By P.J. Harmer
History could be on Unatego's side this season.
If the pattern of the past couple of years continues, the Spartans will beat Lansing in the Section Four Class C football final _ provided they beat visiting Oneonta High in their opener at 7 tonight.
"We have to do some last-minute tweaking and go out there Friday and hopefully play a smart football game," Oneonta High coach Adam Hoover said. "It looks good for Unatego, though, because the last two years the team we've opened with went on to win the sectional title."
The Yellowjackets lost, 20-6, to Unatego in last year's opener. The previous season, Oneonta opened with a 31-13 loss at Sidney.
The Spartans and Warriors each went on to win the Section Four Class C championship, both beating Lansing.
Oneonta, which finished 3-6 last year, and Unatego are two of six area teams that open tonight.
Sidney hosts Mount Markham, Unadilla Valley/Edmeston visits Bainbridge-Guilford, and Cooperstown travels to Herkimer. Games are slated to begin at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Delhi visits Liberty at 1 p.m. and defending Class D state champion Walton hosts Tri-Valley at 1:30 p.m.
The first game is always welcomed, said 33rd-year Walton coach Jim Hoover, the all-time winningest coach in Section Four history at 255-66-1. Hoover is Adam Hoover's father.
"It's a long preseason for the kids," said Jim Hoover, whose team culminated a 13-0 season with a 64-6 thumping of Ticonderoga in the Class D state final. "With double-sessions two (of the three weeks). They are ready to go."
Unatego, which had its season end last year in a 30-21 loss to Bishop Ludden in a state quarterfinal, lost several key players to graduation. Included is Alex Hendrickson, who led the section in rushing with 1,836 yards and 26 touchdowns on 178 carries. The Spartans also are replacing quarterback Kyle Palmer, and linemen Gage Volkes, and Kyle Ritchko. All were Daily Star first-team selections last season.
Second-year Unatego coach Art Rigas, whose team went 10-1 last year, said the Spartans return a strong core and the newcomers have jelled quickly. The new group should get tested quickly as Rigas said Oneonta's defense should present a stiff challenge.
"Oneonta is going to be tough. They were one of the best defenses we played last year," said Rigas, the head coach for OHS from 2000-03. "We're all excited. This is why we do it. We're looking forward to it."
The Yellowjackets should have a strong 1-2 punch on offense in senior tailbacks Brendan Pidgeon and Matt Marcewicz. Pidgeon missed most of last year because of injuries to his right leg and left ankle, and Marcewicz sat out the whole season with an injured right knee.
Junior Dan Broe takes over at quarterback for the Yellowjackets and should provide a stable presence, Hoover said.
"You always want to get off on a good foot," Hoover said. "If you're playing a good football team, you can take positives out of it, win or lose. You always want to win, of course. They have some guys coming back and I expect them to be pretty good. ... It will be a good test for us to see how far along we've come. We think we've improved, but you don't know until you go out there and play the first game."
Though Walton lost a major portion of its team from last year's squad _ one that outscored opponents, 707-48 _ the Warriors bring back a strong group that saw ample playing time last season.
The losses start with fullback/linebacker Richard Fletcher _ the Daily Star and Class D state Player of the Year _ a two-way player who rushed for 1,151 yards and 30 touchdowns on 181 carries.
Still, Walton brings back a good nucleus, including linebacker/tailback Chris Mead and linebacker Cody Reed.
Sidney, which won three of its final four games to finish 3-6 last year, could contend in Class C. Tonight's game with Mount Markham _ the Section Three Class C runner-up last year to Bishop Ludden _ figures to be a tough test.
"I thought we had a very good camp," Sidney coach Jeff Matthews said. "The past two days have been extremely hot. The first day of school is always hard for the kids to re-adjust and get going. They are very excited to get going and get into a game situation."
The Warriors have an interesting newcomer in senior Mike Guerriere.
The all-time leading scorer in Sidney soccer history with 91 goals, opted to play football this season and will see time at running back and safety. Depending on how long it takes Guerriere to adapt to football, Matthews said he could be an impact player.
"He's an athlete so we have high expectations for him, but he's still learning the sport," Matthews said. "... Quite honestly, Mike has been very good. He's fit in with the team concept and is very eager to learn all he can about football right now."
B-G (6-3 last year) returns one of the top running backs in the section in senior Dustin Ross, who rushed for 1,087 yards on 156 carries. UV/E (4-5 last season), which played as an independent last year, is in Class C's Division V this year.
The two opened the season against one another last year, with the Bobcats winning, 32-14.
Delhi went 4-5 last season and lost its opener at home to Liberty, 26-22.
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P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.
