The first two years of the Chad Doolittle era for Trumansburg football have been a resounding success. In 2024, the Blue Raiders won their first-ever Section IV title after beating Moravia in the 8-man championship. The following season in 11-man football, they made it to another championship game where they lost to the eventual Class D state champions Tioga. With a different-looking team this fall, the expectations remain the same.
Not only did the Blue Raiders graduate a significant portion of their starters, they also got a lot younger. The majority of their roster is made up of underclassmen with 13 sophomores out of 25 players. Combine that with only a few Blue Raiders playing the same position as they did last year, it’s certainly been an offseason full of modifications.
“The kids have just hit it hard in the offseason and changed their body type and their ability set to play new positions and give themselves more opportunities,” Doolittle said. “We definitely have a shakeup in terms of who’s going to be in the backfield, who’s going to be on the line, who’s going to be carrying us in special teams, and all sorts of different ways. There’s a lot of work to be done, but we don’t shy away from hard work around here.”
The offseason did not come without its fair share of adversity. Last month, Lucas Vann was seriously injured in a weight training accident and had to be airlifted to Upstate University Hospital. The emergency surgery was a success, and he’s already back on the sidelines assisting in drills during practices. While he won’t be able to play this season, his story is undoubtedly a uniting factor for the Blue Raiders and gives them something even more to play for.
“So it’s great to see him respond the way that he has,” Doolittle said. “He’s not going to let an injury or anything hold him back. He’s really taken the reins of his recovery, and he’s excited to get back to where he was and surpass that level.”
The Blue Raiders graduated a strong chunk of their starters, but there are quite a few notable returners on both sides of the ball. That includes Chris Clarke-Cabezas, whose older brother Aidan was an All-State selection last fall and was one of those star seniors. Clarke-Cabezas was tied for the team lead in sacks last year as only a freshman and caught a pair of touchdown passes. His production is sure to elevate in his sophomore season.
“Chris is just a phenomenal athlete,” Doolittle said. “He has a great work ethic, and he’s just out there for his teammates every play of every day. We are really excited to see what he can do this year. He was an absolute force at defensive end last year. [We’re] definitely having some offensive coordinators scheming around him. We expect that to continue, and we will definitely have him play more of a role on the offensive side of the ball this year, as well.”
As for the returning upperclassmen, senior Caden Doolittle will be in third year starting at the varsity level as a linebacker and is expected to step up on offense. Garrett Besemer, another senior linebacker, will continue to bring a strong sense of mental toughness to the team. Senior captain Logan Hair is one of their most experienced linemen, though is recovering from an injury early on in the preseason.
If the Blue Raiders want to extend their streak of making a Section IV final to four seasons, they’ll have one extra game to win. That’s because the Class D playoffs have expanded from four teams to eight teams: the top two teams in the two Class D divisions plus the four remaining best teams, regardless of division. Doolittle sees no problem with the change in format and welcomes the added challenge that it brings.
“High school football is about giving the kids the maximum opportunity to experience the game,” Doolittle said. “If we can provide a mechanism to get another game for another team… we want to have that happen for as many football players as we can because it’s more than just competition for us. It’s about instilling the life lessons that football brings to several high school athletes. If we can do that, then we’re always going to lean that way.”
It’s set to be a loaded Class D once again with Tioga once again the favorites to come out on top despite a head coaching change. Groton is shaping up to be a contender, while newcomers Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour boasts an experienced squad. While Trumansburg is a younger team, they know what it takes to play for a championship.
“It’s going to take not only the time that we’re putting in on the field, but it’s going to take effort off the field: studying, looking at defensive tendencies, looking at all things related to football,” Doolittle said. “Our group is excited to do it. We just have to make sure that we follow through and we get that done.”
The Blue Raiders begin the season at home against Deposit-Hancock on September 4.
