Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY - It was a historic season for high school football in the Valley with Tioga and Waverly both winning New York State titles, led by senior QBs Caden Bellis, and Joey Tomasso, who share the 2023 Valley Sports Report Football "Player of the Year" honors.
Tomasso is also the "Offensive Player of the Year," while Tioga senior Ousmane Duncanson is the "Defensive Player of the Year," Waverly junior Kam Hills is the "Lineman of the Year," Athens freshman Connor Davidson is the "Newcomer of the Year," and Waverly’s Jason Miller is the "Coach of the Year."
Bellis and Tomasso were both MVPs in their team’s state title wins.
Bellis, who capped his career with a 40-0 record at QB with three state titles, was a dangerous dual-threat quarterback, and a sure-fire tackler at strong safety / linebacker.
Bellis completed 69.9 percent (51 of 73) of his passes for 1,350 yards, 28 TDs, and just one interception. He also rushed for 737 yards and 12 TDs on 55 carries — an average of 13.4 yards per carry, and ran in a pair of two-point conversions.
Bellis will graduate as the all-time leader in nearly every passing statistic in program history.
Defensively, Bellis perfected the ankle tackle, leading the Tigers with 89 tackles, including 22 solo stops, and five tackles-for-losses. He also had two interceptions.
A once-in-a-lifetime talent, Tomasso topped 9,000 career passing yards, and 100 TDs in his five seasons (4 1/2 actually considering the spring 2021 Covid season) at Waverly.
A dangerous dual-threat QB, Tomasso completed 74.1 percent (206 of 278) of his passes for 3,160 yards, and 43 TDs against just three interceptions.
Tomasso, who was limited by a knee injury in his last three games, rushed for a team-high 628 yards and 12 TDs on 120 carries.
Tomasso will graduate third all-time in New York State in career passing yards, and passing TDs, as well as third all-time in single-season passing yards, and passing TDs.
Duncanson is an explosive athlete, and sure-fire tackler, who forced opposing coaches to game-plan for his presence. He missed three games, and led Tioga at 7.4 tackles-per-game. He also had seven tackles for loss, five QB sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
Hills was a dominating presence on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he was a key cog in keeping Waverly’s ability to keep Tomasso upright in the pocket, as well as the team averaging 181.4 yards per game on the ground.
Defensively, Hills had 82 tackles, including 31 solo stops, at his defensive tackle spot. He also had two fumble recoveries.
Davidson was a dual-threat for the Wildcats on offense, and a difference-maker on defense.
Davidson completed 42.1 percent (72 of 171) of his passes for 841 yards, and 11 TDs, with six interceptions. He rushed for 512 yards, and four TDs on 143 carries. He also had two receptions for 17 yards.
Defensively, Davidson led the Wildcats with 61 tackles, including 26 solo stops, and two tackles-for-loss.
Miller, in his 21st season as head coach, finally brought home that elusive state title to his alma mater. The Wolverines finished 13-1 — their only loss coming to Class D state champ Tioga in overtime — and played its best football in the postseason, averaging 44.4 points per game in five playoff games.
In the last three seasons, Waverly is 33-4 with two Section IV titles, and one runner-up finish. Miller has five Section IV titles in his career.
Honorable mention: It seems a bit odd that a coach coming off his third straight title would be an honorable mention, but Tioga’s Nick Aiello is kind of a victim of his own success.
Aiello now has 11 Section IV titles, four state titles, a 41-game win streak, and a career record 136-23 in 14 seasons. He has a 28-2 record in Section IV playoffs, and a 19-7 mark in the state playoffs.
2023 All-Valley Super 7
Joey Tomasso, senior, Waverly: See above.
Caden Bellis, senior, Tioga: See above.
Ousmane Duncanson, senior, Tioga: An incredible athlete and two-way performer (see defensive numbers above), Duncanson rushed for 697 yards, and 10 TDs on just 57 carries (12.2 yards per carry). He also had two catches for 22 yards, and one TD.
Jay Pipher, senior, Waverly: A record-setting receiver at Waverly, Pipher was also a force in the defensive backfield.
Pipher led the Wolverines with 62 receptions for 1,185 yards, and 12 TDs. He also carried the ball 16 times for 72 yards. Defensively, Pipher had 45 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He also had one interception.
Drew Macumber, senior, Tioga: Macumber was another dynamic two-way performer.
He led Tioga with 1,296 rushing yards, and 30 TDs on 159 carries. He also had one catch for 79 yards, and a TD. Defensively, Macumber had 62 tackles, including 20 solo stops, one tackle-for-loss, and two QB sacks.
Kolsen Keathley, junior, Waverly: Keathley was a force on defense for the Wolverines all season, and became a major part of the offense late in the season.
Defensively, Keathley had 82 tackles, including 38 solo stops, and three QB sacks. He also had six interceptions, including a "pick six."
Offensively, Keathley had 441 rushing yards and five TDs, on just 34 carries (12.97 yards per carry), and topped 100 yards in both the state semifinals, and finals. He also had 30 catches for 454 yards, and six TDs.
Kam Hills, junior, Waverly: See above.
2023 ALL-VALLEY FOOTBALL TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Joey Tomasso, senior, Waverly: See above.
Honorable Mention:
Caden Bellis, junior, Tioga: See above.
Running Backs
Drew Macumber, senior, Tioga: See above.
Ousmane Duncanson, senior, Tioga: See above.
Kaden Bennett, senior, Sayre: A hard runner, Bennett rushed for 786 yards, and four TDs on 161 carries.
Honorable Mentions: Payton Fravel, junior, Waverly; Cooper Robinson, sophomore, Athens; Carter George, senior, Waverly.
All-Purpose
Kolsen Keathley, junior, Waverly: See above.
Nick Pellicano, junior, Sayre: Pellicano did a little bit of everything for the Redskins. He led the Redskins with 17 catches for 285 yards, and one TD, and ran for 106 yards, and three TDs.
At quarterback, Pellicano completed 12 of 31 passes for 114 yards. He was intercepted three times.
Wide Receivers
Xavier Watson, junior, Waverly: An incredible athlete, Watson led the Wolverines with 62 receptions, and a school-record 17 TD catches. He also had 918 receiving yards, and rushed the ball twice for 45 yards.
Jay Pipher, senior, Waverly: See above.
Valentino Rossi, senior, Tioga: The Tigers didn’t throw the ball as much as they did in 2022, but when they did, the results were eye-popping. Rossi had the most impressive numbers of all, hauling in 13 catches for 467 yards (35.9 yards per catch), and eight TDs.
Evan Sickler, senior, Tioga; Like Rossi, Sickler is a tremendous down-field blocker, and a dangerous receiver as well. He had 13 receptions for 416 yards (32 yards per catch) and a team-high nine TDs.
Honorable Mention: Sean Peters, sophomore, Athens; Jake VanHouten, senior, Waverly; Karter Green, sophomore, Sayre.
Tight End (H-Back)
Karson Sindoni, senior, Tioga: A tremendous blocker, Sindoni led Tioga with 14 receptions for 317 yards (22.6 yards per catch), and six TDs.
Honorable Mention: Matthias Welles, freshman, Waverly.
Offensive Line
Kam Hills, junior, Waverly
Jacob Benjamin, senior, Waverly
Tate MaCauley, junior, Tioga
Cam Rought, senior, Tioga
Josh Nittinger, senior, Athens
Troy Beeman, sophomore, Waverly
Honorable Mention: Garrett Godfrey, senior, Tioga; Will Crossett, Sayre.
Place Kicker
Gavin Fisher, senior, Tioga: Fisher finished his senior season with 99 PAT kicks in 105 attempts, and also had a 26-yard field goal. Fisher was 9-for-9 in the state semifinal, and 9-for-9 in the state final. He was also 9-for-9 in last year’s state final.
His ability to kick the ball deep on kickoffs also helped Tioga to win the field-position battle throughout the season.
Honorable Mention: Hogan Shaw, sophomore, Waverly.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Kam Hills, junior, Waverly: See above.
Matthias Welles, freshman, Waverly: A dominating force at defensive end, Welles can pressure the QB, and contain the run game. Welles had 54 tackles, including 22 solo stops, and three QB sacks.
Tate MaCauley, junior, Tioga: MaCauley was a physical presence on the interior line. He had 44 tackles, including seven solo stops, and one fumble recovery.
Brendan Comstock, sophomore, Athens: Comstock was a force up front for the Wildcats, where he had 50 tackles, including 22 solo stops, 10 tackles-for-losses, 2.5 QB sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Josh Nittinger, senior, Athens: A physical force on the Wildcat front, NIttinger had 48 tackles, including 15 solo stops, four tackles-for-loss, two QB sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Troy Beeman, sophomore, Waverly: A big, physical presence on the defensive front, Beeman had 73 tackles, incuding 11 solo stops, four QB sacks, and four fumble recoveries.
Honorable Mention: Jake Benjamin, senior, Waverly; Garrett Godfrey, junior, Tioga; Kiyshon Kole, sophomore, Sayre; Valentino Rossi, Tioga; Mikey Griffin, junior, Sayre.
Linebackers
Ousmane Duncanson, senior, Tioga: See above.
Ben Shaw, freshman, Waverly: A high-energy sideline-to-sideline defender, Shaw led the Wolverines with 101 tackles, including 38 solo stops. He also had three fumble recoveries.
Carter George, senior, Waverly: A big-hitter, George recorded 86 tackles, including 31 solo stops, and one QB sack. He also had two interceptions.
Kaden Bennett, senior, Sayre: Athletic and physical, Bennett led Sayre with 100 tackles in 10 games. He also had two fumble recoveries, and blocked three kicks.
Kaden Parrish, senior, Athens: A nose for the ball, Parrish had 58 tackles, including 22 solo stops, six tackles-for-loss, and two QB sacks.
Honorable Mention: Kolsen Keathley, junior, Waverly; Nate Peters, junior, Waverly; Drew Macumber, senior, Tioga; Jonah Lamb, junior, Tioga; Brennan Sindoni, junior, Tioga, Karter Green, sophomore, Saye; Tanner Green, senior, Sayre.
Defensive Backs
Caden Bellis, senior: See above.
Evan Sickler, senior, Tioga: A physical presence on run support, Sickler was a ball hawk against the passing game. He had 43 tackles, including 21 solo stops, and registered four interceptions to give him 16 for his career.
Connor Davidson, freshman, Athens: See above
Jay Pipher, senior, Waverly: See above.
Jake VanHouten, senior, Waverly: Solid on run support, VanHouten was at his best with he ball in the air. He had 39 tackles, including 21 solo stops. He had four interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
Honorable Mention: Xavier Watson, junior, Waverly, Cooper Robinson, sophomore, Athens; Shea Bailey, junior, Tioga.
Punter
Hogan Shaw, sophomore, Waverly: He wasn’t needed often, but Shaw averaged 36.7 yards per punt on 13 punts this season.
All-Valley Newcomers of 2023
Connor Davidson, freshman, Athens: See above.
Ben Shaw, freshman, Waverly: (See above for defense.) The heir apparent to Tomasso, Shaw completed 10 of 13 passes for 106 yards, and three TDs, and rushed 12 times for 53 yards.
Karter Green, sophomore, Sayre: Green did a little bit of everything for the Redskins. He had 13 receptions for 208 yards, and one TD, and rushed for 174 yards, and two TDs on 41 carries. He also completed 5 of 9 passes for 44 yards.
Defensively, Green had 82 tackles in 10 games from his linebacker spot.
Nick Pellicano, junior, Sayre: See above.
Eli Chapman, sophomore, Athens: Chapman was a jack-of-all-trades for the Wildcats. He 15 catches for 156 yards, and two TDs, 30 rushing attempts for 155 yards, and one TD, and completed 11 of 24 passes for 132 yards, one TD, and two interceptions.
Defensively, he had 37 tackles, including 23 solo stops, as well as one interception and one fumble recovery. He also had six punts for an average of 30 yards.
Nate Peters, junior, Waverly: A very good inside linebacker, Peters had 83 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He also had one interception and one fumble recovery.
J.T. Williams, junior, Waverly: A steadying presence on the offensive line, Williams seamlessly stepped into the high-impact center position for the Wolverines.
Jackson Clark, junior, Tioga: A two-way lineman for the Tigers, Clark came on strong defensively at the end of the season. He had 47 tackles, and two tackles-for-loss
Carson Rockwell, freshman, Waverly: Rockwell stepped in at tackle for the Wolverines, and had a very good season.
Mikey Griffin, junior, Sayre: Griffin made an impact for the Redskins with 53 tackles, including three QB sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
Players to Watch in 2024
Aside from the Newcomers listed above, there are many other players to keep your eyes on in 2024.
Jonah Lamb, and Brennan Sindoni, juniors, Tioga: Lamb and Sindoni both had very good seasons for the Tigers, but were a bit under-the-radar on the star-studded team.
Lamb ran for 438 yards, and 10 TDs on 34 carries (12.9 yards per carry), and had one catch for 10 yards. Defensively, Lamb had 63 tackles, including 26 solo stops, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Sindoni rushed for 264 yards, and three TDs on 33 carries. Defensively, Sindoni had 70 tackles, including 18 solo stops, two tackles-for-loss, and one fumble recovery.
Jayden Duncanson, sophomore, Tioga: A superb athlete, Duncanson quarterbacked the Tioga JV team to an unbeaten season. He could end up with the same role on varsity next season, as well as filling a linebacker spot.
Logan Bellis, freshman, Tioga: He rushed for 261 yards, and four TDs on 27 carries in late-game action for the Tigers year. He’ll have a much bigger role next year on both sides of the ball.
Dalton Davis, junior, Waverly: A very good athlete, Davis should have an impact on both sides of the ball for the Wolverines next year.
Keegan Congdon, junior, Athens: Congdon had some outstanding moments on the field for the Wildcats this season. He could become a major contributor on both sides of the ball in 2024.
Karson Sipley, sophomore, Athens: Sipley came on strong for the Wildcats, and ended the season with 33 tackles, including four tackles-for-loss, and three QB sacks. Don’t be surprised if he becomes more of a factor on both sides of the ball next year.
Shane Platukis, freshman, Tioga: A hard runner on offense, and big hitter on defense, Platukis could see a lot of action for the Tigers next year.
Hogan Shaw, sophomore, Waverly: A difference-maker as place-kicker, and punter for the Wolverines, Shaw could become a bigger part of the offense at receiver, as well as in the defensive secondary.
Mark McKane, 8th-grader, Tioga: The Tigers have one opening up front, and at 6-3, 275-pounds, McKane could see some time on the varsity line as a freshman.
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FOOTBALL "PLAYERS OF THE YEAR"
2023 — Caden Bellis, Tioga / Joey Tomasso, Waverly
2022 — Caden Bellis, Tioga
2021 — Emmett Wood, Tioga
2020 — Emmett Wood, Tioga
2019 — Emmet Wood, Tioga
2018 — John Worthing, Tioga
2017 — Zach Jayne, Athens
2016 — Tylor Belles, Sayre
2015 — Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2014 — Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2013 — Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2012 — Tyler Spires, Tioga
2011 — Cody Bennett, Tioga
2010 — Kodi Floyd, Tioga
2009 — Kevin Gorman, Waverly
