Fall Friday nights at Jordan-Elbridge will not be the same.
Oh sure, the varsity football Eagles are still stepping out onto the field when the 2017 season opens Friday night against Skaneateles. It’s just that the field is far different from the grass J-E once trod upon.
Over the summer, a new all-weather Field Turf was installed at John Howes Stadium, next to a revamped field house that includes a concession stand, training room and locker rooms for both home and visiting teams.
J-E was able to get on the turf early last week, just before it hosted Bishop Ludden and Fowler for last Saturday’s scrimmages. Head coach Tim Hawkins said the players were in a bit of awe upon seeing the new facility, but then quickly got to work again.
With a 27-man roster, J-E has solid depth, but also lots of questions about who is going to start against Skaneateles, and that both practices and the scrimmage would go a long way to determining who gets those nods.
“Pretty much every position is open,” said Hawkins.
That even applies to the quarterback position, despite the return of senior starter Dominic Walborn. A three-year starter with plenty of poise and a strong arm, Walborn provides stability at that spot, while Geoff Flippa or Jeremiah Sparks could fill in if the need arises.
Given the lineup, the Eagles could throw more than they pass, and even more so with Hunter Brunelle on board. After running cross country in recent years, the lacrosse star, who is going to College of St. Rose next fall, switched to football for his senior year, going all-out in conditioning to make himself more valuable on the gridiron.
Between Brunelle, Sparks, Nate Melfi and Dakota Holbrook, J-E has a solid set of wide receivers, plus some capable running backs in the duo of Aidan Carpenter and Luke Pinckney. It’s on the offensive line where the Eagles will face its greatest challenges.
Even by small-school standards, it’s a modest group, with center Matt Eck topping out at 205 pounds. Guards Ryan Rivenburg (180 pounds) and Landry LaFleur (175 pounds) flank Eck, with converted running back Zack Curtis playing tackle at 175 pounds and fellow tackle Steve Tripp at 150 pounds.
This light, quick front five is charged with protecting Walborn while also playing on J-E’s defensive front seven. Eck anchors the line with help from Holbrook and Mike Town, while Curtis joins Carpenter and Melfi at linebacker. Brunelle and returning starter Marion Quigley gives the Eagles a strong pair of pass defenders at cornerback.
The arrival of Skaneateles from the Class B ranks, combined with the festive atmosphere of the first games on the new turf, makes it the marquee game on J-E’s schedule. It’s also one of just three home games for the Eagles, who aside from C West contests also plays against neighbors from Marcellus and Weedsport.
Hawkins said it was good that J-E does not take any road trips longer than the ones to Hannibal and Phoenix, but that the entire season’s tone will get set by what happens against Skaneateles.
With Class C split into three divisions, only regular-season league champions are guaranteed a playoff home game, and the Eagles want at least one more chance to compete it its new, spectacular surroundings.
