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SECTION IV FOOTBALL: SVEC LOOKING TO IMPROVE ON 'HARD LUCK' 2018 (14 PHOTOS) (2019-08-19)

BY TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report 
SPENCER — SVEC was clearly Section IV's "hard luck" team in 2018. And the Eagles are focused on ensuring that doesn't happen again this season.

Five of their six losses were decided by eight points or less:
• Tioga, 28-20
• Dryden, 14-7
• Newark Valley, 30-25
• Whitney Point, 28-22
• Windsor 23-19

Had everything gone its way, SVEC was a team which could have been 8-1 almost as easily as it was 3-6. Last year's outcomes have been a motivational factor for the 15-plus returnees.

>"We proved to ourselves that we are capable of playing with those better teams," head coach Mike Chaffee said. "We've got to find a way how to win those games. Kind of the motivating factor for us right now is going from being good to being great. We've got to push ourselves a little harder. We've got to work a little harder, especially today. That's why things might seem a little tough, the soreness or kids being out of shape. We've got to find a way to get ourselves over the hump and get to that next level, and win those close games."

Unfortunately, before the first practice of the 2019 season rolled around, the Eagles were already hit with a key setback. Senior Noah Mack would suffer an injury which has sidelined him for the entire season.

"He's definitely a kid that we can't replace, because of what he brought to the table for us last year, things he was going to do for us this year," Chaffee said. "He'll be greatly missed, but we're going to lean on our young guys coming up through. It's an opportunity for them to step into a starting position and fill that gap. He certainly won't be replaced, but we will find somebody to come in and take that role over. We've got a lot of skill positions to choose from."

The loss of Noah Mack means SVEC will not have any returning Section IV Division IV all-stars. The other three, Cameron Fitzgerald, Christian Haynes and Nathan Mack, graduated.

Another key loss is two-way lineman Ben VanGalder, who is going to test the waters at St. John Fisher.

Last year, SVEC had two sophomore quarterbacks battling for the starting role before finally settling on Matthew Byrne, who showed he had potential to provide a weapon through the air. Making him the permanent QB also freed up James Sutherlin to be a double threat, both running the rock and receiving it.

Not everyone Chaffee was hoping would be at the first practice showed up, but that didn't deter from a positive outlook to ten start of the season.

"The guys came in today pretty enthusiastic," Chaffee said. "Attitudes are great. The kids are excited to be here. We got through all the anticipation over the summer. We're off to a good start so far.

"Right now, our numbers, they're a little tight. Right now, there are a few kids who should be here that aren't here right now, but we'll get those kids here. We're about 25 at each level right now, JV and varsity. Some kids might fluctuate back and forth, but numbers look OK. We're still going to try to get a couple kids out that aren't here that should be here."

SVEC begins the season Sept. 6 at Sidney.
<br><br>——————<br><br>PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR


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