Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 in Review

Oh, what an exciting 2013 it was.  Both on the local scene and on the national stage, there were plenty of memories that will not expire as the calendar turns at Midnight.

The Forgettable

Florida Gators Block Each Other:
It was a forgettable year for Florida Gator football.  But, unfortunately, because of this play, the Gators mishaps in the 2013 season will take a long time to forget.  Voted as "Worst-of-the-Worst" on that cable sports channel for weeks after the play occurred, the offensive linemen involved will never live this down.

Who Wants to Catch This Fly Ball?
Zack Wheeler's second career start was less memorable than the first, but he was let off the hook after this zany play where Daniel Murphy should have been out on a fly ball.  The dropped ball gave the Mets life, but Murphy was left stranded.  Chicago would win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning on a solo walk-off homer.

New York Professional Football

It was a forgettable year for professional football in New York.  The two New Jersey teams saw their seasons end without fanfare, as the Giants kicked off the season with six straight losses.  They won five of their next six as they returned to playoff contention in an NFC East where nobody wanted to take a commanding lead, but then back-to-back teams against West Coast teams nailed the coffin shut on their season.

The Jets season began with news that Mark Sanchez would miss a part of the season with a shoulder injury sustained in their preseason game against the New York Giants. This led to Geno Smith being the Jets prime starting QB, and the rookie's inconsistency led to inconsistent results for the Jets, who couldn't win back-to-back games until the final two games of the season.

Like the Jets, the Buffalo Bills started a newly-drafted Quarterback for much of the season in EJ Manuel.  But Manuel's season consisted of three knee injuries, one that took him out of the final two preseason games and made him an uncertainty for the opening game against the New England Patriots, a second during the Thursday Night Football game against the Cleveland  Browns, and a third towards the end of the season.  There were moments where the Bills showed signs of defeating their playoff-less streak, but by the end, the Bills defaulted to old ways, missing the playoffs and finishing last in the AFC East.

Boston Marathon Bombing
On Monday, April 15th, the world was watching Boston as the traditional Patriots Day marathon took place down the city streets.  By 3PM, the world's reason for watching Boston changed after explosions rocked near the finish line.

No longer was it about the race.  It was about finding out who did this, and why.  By that Friday night, that search concluded as police picked up their suspect alive.

The Memorable

Boston Strong:

One of the most forgettable moments of 2013 led to one of the most memorable moments.  Two days after the 2013 Marathon Bombing, the first sporting event to be held in the city of Boston after the attack led to the crowd consuming Rene Rancourt and taking over the singing of the National Anthem before the Boston Bruins home game against the Buffalo Sabres.

It was one of the best crowd performances of the National Anthem, performed in front of a national stage.

From NESN - PARENTAL ADVISORY NOTE: Contains the uncensored profanity.

Three days later, Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz brought another memorable moment post-bombing as he spoke to the crowd during a pregame commemoration, and during his heart-felt speech let out an obscenity live on the air.

Perhaps using the Boston Strong to inspire them, the Boston Red Sox would win the AL East pennant, and then finished off the season with a 4-2 series win against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.

42

It was the farewell tour this season for the last player to done the jersey number 42, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera.  Through his farewell tour, teams gave him gifts, crowds gave him standing ovations, but one of the best was in the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field when Jim Leyland, not wanting to risk the National League coming from behind to take the lead and voiding any opportunity for Rivera to make it out onto the field, sent Rivera out for the 8th inning following Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline".  Three things made this special: The crowd, the television crew at FOX for letting this air raw without any commentary or graphic, sans the "bug" on the top right corner, and the outpouring of support from players and managers alike.

Section 2: Title Town


How do you top a year where three teams make it to Syracuse's Carrier Dome and two of them win the state championship in Football?  How about a year where FOUR Section 2 teams carry home State Basketball titles (Troy girls, Watervliet, Lake George and Argyle boys), and Section 2 hockey team wins the State Division 1 Hockey championship (Saratoga Springs).  Fort Ann sweeping the baseball and softball titles in Class D, and the Queensbury Spartans coming close, falling in Binghamton in their title chance.  Then in the fall, Burnt Hills came to Glens Falls in an attempt to obtain a Volleyball title, and the Queensbury Cross Country team.  It all culminated in the Queensbury Spartans football team doing something no other team in the local tri-county area had done before, win the state championship in football, and did so in commanding fashion, winning 36-7 over Williamsville North.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

An Interview with UFC President Dana White


Last month, Justin from our sister station, 100.3 The Point, got to conduct a phone interview with UFC President Dana White.  Here's the full seven minutes of his interview.

Special thanks to Justin for letting us post his interview here!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

High School Sports WatchList: Week 3 Weekend 12/20-22

As this is the final weekend of league play for High School Basketball before the Holiday Recess, teams will be wanting to make a statement with a full schedule of Friday night games.  Plus there's some good high school hockey on the docket, too.  Here's the ones we think are the ones you might want to go watch:

Boys Basketball:
Foothills Council
Glens Falls at South Glens Falls - Glens Falls found themselves in troubles after a tough middle, where they were outscored 43-19 in the 2nd and 3rd Quarters against a Gloversville squad that is playing really good ball early in the season.  South Glens Falls might be an exhausted team by the late stages of the game as they will be playing Johnstown on Thursday night to make up the snow-postponed affair from Tuesday.  South Glens Falls is another team who saw 2nd Quarter problems turn into a loss, being outscored 27-13 in that frame against the Hudson Falls Tigers.

Gloversville at Johnstown - As mentioned, Gloversville is playing strong early in the season, and depending on the Thursday game, could be playing a 3-1 Johnstown squad that is wanting something to cheer about after getting demolished by league-favorite Scotia.  Gloversville doesn't see the Tartans until January 7th, and would love to set up an undefeated showdown for the top bragging right in the league.

Adirondack League
Hadley-Luzurne at Corinth - Hadley-Luzurne is one of three teams to score a season-high 63 points against the Argyle Scots.  But like the Fort Ann Cardinals, it was in a losing effort.  But they bounced back with a 72-67 league victory against North Warren. The Corinth Tomahawks's Shippee brothers combined for 26 points in their win over Bolton on Wednesday.  With Hudson Falls over the holidays, and a league contest against Hartford to start the New Year, Corinth would love the momentum of a league win here.

Salem at Hartford - A defensive stand against Lake George, and we'd be talking about the 4-1 Tanagers at this stage.  Joel Wincowski scored a game-winning bucket in the closing seconds as Hartford lost the first of back-to-back games against the top dogs of the Adirondack League.  They took their aggression out on Bolton, outscoring them 48-2 in the first half.  Things were a little closer against Whitehall, but Tad Jones got the job done with his 31 points.  Salem topped Fort Edward, but gave up a lot of foul shots as the Flying Forts gained 27 points at the charity stripe.

Wasaren League
Hoosic Valley at Stillwater - This isn't just a local rivalry.  This is potentially a battle for the top spot in the Wasaren League. Valley's lone loss was against Section 7's Peru, who prevailed 73-59 at Waterford.  Mike Pierre leads the Indians with over 21 points per game, and John Rooney is just under 19 points per game.  Stillwater's blemishes includes a 61-40 league loss to Schuylerville and a 55-29 loss to Spa Catholic.

Girls Basketball
Foothills Council
Hudson Falls at Queensbury - Both teams enter the contest undefeated in league play. Hudson Falls saw their Tuesday game against Scotia get snowed out, rescheduled for January 6th, but saw it's conference schedule start with a 55-42 win over South Glens Falls.  Bri McKinney scored 28 points as she used her depth to score 7 three pointers.  Jillian Davis and Kelly McLaughlin outscored Broadalbin-Perth on Wednesday as the Spartans prevailed 54-13.

Adirondack League
Fort Edward at Fort Ann - The Flying Forts outscored the Salem Generals 34-1 on Wednesday night, easily winning 90-17.  The squad that made it to Troy last year look strong to do the same, but will have to survive an undefeated Fort Ann squad to maintain their spot on the top of the Adirondack League

Boys Hockey - Capital District High School Hockey League
Queensbury at Bethlehem (Fri 7:40p.m.)- The Queensbury Spartans are win-less, but all those games are against non-conference opponents.  Finally back into the warm confides of the CDHSHL, the Spartans look to get points against a hungry Bethlehem Eagles squad.

Rome Free Academy (Sect III) at Saratoga (Sat 4:30p.m.) - Rome is undefeated heading into their Friday night game against Cicero-North Syracuse.  This could be the test the defending state champions need to see how well the 2013-14 Blue Streaks stack against the rest of the state.  After skating to a 3-3 draw against rival Shenendehowa, the Blue Streaks will want to put a strong effort at the Weibel Avenue rink.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Tuesday's High School Schedule

As light snow falls across the tri-county area, some schools are postponing their athletic competitions scheduled for tonight.  Our scheduled first broadcast of the Winter Sports season has already been postponed as the Johnstown Sir Bills will not be making the trek east for their Foothills Council match against the South Glens Falls Bulldogs.

If athletes, coaches and athletic directors know of any cancellations involving their teams, please let us know by tweeting us at @WMML1230.

Below is a list of games that are, as of this writing, still scheduled to be played this afternoon and evening.  As cancellations come in, we'll remove them from our listing.

Boys Basketball
Foothills Council:
All scheduled games have been postponed.

Wasaren League:
All scheduled games have been postponed.

Girls Basketball
Foothills Council
All scheduled games have been postponed.

Adirondack League
Fort Ann at Argyle - 7:00 p.m.
Lake George at Warrensburg - 7:00 p.m.
Salem at Fort Edward - 7:00 p.m.
Whitehall at Hartford - 7:00 p.m.

Monday, December 16, 2013

2013-14 Winter Sports Schedule

The 2013-14 Winter Sports Schedule tips off on Tuesday on 1230 FOX Sports Radio.  Over the course of the next 9 weeks, we will bring you 5 boys basketball and 5 boys hockey games, plus whatever happens in postseason play.

Some of the highlights of our 2013-14 Winter Sports Schedule includes both games of the 2013 Grandstanders Tournament's 2nd Day, when Rye and Beekmantown travel to the Glens Falls Rec Rink to face both local teams.  Plus the annual "Stick Game", where Queensbury and Glens Falls vie for the right to wield the wooden stick, a trophy handed out to the winner each year.

Weather conditions and other factors can cause this schedule to change, so check back as we'll keep you updated with the latest schedule.


Date     Sport                Matchup                                                                       
12/17    Boys BB           Johnstown at South Glens Falls      PPD DUE TO WEATHER                                    
12/28    Boys Hockey     GRANDSTANDERS TOURNAMENT
                                    Rye at Queensbury                                                              
                                    Beekmantown at Glens Falls-Hudson Falls-South Glens Falls
1/8        Boys Hockey     Shaker at Queensbury                                                        
1/14      Boys Hockey     2014 STICK GAME at the Glens Falls Civic Center
                                    Queensbury at Glens Falls-Hudson Falls-South Glens Falls    
1/22      Boys BB           Hartford at Fort Ann                                                              
1/24      Boys BB           Lake George at Argyle                                                         
2/5        Boys Hockey     Shenendehowa at Saratoga Springs                                   
2/7        Boys BB           Scotia at Glens Falls                                                           
2/11      Boys BB           Scotia at Queensbury                                                         

Sunday, December 15, 2013

High School Sports: Winter Recap 12/08-12/14

Foothills Council play begain for all 8 teams in the basketball league on Friday.  It may be early, but we're already seeing teams become threats to still be playing in March.

Meanwhile, in hockey, the section's lone Division 2 team still remains without a win, and the tri-conglomerate team consisting of Hudson Falls, Glens Falls and South Glens Falls players earned a shutout victory on Thursday.

Here's our recap of what happened in local High School Sports for the past week:
Boys Basketball - Foothills Council
Foothills Council fans were treated to a local rivalry when the Queensbury Spartans met up with the Glens Falls Indians at the Blue Gym in Queensbury to kick off the Foothills Council schedule.

Glens Falls used a 17-6 2nd Quarter and then kept the Spartans at bay after they clawed back in the 3rd Quarter to win 61-55 in another close renewal of this tight rivalry.  Jordan Green led the Indians with 26 points, helped with Caleb Canty's 19.

The 2nd Quarter was beneficial for the Hudson Falls Tigers as they beat the South Glens Falls Bulldogs 57-45 for their 2nd win of the season.  Wyatt Gorham scored 18 for the Tigers, who outscored the Bulldogs 27-13 in the 2nd Quarter.  Travis Ramsey scored 16 for the Bulldogs.

Scotia already looks like they're going to be the team to beat in the Foothills after their 71-24 dismantling of the Johnstown Sir Bills.  Austin Riska's 7 points was the most any Sir Bill could drop against the Tartans. Joe Cremo scored 23 points and was supported with Alex Sausville's 19.

And Asa Barnhill and James Scholl put up 17 points each as Gloversville wore out Broadalbin-Perth 57-48.  Gloversville's 2-0, but will get tested when they host Glens Falls on Tuesday.

Boys Basketball - Adirondack League
The Argyle Scots bounced back from their season-opening loss to Hoosick Falls with four consecutive conference wins, including a 93-63 win over Hadley-Luzurne on Friday.  Kobe Lufkin is starting to fill Joey Lufkin's shoes, scoring 25 points to put his season's average to just below 23 points per game.  Lufkin's 19 three pointers this season is tied with Troy Anderson of Waterford for the top spot in Section 2. Before that, Argyle slowed down co-top scorer in Section 2's Tad Jones, holding him to only 14 points in Argyle's 65-51 win.

Speaking of Tad Jones, he scored 47 points against Bolton on Friday as Hartford bounced back from their loss to Argyle with a 79-31 victory.  Josh Persons scored 15 points in the loss for Bolton.

Some have noted the Fort Ann Cardinals as a team to watch out in potentially stopping Argyle as league champions.  They prepped for this Wednesday's showdown with the Scotts with a 70-45 win over North Warren.  Derek Durkee was a perfect 10 for 10 from the free throw line on his way to 25 points for the Cardinals.

After two barn burners, the Lake George Warriors made easy work of the Whitehall Railroaders in their 80-33 win.  Joel Wincowski continued where he left off last year, scoring 30 points in the victory.

Girls Basketball - Foothills Council
Like with the boys, Friday was the start of Foothills Council play for the girls as Scotia and Broadalbin-Perth keep their records clean, Hudson Falls could make things interesting after their win over South Glens Falls.  And the Queensbury girls came away winners over Glens Falls.

Girls Basketball - Adirondack League
Friday will be a big showdown as two undefeated squads meet up in Fort Ann.  Fort Edward, last year's Class D Sectional Champions, will get to see how good their team is when they face the 5-0 Fort Ann Cardinals.  Alexis Thomas scored 18 in Fort Edward's 64-46 win over Corinth.  She leads the Flying Forts with just under 20 points per game.  But she'll be meeting a Cardinal defense that has stopped teams in their tracks, holding two teams to only 10 points for the entire game.  The Cardinals leading scorer, Molly Bailey, scored a game-high 15 points against North Warren on Friday.

Lake George and Warrensburg look to be the teams to watch in the West, and which one of those two will sit on top of the conference will be determined on Tuesday.  Erin Langworthy is a top scorer for Warrensburg, scoring 29 points against Salem on Thursday.

Boys Hockey - Capital District High School Hockey League
The tri-conglomerate of Glens Falls-Hudson Falls-South Glens Falls (Tri-Falls as I call them on Twitter) picked up their first win of the season on Thursday as they shut out the Bethlehem Eagles 4-0.  Chris Haas, Drew Nizolek, Kraid Price and Jared Thomas each scored goals as the Rivermen earned the first two points of the young season.  The Rivermen travel up north to Olympic Arena in Lake Placid next weekend.

However, the Queensbury Spartans couldn't do the same, losing both games of the Salmon River tournament as they lost 3-1 to Massena on Friday, then was shut out against Salmon River on Saturday.  The Spartans are 0-6, however all 6 games they've played were against non-conference opponents.  They will face their first Section 2 opponent of the season on Friday as they travel down to Bethlehem to face the Eagles.

Saratoga Springs pieced together their second league win as they beat Burnt Hills/Ballston Spa 3-0. The Blue Streaks sit on top of the Capital District High School Hockey League with a 3-1 record, which will get challenged this Wednesday when they face the Shenendehowa Plainsmen for the first of two meetings this year.

Other Musings
The 2013-14 Winter High School Sports season kicks off on 1230 Fox Sports Radio this Tuesday as we travel to South Glens Falls as the Bulldogs face the Johnstown Sir Bills in Boys Basketball.  Both teams are searching for their first league win.  South Glens Falls needs the momentum boost badly, as they face Glens Falls on Friday, then face defending Class B Champions Watervliet over the holiday break.  Then after school resumes, they have a Friday night Foothills Council showdown against Scotia.

Travis Ramsey leads the offense for the Bulldogs, scoring 21 points.  He is the lone Bulldog to be averaging better than 10 points per game at this young juncture of the season.  Austin Riska is the leading Sir Bill, scoring 39 points in the 3 games this season.  But his free throw shooting needs work, going 9/19 from the charity stripe.  He's not the lone Sir Bill to convert less than 50% of their free throws, as Jonathan Heroth is 27% from the stripe with 11 attempts.  This could become key in late-game situations.

Broadcast will begin approximately 7:15 p.m. on 1230 FOX Sports Radio with the 1230 FOX Sports Warmup.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Glens Falls Golden Eagles 2014 Schedule unveiled

As temperatures prepare to dip below zero for the first time this winter, here's something to warm you up.  The 2014 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League schedule was released today.

The Glens Falls Golden Eagles will lead off their 48 game regular season at home on June 4th against the Newark Pilots, and conclude their season on July 30th against the Pilots in Newark.  All home games will be played at East Field, and should be 7 p.m. starts unless otherwise noted by the Golden Eagles.

The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League gives college players the opportunity to play baseball during the summer months, and was the launch pad for players like Hunter Pence, who played for the Schenectady Mohawks in 2002.

Complete schedule under the jump:

Thursday, December 12, 2013

NFL Week 15 Picks and Viewing Guide

There's not a strong library of compelling matchups in Week 15.

You've got two games where both competitors will be watching football instead of playing come January.  You've got games where one of the teams needs a pick-me-up after last week.  And you've got teams who would love to head into the last two weeks resting players instead of fighting hard for playoff spots.

Please Note: Picks are for entertainment purposes only, and 1230 FOX Sports Radio/North Country Sports Radio will not be held responsible if you use our picks for other purposes.

Thursday Night Football: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos - on NFL Network - The Denver Broncos could be rather interested in the Kansas City/Oakland game with a win, as a loss by the Chiefs would clinch the west for Payton Manning and the Broncos.  The Chargers are fighting for their playoff lives, as that Week 1 collapse against the Houston Texans is coming back to hurt them now.  But with the home field advantage, the Broncos should have no troubles dealing with the Chargers.

Pick: Denver Broncos

Sunday Games
Early Games
Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants - on FOX 23 (Cable Channel 7) - The Seahawks suffered a setback when the 49'ers showed that home field matters in their 19-17 win last week.  The Seahawks know that the New Orleans Saints are breathing down their proverbial necks and want to make sure the 12th man is on their side come next month.  A big chance comes as the Seahawks play where they hope to be playing come the first Sunday in February as they face the New York Giants.  After getting out of an early-season hole, the Giants have now suffered two losses in their last three games and have now assured them a spot on the outside looking in come next month.  Eli Manning has one more touchdown than he does interceptions in the last 5 weeks, a key stat that could come back to haunt him as the Giants look not to be booed on their own stage.  But knowing East Rutherford, NJ, they'll be regardless.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars - on 1230 FOX Sports Radio, AM1230 - Sportswriters and media members in Western New York mentioned that the Buffalo Bills left their game in Toronto.  It could also be argued that the Buffalo Bills are still on the bye week after suffering back-to-back losses against the #3 and #4 team in the NFC South.  EJ Manuel had the worst game of his professional career against the Bucs, getting picked off 4 times as the Bills as a collective unit looked nothing like the team that shined proudly against the New York Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars are showing that they are trying to fight, winning their last three games.  It will either become a breakout game for Buffalo, or one that will showcase what needs to be fixed come the offseason.

Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins looked confident in September.  Not so much these days. Pick: New England
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts - Houston continues their freefall.  Pick: Indianapolis
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings - After last week's snowbowl, one almost wished the Eagles would be outside again.  Minnesota, however, will be happier indoors.  Pick: Minnesota
San Francisco 49'ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The 49'ers last week proved that they are still a team to watch out for.  The Bucs looked good against Buffalo, but will find the competition harder this time around.  Pick: San Francisco
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns - Quick turnaround for the Bears, who have a QB controversy in the best way possible after last week's sparkling performance by Josh McCown.  Cleveland nearly pulled the upset against New England.  Pick: Chicago
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons - The Redskins are a mess.  Enough said.  Pick: Atlanta

Late Games
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers - on CBS-6 Albany WRGB - The Carolina Panthers had the opportunity to prove themselves as a top contender in the NFC, however all that has been silenced since their double-digit loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.  The New York Jets suffered three straight losses before getting back on track with a win against Oakland.  Geno Smith looked better, but he's been picked off in 8 out of his last 10 games.  And with a stingy Carolina Panthers defense looking for a statement game after last week, it could be a long game ahead for Smith and the Jets.

Pick: Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - on FOX 23 (Cable Channel 7) - Both teams are in the hunt for the playoffs, and a loss may not be disastrous for either squad.  But both teams need a win.  Aaron Rogers remains questionable for the Packers, and it'd be really nice if he was able to return for them to sculpt their playoff bid.  They narrowly beat Atlanta last week, lost to Detroit on Thanksgiving and tied Minnesota.  The Dallas Cowboys defense needs a pick-me-up after allowing Chicago to score on every possession except for the last, which was only halted due to the clock reaching double-zero at the end of the game.  The winner makes their playoff chances stronger.  The loser, gasps for air and holds for help.

Pick: Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - If Denver wins on Thursday, they'll be watching this game exclusively to see whether or not their team can clinch the West.  But unfortunately for the Broncos, the Chiefs play the Oakland Raiders.  Pick: Kansas City.
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans - The Arizona Cardinals look to help their Wild Card potential while the Titans hope to forget what happened to them the last two weeks.  Pick: Arizona
New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams - Although the Saints have a hard time winning away from the Superdome, Drew Brees shouldn't have a tough time fending off the Rams defenders.  Pick: New Orleans

Sunday Night
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers - on Channel 13 - The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they were rolling back into the playoff race, but then back-to-back setbacks against the Baltimore and Miami has put them back into the "In The Hunt" category.  However, the same story happened to Cincinnati earlier in the season - back-to-back losses to those two teams before rattling off three straight wins to be on the verge of a playoff spot.  And remember, these are the Bengals who knocked off New England earlier in the season in a driving rainstorm.

Pick: Cincinnati Bengals

Monday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions - on ESPN - Two 7-6 teams facing different fates face off on Monday night.  Baltimore is hoping for some help by way of the Steelers on Sunday night so they can put pressure on Cincinnati, currently two back of the division leaders.  Detroit has the edge against Chicago, but would like to keep pace with them should the Bears win, or take the outright lead should they lose.  Detroit will be very happy to be back indoors after the 8" snowfest in Philadelphia last week, but that indoor environment did little to aide them as they lost to Tampa Bay three weeks ago.  Baltimore has won four of their last five, with that 5th being a tight overtime loss to the Chicago Bears, to put them in a better position to make the playoffs.

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

Monday, December 2, 2013

Queensbury's Defense Leaps To Title

On the three hour drive, we were talking about the game we were traveling to, and made the comment about how the game will be determined by defense.  Which is to say, Whatever defense made the biggest plays would be the one to emerge victorious.

We found this out 6 1/2 minutes into the game.

Williamsville North deferred the kick to Queensbury, and Queensbury's run-friendly offense found the end zone as Tim Voorhis ran it in on the opening drive, which took 5 1/2 minutes to complete.

Williamsville North was unable to solve the mystery of the Queensbury defense in the opening drive, going three and out.  A bad snap led to Kody Bruno blocking the punt, which was scooped up by Eric Wettersten in for the touchdown to make it 14-0, Queensbury.

Williamsville North was able to figure out the Spartans defense on their next drive, which included several passes from their quarterback, Ryan Majewski, as they tightened up the game with their score to make it 14-7.

After Queensbury expanded on their lead, Williamsville North had an opportunity to make the game closer.  A touchdown would pull them back within 7, with them getting the ball first in the 3rd Quarter.  But as time began to expire, a sack proved fatal as the Williamsville North Spartans were unable to get set before the half.

Then John Irion threw a gadget, as Queensbury started the third quarter by recovering an onside kick.  This may have provided the turning point, as the defense took over.  One of the biggest height differences that the North Spartans tried to exploit was on 5' 8" Tim Voorhis, who was a half-foot shorter than the main receivers for Williamsville North, but countless times the small Voorhis would get the leap he needed to ensure the receivers wouldn't get the catch.

Two interceptions would seal the deal, as the Queensbury Spartans won 36-7 to earn their first title in school history.  It was Coach Irion's 110th win at the helm for the Queensbury Spartans.  Queensbury is the only team from the east to claim a title this year.

The defense for Queensbury was relentless.  Tim Voorhis stopped countless passes, only once getting slapped with a Pass Interference call that was iffy at best.  Erick Wettersten and Brett Rodriguez stopped drives with their fumbles, and Frank Nassivera contributed with sacks and pressure on Ryan Majewski.

All that earns this Queensbury squad the role of the team others will be compared to for years to come.