Meet Our Football Analysts
"Coach" T.D. Smith
Broome County (Southern Tier) Teams Covered: Vestal Golden Bears, Union-Endicott Tigers, Whitney Point Golden Eagles, Windsor Black Knights, and Chenango Forks Blue Devils.
Timothy Dean Smith is the founder and host of the Cover IV Podcast, bringing a lifelong passion for sports and extensive experience as a player, coach, scouting representative, and radio/streaming/TV broadcast analyst to his coverage of Section IV Football.
His athletic background spans multiple sports and levels of competition, from youth athletics through the semi-professional level. This experience, combined with his years in coaching, scouting, and broadcasting gives Tim a unique perspective on the game and the people who make high school football special. Tim currently provides color commentary for Vestal Golden Bears Football, broadcast on the Vestal Athletics Network, where he enjoys bringing the game to life for fans both in the stadium and watching at home.
Away from the broadcast booth, Tim continues to give back to the local sports community as a coach with Vestal Bears Special Olympics.
For Tim, covering Section IV Football is about more than the game. It is about the coaches, student-athletes, families, schools, and communities who make high school football such an important part of life.
Tim is also the founder of First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠, a system he designed to help prevent first-time leader failure. With more than 1 in 2 first-time leaders failing, his system helps organizations self-assess, transform, and certify the Right People to lead your people.
Andrew Legare
Elmira/Corning Area (Western) Teams Covered: Elmira Express, Horseheads Blue Raiders, Thomas A. Edison Spartans, Corning Painted-Post Hawks, Elmira Notre Dame Crusaders, and Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour Schuyler Storm.
Pronounced “La-Gair”.
Andrew has been the Sports Reporter at the Elmira Star-Gazette since 1992. He is an Inductee into the Chemung County Sports Hall of Fame and New York State Softball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Andrew has won more than a dozen national and state writing awards.
Roger Neel
Broome County (Southern Tier) Teams Covered: Binghamton Patriots, Chenango Valley Warriors, Johnson City Wildcats, Maine-Endwell Spartans, and Susquehanna Valley Sabers.
The Sports Voice of the Southern Tier. Roger is from Slippery Rock, Pa. He is a veteran of 47 years of broadcasting in radio and television.
A 1969 graduate of Slippery Rock Area High School where he earned two varsity letters in football and three in baseball.
1973 graduate of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa.
Earned three varsity letters in football and three in baseball.
Starting offensive tackle on Westminster College's 1970 NAIA National Championship Football Team. Head coaches Dr. Harold Burry and Dr. Joseph Fusco inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Named to the 1971 Press All-District Football First Team.
Worked at WJAC Radio in Johnstown,Pa from 1973-1978
Play-by-play radio Voice of the North American Hockey League Johnstown Jets and University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown men's basketball team.
WNBF Radio in Binghamton from 1978-2020. Various positions including Brand Manager, Morning Show Host and Sports Director.
Radio Voice of the American Hockey League's Broome Dusters from 1978-80.
Radio Voice of the American Hockey League's Binghamton Whalers from 1980-1986.
Extensive football play-by-play of Section 4 teams including Chenango Forks, Maine-Endwell and Vestal and their New York State Championship games in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse and The TC Jets and Green Machine semi-pro games on WNBF Radio and New Channels Cable Television.
Radio -play- by-play Voice of Binghamton University men's basketball from 1998-present and Binghamton University softball play-by-play voice from 2022-present on ESPN+.
Binghamton Mets stadium public address announcer for 12 seasons from 1992-2003.
Member of six Halls of Fame including the 2026 induction into the Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame.
Tim Birney
Tioga County Teams Covered: Owego River Hawks, Newark Valley Cardinals, Tioga Tigers, Spencer Van-Etten/Candor Purple Eagles, and Waverly Wolverines.
Pronounced “Ber-Knee”. The original "TB".
Tim was born and raised in the Valley, graduating from Waverly High School in 1984. He earned an Associate's Degree in Journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1986 and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism/Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988.
He began his newspaper career at The Daily Review in Towanda in 1989, before moving on to The Evening Times in 1995. He spent more than 10 years at the Times, the last four-plus as Managing Editor.
In 2009, he launched Valley Sports Report, and has since launched four more sites in the Twin Tiers.
Tim has won numerous awards over the years, including being named the New York State High School Football Coaches Association "Hunter Low Media Service Award" as sports writer of the year.
Skylar Wenzel
Eastern Teams Covered: Sidney Sabers, Norwich Purple Tornado, Oneonta Yellowjackets, Deposit/Hancock Eagles, Greene/Oxford Trojans, Unatego/Franklin/Unadilla Valley Spartans, Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton/Harpursville Bears, Delaware Academy Bulldogs, Walton/Downsville Warriors.
Skylar is a sports broadcaster, former multi-sport athlete, and civil engineering graduate based in Norwich, NY.
With five years of play-by-play and color commentary experience across television and radio, Skylar has called top-tier action ranging from New York state high school championships and Division I college contests to semi-professional games.
His athletic background includes competing in football and basketball at Norwich High School and continuing his basketball career while earning a degree in Civil Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Driven by a passion for the game and a commitment to his local sports community, Skylar uses broadcasting as a platform to give back—bringing live action into the homes of family, friends, and fans who can’t make it to the stands.
He is dedicated to highlighting student-athletes, helping elevate their visibility for college recruiting, and sharing the games he loves with the communities that support them.
Ryan Gineo
Northern Teams Covered: Ithaca Little Red, Newfield Trojans, Lansing Bobcats, Trumansburg Blue Raiders, Moravia Blue Devils, Groton Red Hawks, Dryden Lions.
Pronounced “Gin-E-O”.
Ryan is a play-by-play broadcaster and reporter for ESPN Ithaca Radio.
Originally from Connecticut, Ryan joined the station in 2022 after graduating from Hofstra University with a degree in journalism.
Ryan covers 15 high schools (including 10 football teams) spanning four counties (Tompkins, Cayuga, Tioga, Schuyler).
He has been on the call for over 400 high school broadcasts, including multiple New York State 8-man regional championship games.
He is also the host of "GameDay," ESPN Ithaca's football-centric show airing Saturdays from 10am-11am, breaking down all the gridiron action across the local high school, college, and professional scene.
What else did "Coach" Smith say?
Click the image to listen to the WEBO "Morning Show" Interview
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Cover IV Podcast Marketing Opportunities
The Cover IV Podcast was created for everyone associated with Section IV Football, regardless of role, past or present. Each week, the Cover IV Podcast delivers informative, entertaining, family-friendly football coverage throughout the season.
Select your marketing opportunity to reach the people who follow Section IV Football. Season-In-Progress Pricing applies after the halfway point of the regular season and through the remainder of the season.
