Analyzing: What we've covered so far...

We are three weeks into the new season of Section 2 High School Football.

Some teams we've seen have emerged to be teams to watch this season.  However, some have elements they need to work on as they continue their 2018 campaign.

Here's some observations from the eight teams I've covered so far in the 2018 season:

Week 1: Mohonasen 28, South Glens Falls 6
Mohonasen - The Mohonasen Warriors won their week 1 match against the South Glens Falls Bulldogs but it was an extremely sloppy game that didn't feel inspiring, especially when you compare how the two teams look at this time of the season.  Especially when countless players went down with cramp issues during the second half of a game that just seemed to drag on.  The Warriors defense got exposed in Week 2 when they gave up 62 points to the Queensbury Spartans, as the Spartans tied a school recorded for points scored.  Jared Stillson has emerged into a player to watch, and while we enjoyed the work Harrison Ford did against the South Glens Falls Bulldog offense on opening night, two players do not complete a eleven man roster. 

South Glens Falls - On a damp night that included a rain shower midway through the first quarter, the Bulldogs looked flat.  Connor Bovair worked well with the passing game for the Bulldogs for the first 9 attempts, going 6-for-9 and scoring a touchdown on the first drive of the game.  But his reliance on the passing game broke apart as the rains began to fall, and without a reliable run game, hampered by graduation, the passing game started becoming predictable for the Warrior defense.  Plus the moisture made the ball harder to grip and resulted in several dropped passes. 

Lake George/Hadley-Luzerne 28, Warrensburg 12
Lake George/Hadley-Luzerne: The War Eagles were slow to get going, but Michael Johnson gave Lake George/Hadley-Luzerne the lead for good when he passed to Logan Duers from 45 yards back.  With Johnson out with cramp issues, the War Eagles showed that they have depth on their roster as Cole Clarke was able to lead the offense in Johnson's absence.  The War Eagles have several weapons on offense, and if they can tighten up their defense, the War Eagles could make things interesting in a competitive Class C North.

Warrensburg: Warrensburg looks good as well, but they didn't have the weapons on defense to slow down the War Eagles when they got going.  Plus, without a strong kicking game, the Burghers gave up good field position to the War Eagles on several occasions, which led to points.  The lack of a strong kicking game won't hurt the Burghers in divisional matches for the most part, but field position can make the difference in key games.

Week 2: Whitehall 33, Fort Edward 20
Whitehall: Whitehall moved the ball well, taking advantage of miscues from the Flying Forts as the Railroaders scored 33 straight points before the Flying Forts were able to answer back with 14 points in the 4th quarter.  The ability to use two different quarterbacks means Rich Gould's playbook is more open than some teams in our area, allowing for some possible option plays between Brandon Bakerian and Moore.  Jake Moore is a specialist for the Railroaders, and will be a player to watch no matter where on offense he lines up.  With the absence of Greenwich and Cambridge from Class D this season, Whitehall seems to be in a very good spot to take Class D, and will be in for a great test to see how strong the team truly is when they host Lake George this week.

Fort Edward: This team doesn't give up.  They're not completely at a level where they can compete with the top teams on the standings, but they will have a decent chance to win a game or two as this season progresses.  Colby Phillips is mixing up the pass and run, and part of that mixing it up was what helped lead to points against the Railroaders.  His accuracy isn't quite there yet, as there were some hard misses to Cameron Sullivan and Brody Sullivan during the course of the game, but the fact that he does this stretches the opponent's defense and keeps them guessing.  There are several seniors on this roster but if these guys are able to restock on the JV level next fall, it'll be fun to see how much Phillips and Brody Sullivan grow.

Week 3: Granville 28, Greenwich 10
Granville: The Golden Horde are starting to emerge out of the basement.  They might not be quite there yet -- this Saturday's game against Cambridge will determine just how much John Irion has progressed with his team.  Nick Andrus has adapted to the John Irion system that results in quick hand-offs pretty well, and has shown a little of his passing game too in the last couple of weeks.  Taylor Bourne can work his feet well and used it to escape some failed tackles by the Greenwich D.  But one of the biggest workhorses for the Golden Horde is Logan Swain, a 200+ pound fullback who moves the pile as he runs, collecting five yard pickups that helps keep the playbook wide open when it comes to second and third down. 

Greenwich: It is so weird seeing the Witches at 0-3 after the success the program has had over the last five or so years.  Some of the issue is the defense, which allowed the Golden Horde to catch fire in the second half.  Plus Jesse Kuzmitch has not equaled his predecessors at the quarterback position just yet.  And that was part of the Witches success over the past several years, a solid passing game that opened the door for a running game that kept defenses guessing.  Kuzmitch is not bad, he is just missing a step or two that would allow the Witches to open up their playbook.  Chris Albrecht gives the Witches an option not a lot of teams have, a kicker who can put points on the board if the Witches have a hard time pounding it in while near the red zone, as his 32 yard field goal showcased on Saturday. 

Bills Football: Bills start the season on WENU, move to WMML in October

The Buffalo Bills will try to make it back-to-back trips to the playoffs when they start their 2018 campaign in Baltimore. 

And again, for the 7th season, Glens Falls will be a part of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network.

We are pleased to announce that 12 regular season games will air live on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM and AM 1230, WMML, starting with the Week 5 home game between the Bills and the Tennessee Titans.  The other four regular season games will be offered on our sister station, CBS Sports Radio 1410, WENU, while the Mets conclude their season on WMML.

In addition, CBS Sports Radio 1410 can now also be heard on FM, at 96.9FM.

John Murphy and Mark Kelso once again will be in the booth for all the games, with Sal Capaccio updating from the sidelines.  Howard Simon will host the pregame show, while Mike Shoop and Chris 'Bulldog' Parker emcee most post-game shows. 

The season begins Sunday as the Bills travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens.  Pregame begins at 11:00AM, with the kickoff commencing at 1:00PM.