Football and soccer

Sneak peek

First look at some of Sullivan County’s football and soccer teams

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Hope springs eternal for high school athletes, strongest perhaps at the outset of a new season when dreams of great success loom strong and the prospect of achieving new milestones and/or winning titles provides an alluring incentive.

On August 18, the first day of practice for high school athletes, legions of players reported to their schools to begin the arduous two-week training camp that precedes the fall sports season, slated to begin just after Labor Day for most schools.

Of the three sports seasons, none can compare with fall for its variety of sports on the docket. While every school does not offer a complete slate of sports, most of the county’s school districts provide the lion’s share of the fall menu that includes boys soccer, girls soccer, football, cross-country, girls tennis, football cheerleading and volleyball.

With so much to preview, one week of crisscrossing the county could only afford this writer a limited view of what is in store. This coming week, more schools and more sports will be visited to offer a more complete prologue before the first chapter begins in September.

Football quest begins with new challenges for defending champs and other hopefuls

Talk of football at Eldred is a year-round phenomenon strongly fueled by the team’s stunning 26-7 record over the past four years. In 2007, the Yellow Jackets reclaimed the Section Nine Class D championship from Chester with a 20-16 come-from-behind win. Eldred won the crown in 2005 but lost it on the last play of the game in 2006.

Despite the graduation of a group of talented seniors, Eldred returns to defend its crown with a host of hungry players, many fresh from a regimen of off-season weight lifting. Coach Frank Kean is entering his 35th season as coach. He has served as head coach for 30 years. John LiGreci serves as his savvy defensive coordinator.

Eldred’s 38 players ran through their drills on the fourth day of practice on August 21 without urging from Kean or his assistant coaches Patrick Kean and Dave Thompson.

The defending Section Nine Class D champs only lost two games last year, one on a questionable field goal call against Chester in the regular season and the other in a last-second heartbreaker in a regional game against Haldane.

Eldred returns quarterback Bryan Henry. Running backs will include veteran Christian Martinez, Ian Halloran and Bobby Warden. Wide receivers include Sean Berger, speedy Joey Counts and Gerald King. Anchoring the offensive line will be center Zak Tyler and guards Gino Jones, Dave Millan and Travis Hay, who may double at tackle. Also at tackle will be Matt Puzio and Scott Hallock. Jacob Schock will provide help at tackle as well.

Ends include Steven Combs, Matt Balcom and Robert Morris. Jill Harris joins the team as well. Eldred will play six games at home this season beginning with a September 6 fray against Section Four’s Hancock. Its key league game against Chester will be played down in the Enchanted Forest this year.

Tri-Valley, the defending Section Nine Class C champion that went 7-4 last year, lost its nucleus of talented seniors to graduation, but for head coach John Rusin, the 2008 season will offer a fresh group of players and a few new wrinkles. The return of Dustin VanLieu at quarterback will add experience and talent to a group that also includes fullback Dan Byrne, who will be flanked by Jesse Boncek, Matt Bogorad and Peter DeMilia. Brendan Moore is also vying for time at QB but will serve as a receiver when VanLieu calls the signals.

Other receivers include Weston Currey, Dan Killian and Bobby Belex. Three-year veteran Andrew Yager will be the center. Guards are Sean McNamara and Kirk Daroci. A strong group of tackles includes Bob Fiedler, Ross Bonnell, Logan Ackerley and Eric Raymond. Newcomers to the team include Dominic Bagatta and Ryan Ansboro.

Tri-Valley, which defeated Sullivan West 18-6 for the 2007 Section Nine Class C title, will open on the road on September 6 against defending Class D state champion Walton. The Bears will play four games at home this year, and its schedule now includes league games against Liberty, Spackenkill and Ellenville, who have all dropped down to Class C to join Sullivan West, Millbrook and Pine Plains in a talent-packed division. The top four teams will make the playoffs.

Liberty was 6-2 last year, reversing a prior three year record of 1-17. Coach Jim O’Connor’s squad comes into camp confident and hungry for frays with new rivals in Class C. In the early stages of the first week of practice, a number of positions, including quarterback, were still up for grabs. Quarterback candidates include Chris Lake and Brandon Tompkins. Liberty returns talented receiver Ivan Rivera and fullback Ryan VanLieu to its potent offense, which will be enhanced by tailback Tony Hernandez, offensive tackle Nelson Saravia, experienced tight end Connor Hinton, guard Tyler Bossert, tackle Chris Merklin and a host of other talented players. Liberty opens its season at home against Delhi on September 6. Liberty beat Delhi in 2007.

Sullivan West was 5-4 last year, with two of those losses coming against Tri-Valley for the Division and Section Nine titles. Coach Ron Bauer returns to guide the ship. Former assistant coach Matt Buddenhagen is now at Monticello starting up its new modified football program. Bauer is assisted by Kurt Buddenhagen, JP Lang and Anthony Durkin.

Brad Reimer will serve as quarterback replacing Jim Moloney, who graduated in June. Running backs include Nick Mootz, Dan Figueroa, Austin Erlwein (who also serves as a wide receiver), Latti Rabii, Chris Murphy and wideout Artie Norden. Mike Schmidt will play tight end.

The Bulldogs will present a strong offensive line with Chris Wagner, Tyler Wagner, Mark Tesseyman, John Whittaker, Vaughn Schlott, Mike Pomes, Shawn Taylor and Gabe LaGrutta in the mix.

The Bulldogs open their season at home on September 5 against Ellenville in a league fray.

Soccer teams hit the pitch

Strong rivalries prevail in both boys and girls soccer in Sullivan County. Among Class B boys, those include league frays involving Liberty, Sullivan West and Fallsburg, who also will have to contend with James I. O’Neill and Burke from Orange County in their division.

Liberty made sectionals last year but fell to Fallsburg 4-3 in the Class B quarterfinals to complete its impressive 9-7 season. Despite the loss of standout Saeed Robinson to graduation, Liberty returns a very strong nucleus, with many of its players coming through Liberty United’s strong program this past spring and summer. The U-19 boys finished in first place and the U-17 boys took second.

Led by eight seniors, including Tom Fix (keeper), Bobby Davidson, Jacob Kleinberger, Steven Moreno, Sam Heinle, Max Siegel, Kris Ramos and Roothland Medina, Liberty will pose a serious threat to their opponents with speed and its stingy defense. Anne and Carpio Ramos, with Debbie Simpson serving as their able assistant, coach the team. Liberty will open its season at home against Tri-Valley on September 4.

Sullivan West didn’t make it to sectionals in 2007, but this year’s squad, led by seniors Justin Armstrong, Kevin Correa, Eric Minton, Logan Grishaber, Gaston Owen and Mitchell Ellmauer, will be bolstered by returning juniors Brice Billard, Evan Decker and Miguel Marin. Andy Kinch and Alex Lander are veterans as sophomores.

Coach Debbie Owen and her assistant Rick Ellison have an enthusiastic group of newcomers that include junior Austin Sauer, sophomore Robert Feeney and freshmen Shawn Bailey, Christian Calvo, Tyler Groh, Noah Krentz, Sam Smith and Travis Thomas. With only 25 players on the roster, it looks as if Sullivan West will not field a junior varsity team once again. Sullivan West opens at home against Cornwall on September 4.

In girls’ soccer, Sullivan West looks strong in Class B. Losing only four players to graduation, this year’s squad under coach Mike Ellmauer hopes to return to the sectionals, which they made by beating Liberty 4-2 in a thriller under the lights last fall. Thirty-eight girls showed up for practice, as Sullivan West will field both a varsity and junior varsity team.

Seniors include Katrina Graby, Lindsey Murphy, Colleen Chudi, Claire Stabbert, Ella McDonald, Kayla Olsen, Shannon Hauser and Brittany Reddish. Ashley Mahoney, Jillian Fife and Kim Yewchuck will be part of the picture as well, as Ellmauer and assistant Ken Uy look over the talent pool to see who else might fit the bill. Sullivan West opens its season at Walton on August 30 and then will host Port Jervis on September 5.

Monticello begins a new season under new coach Joe Ebeling. The revitalized Lady Panthers look to turn around recent years of frustration with a new work ethic. Ebeling has been working his team through arduous drills and conditioning to that end.

Returning to the fold following her exciting and rewarding experience in playing at the Gothia Cup in Sweden with the Warwick WildKats will be sophomore keeper Jessica Stant. Ebeling can also rely on senior veterans including sweeper Chelsea Brennan, midfielder Andrea Drollinger, keeper Theresa Fuoto, midfielders Saige Kashan, Shamya and Shantasia Koen and forward Nyoki Tate. Juniors Krista Mangabang, Anastasia Bowden, Stephanie Niforatos and Mandee Heal will be back, as well as sophomore Taylor Reardon. An exciting newcomer is eighth grader Annie Purcell.

The Lady Panthers will open their season at the Tri-Valley tournament on September 2.

Visit riverreportersports.com for a an album of pre-season pictures and for ongonig fall previews.