October 20, 2005                   By Jonathon Hadley

 

While we would have liked to have had a better showing on October 7, we are really right where we want to be. We’re effectively in the playoffs (just playing in the play-in game). As long as we win, we go on. There is no possibility of facing the mountain of Sidney again until November 5. We are right where we need to be to make a statement – that Delhi football is back in the top tier.

 

Being where you need to be is nice, and having the opportunity to make a playoff run is much more exciting than last year, when we new several weeks before the season ended that we were playing 9 and only 9 games. That said, it doesn’t mean that we will take advantage. We are in the position to make a statement, but we can either make it or not make it. We have a chance to play Sidney for the sectional title, but we can win or lose 2 weeks earlier. We can win the rest of our games, but we can go 6-3, 12-1, or many places in between. Opportunity is here…..we put ourselves in a position to be successful, and now it is time for execution on the opportunity.

 

I’ve said over and over how strong I think Greene is. I think they are only a small step behind Sidney. Other than Sidney, Delhi has not faced a team that can both run and throw this well. Greene has 1591 yards rushing and has passed for 940 yards (including one game without the 4 year QB). Total yardage per game is 362. Compare those numbers with Delhi’s 1960 rushing and 375 passing, with a 334 total yards per game average. Greene is high powered on offense, and a balanced attack is so hard to stop. One other little tidbit, has anyone looked at their sizes?? QB Kurt Spear is 6’2 and 195. WR’s Dan Say and Zach Whittaker are 6’3” and 175 and 6’2” and 190. Fullback Kurt Savory, the leading rusher, is 6’2” and 245. You’d think we were up against a college team!

 

It’s hard to give a detailed analysis of how to beat them as I have not gotten the opportunity to see them this season. I don’t think that it’s earth shattering however. Very similar to Sidney – make the offense go SLOOOOOW, and get first downs (which we didn’t do all that well against Sidney, which in my mind was a bigger contributor to losing than anything defensively). In time, Hood will pop a long one as he has just about every week, and hopefully the mental deflation of Greene begins. One thing is for sure, after this one we’ll know we’ve been in a fight.

 

Now is the time, this is the place. We put ourselves in a position to be at the top of the section, now it’s time to reach out and take it.

 

What can I say about Walton? Whenever I talk them up they seem to fizzle. I guess I should talk them up more before Delhi games. Perhaps Pumpkinfest just got to their heads and that’s all they can think about. No, I am shocked though. That is what a little negative momentum can do to you. Have that negative momentum in a season when you are vulnerable to speed teams, then play a few speed teams, and it gets ugly. It’s too bad, I would have loved to have seen 2 Delaware County teams in the state playoffs.

 

Sidney will beat on poor Seton this weekend, and then will most likely take a bit of revenge on Trumansburg the following week. I give them a 90% chance of being in the IVFINAL (section IV final for those of you who don’t read me on the Syracuse forum).

 

Well, back to picks…..I didn’t make any last week, being in Frisco without web access. The previous week I was 17-7, or 0.708. For the season, I’m 110-35, or 0.759. 0.800 is looking pretty tough to get before the playoffs! For week 8, I’ll go with Oxford (though Unatego will make it tough), Harpursville, Vestal, Owego, Corning East, Oneonta, Forks (so long record winning streak, welcome Forks), Sidney, Lansing, Trumansburg, Moravia, Candor, Binghamton, EFA, Johnson City, Norwich, Windsor, Edison, Walton, Deposit, Southern Springs, Buffalo Traditional, and Chenango Valley.