BY TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Longtime Waverly football coach Jason Miller has the same lofty expectations as ever for his team in 2026, but he says to win that Section IV title the Wolverines will have to overcome its inexperience.
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LAST YEAR: 9-2, lost to Owego in Section IV, Class B title game. OPENER: Waverly hosts Section IX's Port Jervis Saturday evening.
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"We want to compete early in the season, have a good attitude, and get to our divisional play," said Miller
"We have to play one game at a time, but when you get to those divisional games, you have to win them to put yourself in a position for a home playoff game, then win that one to get to a Sectional championship, and win it; that's the goal.
"The expectation is to put ourselves in a position to win a Section title," Miller added.
Miller notes the inexperience is mostly on offense.
"I wouldn't say we have any strengths on offense right now," he said. "We are inexperienced up front, and we're inexperienced at receiver.
"The quarterback has a year under his belt, but it's a totally new system, and it's not an easy system ... you're not just handing off the ball, there are a lot of demands on the quarterback.
"I don't think we're going to out-athletic anyone," noted Miller.
"I just can't point to one particular strength," he added. "I can point to progress, but I can't say strength."
Miller does have a small core of returners who will bear the load early.
"I'm concerned offensively. We're so inexperienced, I just don't see us putting up a lot of points early.
"If there is a strength, it's the strength of the core people returning, regardless of the position they are in," said Miller. "We expect Matthias (Welles) and Justin (Koenig) to be good, we expect Ben (Shaw), Carson (Rockwell) and Chase (Wheeler) to be good, but it ends there. Those five guys are going to have to make plays and be consistent.
"The other guys are going to have to get better.
"Week to week, the coaches are going to have to put together a game plan, me in particular, trying not to do too much, stay within what the young guys are incapable of doing," added Miller.
Senior Brandon Bennett will anchor the offensive line at center, with junior Liam Arnold and senior Logan Streeter at the guards, and senior Carson Rockwell and junior Jaxon Porter will start at tackle.
Senior Matt Trudeau will vie for time at guard, with junior Quinn Lyons backing up at tackle, and sophomore Brooks Lathrop backing up all across the line.
"The line has shown tremendous improvement over the last three weeks, but we still have quite a ways to go," said Miller.
"We'll have to find ways to run the ball," he added. "We have one guard at 170 pounds and the other is 160 pounds.
Seniors Matthias Welles and Justin Koenig will start at tight end, with senior Austin Burns backing up there.
Senior Ben Shaw, a two-year starter at QB, will start at tailback, with seniors Bryce LaForest and Rylan Larson, and junior Connor Bentley also seeing carries.
Senior Chase Wheeler will start at x-receiver, with junior Sammy Cheresnowsky, and sophomore Carter Chrystie, who is out to mid-season with a broken arm, seeing time at slot receiver, and sophomore Axel Murray and senior Thomas Hammond seeing time at wide receiver.
The big move for the Wolverines is newcomer sophomore Cooper Chrystie the new starter at quarterback.
"We're going to have three years with Cooper (Chrystie), and Cooper is probably a little more athletic," said Miller. "I think it's more of a decision for the long-term as it is the short term.
"In many regards, I think it helps the team, especially with Ben (Shaw) on the field all the time in all three phases of the game. It will get him a little rest on offense.
"Whether it works out immediately, I think later on down the road this year, it's going to pay dividends," added Miller.
Welles and Trudeau will start at defensive end, with Streeter and Lathrop backing them up, while Rockwell and Porter will start at defensive tackles, with Bennett and Lyons backing them up.
Shaw and Koenig return at inside linebacker, while senior Rhylee Stotler and LaForest will start at outside linebacker, with Burns and Larson backing them up.
"They have a little bit of experience there, but Rhylee is 125 pounds, and Bryce is 145 pounds," said Miller.
"In our defense, they are particularly important at setting the edge and keeping the ball inside where the backers are," he added.
Murray will start at free safety, with Wheeler and Hammond at cornerback, and Cheresnowsky seeing time there.
"We have the potential to be pretty good up front," said Miller. "Ben has played a lot of football in four years at inside backer, and Justin has a year under his belt.
"And teams are just not going to be able run the football at Matthias inside.
"We just have more solid, seasoned people on defense, and I feel like they could keep us in games," he added.
Miller does have his concerns about his defense.
"Our depth up front, on the inside particularly, is a concern.
"Our outside backers are a major concern, with their size physically," said Miller. "Playing in Section IV against the teams we play, their size, or lack of it, is a concern."
On special teams, sophomore Jesse Lantz is the latest to move from the soccer team to take place-kicking job for the Wolverines, trying to replace three-time all-state kicker Hogan Shaw.
"He has really, really improved," said Miller. "He's really consistent on PATs, and his leg is getting stronger. He's probably out to the 27- to 30-yard range.
"He doesn't kick it very deep, but he does a really good job of placing his kicks," added Miller
LaForest will handle the punting chores, with Shaw snapping on punts. Sophomore Brody Lambert will snap on kicks.
Wheeler and Murray will return punts, and LaForest will be deep on kick returns.
"Special teams is a really important phase of the game, and often times early in the year it determines the outcome of games," said Miller.
The Wolverines open the season against Port Jervis, Maine-Endwell, Owego Free Academy and Horseheads before getting into divisional play.
"It's a pretty tough way to start the season," said Miller. "The only way to approach it is one game at a time, and I feel like we're as ready as we can be for (Port Jervis).
"We've had a good offseason, and I look at the progress the kids have made the last three weeks.
"But it's also scary," noted Miller. "I told the kids this is the least prepared they'll be for a game in terms of Xs and Os and a true understanding of what (Port Jervis) is doing because you don't play, you don't see them, and you don't have film on them.
"It's definitely a challenging start to the season.
"We're going to be battle-tested heading into divisional play. You can't worry about injuries. After these first four games, there are going to be very few things we haven't seen, or attempted to fix," added Miller. "We're going to know exactly what we're bad at, and that's always good."
AROUND SECTION IV, DIVISION IV
The Wolverines return to Class C this year, and will be in Division IV with Chenango Valley, Norwich, and Oneonta, while Chenango Forks, Susquehanna Valley, Whitney Point, and Windsor are in Division V.
"Oneonta came on pretty strong at the end of the year ... they have a young, were pretty athletic and had a young quarterback," said Miller. "I expect them to be better.
"Norwich really put it to us on TVs last year," noted Miller. "They have some very good players coming up.
"Chenango Valley has a new coach, who was at Deposit-Hancock and did a great job out there," added Miller. "I expect them to be better."
AROUND CLASS C
"Class C has always run through Chenango Forks, and it always will," said Miller. "That's just the way it is.
"They have a lot back," noted Miller. "We don't play them in the regular season.
"We have to pay attention to what they're doing, and what the other teams in the division are doing, and be ready for the postseason," he added.
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IN PHOTO: Waverly's Matthias Welles. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.
