The Nate Lull Podcast

Nate travels to Tioga for a special podcast with Tigers Football Coach, Nick Aiello. Tioga won the 2021 NYS Class-D Football championship this fall and Coach Aiello takes us through this hard fought season. The Tigers program has been dominant in Section IV over the past 10 years and we get to peek behind the curtain to see what the recipe for success is.

On this very special podcast episode, Nate heads back to Norwich High School for the second interview in a three-part series. Hear about the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 NHS Boys Basketball teams that won back-to-back state titles. The teams went a combined 56-2 over two years and won a federation title in 92-93 with a perfect record of 29-0. Listen in as Coach Mark Abbott, Assistant Coach Bob Branham and player Drew "Bear" Seiler talk about their favorite memories. The final episode in this series will be released later this winter.

Nate connects with Oneonta grad, Garrett Hassard. They discuss his college volleyball career at SUNY Poly in Utica. Garrett went from never playing volleyball in high school to being a record holder in several categories for the Wildcats program. He is also busy off the court participating in dozens of campus clubs all while holding a full time job. He is a hard worker who is a big inspiration. 

Nate welcomes Schenevus soccer standout, Taylor Knapp to the podcast. Taylor is a junior who just wrapped up a very successful fall season with the Dragons. She was named to the NYS Class-D All-State 2nd Team after stacking up 32 goals and 19 assists this year. They discuss her team's success, her travel schedule and what makes her so passionate about the game.

Nate catches up with 2016 Sidney grad, Dawson Backus. He now works for Hendrick Motorsports as a rear tire changer for some of the best teams on the NASCAR circuit. Hear all about this demanding job and what goes into a perfect 11 second pit stop. The guys also reminisce about the famous hook and ladder play during Dawson's senior football season that propelled the Warriors to the state final four. 

Nate talks running with Delhi Cross Country Coach, Skip Baxter. They chat about the rich XC history at DA including the NYS Class-D championship for the girls team in 2019. That was the 4th state title in program history. Skip tells us how he found his way to Delhi and got into coaching. The guys also highlight several recent DA grads that have gone on to run at the D1 level in college.

Nate sits down with father/son duo, Steve and Scott Hornung. Steve coaches the Schenevus Girls Soccer team and Scott works with the Franklin/Unatego Boys Soccer team. Both won Tri-Valley League championships this fall. The guys discuss many different eras of local soccer including when Steve coached Scott in Sidney. They also talk about marathon running, which they are all passionate about.

Nate is honored to chat with retired longtime SUNY Oneonta soccer coach and athletic director, Tracey Ranieri. A pioneer for women in local coaching, her resume is second to none. Some highlights include talking about her national championship team, her coaching memories and her tireless administration work. A Schenevus alumna, Tracey is a true local success story.

Nate brings SUNY Cobleskill Baseball Head Coach, Lance Ratchford on to the podcast. Lance is an Oneonta High School grad who went on to a very successful playing career at the D2 and D3 levels. His coaching resume includes stops at SUNY Oneonta, Marist and now Cobleskill. He is also an assistant in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League where he mentored Oneonta alum, Teddy McGraw. Their team, the Brewster Whitecaps, won the 2021 CCBL championship.

Nate welcomes Jeff Mlinar from Empire State Takeover back to the podcast. EST is based in Albany and offers high level basketball opportunities for high school girls across New York State and beyond. His showcase and summer league events have become very popular with local players. Jeff's knowledge of Section IV girls basketball is unmatched and the guys discuss the development of several players from around the area as we approach the upcoming high school season.