CAMILLUS – Guided by the leadership of more than 20 seniors, the West Genesee football team flourished in the hastily-put together spring of 2021, winning four of five games.
“It was the definition of how you deal with adversity,” said head coach Joe Corley. “They (the seniors) took something unfair and made something special of it.”
“They left a real good example,” said River Oudemool, one of the current seniors. “And we’d like to keep the momentum going.”
Whether that carries over into fall will depend on how the returning Wildcats handle changes that go well beyond the typical roster turnover seen in high school sports.
No change is bigger than the move from WG’s long-time home in Class AA to Class A, where a deep pool of contenders await and, like the Wildcats, all are eager to reach the top.
Among the many starters that departed was quarterback Braeden McNeil, and two players, Oudemool and Vincent Firenze, are taking snaps in practices. Either of them could start next Friday’s opener at Baldwinsville.
Whoever is throwing the ball, Ben Chamberlain is likely to catch it. The senior wide receiver caught just seven passes in the spring, but they went for 209 yards.
Chamberlain’s big-play threat could mean more attention to fellow receivers Dom Burris and Jeremiah Newkirk, plus returning senior tight end Nelson Hudgins.
Exavier Brumfield is gone, leaving a pool of running backs, including Gerry Grobsmith, Landon Spencer, Caleb Crowder, Francisco Cross and Kenny Davis, hoping to replicate Brumfeld’s production, if not his big-play capability.
There’s more stability on WG’s offensive line, where Hudgins and four starters return. Veterans Christian Becker, Mike Broccoli, Derek Dishaw and Gavin Farino are joined by Declan Keller. Corley said this group is versatile enough to move around the tackle, guard and center spots
Whether Firenze starts under center, he and fellow senior Dylan Pitonza make for a strong pair of returning safeties in the Wildcats’ defensive secondary, where Burris should see action at cornerback.
Up front, defensive coordinator Tim Schmitt prefers a rotation to keep both lines fresh. Thus, Keller, Hudgins and Becker will all see action alongside returning end Taiquwan McGriff, with Payton Manipole at end.
They’ll work in front of a linebacker corps led by Davis and senior Colin McAvan. Aside from his 28 tackles in the spring, McAvan recorded three sacks.
The move to Class A put WG into a loaded American division led by Auburn, who in the spring was undefeated nad gave the Wildcats its lone loss. Fayetteville-Manlius, East Syracuse Minoa, CBA and Jamesville-DeWitt round out the division.
Before that, though, WG has a tough opening stretch. After the trip to B’ville, it hosts Indian River Sept. 10 and takes on Carthage a week later. Corley said that if his team can get through these games with minimal injuries, it could flourish once league play begins.
Hudgins agreed, saying that he experience he and his fellow players experienced in the spring, and the strong team chemistry formed in that period, could go a long way toward the Wildcats again finding gridiron success in a new, unfamiliar setting.
