OK, technically I guess it’s NOT a rivalry, but come on -- it’s a rivalry. I think most teams that play Shenendehowa would consider them their rival. This week, Shaker is considering Shenendehowa their rival.
Shaker and Shen will meet live on Spectrum News for our Friday Night Matchup. Both are undefeated, and this really could be a Super Bowl preview. They haven’t played since the 2016 playoffs when the Blue Bison ended the Plainsmen’s season -- and trust me, Shen isn’t over it.
"It was tough going through last season and not getting to redeem ourselves. We’ve been hungry and waiting for this ever since," said Shen's Andrew Weyaruch, who was a sophomore on that 2016 team.
I said this on the broadcast a few weeks ago when we saw Shenendehowa, but it’s worth saying again: This could be the best Shenendehowa team Brian Clawson has had in his tenure so far. The players know it, too. Yes, just like every team (or at least just like every coach tells his players and the media), they are taking it one game at a time. But the seniors on this team understand they have the potential to do something special.
Shenendehowa has a quarterback, running back and wide receiver with a lot of experience, and experience on its offensive line. Kiernan Shanahan had three touchdowns the last time we saw Shen on Spectrum News. He might be one of the more underrated running backs in Section II. He’s small, but tough, heading to North Carolina State on a wrestling scholarship. He might not put up crazy numbers, but the biggest thing is the extra yards he fights for. His yards after contact are impressive. He always keeps his feet moving.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Shaker football is really good this season. They have had a winning season every year since Greg Sheeler took over the program. He always has kids who can play, but it’s never just one or two standouts. They really have been year in and year out the definition of a total team. This year is no different.
You’ll heard names like Conor McHugh, Joe Toutai, Ravion Burt or Jovani Wiggs, but they will tell you it’s everyone else that allows them to get the glory. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen something like the running back situation Shaker has this season. You will likely see six players run the ball Friday night, and they all bring something different to the table.
Senior QB Connor McHugh loves what he sees in the backfield and the guys in the trenches.
"Running game is working. Our O-line has been playing great," McHugh said. "Pass blocking, run blocking -- our O-line are the guys that have sprung, Ray, Logan, Joe and Jovani. They don’t have to make hero blocks; they just have to stick to the game plan and our running backs will make plays."
Sheeler is the definition of an even-keeled coach. Sheeler was a high school quarterback at Gloversville High School and Ithaca College, and people who knew him then say he’s always been like that. He never gets too high or too low about anything. His players follow his lead in that regard and he’s trying to build leaders.
Sheeler doesn’t name captains in the hope that it helps create leaders.
"We want people to lead every week and we try to empower the team," Sheeler said. "We put a lot on their shoulders and we give them the opportunity to speak to each other player to player, not with the coaches around all the time, and I think you have to do that with kids these days. You have to enable them to be leaders and try to support them when they make decisions."
EXTRA POINTS
It’s rare for the big schools like these to have impact sophomores on their rosters, but both do this season. Dyvante Terrelonge of Shenendehowa and Jovani Wiggs of Shaker are both sophomore starters, and they really are two of the best players in Section II.
The rivalry in some ways began long before Shenendehowa and Shaker for these two head coaches. They went to rival high schools -- Brian Clawson graduated from Johnstown and Sheeler from Gloversville. They didn’t play against one another in high school, but Clawson’s father Barry was the longtime head coach at Johnstown and coached against Sheeler.
McHugh started in five game last year for Shaker when their starting quarterback got hurt. That experience was invaluable for him, but not only in football. Sheeler said you could see the confidence he had after those starts, and it carried into his basketball and baseball seasons.
