FROM THE PRESS BOX: WAVERLY WRESTLING TOPS BAKER'S DOZEN STORYLINES OF 2024-25 (2025-07-04)
I've talked about storylines in the past and how they normally come in one of four realms: the start of a storyline, the continuation of one, the likely culmination of one, or a storyline totally out of the blue.
This year's list features a lot of firsts for Valley programs, and a return to the top for a few others. It also has a tie for the 13th spot.
Without any further ado, I give you, from No. 13 to No. 1, the Valley Sports Report "Baker's Dozen Storylines of the Year:"
13B. TIOGA'S FOOTBALL REIGN COMES TO AN END: Tioga's quest for a seventh consecutive Section IV, Class D title, and possibly a fourth straight state title, ended on the final play of the season when Delhi cashed in on a two-point conversion to pull out a 22-21 overtime win over the Tigers in the Class D finals.
Despite a spate of injuries, the Tigers beat state-ranked Deposit-Hancock and Bainbridge-Guilford to earn a playoff berth, then beat SVEC in the Class D semifinals.
This storyline was a sequel to one written early in the 2010s when Aiello's Tigers won five Class D titles in a row, culminating with a state title in 2015. It will be interesting to see if he can pen another sequel.
13A. OLD NEMESIS DENIES WAVERLY OF THIRD STRAIGHT SECTION IV FOOTBALL TITLE: Waverly advanced to its fourth consecutive Section IV, Class C championship game — all against Chenango Forks, and was less than a minute from a three-peat, only to have the Blue Devils score in the final 20 seconds for a 39-35 win.
Waverly's storyline with Chenango Forks is over — for now, with the Wolverines bumping up to Class B next season for at least one year. Now, they'll have to deal with another power — Maine-Endwell.
12. ATHENS GIRLS WRESTLING MAKE WAVES IN POSTSEASON: The Wildcats crowned three champions and advanced eight to the Central Regionals in a second-place finish at the District 4 Championships.
Two weeks later, Athens advance five to States in a third-place finish at Regionals.
Four of Athens' five state qualifier are underclassmen, and there are more quality wrestlers coming up through the pipeline. This storyline is far from finished.
11. ATHENS BOYS SWIM TEAM POSTS ANOTHER BIG SEASON: A year after Athens sent three events to the State meet — all via wild card, the Wildcats won the program's first-ever District 4 title, including four gold-medal performances.
Athens sent a school-record seven events to states, including all three relays. Sophomore Brayden Pettitt went in two events for the second year in a row, while senior Ethan Hicks and sophomore Eli Hicks each swam one.
Athens loses a strong group of seniors, led Ethan Hicks, Ryan Gorman and Ronel Ankam, but still have a strong core returning. Still, this storyline made have reached its peak, but there might be another chapter or two to come.
10. WAVERLY BOYS BOWLERS QUALIFY FOR STATES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR: Waverly had a very good postseason, but came up especially big at the State Qualifier to punch their ticket to States for the third consecutive year.
The Wolverines have just one senior in its top six, and with all of five returnees finishing this year in the Top-20 of the STAC standings, it looks like there are a few more chapters to be written in this storyline.
9. McKEE ADDS TO GROWING LIST OF STATE CHAMPS AT TIOGA: Sophomore Declan McKee made it six years (no state tournament in 2021) in a row that a Tioga wrestler has won a state. Dating back to 2019, the Tigers have had nine state champs. In that span, Tioga has had nine runners-up and six third-place finishes.
McKee and junior Jayden Duncanson, who has four state medals, will both be back next year, as will junior Kadin Cole, who was ranked No. 1 in the state this year and placed third at States last year, and Logan Bellis, who has a second- and third-place medal at States to his credit.
Tioga also has a good crop of young wrestlers coming through the pipeline. This storyline appears to be far from over.
8. TIOGA SOFTBALL RETURN TO SECTION IV TITLE GAME: Tioga brought back seven starters from its 2024 team that lost to Union Springs in the Class C Championship game.
Tioga posted a 15-4 record, with two of its losses to Union Springs, which it beat in the Class C semis, and one each to Athens, and Deposit-Hancock, which beat Tioga for the Section crown, and advanced to the state finals.
Tioga graduates a pair of key seniors in Erin Luther and McKenzie Williams, but has a slew of talent in the pipeline. This is definitely a storyline with several chapters yet to be written.
7. TIOGA BOYS TRACK & FIELD ENJOYS ONE OF BEST SEASONS IN PROGRAM HISTORY: Tioga won a division title, and an IAC Small School title, then finished fourth at the Section IV, Class D Championships in one of the best seasons ever in program history.
Individually, junior Gavin Albrecht won the first state title in program history, clearing 15-feet in the pole vault to win a Division III title, while senior Andrew Earley won a fourth-place medal in the 110 hurdles, and junior Dominic Palmer finished 12th in the pentathlon — in just his third try in the event.
With Albrecht and Palmer returning, and Vida Rossi a likely candidate to qualify for States next year, this storyline has a chapter or more remaining to be written.
6. KITTLE LEADS WAVERLY GIRLS SWIM TEAM TO HISTORIC SEASON: Only a junior, Kittle broke records left and right, and of all varieties — school records, pool record, meet records, and Section IV records, it didn't matter.
She was also a key leg on a pair of state medals for Wolverine relay teams.
After a bit of a disappointing state meet in terms of her individual events, Kittle will likely swim with a bit of a chip on her shoulder during her senior season, which could result in quite a final chapter to Kittle's story.
5. ATHENS GOLF TEAM WINS FIRST-EVER DISTRICT 4 TITLE: The Wildcats won their fourth consecutive NTL title, and ran its win streak to 22 matches this season, and then to cap off its team season, it won a District 4 title — the first in program history.
Athens accomplished all that despite graduating two of its top three golfers from the 2023 team, but a trio of returning starters, and a pair of freshmen took the team to new heights.
Athens graduates a pair of seniors this season, too, but there's talent returning, and lots of depth. Don't be surprised if we get another chapter to this storyline.
4. TIOGA VOLLEYBALL RETURNS TO STATE FINAL FOUR: The Tigers won their second Section IV title in three years, then won a Regional title to reach the state semifinals for the first time since 2015.
Under Des Ford, Tioga has reached the Section IV title game every time its been contested since 2007, except for 2021. Ford has 10 Section titles since 2000, and has reached the state semis three times in that span.
With the team returning the vast majority of its roster, this storyline could easily repeat itself in 2025.
3. WAVERLY GIRLS WIN FIRST-EVER SECTION IV SOCCER TITLE: Longtime Waverly coach Tara Hogan has won a lot of soccer games, but she had never won the "big one."
Her Waverly teams reached the Section IV finals three years in a row (2016-18), but lost all three times to Chenango Forks.
This season, Waverly earned the top seed, won its two first postseason games, and once again was pitted against Forks.
This time, however, the Lady Wolverines got the job done with a 2-0 win to claim its first-ever Section IV title.
Waverly only graduates two seniors, but a bump up to Class A will make a sequel to this story a little more difficult, but not impossible.
2. ATHENS SOFTBALL WINS FIRST-EVER DISTRICT 4 SOFTBALL TITLE: Athens went from 5-15 two years ago to 21-2 and its first-ever District 4 title this spring.
Along the way, Athens posted a one-loss season in the NTL to win its second-ever league title.
With sophomore Gretchan Hiley, who had one of the best season in Valley history in the pitcher's circle, returning for two more seasons, along with five other starters, there's a pretty good chance we'll see at least two more chapters in this storyline.
1. WAVERLY WRESTLING REBUILD COMPLETE: Nearly 10 year ago, Waverly finished the season with just seven wrestlers on its roster. This year, the Wolverines brought home five state medals, and a team title from the New York State Division 2 Championships.
All five - juniors Troy Beeman and Cooper Robinson, sophomore Rhylee Stotler, freshman Drayton DeKay, and 8th-grader Avery Bowman — of Waverly's state place-finishers were underclassmen and will return. Waverly will also return sophomore Matthias Welles, a two-time state qualifier, who broke his leg in January and missed the remainder of the season, and junior Daltton Davis, who had a 25-11 record when he was diagnosed with cancer in February.
The Wolverines also have some talented wrestlers coming up through the pipeline. This storyline may not have reached its zenith, and more chapters are sure to be written.
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