By Mike Wertman<br><a href="mailto:mike.wertman@journal-register.com">E-mail Mike</a>
Tune-up action for this Friday’s season opener shifted into high gear Saturday morning as Medina hosted Wilson, Lew-Port and Alden in a rainy four-way scrimmage at Vets Park.
“I was pretty pleased wit the way things went,” said Medina head coach Eric Valley whose Mustangs visit Cheektowaga at 7 p.m. Friday in the B North Division opener.
“Defensively we had kids flying to the ball and offensively we threw the ball pretty well,” said Valley whose offense is led by senior quarterback Levi Pace, a three-year starter.
The Medina scrimmage had a little additional local interest as Alden is being coached Dick Diminuco who retired as Albion’s football coach and athletic director after last season, which was his 30th at the Purple Eagles helm.
“It’s certainly been an interesting experience after having been in one spot so long,” Diminuco said of his new post at Alden. “It’s fun though. The kids are great, they’re working hard and the administration has been very supportive.”
Albion, under new head coach Tony Osburn, hosted Batavia in a rain soaked session held on the Purple Eagles practice field.
“We got a lot of experience with wet ball hand-offs from the center to the quarterback and the quarterback to the backs so we won’t have to work on that this week,” said Osburn of the soggy playing conditions. “We realty couldn’t execute everything we wanted to with the weather.”
Albion will host Amherst at 7:30 p.m. Friday in an interdivisional opener.
In other scrimmages, Holley traveled to East Rochester and Roy-Hart, under new head coach Chris Smith, was at Barker along with Newfane and Elba/Byron-Bergen in a four-way scrimmage.
Holley will visit Barker at 1:30 p.m. Saturday to open the Genesee Region League season while Roy-Hart travels to Gowanda at 7:30 p.m. Friday for a Class C contest.
