FROM THE PRESS BOX: A GLIMPSE INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL — A LOOK AHEAD TO THE 2025 FOOTBALL SEASON (2024-12-06)

It was a good football season in the Valley with three of the four teams qualifying for the postseason, but it ended suddenly with defending state champions Waverly and Tioga both losing in the Section IV, Class C finals.

The Wolverines posted a 9-2 record, losing to the Class B and Class C champs, while the Tigers finished at 7-4 with its losses coming to Waverly, Chenango Forks (Class C champ), and Delhi twice (Class D champs).

Athens let a couple games slip away during a 5-6 season that ended with a postseason loss in the District 4, Class 3A semifinals, and Sayre was 1-9, but maintained its numbers as it attempts to rebuild the program.

So what lies in store for 2025? Let's fire up the crystal ball and take a look. With the start of the season still nine-plus month away, it's a bit murky, but ...

Athens Wildcats: The Wildcats only lose two starters to graduation, and have a host of talent returning, led by Connor Davidson, Sean Peters, Karson Sipley, Brendan Cooke, and Eli Chapman, with a few talented youngsters poised to earn more playing time.

Athens was better up front this season, led by senior Caleb Nason and junior Brendan Comstock, and will only have to replace Nason.

Prediction: The Wildcats' 5-5 record during the regular season could have easily been 7-3. The core of this team is sophomores and juniors, and they'll return with another year of experience ... those games they let slip through their fingers in 2024, should be wins in '25. ... 2025 record: 7-3 regular season, postseason berth.

Sayre Redskins: The Redskins will graduate six or seven starters, so the youngsters who earned valuable experience will need to step up in 2025.

Karter Green returns at QB, but the Redskins will need to find a running back (Jordan Brown?) and a go-to receiver (Declan Barry and Hudson Malanoski?)

Prediction: The real key for improvement for the Redskins, however, will be their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball. ... In the grand scheme of things, Sayre needs to maintain and improve its numbers to build the program. ... 2025 record: 2-8 regular season.

Tioga Tigers: The Tigers graduate eight seniors, including three two-way starting linemen and a 1,400-yard running back in Jake Browne, but return a lot of skill-position players.

If healthy, Jayden Duncanson, Shane Platukis, Logan Bellis, Gavin Albrecht, Dominic Palmer, Gage Hopkins, and Chris Streeter will give Nick Aiello a lot of offensive weapons to work with. The key will be building an offensive line.

Prediction: Tioga has come back to the pack in Class D in Section IV, but they will still be among the favorites to win another title. ... 2025 record: 7-3, loss in Section IV finals to B-G.

Waverly Wolverines: The Wolverines will graduate three starting linemen, and several very good skill players, but return quite a bit of young talent.

Waverly will have Ben Shaw back at QB, as well as Cooper Robinson and Bryce LaForest at running back, Dalton Davis at wideout, and Matthias Welles at tight end, with several players like Ronin Ault and Chase Wheeler looking to become bigger parts of the offense.

Prediction: Waverly bumps up Class B in 2025, where Maine-Endwell reigns supreme, and will be the team to beat once again. Like Waverly, Owego and Windsor graduate big senior classes, so the Wolverines should be in the mix to challenge M-E in the Class B finals. ... 2025 record: 7-3, loss in Section IV finals to M-E.

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