The Sports ReportsThe 2025-2026 sports season featured plenty of big performances from the top male athletes from around the area. Leading the way was Notre Dame's Finn Schweizer, a standout in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse for the Crusaders, and The Sports Reports / Ziff Law Firm "Boys Athlete of the Year."
Last fall, Schweizer was the IAC South Large School MVP, leading the Crusaders to the division title.
This winter, he was an All-star leading Notre Dame to the Section IV, Class C title, and then on to the state quarterfinals.
His most prolific sport is lacrosse. This spring, his senior year, he had 70 goals and 48 assists for 118 points.
He will play lacrosse collegiately at Connecticut College.
THE ALL-REGION BOY ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Finn Schweizer, Notre Dame: See above.
Troy Beeman, Waverly: A three-sport star, Beeman was a state qualifier in two sports.
Last fall, as a lineman he helped lead a Waverly offense that ran for 154.5 yards per game with 27 rushing touchdowns and was named first team all-state. On defense he had 58 tackles, and 25 solo stops.
This winter, Beeman went 36-8, won a STAC title, a Qualifier A title, and Section IV, Division II title and placing sixth at states.
This spring, Beeman qualified for states in the discus with a throw of 146-feet, 6-inches.
Patrick Laney, Horseheads:; Laney was a state bronze medalist in the 100-meter dash past spring, and was a Section IV champ in the 200.
In the fall, he was the Ernie Davis Award Winner, running the ball 74 times for 713 yards and eight touchdowns, while hauling in 20 catches of 430 yards, and seven scores.
Bryce Hammond, Corning: Hammond was a state medalist in cross-country, placing 18th.
This spring, he was fourth at states in the 3,200-meter run, and was part of the Hawks state medalist 4-by-800 relay.
Andy Hermansen, North Penn-Mansfield: Hermansen was a three-sport star, standing out in golf, basketball and baseball.
In the fall, he averaged 80.2 per 18 holes, won the District IV golf title, and qualified for States for the third straight year.
In basketball, he averaged 14.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. This spring, Hermansen hit .475 with two home runs, three triples, nine doubles, 29 runs scored, and 14 RBI.
Luke Sottolano, Williamson: Sattolano was the All-Tioga County Lineman of the Year, leading an offense that rushed for 200-yards per game. He had 46 tackles, four sacks, and eight tackles-for-loss on defense.
This winter, the heavyweight went 45-4 on the season, winning the North Section, District IV, and Northeast Regional titles before placing seventh at states.
Matthias Welles, Waverly: Welles was strong across all three seasons for the Wolverines.
In the fall, he recorded 59 tackles, two sacks, and two tackles-for-loss on the gridiron, and was a second-team all-state defensive lineman. He was the lead blocker on offense, and finished with five touchdowns himself.
This winter, he went 42-6 with a sTAC title, a Qualifier A title, and a Section IV, Division II title. He placed fourth at states at 215 pounds.
This spring, he hit .247 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, 19 RBI, and 20 runs scored while being a gold glove winner at first base on a Wolverines baseball team that won its first-ever state playoff game.
Connor Davidson, Athens: Davidson led the Wildcat offense on the football field, throwing for 1,706 yards and 22 touchdowns behind a 57.5 completion percentage. He also ran for 850 yards and 11 scores on 111 carries.
On the mats, he went 28-12 with a District IV, Class AAA title. He would qualify for the rugged Class AAA state tournament.
Davidson also helped the Athens baseball team claim a share of the NTL Large School title this spring.
Boom Thompson, Towanda: Thompson was a four-sport star, leading the golf and cross-country teams to league titles in the spring.
His golf squad also claimed a District IV title. Individually, he qualified for states in both sports.
On the hardwoods, Thompson was the floor general for the Towanda team that claimed their first NTL title in more than a decade.
He started at shortstop for the baseball team this spring, scoring 17 runs on the season with 10 stolen bases.
Brendan Gilliland, Troy: The senior was a two-sport standout.
He ran for 1,333 yards and 21 touchdowns, while recording 49 tackles on the gridiron. He set the single-game rushing record for the Trojans in the district semifinals.
This spring, he hit .478 with four doubles, 23 RBI, and 31 runs scored.
Mason Smith, Troy: As the signal-caller for the Troy football team, Smith both ran and threw for more 1,000 yards, with a combined 38 touchdowns on the season.
This spring, he hit .438 with 14 RBI, and a team-high 42 runs scored, while taking over the catching duties.
