A new era for Holley gridders

Hawks have new coach, field

Photo by Mike Wertman – COACH’S CORNER: New Holley varsity football coach Mark Mattice meets here with several of the Hawks senior players. They include John Tanis, Corey Winter, Dan Flanagan, Victor Odeychuk, Brendan Edwards, Isaac Miller and Aaron Ierlan.

HOLLEY – It’s a new era for the Holley Hawks varsity football squad with a new head coach and a new playing facility.

Mark Mattice takes over the head coaching position for the Hawks as Chad DeRock, who guided Holley for five years, has taken a position at Letchworth Central.

“I wanted to get back home so this was a great opportunity. I’m really excited for the upcoming season,” said Mattice, a native of Le Roy, who last year coached the offensive line at Utica College.

After a decade of playing on a makeshift field with little seating and a small portable scoreboard, the Hawks varsity squad will be playing on a brand new field this season complete with large sections of bleachers and a scoreboard.

“The new field is a real nice addition to the program,” Mattice said. “We’ll be able to play our four varsity games on it this year and then add the JV games there next year.”

The Hawks will christen their new field on Sept. 21 against Elba/Byron-Bergen after opening the season with a pair of road games Sept. 7 at Notre Dame and Sept. 13 at Attica.

Offensively the Hawks are led by the senior duo of quarterback Dan Flanagan and running back Corey Winter who started at quarterback as a sophomore but then played soccer last fall.

The Hawks also return experience at wide receiver in senior John Tanis and on the offensive line in the quartet of seniors Isaac Miller and Aaron Lerlan along with juniors Lucas Silvis and Stephen Mallet.

“It’s a very, very young team and we don’t have large numbers but we’ve got some really good athletes and I’m excited to work with them,” Mattice said. “They’ve been very receptive, upbeat and hard working and that’s good to see. They are really pushing it and it’s all been pretty positive.”

from last year’s 3-3 (G-R League) , 4-4 squad including backs Cadizsh Norford, Kyle Bell, Sage Hodge, Tyler Hoag, Zach Hogle and Nick Conklin.

The Hawks will tune-up for the season by participating in a scrimmage at East Rochester this coming Saturday where they will face Newark, East Rochester and Bishop Kearney.

“The scrimmage will be a good test for our boys,” Mattice said. “The kids are excited.”

The Hawks schedule:
Sept. 7 – at Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 13 – at Attica, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 – Elba/Byron-Bergen, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 – C.G. Finney, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 – Alexander, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 – at Pembroke, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 – Oakfield-Alabama, 1:30 p.m.