09/28/05
Delhi-Walton big as ever despite Warriors’ drop to D
AT THE HALF
By P.J. Harmer
Staff Writer
The Delhi-Walton football game might have lost some luster with the teams in different classes and divisions this year.
Yeah, right.
Actually, it might have gotten better since there is no chance the teams will meet in the playoffs.
"It’s a big game," said Walton coach Jim Hoover, who broke the Section Four all-time victories record this past week with a 2-0 forfeit triumph over Hancock. "Delhi-Walton, whether it counts in the division or not, it’s a big one."
[an error occurred while processing this directive]But when Walton (4-0, 1-0 Division VII) travels to Dave Kelly Field at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, it does so as the No. 2 team in the state in Class D. The Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 Division V) enter ranked fourth in Class C.
"I think everybody gets excited about it," Delhi coach Dave Kelly said. "A lot depends on if (my players) can appreciate how difficult it is once it’s time to line up (against Walton), and we’ve had too many games to this point where it’s come easily. ... Everything (against Walton) is so much harder than what we’ve been experiencing, with the possible exception of Unatego."
Outside of a 14-13 victory over Unatego in Week 3, Delhi hasn’t played any close games. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, 164-32.
"I’m breaking more tape of them right now and they do so many things so well," Hoover said. "They seem to be working as a team and that’s what you need to win championships. I think they have that chemistry this year. They seem to be a close-knit group."
Walton has outscored its opponents, 96-68. The Warriors opened with victories over former division rivals Unatego (30-14) and Sidney (42-34).
"We have to be able to come off the ball and make our blocks," Hoover said. "They are big. We have to play our brand of football and play it hard. They have a great defense, but look how many points they’re racking up. They are a well-rounded football team."
Against common opponents, Walton had more success against Unatego this season, but Delhi opened with a 62-6 rout of Sullivan West. The Warriors beat Sullivan West, 22-20.
"They did a better job on Unatego than we did, which was our toughest game so far," Kelly said. "It looks a little uphill if you use that score. We still don’t know where we are yet because we’ve had three games we’ve won decisively. The only real barometer we feel we have is Unatego."
Hoover saw it a little different.
"I’ve quit comparing scores and comparing things many years ago," he said. "I know Delhi always plays excellent against us and hopefully we do the same. It’s football and you have to go out and play the game. It’s all different matchups."
TEN YEARS AGO: When Walton strolled into Delhi in 1995, it did so as the top-ranked Class C team in the state.
It left with the second-worst defeat under Hoover since he took over the program in 1976.
The Warriors were fresh off winning the Class C state championship in 1994. Delhi was ranked fifth.
The score echoed down Route 10: 40-0!
Only once before had Hoover suffered a loss worse than that, a 50-0 setback to Newark Valley in 1977.
Only three other teams scored 40 or more points on Walton in 30 years — a 40-14 loss to Chenango Forks in 1986, a 41-14 loss to Oneonta in 1996 and a 44-38 loss to Sidney in 2003.
Hoover’s teams have issued some beatings on Delhi as well — seven times topping 40 points, including a 49-0 victory in 1993. But the 1995 game remains the only time the Bulldogs scored 30 or more points against a Hoover-coached team.
Delhi went on to win the Section Four title before losing in the state quarterfinals to Dolgeville.
Over 30 years, however, Hoover has a 23-9 record against Kelly.
HONORS: Delhi will dedicate its new trophy cases to graduate Paul Scobie, who was elected to the Section Four Hall of Fame in 1993. The ceremony will take place at the end of halftime of the Walton-Delhi game.
MUST-WIN SITUATION: Cooperstown (2-2, 2-1 Section Three Class C East) has little room for error when it visits Ilion at 7 p.m. Friday.
"If we lose this, we’re out of the running for the league and sectionals," Cooperstown coach Steve Pugliese said. "This is a must-win for us Friday night."
The big thing, Pugliese said, is fundamentals. The Redskins have given up a combined 155 yards in penalties the past two weeks, including 70 in a 20-15 loss to Mount Markham this past Friday.
"It comes down to blocking and tackling — if you don’t do it well, you don’t win," Pugliese said. "We’re getting beat on the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively. ... The last two games we’ve had so many penalties. We have to execute on defense and eliminate our mistakes."
PLAYOFF HOPES FADING: Unatego’s 47-14 loss to Sidney on Friday has nearly eliminated the Spartans (1-3, 0-2 Division V) from playoff contention.
Unatego is in last place in its five-team division, with the top two advancing to the playoffs.
There’s still hope, but Unatego needs to start by beating Seton Catholic (1-3, 0-1) and Greene (2-2, 1-1) in its remaining division games. The Spartans would also likely need Delhi to lose its last three division games.
"As I understand it, we’re going to need a lot of help," Unatego coach John Mushtare said. "We need to win out and get some help."
Unatego plays host to Bainbridge-Guilford (2-2, 1-1 Division VII) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Spartans travel to Seton in Week 6 and play host to Greene in Week 7.
IF YOU CAN GET TO ONE GAME THIS WEEK: Duh? Go to the Walton at Delhi game Saturday.
If you’re looking for a second game, check out Sidney at Norwich for a non-division matchup at 7 p.m. Friday.
Norwich (3-1) is ranked 14th in Class B and Sidney (3-1) earned honorable-mention honors in Class C.
Two weeks ago, Norwich lost to two-time defending Class B state champion Chenango Forks, 28-14. It’s the closest any team has played Forks this season.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Unadilla Valley/Edmeston (0-4, 0-2 Division IV) plays host to Windsor (3-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday, Oneonta (1-3, 1-0 Division III) plays host to Susquehanna Valley (2-2, 0-0) at 1:30 p.m. for its homecoming game. Also Saturday, Richfield Springs (0-4) plays host to Hamilton (3-1) at 1:30 p.m.
