When word got out that Tim Hawkins was not returning to coach the Jordan-Elbridge football team in 2018, the school turned to a very familiar name in local gridiron circles.
Joe Fiacchi has spent more than a quarter-century on the sidelines – eight years as head coach at Canastota, seven more years as head coach at Marcellus after a seven-year stint as an assistant with the Mustangs.
Last year, Fiacchi was an assistant at Westhill, but in June he was chosen to lead the Eagles, bringing him back to his Class C roots. Fiacchi coached Canastota to the 1999 Section III Class C title game.
The timing seems right. J-E is on an upswing, having gone 5-3 a season ago as it hosted a playoff game and opened its new facility at John Howes Stadium, complete with Field Turf, new lights and a field house with college-style locker rooms.
There’s also a fair amount of continuity on the Eagles’ 22-man roster, and even though quarterback Dominic Walborn graduated, Geoff Lippa is set to take over, having backed up Wilborn a season ago while also starting at wide receiver and tight end.
When J-E spreads it out on offense, Lippa could throw to four different receivers. The quartet of Jeremiah Sparks, Dakota Holbrook, Nate Melfi and Trent Thomas combines speed and solid pass-catching skills.
When Melfi isn’t lined up wide, he’s likely to go into the backfield, joining Luke Pinckney as they run behind one of Class C’s most imposing front five.
Center Mike Town checks in at 350 pounds, with tackles Josh Roberts at 280 pounds and Cody Humberstone at 240 pounds. Also back are guards Ryan Rivenburg and Landry LaFleur.
Given the size of the roster, nearly everyone will need to go both ways, and J-E will employ a five-man defensive front with Anthony Baron at nose guard, working next to tackles Humberstone and Rivenburg, with LaFleur and Holbrook at the end spots.
Pinckney and Melfi, at linebacker, will need to cover lots of space, but it helps to have a secondary where Thomas and Sparks are present with cornerback Steve Tripp.
An even more intriguing prospect is Marion Quigley, one of Central New York’s top track and field athletes and a state medalist in the pentathlon. He’ll start at safety.
In theory, things were made easier for J-E when reigning state Class C champion Skaneateles, who played in the same division as the Eagles, moved up to Class B.
However, the revamped C North/West division has the Eagles opening its season Friday with a long road trip to Thousand Islands and then meeting powerhouses General Brown and Lowville at home, all by the end of September.
None of this seems to faze Fiacchi, who said his J-E players can have a great season if they stay in shape and avoid injuries.
“There’s some talented kids here,” he said. “We’re in good shape overall, but the crucial thing is to get them to the fourth quarter (of games) with some energy left.”
