Groton’s Neff flourishing in final season

Groton football improved to 6-0 with a big 50-14 win over Trumansburg on Friday night. The fifth-ranked team in the state was led by senior Jeter Neff, who ran for four touchdowns in the first half and tacked on an interception on defense in the second half.

Neff was one of three Groton players to find the end zone on Friday and credited his teammates for his big game.

“Our line puts in a lot of work all week,” Neff said. “They really do work hard and they make great blocks. They put in 100% every play. They just don’t have any quit in them. We have great open field blocks downfield, and it really makes it so much easier on me to read the field and make which cut I have to make.”

It’s been a tremendous turnaround for the Groton football program, which had gone 3-10 over the past two seasons before switching to eight-man football. Neff explained what led to the success from a player’s perspective.

“Our team is determination and discipline,” Neff said. “We’re doing great in school. Nobody’s really messing around too hard. They’re really focused on our team and doing what’s right for the program. We put in a lot of work at practices. We never overlook a team, no matter what the record is. We just play our game and focus on what we’re supposed to be doing and getting our jobs done.”

Neff had a solid role on the team during its final 11-man season in the spring but has now become the focal point of the offense during the team’s undefeated run. He talked about the differences when there are fewer players on the field.

“Football is football,” he said. “There are still hits, and we’re still running the ball and working hard. You still have the soreness the day after the game. The one thing I would say that’s different is running the ball. It’s a lot easier to read the field. It’s so much bigger and wider. So, it does make it a little easier. There are less people running around.”

Sometimes, success can lead to distractions for players as the accolades roll in. Being the fifth-ranked team in the state is a great accomplishment, but Neff and his teammates have bigger goals.

“It’s something that we try not to focus on,” Neff said. “You don’t want to let it go to your head and then overlook a team and have them just pound you because you think you’re so good because you’re ranked in the state. That doesn’t mean anything. If you want to go far, you’ve got to beat the best. It doesn’t matter what ranking you are; you just [have] to keep winning games.”

Neff is looking to put a stamp on his football career with the final week of the season underway. A playoff spot is already secured, and a win over Moravia on Friday would finalize a perfect 7-0 regular-season record.

“I want to make this season memorable,” Neff said. “It’s my last time playing football ever. As a team, our goal is to go undefeated. We’ve got one more game in the regular season to do that. We’re going to keep it rolling in the playoffs. We just have to stay disciplined, keep our heads down, keep doing good in school, in practice and give 110% every play.”

Section IV Postseason Updates

Ithaca tennis doubles partners Caroline Whelan and Elise Park, who were featured in last week’s edition of Tompkins Weekly, won the state qualifier tournament Saturday and will be heading to the State Championships. The Little Red seniors, who both were singles players this season, will be in Schenectady starting Thursday for the tournament.

Lansing girls swimming and diving placed second at the IAC Championships on Saturday, while Dryden placed fifth. Bobcats seniors Cascade Benenati and Zoe Ivery took home individual titles as Benenati won the 100-yard butterfly and Ivery won the 500-yard freestyle.

Ithaca boys and girls cross-country both placed second as teams at the Southern Tier Athletic Conference Championship. Silas Richardson (eighth), Daniel Zawel (ninth) and Laila Lima (10th) all achieved top-10 finishes. The IAC Championships will be taking place Friday.

Lansing volleyball swept Trumansburg on Monday 3-0 to clinch the IAC Large School North Division, going undefeated at 14-0 in league play this season. The Bobcats will play Thomas A. Edison on Friday for the IAC Championship at Tompkins Cortland Community College. It is Lansing’s first appearance in the IAC Championship game since 2009.

Lansing girls soccer will face Unatego in the Section IV semifinals Wednesday evening at Tompkins Cortland. The second-seeded Bobcats are ranked ninth in the state at the Class C level with a 14-2 record. A victory would send the Bobcats to the Section IV Championship game on Saturday in Owego for the first time since 2015.