Honeoye Falls-Lima football faces early test: Top players, things to know for 2023
Ranking the Honeoye Falls-Lima Cougars among the top teams in Section V Class B football is a no-brainer.
There is HF-L's track record that includes a sectional title three seasons ago and two other championship game appearances since 2019. There is the talent, with two 2022 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Football Small Schools Team members back among this year's HF-L Cougars, including quarterback Matt Meacham.
"Our kids are really excited, I think we have built something," HF-L coach John Russ said. "The kids kind of know what the expectations are."
The Cougars are going to see where they stand compared to reigning Section V Class B champion Batavia and 2022 finalist Monroe, early during the regular season.
"We have to perform to keep our tradition of playing for a championship at the end of the year," Russ said.
Meacham, the quarterback of last season's 7-3 season team and a senior, likely will be in the middle of what the Cougars accomplish. He threw a school-record 24 touchdown passes, completed 62 percent of his 169 yards for a school-record 1,812 yards in nine games in 2022.
Andrew Wanzenried joined Meacham on the AGR small schools team. He is back for his senior-year season after catching 12 touchdown passes among 40 receptions for a school-record 833 receiving yards. HF-L's offense also will have a group of running backs to work with, including returning starters Ben Cook and Patrick Donahoe.
Austyn Crego, a two-way lineman with an edge, also is among the six offensive and five defensive starters back with the Cougars, who face Monroe and Batavia during the first three weeks of the season.
"We have to coach the right way, be fundamentally sound," Russ said about the HF-L defense. "We know that these teams are going to have explosive plays.
"We want to keep all off those in front of us. That’s all I preach, do your job."
Honeoye Falls-Lima football at a glance
Head coach: John Russ
Classification: B
Last season’s record: 7-3, lost to Monroe, Section V Class B semifinals
Last Section V championship: spring 2021
Honeoye Falls-Lima football schedule for 2023 season
Saturday, Sept. 2: at Waverly, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 8: vs. Monroe, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 15: vs. Batavia, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 22: Vertus, 7 p.m. at Rochester Community Sports Complex
Saturday, Sept. 30: vs. Geneva, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7: Rochester Prep, 1 p.m. at Rochester Community Sports Complex
Saturday, Oct. 14: vs. Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20: at Wayne, 7 p.m.
Marquee matchups for Honeoye Falls-Lima
Season-openers, most of the time, are eye-openers and the HF-L Cougars could have an experience at Waverly in Section IV or the Binghamton-region. Waverly senior Joey Tomasso might play quarterback on a college team.
The Cougars face Monroe, a team that beat HF-L twice last season, in Week 2. HF-L gets two-time defending Section V Class B champion Batavia the following week, also on the Cougars' homefield.
Honeoye Falls-Lima top returning players
RB Ben Cook, OL/DT Austyn Crego, RB Patrick Donahoe, DT Owen Englert, OL Aaron Fasick, RB Landon Hammond, QB Matt Meacham, LB Alex Steinhoff, WR/DB Andrew Wanzenried
A look back: Honeoye Falls-Lima football
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Honeoye Falls-Lima football 2023 schedule, top players, preview
