BY TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Junior QB Joey Tomasso and his supporting cast on offense have been garnering the majority of the headlines for Waverly this season, but the defense has been a major reason for the Wolverines’ 6-0 start.
Friday night, Tomasso threw for two TDs, and ran for two more scores, and the Waverly defense held Susquehanna Valley scoreless deep into the fourth quarter in a 34-12 win Section IV, Division IV football action on Homecoming Night at Memorial Stadium.
The Sabers entered the game at 3-1, averaging 31 points and 314 yards per game. However, Waverly’s first-team defense held them scoreless, and limited them to 136 yards of total offense through 3 1/2 quarters.
"We were really outstanding on defense," said longtime Waverly coach Jason Miller. "I thought we played very physical … I was very impressed with the way we played defensively.
"I thought (SV QB) Quentin Bowman was a threat coming in … (SV) has had some success running the football, and they’re a very physical team," noted Miller. "They do a lot on the edge with crack blocking, and getting their guards on the edge.
"We gave up a couple plays here and there, but overall it was just an outstanding effort on defense," added Miller.
Miller said his coaching staff did a good job of keeping the team focused, despite all the Homecoming activities, and the fact the Wolverines will face powerhouse Chenango Forks next week.
"This staff does a good job of keeping the kids focused," said Miller. "When we say ‘one game at a time,’ that’s what we mean.
"This is a mature team. I think young teams get caught in that scenario where they look ahead to big games," noted Miller. "We have really good senior leadership … we were focused, and had a good week of practice."
Tomasso completed 7 of 14 passes for a season-low 99 yards, and two TDs. He also carried the ball 11 times for 129 yards and two TD, with six of his 11 carries resulting in 15 yards or more.
"Joey did a good job running the football tonight, and the guys up front did an outstanding job, really dominated the line-of-scrimmage," said Miller.
"With how aggressive (SV) was at our point-of-attack, Joey was disconnecting and running away from where the initial phase of our run play was intended to go," noted Miller. "He always has the option to run away from where we’re initially going."
Waverly rushed for 232 yards on 31 carries, with senior Kayleb Bechy running for 38 yards and one TD on five carries, while senior Braeden Hills had 29 yards on three carries, and junior Jay Pipher had 28 yards on three carries.
Junior Jake VanHouten was Waverly’s leading receiver on the day with three grabs for 41 yards, and a TD, and junior Carter George had two catches for 30 yards.
" I thought Jake VanHouten had an outstanding night, and made a great catch in the end zone for his touchdown," said Miller.
Susquehanna Valley’s opening possession of the game was a quick three-and-out, with Waverly taking over at the Saber 47.
Tomasso was sacked on Waverly’s first play, but eventually picked up a first down with a 16-yard run. Moments later, he was sacked again.
Miller said both sacks were a product of missed assignments.
"The back was not picking up the blitzing linebacker," said Miller. "We man and zone protect, and on the man side, we just flat-out missed him both times. (Quiintin Bowman) is a good athlete, and he got to Joey.
"It hasn’t happened that ofter this year, but when one guy is responsible for one guy, and he misses that guy, it’s a problem," added Miller.
Following the sack, Waverly ended up in a fourth-and-16 situation at the SV 25. On the fourth-down play, Tomasso scrambled out of the pocket, and rifled a throw to George at the 5-yard line for a 20-yard gain.
Three plays later, Tomasso snuck in from 1 yard out with 5:04 remaining in the first quarter. Senior Ryan Clark’s PAT kick made it 7-0.
SV’s next possession netted one first down, but quickly stalled out. Waverly could not, however, capitalize, and punted it back to the Sabers.
After another quick first down, the Sabers faced third-and-6, and Bowman collided with a teammate in the backfield, jarring the ball loose. Waverly freshman Troy Beeman recovered at the SV 39.
Waverly needed just two plays to light up the scoreboard again — a 21-yard run by Braeden Hills, and an 18-yard scamper to paydirt by Tomasso with 10:37 remaining in the first half to make it 13-0.
The Sabers’ ensuing possession was a 15-play drive that chewed nearly 8 minutes off the game clock, but the Wolverine defense stiffened and forced a turnover on downs at the Waverly 33 with 2:34 left in the half.
Waverly’s 2-minute offense proved to be just that as Tomasso engineered a six-play, 67-yard drive, culminating with a 9-yard TD pass to VanHouten with 34 seconds left in the half. Clark’s PAT kick made it 20-0.
The key plays in the driving were a nice, leaping 28-yard catch by VanHouten, and an 18-yard run by the speedy Bechy.
Waverly, which won the pre-game coin toss and deferred, pounced on an onside-kick attempt at its 46 to start the second half, and needed just six plays to find the end zone and extend the lead.
Facing fourth-and-3 early in the possession, Tomasso kept the ball up the middle for an 18-yard gain, then ran the same play for 15 yards to SV 14.
Bechy capped off the scoring drive with a 14-yard TD run with 9:19 left in the third quarter. Clark’s PAT kick made it 27-0.
The Sabers once again put a lengthy drive together, moving the ball to the Waverly 1 on 14 plays, but consecutive defensive plays by sophomore Kam Hills and senior Ty Beeman kept SV out of the end zone, and gave the Wolverines the ball back on downs on their own 1.
A 19-yard run by Tomasso on second down, and a 10-yard pass to George two plays later quickly moved the ball to the Waverly 38.
Tomasso then hooked up with VanHouten on a 62-yard TD pass, but it was nullified by an illegal formation penalty.
Waverly picked up consecutive third downs on 11-yard runs by Pipher and Tomasso to move the ball to the Sus. Valley 39.
Two plays later, Tomasso found senior Isaiah Bretz behind a defender for an apparent 39-yard TD strike, but a flag on Bretz for pass interference moved the ball back to the Waverly 46, and put the Wolverines in a second-and-25 situation.
Tomasso then ripped off a 33-yard run, then found Pipher open in the corner of the end zone for a 21-yard TD pass with 10:14 left in the game to cap a 13-play, 99-yard drive that featured three penalties against the Wolverines, two of which nullified TD passes.
Clark’s PAT kick made it 34-0.
SV moved the ball into Waverly territory on its next possession, but Ty Beeman came up with an interception at the Saber 10 to end the threat.
The Sabers scored twice in the waning minutes against the Wolverines’ second-team defensive unit to provide the final margin.
Bowman led the SV running game, which accounted for 201 yards, with 99 yards, including a 42-yard TD run, on 14 carries. He completed just 4 of 14 passes for 26 yards, and was picked off once.
Waverly, ranked fifth in the state in Class C, will host Chenango Forks, ranked second, Friday, with the winner all but ensured home-field advantage in the Section IV playoffs.
——————
IN PHOTO 1: Waverly’s Joey Tomasso. … PHOTOS BBY DAVID ALLIGER — TRAVELING PORTRAITS.
