After a disappointing Homecoming loss to undefeated Weedsport Saturday, the Cooperstown football team will try and use this Saturday's crossover season finale game at West Canada as a springboard to success for the 2001 season.

The 38-12 loss to Weedsport in front of a large Homecoming crowd left the Redskins with a 1-6 mark. Cooperstown had asked the section to schedule a game with longtime rival Richfield Springs this Saturday, but Cooperstown head coach Steve Pugliese said league officials felt Cooperstown was a better match with West Canada. Richfield, which lost 48-14 to Richfield Saturday, will host Morrisville Saturday.

"We want to win this football game," Pugliese said. "We have a lot of young players who will be returning next year, and we also want to win for our seniors, who have played hard all year."

Two years ago, Cooperstown used a crossover victory against Richfield Springs in the final game to gain some momentum into the 1999 season, which saw the Redskins gain their first sectional appearance and sectional victory.

"Beating West Canada in West Canada will not be easy," Pugliese said. "They are 3-4 on the year and are a big team. I'm hoping we have a good week of practice and end the season on a high note."

There were few high notes in Saturday's loss to Weedsport. Trailing 21-6 at halftime, Cooperstown took the opening kickoff and drove to Weedsport's 30-yard line before a fumble stalled the drive. Weedsport scored on the ensuing possession to put the game away for good.

"Offside penalties and fumbles have been our Achilles' Heel all year," Pugliese said. "Weedsport was the quicker and harder hitting team, and we missed a lot of tackles."

Junior Brad Hill caught a 7-yard pass from his older brother Ryan for one score, and junior Nate Smith ran in Cooperstown's second touchdown from 12-yards out. Smith was Cooperstown's leading rusher, gaining 57 yards on 10 carries, while Brad Hill had 51 yards on 11 carries and Ryan Hill completed five passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Pugliese said he feels that if Cooperstown is ever going to challenge as a top team in the area, they will need to institute a junior varsity program, which was eliminated several years ago.

"Right now, we have a modified team for 7th, 8th and 9th grades, and we're losing a lot of sophomores who don't want to play varsity because they feel like they won't play," Pugliese said. "So they're either switching to another sport or finding a job. With just 22 or 23 on the varsity, if I have a couple of injuries it makes it tough to practice. If we had a J.V. program, I think you'd see the improvement within a couple of years."