ON TAP TODAY: TIOGA FOOTBALL PLAYS FOR ANOTHER SECTIONAL TITLE; PAIR OF WAVERLY RUNNERS AT NY STATE XC MEET (November 15, 2025)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Tioga will play for its 12th Section IV football title in the Nick Aiello era Saturday afternoon, while a pair of Waverly runners will compete in the New York State Cross-Country Championships.

FOOTBALL
Section IV Playoffs
Class D Championships
1-Tioga (9-1) vs. 3-Trumansburg (7-3), 3 p.m. @ Susquehanna Valley H.S.: The Tigers are coming off a 36-20 win over Deposit-Hancock in the Class D semis, while the Blue Raiders upended Delhi, 21-13.

Tioga is playing in its eighth consecutive Class D championship game, while Trumansburg is playing in a Section IV title game for the third straight year, with the last two in the 8-man bracket.

Tioga opened the season with a 9-7 loss to Windsor in Week Double-Zero. Not only did Tioga barely reach 100 yards in total offense, but it lost three-year, two-way starting lineman Derek Mills for the season.

The Tigers were forced to totally revamp its offensive line, moving tight end Gavin Kithcart inside, finding a new center, and moving guys around.

Two weeks later, the Tigers fell behind Deposit-Hancock 12-0 in the first quarter, but rallied for a 35-31 win.

In Week 2, Tioga trailed Delhi, 7-6, at the half. In the second half, something clicked and that something was Tioga tailback Logan Bellis, who missed all but one quarter of his junior season with a knee injury.

Bellis ran for TDs of 46, 51, and 81 yards in the second half to finish the game with 300 yards and three TDs on 19 carries.

Two other things, along with Bellis, started clicking as well — the Tioga offensive line, and the Tiger defense. Since the D-H win, Tioga has allowed just 12 points per game, with a third of those points coming against the Tiger reserves.

And Bellis is not Tioga's only weapon, big fullback Max Stauder, and seniors Jayden Duncanson, Kadin Cole, Dominic Palmer, and Gage Hopkins have all made big contributions in the running game.

Junior QB Jackson Bombard, who sat out last season, has continued to improve his mastery of the offense, and has become a weapon throwing the ball with three dangerous weapons in seniors Dominic Palmer and Gavin Albrecht, and sophomore Josh Rought.

In its regular-season win over Trumansburg, Bellis was an old-fashion Tioga workhorse with 30 carries for 279 yards and one TD. In all, the Tigers ran for 403 yards, and only attempted two passes.

Trumansburg moved the ball against Tioga, but Kadin Cole had a pair of interceptions to stop drives.

Tioga finished off the game with a 12-play, 8-minute drive that started at its 2-yard line, and ended in victory formation at the T-Burg 12.

OUTLOOK: Trumansburg has a puncher's chance thanks to QB Vinnie King and good athletes on the perimeter. However, Tioga has the clear advantage up front. If the Tigers limit T-Burg's big plays and take care of the football, they are the clear favorite.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
New York State Championships
Class C, noon @ Queensbury H.S.: Waverly junior Chase Hine and sophomore Hayden Montanye join a long line of runners in the storied history of the Wolverine cross-country program to run at States.

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