “Troy has really matured. He’s stronger and quicker. And, Kam is big and athletic.
“It seems like the game has slowed down inside for them, and they’re doing a really good job,” Miller added.
First-team all-state placekicker Hogan Shaw returns to handle the kicking and punting duties, while Keathley will handle the long-snap duties.
Watson, Keathley, and Good will return kicks, while Watson and Davis will handle the punt return chores.
“The kickoff team, and field position was a major part of our success on defense last year,” said Miller. “Pinning teams within their 25, forces them to get three first downs to get into four-down territory.
“When you’re playing good run teams that can control the ball, that start position is critical because it’s tough to stop them on four plays when they cross midfield.
“My biggest concern is the kickoff team,” he noted. “We have a lot of kids there who aren’t starters on offense or defense — a lot of sophomores and some freshman.
“It gives them an opportunity to be on a starting team, it will be interesting to see how they perform,” added Miller. “They wouldn’t be out there if we didn’t think they could do it, but it is somewhat of a concern as we head into Week Zero.
“Overall, I feel good about our special teams.”
So what are Miller’s expectations for 2024.
“Expectations? I prefer to think of them as goals.
“We want to win our division,” said Miller. “We certainly want to take it one game at a time. We have a brutal schedule up front, and in the middle of the season, we have Tioga.
“I know everyone says it, but we need to take it one game at a time. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, and can’t look ahead to anything.
“Our focus is getting into the playoffs,” added Miller. “You can’t win a state title unless you win a Section IV title. You can’t win a Section IV title unless you win the semifinals. You can’t get into the Sectional semifinals unless you take care of your division.”
AROUND DIVISION V and CLASS C: Waverly is in Division V with Schuyler, Dryden, Lansing, and Whitney Point, while Division IV (also Class C) includes Chenango Forks, Susquehanna Valley, Windsor, and Sidney.
“I honestly don’t know a lot about our division,” said Miller. “We have two teams — Dryden and Lansing — coming out of Independent play. I don’t know anything about them.
“Schuyler lost a lot of guys, but they’re always prepared,” he noted. “It’s still somewhat of an IAC rivalry for us … they don’t necessarily appreciate us, and we don’t necessarily appreciate them.
“It’s the same old thing in Division IV,” he added. “Chenango Forks is at the top, and Windsor is second until they prove differently, and then Susquehanna Valley.”
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly senior Kam Hills leads senior Payton Fravel up field against Adirondack in last year’s state quarterfinals. IN TOP PHOTO: Waverly senior Kolsen Keathley goes the distance against Chenango Forks in last year’s Section IV championship game. … VSR STOCK PHOTO.
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