SECTION IV FOOTBALL: WITH NEW COACH, SVEC FEELS LIKE CONTENDER (2025-09-05)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
CANDOR/ SPENCER — The Spencer-Van Etten/ Candor football team has been playing .500 ball the past two seasons and new head coach Gino Martone is looking to move above that mark in 2025.
The Eagles did make the Section IV Class D playoffs last year with a 3-1 division record. They fell to Tioga in the semifinals en route to a 5-5 overall record. SVEC won’t have to worry about the Tigers in the semis this year as both teams are in the same division.
Martone, who was an assistant coach at Candor for two years and has been with SVEC since the 2016 merger with S-VE, has 27 players to work with, including one of the top running backs in Section IV — all-state honorable mention Logan Aman. One of 11 seniors, he carried the rock 111 times for 888 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He will also play safety on defense.
Aman was named to
The Sports Reports All-Region team at running back, while Jakobe Foster was a selection at defensive back and Jak Smith was picked at punter.
Four other seniors return to help out on both sides of the ball.
Charlie Hilbert will line up at running back and outside linebacker while Foster will play corner back and also moves under center.
Ryan Huizinga and Rylan Cruz will shore up the offensive line at tackle. Cruz will also play defensive tackle while Huizinga will settle in at outside linebacker.
Martone is hoping newcomer Teagan Kwiatkowski, a junior, can help out at wide receiver and free safety.
Key graduation losses for the Eagles are guard/linebacker Deveon Aman, tackle/nose guard Wyatt Ross and QB Chris Merrick.
“The team has high hopes, (and the) goal is to make the playoffs, win a playoff game and have a chance for the Section IV Class D title,” Martone said.
Teams to be wary of are Tioga, who won consecutive sectional championships, before getting knocked off by Delhi in overtime in last year’s title game. Another team Martone thinks can be a factor is Deposit/Hancock. All three teams, as well as Bainbridge-Guilford, finished the season ranked in the top 15 in the state.
SVEC opens the season at home Saturday afternoon against Harpursville/Afton.
——————
2025 roster
2 Rodney Vaow, senior, WR/CB
3 Charlie Hilbert, senior, RB/LB
4 Link Robinson, sophomore, QB/DB
7 Landon Lawrence, senior, RB/CB
8 Jakobe Foster, senior, QB/CB
10 Teagan Kwiatkowski, junior, WR/S
11 Ocean Bateman, senior, WR/S
12 Matt Smith, senior, WR/S
15 Ethan Drake, junior, WR/DB
18 Nick Oakes, senior, TE/LB
20 Logan Aman, senior, RB/S
22 Owen Beach, sophomore, RB/LB
24 Landon Whitmarsh, sophomore, WR/DB
26 Mateo Espinoza Laube, sophomore, WR/DB
28 Tyler Tufford, junior, TE/DB
32 Matt Garrabant, junior, WR/DB
48 Nevin Mack, junior, TE/LB
50 Zane Showerman, junior, OL/DL
52 Rylan Cruz, senior, OL/DL
53 Hoyt Brooks, sophomore, OL/DL
54 Ryan Huizinga, senior, OL/LB
58 Will Whittemore, junior, OL/LB
64 Jak Smith, junior, OL/DL
66 Korbin Brenza, junior, OL/DL
68 Carter Edwards, junior, OL/DL
69 Cooper Zufall, junior, OL/LB
78 Corbyn White, senior, OL/DL
——————
IN PHOTO 1: Logan Aman averaged eight yards per carry last season and scored 14 TDs. IN TOP PHOTO: Look for Ryan Huizinga (54) and Nevin Mack to provide some key blocks. … STOCK PHOTOS.
Print Friendly Version
