(UPDATED) THE WEEK AHEAD: OWEGO VOLLEYBALL DEFENDS STATE TITLE; TIOGA FOOTBALL SEEKS RETURN TO CARRIER DOME (2018-11-12)
OWEGO SWIMMERS, DIVER COMPETE IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS; TIOGA FOOTBALL SEEKS RETURN TO CARRIER DOME
Tioga County Sports Report
TIOGA COUNTY - The 2018 NYSPHSAA Volleyball Championships own the spotlight with pool play finals in five classifications being held Saturday and the championship matches taking place Sunday at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
However, the Indians aren't the only Tioga County team in action. Owego's girls swim team competes in the state championships Friday and Saturday while Tioga football looks to claim a return trip to the Carrier Dome Friday afternoon.
Owego (17-2) is heading back to Glens Falls for the fifth time in six years. The Indians won state championships in 2013, 2015 and 2017. They were runner-up to Honeoye Falls-Lima in 2016, falling 3-2 in the title match.
Also competing will be unbeaten Westhill (19-0) out of Section III, Bayport-Blue Point (10-2) from Section XI and Broadalbin-Perth (17-1) from Section II.
Pool play begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning and the championship match starts at noon Sunday.
The Indians will also be competing in the 2018 NYSPHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships at Ithaca College Friday and Saturday.
GIRLS SWIMMING/DIVING
• The Indians have qualified in seven swimming events, as well as the diving competition.
Senior Summer Pierce is Owego's highest seed in swimming events, coming in at the No. 6 seed in a field of 85 competitors in the 100-yard butterfly. Sophomore Kailee Payne is the sixth seed out of 54 divers. Also seeded high are junior Katie Shoen in the 50 freestyle (8th of 54) and the 200 medley relay (9th of 51).
Pierce has also qualified in the 200 individual medley and Shoen is also competing in the 100 backstroke. Both swimmers are on the 200
medley relay with Ashleigh Gault and Emma Stephenson 400 free relay with Stephenson and Jennifer Scott.
One other Tioga County athlete will be competing, Waverly's Kennedy Wheeler in the 100 fly.
Preliminaries begin Friday at 10:30 a.m. in swimming and 2 p.m. for the divers. The swimming finals are Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
FOOTBALL• Tioga (9-2) takes on top-ranked Clymer / Sherman / Panama (11-0) in the Class D West semifinal Friday at 4 p.m. at U-E's Ty Cobb Stadium. At stake is a berth in the state championship game in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
The 2015 state champion Tigers are coming off a 56-6 rout over Onondaga Friday night, doing its damage with its vaunted rushing game. CSP downed Alexander, 29-6, the next day.
The Wolfpack collected three interceptions and had their foe shut out until the final play of the game. CSP scored three TDs on the ground and another through the air.
