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The Whitesboro football team will get a second shot in a row at a state title, but it will need to knock off the team that beat it 35-6 last year. Section I champion Somers is chasing its third straight Class A state title. The Tuskers are in their fourth straight state championship, set for 6 p.m. on Friday at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse. Whitesboro is making its third state title game appearance (1996 and 2023). Both teams enter with 13-0 records. Whitesboro ran through opponents during the regular season but the playoffs have challenged the team far more, with a sectional title win by 15, a seven-point win after that then a more convincing 49-21 win over Brighton to get to the title game. “We needed these playoff games,” to face adversity, Whitesboro head coach Curtis Schmidt said. “It all came together for the Brighton game. That was our best game, all three phases of the game against a really good opponent.” But before that, the team was down on the scoreboard early against Corcoran in the section title game and then again against Horseheads. “Which you need to face,” he said. “The kids need to learn how to handle it. The coaches need to learn how to handle it.” And in part because of that, “Now we finally put together a full game effort last week.” When asked what he knows about the team he coached against last year in the dome, Schmidt said: “I know a lot.” He’s watched a lot of video and collected a lot of information, he said. “They’re very good.” The players are always in the right place and there’s no tricking them, he said. “They’ve been here four years in a row for a reason.” The game last year started off perfectly for Whitesboro, but the touchdown that would have given Big Blue such a boost right away was wiped out by a penalty and the team came away from the drive with no points. “If we score first, it’s a different game,” Schmidt said. Still, the defense held and kept it a one-score game deep into the first half. But Somers hit on the big play a few times and got a multi-score lead. “We have to make them drive the football and make them earn their points,” Schmidt said of this time around. “You can’t let up big plays and you can’t turn the ball over, and we did. So we’ll try to control the clock and control the football.” “Last year, although it didn’t turn our way, it helped us,” Schmidt said. “Experience is huge, for the coaches and the players.” The team is about to play its 28th game in the last two seasons, with many contributors on this team there for all of them. “Played a lot of football, played in a lot of big games.” Whitesboro senior quarterback Memphis Ferguson is closing in on 2,000 passing yard, with 1,855 so far and 28 passing touchdowns against four interceptions. He’s also the lead leader with 1,028 yards rushing and 20 TDs on the ground. Senior John Paul DeSantis leads the team with 156 carries and has 719 yards with 11 TDs. Sophomore Connor McDonald has 71 rushes for 726 yards and 13 scores as well as a team-best 30 catches, 709 yards and 12 scores through the air. Ferguson spreads the ball out in the passing game, with 22 passes complete to Mike Hill (363 yards, four TDs), 20 to Jax Hall (433 yards, six TDs) and 12 more to Tyler Thorngren (361 yards, six TDs). The defense has produced a number of turnovers this year — 10 fumbles recovered and 18 interceptions. Hall has five interceptions and Thorngren and Jamir Brooks have three picks each. Somers has replaced Mac Sullivan, the quarterback who led the Tuskers past Whitesboro last year. Now at the helm is Miguel Iglesias, who was a receiver last year, and had three catches for 52 yards and a score against Whitesboro. Schmidt called him an athletic QB. The other two players who produced big offense in last year’s title game are back. Running back Mason Kelly, now a three-year starter, ran 23 times for 94 yards and a TD in last year’s game. Receiver Dean Palazzolo last year had four catches for 154 yards and three TDs, and, according to Schmidt, “is very, very talented and had a big game against us last year.” Defensively, Schmidt said, “They have a really nice scheme. It’s a college-level scheme the way they play it, with their front six.” It took a while last year for Whitesboro to figure it out and adjust to it, the coach said. “We didn’t have all the answers we should have come game time. This year I can confidently say we’re prepared for them.” Added Schmidt on Thursday: “If we can limit their big plays and hold onto the football, we’ll be holding the trophy up tomorrow night.” Watch party The Whitesboro Central School District will host a free, in-person viewing of the game in the high school auditorium for district residents. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.The Future of Gaming: Cony股價 Shakes the Marketnice username 。

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, renowned for his transformation from a modest peanut farmer to a global humanitarian figure, passed away at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. Carter's life was marked by an enduring commitment to diplomacy, human rights, and charitable endeavors, redefining the role of a former president in modern times. The Carter Centre, his foundation aimed at promoting democratic governance and eradicating diseases, confirmed his peaceful passing surrounded by family. As tributes flow in from across the world, current U.S. President Joe Biden hailed Carter as an "extraordinary leader" and "dear friend," highlighting his moral clarity and compassion as enduring traits that set him apart in American politics. Carter's presidency and post-office achievements showcased his profound focus on altruism, whether through mediating international conflicts or building homes with Habitat for Humanity. Despite the challenges faced during his presidency, his legacy is cherished as a testament to the good he inspired globally, leaving a remarkable imprint on history. (With inputs from agencies.)