Moshier: Whitesboro's Schoen staying put

The questions had to be asked.

 

Long-time Whitesboro High School football coach Tom Schoen wasted no time answering both of them.

 

Schoen has been the Warriors’ head coach for 35 seasons. Was this his last? Not a chance. No way. You can bet Schoen and his assistants, Jack Silvestri and Joe Nassif, don’t want to go out like this – with a 4-5 record and an early exit from the Section III Class A playoffs.

 

Schoen, one of the section’s winningest coaches at 201-108-4, certainly wasn’t happy with the way his 35th season ended, but he most certainly will be back, trying to help the Warriors make the Section III playoffs for a 19th straight year.

 

Oh yeah, the other question that needed to be asked, another one the coach answered without hesitation: When was the last time one of his Whitesboro teams finished a season with a losing record? That would be 26 years ago, back in 1982 when the Warriors went 2-5-1.

 

This year’s 4-5 finish, of course, included nonleague losses to two Class AA teams (Rome Free Academy and Section IV champion Binghamton) that at the time were ranked in the state. Ask Schoen, though, and he’ll tell you a loss is a loss. No excuses.

 

Winning has been the football way at Whitesboro, and you can bet Tom Schoen and his Warriors will return next season, with a vengeance.