After losing its first three games last season to teams that ended up with a cumulative 35-3 record, including New York‘s Class AA champion and its Class B runner-up, the Corning football team bounced back to earn a shot at a fourth consecutive sectional championship before falling short vs. Elmira.
The Hawks will try to continue the program’s most consistent stretch of high-caliber football in season No. 15 season since the mergers of Corning East and Corning West in 2010. Corning is 32-11 over the last five seasons, including an unbeaten record during the spring 2021 COVID season that didn’t offer postseason play.
Corning will attempt to again contend for a trip to the state tournament despite seeing a lot of key faces exit to graduation or other pursuits.
“We’ll be a work in progress,” said Mike Johnston Jr., in his fourth season as head coach after two as the Hawks’ offensive coordinator. “We’ve got some big holes that we’ve got to fill from the standpoint that we graduated some really good seniors that were instrumental in the last two, three years. They were three-year varsity players. Tough to replace. I had a couple kids that didn’t come out for various reasons. We’ve got some other kids that are getting an opportunity. They’re going to have to step up to the plate and get it done for us.”
The good news is senior wingback James Freeman, a fifth-team Class AA all-state selection last season, is among those back. He rushed for 709 yards on 95 carries last season, added 10 catches for 167 yards, and contributed 59 tackles at linebacker. Freeman did so despite missing nearly two full games with an injury.
Strong-armed senior quarterback Ian Harpster also returns. Brenden Jardin-Reed, one of New York’s top 1-meter divers in the winter, joins three-year varsity player Clayton Smith, a fullback, in rounding out a double-wing offense that has piled up points and yards over the years.
“I like that we’ve got some athletes,” Johnston said. “We just have to be creative and find ways to get them the ball. I think the double-wing has always been something we’ve prided ourselves in. We’ve got some other things I think we can do. I think Ian throws the ball really well, we’ve just got to get it in people’s hands and let them do the work.”
Look for Corning to take a simpler approach on defense. Johnston wants that unit to play aggressively and make more plays by reacting instead of thinking.
Others to watch for the Hawks include senior guards Skye Eddy and Alex Jardin-Reed, who is Brenden’s twin. Carter Sparks comes off a big junior season lining up at tight end and defensive end. Johnston is looking for big things from junior Dylan Brewster, who contributed at offensive line and linebacker in 2023.
The additions of a couple of players who didn’t participate in football will help, along with first-year varsity starters who have been part of the program.
“You look at these kids who came ups as freshmen and sophomores to play at the varsity level and there’s a high expectation for those kids this year,” Johnston said.
Record last five seasons
2023: 4-5
2022: 6-4
2021 (fall): 8-2
2021 (spring): 5-0
2019: 9-2
Record in state playoffs: 0-5
More: The 2023 Corning/Elmira/Ithaca-area Elite 24 Football Team
Corning 2024 Schedule
Sept. 13: 7 p.m. vs. Edison Tech
Sept. 20: 7 p.m. at Union-Endicott
Sept. 27: 7 p.m. vs. Binghamton
Oct. 4: 7 p.m. vs. Cicero-North Syracuse
Oct. 11: 7 p.m. at Horseheads
Oct. 18: 6:30 p.m. vs. Elmira (homecoming)
Oct. 25: 7 p.m. at Ithaca
Nov. 1: 7 p.m. vs. Vestal
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Preview and schedule for Corning football heading into 2024 season
