ON TAP TODAY: TIOGA OPENS STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS; WAVERLY GIRLS SWIM AT DAY 1 OF STATE MEET (November 21, 2025)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Fresh off its 12th Section IV, Class D football title since 2011, Tioga looks to take its first step toward its fifth state title since 2015 when it "hosts" Section III Lowville Friday evening at 5 p.m. at Vestal High School.

NEW YORK STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Class D Quarterfinals
Tioga (10-1) vs. Lowville (11-0): The Tigers are coming off a 48-34 win over Trumansburg in the Section IV, Class D championship game, while the Red Raiders topped three-time defending Section III champ Dolgeville, 38-20.

Tioga had its six-year run atop Section IV's Class D hierarchy snapped last year by Delhi. Lowville's last Section III title was in 2019 as a Class C team.

The Tigers have outscored their opponents by an average of 33.1 to 15 points per game this season, while the Red Raiders have outscored their foes by an average of 38.1 to 10.6 points per game.

Tioga has been a run-first team this season, but junior QB Jackson Bombard has completed well over 50 percent of his passes this season, with seniors Dominic Palmer and Gavin Albrecht, and sophomore Josh Rought as his main targets.

The Tigers are averaging more than 250 yard per game on the ground, led by senior Logan Bellis, who has 1,537 yards and 22 TDs on 168 carries in 10 games. Junior fullback Max Stauder, and seniors Jayden Duncanson, Dominic Palmer and Kadin Cole have also been major contributors on the ground. 

Lowville's offense is very similar, averaging 225 yards per game on the ground and about 70 through the air.

Freshman QB Torah Zehr is completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 664 yards and 11 TDs, with just three interceptions.

Junior Colę Zubrzycki leads the Red Raiders on the ground with 804 yards and 20 TDs on 118 carries, while senior Devin Swiernik had 514 yards and four TDs on 77 carries, and junior Ethan Meyers added 393 yards and three TDs on just 34 carries.

Lowville's biggest win of the season was a 22-20 win in Week 6 against eventual Section III Class C champ General Brown, which average 50.8 points per game this season.

GIRLS SWIMMING
New York State Championships
At Webster Aquatic Center, 10 a.m.: Senior Mira Kittle and sophomore Lauryn Welles will each swim in two individual events, while sophomore Lauryn Welles and freshman Meg Atanasoff will each swim in one. The Wolverines will also have all three relays in action.

Click here to see a preview of today's events and seeds.

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