Norwich knows how to do homecoming, and tonight, the Tornado faithful will enjoy a super-sized celebration thanks to the vision of the athletics department and the help of countless volunteers. Aside from an expanded parade to precede the football game, all of the Tornado varsity sports teams will receive recognition and a grand entrance onto the newly-turfed Ulrich Field. And, by the way, there is a longtime rival ready to meet the NHS gridders – Oneonta – to top off the evening. For those unable to take in the contest in person, Frontier Communications High-Speed Internet subscribers can take in the game on an exclusive webcast by logging on to www.ESPN360.com.

“There is a lot going on,” said Norwich coach John Pluta. Pluta’s Tornado club is coming off what he called a “disappointing loss” to Chenango Forks a weekend ago. The Tornado suffered a pair of costly penalties in the fourth quarter that contributed to two stalled scoring drives in a 14-6 defeat. “We’ve had some pretty tough losses, but our kids are hanging in there and they’ve had a solid week of practice,” he said.