It would have been nice to piece together a 30 minute preview for this weekend's quintet of Super Bowl games here in Section 2, but unfortunately, time coupled with a studio that broke this week resulted in a preview that was written down, but never voiced.
No problem. These notes will be put to good use when we broadcast our second Super Bowl in as many years as the Burnt Hills Spartans and the Queensbury Spartans duke it out for the Class A title Saturday night at 7PM (Broadcast: 6:45PM).
Two games are in the books, with one game being a lot closer than I anticipated, and one being a lot further away than thought.
CLASS AA: CBA Brothers [Albany] (9-1) 13, Shaker Blue Bison (8-2) 8
CBA wins their third Super Bowl in school history with their 13-8 victory over last year's champ, the Shaker Blue Bison.
Joe Kolbe was the player of the game, contributing in both of CBA's touchdowns, as he found Ryan O'Hagan for a 70 yard score to get the scoring started, and then entered the end zone himself in the 2nd Quarter to give the Brothers the lead for good.
It's CBA's first title since 2006, when they defeated Colonie 18-0 for the title. The Brothers, after a Regional bye, lost to Monroe-Woodbury 21-0 in the only state tournament game the Brothers played in school history (remember, the state tournament has only existed for 20 years).
CBA's next opponent is either Monroe-Woodbury or Newburgh Free Academy. The two teams will face in the Section 9 Class AA Championship on Saturday night. That winner will host CBA at Dietz Stadium in Kingston next Saturday, November 16th at 7PM.
CLASS C: Hoosick Falls Panthers (10-0) 21, Chatham Panthers (9-1) 8
The Hoosick Falls Panthers are winners of 50 straight Section 2 games, winners of 5 straight Section 2 titles, and winners of their 26th Section 2 postseason game as they beat the Chatham Panthers 21-8.
Hoosick Falls took advantage of turnovers, scoring on two of Chatham's miscues to propel them back into the state tournament.
Hoosick Falls will play Section 10's Ogdensburg Free Academy, who beat Saranac Lake 27-19. The two teams will play at Stillwater Central School next Friday, November 15th at 7PM.
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Two games down, three more to be played. Super Bowl Weekend continues on Saturday as three more sectional titles are up for grabs.
CLASS D: Cambridge Indians (9-0) vs. Rensselaer Rams (8-1) - 1:00PM at Schuylerville Junior-Senior High School
A rematch of Week 6 is on the agenda when the Indians and the Rams meet under the sunlight at Schuylerville Junior-Senior High School on Saturday.
But it will be a different story this time, as the Rams will have Steven Harwood back. Harwood played only the first quarter in the first meeting between the two teams before leaving with an injury.
Harwood is a major contributor to the Rams offense, scoring 13 touchdowns on the ground and 20 touchdowns through the air. His 1,400 passing yards is the best of the remaining quarterbacks in Section 2, and a major reason why Rensselaer trumps most high school programs in the state with a well-balanced run/pass attack, with more passing yards than running yards.
But Cambridge has Ethan English on their side. English has thrown for over 700 yards, including 151 yards against the Rams back in Week 6. Caleb Roland and Christopher Warnke will both be players to watch on the ground, helping fuel the Indians offense as they combine for 30 touchdowns.
The winner of this game will travel north to face the Moriah Vikings. The Section 7 champion shocked the northern tier with their 6-0 win over the Ticonderoga Sentinels, and took care of Tupper Lake to earn the right to play the Section 2 champion up at AuSable Valley next Friday night.
CLASS B: Broadalbin-Perth Patriots (8-1) vs. Schalmont Sabres (9-0) - 3:00PM at Shenendehowa High School
Schalmont's M.O. this season has been to strike early and often. And keep the opposition from scoring. It's been a path for success for the Sabres, even in games where Devon Willis was sidelined either due to illness or injury.
However, the team they scored the fewest against is the team that will be facing them in the Class B Super Bowl.
The Broadalbin-Perth Patriots allowed 21 points in their Week 4 loss to Schalmont, but those 21 was the fewest allowed by any team who had to feel the brunt of the Sabres. Plus, the Patriots remember what happened to Schalmont last year.
It's a recipe that could play into the Patriots favor, who are playing in their first Super Bowl in school history.
Zach Morreale calls the signals for the Patriots, with several options. Andre Taylor, Darius Reyes and Luigi Magliocca are just a few of the options. No player on the Patriots team shouts "Sectional Leader" on the stats sheet, but as a team, they contribute for wins. And the defense has come up big for the Patriots, seizing control in their semifinal against the Cohoes Tigers thanks to interceptions.
But will it be enough to overcome Nick Gallo, Devon Willis and the rest of the Schalmont Sabres? No team has put up more than 8 points against the Sabres, allowing only 24 points all season long. It's a big reason why they have reassured themselves as the team to beat in Class B. With a 2:1 run-to-pass ratio, the Sabres will make sure defenses keep having to guess what the Sabres will throw at them next.
And Schalmont remembers. It's all they've been hearing about the past 53 weeks.
CLASS A: Queensbury Spartans (9-0) vs. Burnt Hills Spartans (8-1) - 7:00PM at Shenendehowa High School
In a way, you have to think Queensbury feels like Glens Falls of last year.
They may have the better record, and are better ranked in the state, but it's the Burnt Hills Spartans who many are picking to win the final Super Bowl match of the year.
A lot of that comes down to how the first meeting ended.
A missed extra point turned what could have been overtime for the two teams into a Queensbury win, surviving a 14 point deficit against what was the #1 team in the state at that time and winning 28-27. Head coach John Irion noted that when Burnt Hills scored the touchdown, his plan turned into what they were going to do in the overtime session.
Yet, it never happened. Queensbury used that game to propel them into the #1 seed, which came up huge last week as Queensbury used their home advantage last week against the Amsterdam Rugged Rams, putting a season-high 59 points on the board and were comfortably able to swap out their starters for backups in the 4th Quarter. Burnt Hills, on the other hand, had to travel to Troy and play a full 48 minute game, surviving a surge by the Flying Horses in their 24-19 win.
Burnt Hills has a strong run attack, but they help aid it with a passing game. Josh Quesada will be a marked man by the Queensbury defense, accounting for 22 trips to the end zone for the B-Spartans. Daniel Maynard has become more of a runner as the season progressed, chewing up 135 yards on the ground last week against Troy. Maynard's transition to a runner comes thanks to John Clayton's growth as a quarterback. Clayton's first varsity game came against Queensbury, and it's safe to say that Clayton has developed since that game.
Queensbury stopped the run attack of Burnt Hills in the first meeting, but might need to watch Clayton's arm in this game. Queensbury has a strong defense, coming up big when they needed a stop, but has also been open to short pass gains, especially in hurry-up situations.
Queensbury's offense is heavy on the run. The run outgains their pass by a 24:1 ratio, offering teams little surprise to what the Spartans will do on offense. However, what usually makes things difficult for the opposition is knowing who will carry the ball. Queensbury works in the double-wing, and regularly executes double hand-offs before pushing through the line into the secondary. If that wasn't enough, the Spartans also have 6 regular ball carriers. Brett Rodriguez will see some carries, but too will Kody Bruno, Phil Wettersten, Kalen Minot, Tim Voorhis and Chris Goudy. The many back options is a big reason why the Spartans do not have a player over 1,000 yards.
This game could easily turn into a shootout. But it could also turn into one of the legendary games that gets included in The Post Star's list compiled by Pete Tobey.
Showing posts with label Broadalbin-Perth Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Broadalbin-Perth Patriots. Show all posts
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
High School Week 5: Let's get ready for the weekend!
Time to see what we've learned as we roll closer to Sectionals.
CLASS AA
SCORES:
Guilderland 29, Shenendehowa 22
Saratoga 45, Bethlehem 14
CBA 42, Ballston Spa 0
Albany 34, Fowler (Section III) 16
Schenectady 34, Colonie 28
La Salle 41, Niskayuna 14
Shaker 35, Columbia 0
Analysis: Guilderland is now the lone undefeated team in Class AA after beating Shenendehowa. But they cannot celebrate a divisional title just yet, as they finish the season with games against CBA (4-1) and Saratoga Springs (4-1). A loss to either of those teams could help other teams vying for a title, including the team they lost to.
Shenendehowa faces Saratoga Springs this week, but gets to finish the season hosting Bethlehem. Of the three 4-1 teams in the division, they have the easiest schedule, as both Saratoga Springs and CBA have two 4-1 teams to finish their seasons.
After Guilderland this week, CBA will finish their season with a non-divisional game against 4-1 LaSalle. Meanwhile, congratulations to Albany, who won their first game of the season over Section 3's Fowler. The win's nice, but Albany's two wins the last couple years have come against teams not in Section 2's Class AA. Last year's win that ended a couple dozen straight losses was to Class A's South Glens Falls.
In the Liberty division, Shaker is undefeated in divisional play, but 4-1 after their loss to Guilderland the other week. They face Schenectady this week in a rematch of the Sectional Semifinals last year where Schenectady appeared to score the game-tying touchdown with seconds left in the game, but the referees ruled he was down before crossing the plane. Then Shaker finishes the season with the Colonie Cup at Colonie High.
LaSalle has a 4-1 record, with their one loss being against division-leading Shaker. That gives Shaker the tiebreaker should LaSalle and Shaker finish on even ground record-wise. LaSalle will play Colonie this week as Colonie tries to save their divisional title hopes.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Shenendehowa (4-1) at Saratoga Springs (4-1): Both teams need a win to give themselves a chance for the divisional title, both a game behind Guilderland. The battle for playoff seedings will emphasize this year's rivalry between these two teams separated by 15 miles.
Guilderland (5-0) at CBA (4-1): CBA wants to stay in the discussion for the divisional title, and Guilderland wants to keep themselves ahead of the pack heading into their season-ending match against the Blue Streaks.
Schenectady (3-2) at Shaker (4-1): Schenectady returns to the scene of their Sectional Semifinal loss last year as noted above, but come into this game clinging onto the final playoff spot of the Liberty division. Beating the Blue Bison will not only give them gratification for last year, but will help keep them in position to make the playoffs after it appeared two weeks ago like they were going to miss this year.
CLASS A
SCORES:
Queensbury 48, Amsterdam 28
Burnt Hills 60, South Glens Falls 14
Gloversville 49, Bishop Maginn 14
Averill Park 40, Mohonasen 13
Troy 28, Ravena (B) 14, final
Analysis: Queensbury's 48-28 win over the Rugged Rams guarantees the Spartans of the #1 seed in the Northwest Division. The Spartans play a non-divisional game against Class AA's Columbia this Friday, and then wraps up the season with Gloversville next week. That means the Spartans can do no worse than 3-1 in the division, and should they find themselves on equal footing with either Burnt Hills or Amsterdam, Queensbury has the tie-breaker, having beat both teams.
Burnt Hills and Amsterdam enter Week 6 with one divisional loss each, but it's guaranteed that one of those two teams will suffer their second divisional loss this week as the two teams face each other at Burnt Hills.
Both Gloversville and South Glens Falls are winless in the division, and will square off with each other. The only chance South Glens Falls has to make the playoffs is to beat Gloversville, otherwise they will travel to Amsterdam next week already out.
In the Southeast, Troy and Averil Park square off this Friday with the division up for grabs. Both teams are undefeated in divisional play, with Troy bouncing back nicely from their first two games of the season with wins against Amsterdam and Class B's Ravena.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Amsterdam (3-2) at Burnt Hills (4-1): The difference between playing at home or away in Week 8 is up for grabs when these two Super Bowl finalists from last year meet in Burnt Hills on Saturday. The winner of this game will be guaranteed the #2 seed, and will host the Southeast Division's #3 seed, likely Bishop Maginn, in the Sectional Quarterfinals. The loser will likely find themselves to be the #3 seed, and will have to travel to either Troy or Averil Park.
Troy (3-2) at Averil Park (4-1): The Southeast is up for grabs when these two teams meet this Friday. Troy has bounced back from their back-to-back losses to both Spartans to kick off the 2013 season. Averil Park's lone loss was non-divisional as well, with Amsterdam claiming victory over the Warriors in a game where 100 total points were scored.
In addition, the bottom rungs of the ladder will get sorted when the Bishop Maginn Griffins (1-4) travel to Mohonasen (1-4), and Gloversville (2-3) tries to spoil South Glens Falls's (0-5) homecoming this weekend. All four teams are winless in divisional play. For South Glens Falls, this may be their last chance to make the playoffs, with the Amsterdam Rugged Rams waiting in Week #7.
CLASS B
SCORES:
Cohoes 38, Green Tech 14
Lansingburgh 48, Hudson 14
Broadalbin-Perth 34, Glens Falls 18
Johnstown 35, Hudson Falls 7
Albany Academy 47, Ichabod Crane 0
Scotia 34, Schuylerville 6
Schalmont 27, Cobleskill 0
Analysis: The Reinfurt division is a mess, and that mess makes for some great drama for these closing two weeks. There are FIVE teams wielding a 3-2 record after Week 5, and THREE of them carry a lone loss in divisional play. Cohoes, Ravena and Lansingburgh are those three single-loss teams, and one of those three is guaranteed to get their second divisional loss this week when Ravena and Lansingburgh meet. Cohoes travels to Hudson.
But Albany Academy and Green Tech are still in the hunt. Albany Academy will watch and see what their divisional opponents do on Friday night before going on a road trip to Section 3's Jamesville-Dewitt on Saturday. Green Tech will be in Valatie this week to face Ichabod Crane.
Week 7 will be interesting, with four of these five top teams facing each other. Albany Academy will face Lansingburgh to conclude their season, and Green Tech hosts Ravena.
Meanwhile, Glens Falls's playoff chances took a bad turn with their 34-18 loss to Broadalbin-Perth in a game where they allowed 27 unanswered points after leading 18-7 in the 2nd Quarter. The Indians aren't out, but their loss combined with Scotia's 34-6 loss to Schuylerville places the Indians in 5th place. Since the Indians and the Tartans meet next week, a win this week will make next week's match a "Win and you're in" game for the two.
But the Tartans are playing good football right now, and faces a Cobleskill team that was shut out by the Schalmont Sabres. A win by Scotia coupled by a Jug Game loss by the Indians would decrease the importance of next week's game, as the Indians will then find themselves out for the first time since 1998.
Schalmont has clinched the division's #1 seed, and face Johnstown and Hudson Falls to conclude their season. Johnstown still has a chance at the playoffs, but first needs to find a way to stop the Sabres, and second need some help as they do not have the tie-breaker over Scotia. The Tigers, with last week's loss, are out and will be playing for team pride these next two weeks.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Lansingburgh (3-2) at Ravena (3-2): Every game in the Reinfurt matters, and the winner of this game gets a leg up heading into the final week. Both are tied for the top spot in the division, both regular-season record and divisional record. And with both teams facing fellow 3-2 record-holders next week to wrap up the season, having that momentum will be critical.
CLASS C
SCORES:
Corinth 25, Tamarac 23
Granville 56, Catholic Central 0
Hoosick Falls 35, Stillwater 0
Mechanicville 54, Cairo-Durham 14
Chatham 44, Fonda 14
Voorheesville 34, Taconic Hills 6
Watervliet 56, Coxsackie 14
Analysis: If you were waiting to see any other team besides Hoosick Falls and Chatham step up as favorites to play in Week 10, you're running out of chances. Both teams rolled, leaving them as the last undefeated teams in Class C.
Corinth would have been undefeated had they not suffered that Week 2 loss to Granville. The Tomahawks will have a tough schedule to finish the regular season - Friday vs. Mechanicville and next Friday against Hoosick Falls.
Fonda was the last major obstacle for Chatham and they easily disposed of them with a 44-14 victory. Watervliet gave themselves the edge should they and Coxsackie-Athens tie for the 4th and final playoff spot, as their 56-14 win gives them the tiebreaker.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Mechanicville (4-1) at Corinth (4-1): The first of two big tests for the Tomahawks begin this evening as they host Mechanicville. Both carry a 3-1 divisional record, and should Mechanicville win, it will officially clinch the #1 seed for the Hoosick Falls Panthers. However, a Corinth win will make next Friday's home game against the Panthers a whole lot more interesting, with first place on the line.
CLASS D
SCORES:
Cambridge 46, Bishop Gibbons/Spa Catholic 0
Greenwich 42, Whitehall 7
Warrensburg 26, Lake George 24
Canajoharie 40, Schoburg 0
Rensselaer 0, Hoosic Valley forfeit
Fort Edward 0, Salem forfeit
Analysis: The North is pretty much settled at the top. Greenwich's 42-7 win over the Whitehall Railroaders gives them the edge. Now all they have to do is to win at Warrensburg this Saturday and they will have clinched the #1 seed. The Burgers season looked like it was in trouble after their 53-0 loss to Salem in week three, but Coach Mike Leonbruno has done a good job getting the team settled as they rebounded nicely with wins at Fort Edward and last week's huge last-second win over the Lake George Warriors.
Whitehall and Warrensburg will settle that #2 and #3 seed in Week 7 (12:45PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio), and Salem and Fort Edward are tied right now for that final position. The forfeit win for the Flying Forts was something they'd prefer to earn on the field, but that forfeit keeps them in the playoff chase as they host Lake George this weekend (12:45PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio).
Meanwhile, the south's #1 will get decided this week when Rensselaer faces Cambridge. Last year the two schools met on neutral field after extended periods of rain forced the game to be moved from Cambridge to Stillwater. In that game, Cambridge rolled to an early lead on their way to claiming the #1 seed, but showed some vulnerabilities late that would come back to haunt them in their Week 9 loss to Salem.
Canajoharie's 40-0 win over Schoburg gives them the edge for the #3 seed, but still could find themselves propelled to the #2 seed should Rensselaer lose back-to-back games to close their regular season, as the two teams meet in Week 7. Schoburg can clinch the last spot this week with a win over Bishop Gibbons/Spa Catholic, and they're going to want to do it this week as they face Cambridge to close the season next week.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Cambridge (5-0) at Rensselaer (5-0): As mentioned above, this game settles who will be the #1 seed come Week 8. If Rensselaer wins, it will settle both the 1 and 2 seeds, as Cambridge already has the win over Canajoharie for the tiebreaker, but if Cambridge wins, it will make next week's Rensselaer vs. Canajoharie game a battle for a home-field seed.
In addition, the Whitehall (3-2) vs. Salem (2-3) and Greenwich (4-1) vs. Warrensburg (2-3) games bear watching. A loss by the Witches in the shadows of the Adirondacks will make things interesting in Class D North. A win by the Generals will put more pressure on the Lake George/Fort Edward match.
OVERALL:
There's a lot of football still to be played. Most teams are still in the hunt, but those who aren't are still fighting for pride. Buckle up... it's going to be a wild two weeks.
CLASS AA
SCORES:
Guilderland 29, Shenendehowa 22
Saratoga 45, Bethlehem 14
CBA 42, Ballston Spa 0
Albany 34, Fowler (Section III) 16
Schenectady 34, Colonie 28
La Salle 41, Niskayuna 14
Shaker 35, Columbia 0
Analysis: Guilderland is now the lone undefeated team in Class AA after beating Shenendehowa. But they cannot celebrate a divisional title just yet, as they finish the season with games against CBA (4-1) and Saratoga Springs (4-1). A loss to either of those teams could help other teams vying for a title, including the team they lost to.
Shenendehowa faces Saratoga Springs this week, but gets to finish the season hosting Bethlehem. Of the three 4-1 teams in the division, they have the easiest schedule, as both Saratoga Springs and CBA have two 4-1 teams to finish their seasons.
After Guilderland this week, CBA will finish their season with a non-divisional game against 4-1 LaSalle. Meanwhile, congratulations to Albany, who won their first game of the season over Section 3's Fowler. The win's nice, but Albany's two wins the last couple years have come against teams not in Section 2's Class AA. Last year's win that ended a couple dozen straight losses was to Class A's South Glens Falls.
In the Liberty division, Shaker is undefeated in divisional play, but 4-1 after their loss to Guilderland the other week. They face Schenectady this week in a rematch of the Sectional Semifinals last year where Schenectady appeared to score the game-tying touchdown with seconds left in the game, but the referees ruled he was down before crossing the plane. Then Shaker finishes the season with the Colonie Cup at Colonie High.
LaSalle has a 4-1 record, with their one loss being against division-leading Shaker. That gives Shaker the tiebreaker should LaSalle and Shaker finish on even ground record-wise. LaSalle will play Colonie this week as Colonie tries to save their divisional title hopes.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Shenendehowa (4-1) at Saratoga Springs (4-1): Both teams need a win to give themselves a chance for the divisional title, both a game behind Guilderland. The battle for playoff seedings will emphasize this year's rivalry between these two teams separated by 15 miles.
Guilderland (5-0) at CBA (4-1): CBA wants to stay in the discussion for the divisional title, and Guilderland wants to keep themselves ahead of the pack heading into their season-ending match against the Blue Streaks.
Schenectady (3-2) at Shaker (4-1): Schenectady returns to the scene of their Sectional Semifinal loss last year as noted above, but come into this game clinging onto the final playoff spot of the Liberty division. Beating the Blue Bison will not only give them gratification for last year, but will help keep them in position to make the playoffs after it appeared two weeks ago like they were going to miss this year.
CLASS A
SCORES:
Queensbury 48, Amsterdam 28
Burnt Hills 60, South Glens Falls 14
Gloversville 49, Bishop Maginn 14
Averill Park 40, Mohonasen 13
Troy 28, Ravena (B) 14, final
Analysis: Queensbury's 48-28 win over the Rugged Rams guarantees the Spartans of the #1 seed in the Northwest Division. The Spartans play a non-divisional game against Class AA's Columbia this Friday, and then wraps up the season with Gloversville next week. That means the Spartans can do no worse than 3-1 in the division, and should they find themselves on equal footing with either Burnt Hills or Amsterdam, Queensbury has the tie-breaker, having beat both teams.
Burnt Hills and Amsterdam enter Week 6 with one divisional loss each, but it's guaranteed that one of those two teams will suffer their second divisional loss this week as the two teams face each other at Burnt Hills.
Both Gloversville and South Glens Falls are winless in the division, and will square off with each other. The only chance South Glens Falls has to make the playoffs is to beat Gloversville, otherwise they will travel to Amsterdam next week already out.
In the Southeast, Troy and Averil Park square off this Friday with the division up for grabs. Both teams are undefeated in divisional play, with Troy bouncing back nicely from their first two games of the season with wins against Amsterdam and Class B's Ravena.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Amsterdam (3-2) at Burnt Hills (4-1): The difference between playing at home or away in Week 8 is up for grabs when these two Super Bowl finalists from last year meet in Burnt Hills on Saturday. The winner of this game will be guaranteed the #2 seed, and will host the Southeast Division's #3 seed, likely Bishop Maginn, in the Sectional Quarterfinals. The loser will likely find themselves to be the #3 seed, and will have to travel to either Troy or Averil Park.
Troy (3-2) at Averil Park (4-1): The Southeast is up for grabs when these two teams meet this Friday. Troy has bounced back from their back-to-back losses to both Spartans to kick off the 2013 season. Averil Park's lone loss was non-divisional as well, with Amsterdam claiming victory over the Warriors in a game where 100 total points were scored.
In addition, the bottom rungs of the ladder will get sorted when the Bishop Maginn Griffins (1-4) travel to Mohonasen (1-4), and Gloversville (2-3) tries to spoil South Glens Falls's (0-5) homecoming this weekend. All four teams are winless in divisional play. For South Glens Falls, this may be their last chance to make the playoffs, with the Amsterdam Rugged Rams waiting in Week #7.
CLASS B
SCORES:
Cohoes 38, Green Tech 14
Lansingburgh 48, Hudson 14
Broadalbin-Perth 34, Glens Falls 18
Johnstown 35, Hudson Falls 7
Albany Academy 47, Ichabod Crane 0
Scotia 34, Schuylerville 6
Schalmont 27, Cobleskill 0
Analysis: The Reinfurt division is a mess, and that mess makes for some great drama for these closing two weeks. There are FIVE teams wielding a 3-2 record after Week 5, and THREE of them carry a lone loss in divisional play. Cohoes, Ravena and Lansingburgh are those three single-loss teams, and one of those three is guaranteed to get their second divisional loss this week when Ravena and Lansingburgh meet. Cohoes travels to Hudson.
But Albany Academy and Green Tech are still in the hunt. Albany Academy will watch and see what their divisional opponents do on Friday night before going on a road trip to Section 3's Jamesville-Dewitt on Saturday. Green Tech will be in Valatie this week to face Ichabod Crane.
Week 7 will be interesting, with four of these five top teams facing each other. Albany Academy will face Lansingburgh to conclude their season, and Green Tech hosts Ravena.
Meanwhile, Glens Falls's playoff chances took a bad turn with their 34-18 loss to Broadalbin-Perth in a game where they allowed 27 unanswered points after leading 18-7 in the 2nd Quarter. The Indians aren't out, but their loss combined with Scotia's 34-6 loss to Schuylerville places the Indians in 5th place. Since the Indians and the Tartans meet next week, a win this week will make next week's match a "Win and you're in" game for the two.
But the Tartans are playing good football right now, and faces a Cobleskill team that was shut out by the Schalmont Sabres. A win by Scotia coupled by a Jug Game loss by the Indians would decrease the importance of next week's game, as the Indians will then find themselves out for the first time since 1998.
Schalmont has clinched the division's #1 seed, and face Johnstown and Hudson Falls to conclude their season. Johnstown still has a chance at the playoffs, but first needs to find a way to stop the Sabres, and second need some help as they do not have the tie-breaker over Scotia. The Tigers, with last week's loss, are out and will be playing for team pride these next two weeks.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Lansingburgh (3-2) at Ravena (3-2): Every game in the Reinfurt matters, and the winner of this game gets a leg up heading into the final week. Both are tied for the top spot in the division, both regular-season record and divisional record. And with both teams facing fellow 3-2 record-holders next week to wrap up the season, having that momentum will be critical.
CLASS C
SCORES:
Corinth 25, Tamarac 23
Granville 56, Catholic Central 0
Hoosick Falls 35, Stillwater 0
Mechanicville 54, Cairo-Durham 14
Chatham 44, Fonda 14
Voorheesville 34, Taconic Hills 6
Watervliet 56, Coxsackie 14
Analysis: If you were waiting to see any other team besides Hoosick Falls and Chatham step up as favorites to play in Week 10, you're running out of chances. Both teams rolled, leaving them as the last undefeated teams in Class C.
Corinth would have been undefeated had they not suffered that Week 2 loss to Granville. The Tomahawks will have a tough schedule to finish the regular season - Friday vs. Mechanicville and next Friday against Hoosick Falls.
Fonda was the last major obstacle for Chatham and they easily disposed of them with a 44-14 victory. Watervliet gave themselves the edge should they and Coxsackie-Athens tie for the 4th and final playoff spot, as their 56-14 win gives them the tiebreaker.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Mechanicville (4-1) at Corinth (4-1): The first of two big tests for the Tomahawks begin this evening as they host Mechanicville. Both carry a 3-1 divisional record, and should Mechanicville win, it will officially clinch the #1 seed for the Hoosick Falls Panthers. However, a Corinth win will make next Friday's home game against the Panthers a whole lot more interesting, with first place on the line.
CLASS D
SCORES:
Cambridge 46, Bishop Gibbons/Spa Catholic 0
Greenwich 42, Whitehall 7
Warrensburg 26, Lake George 24
Canajoharie 40, Schoburg 0
Rensselaer 0, Hoosic Valley forfeit
Fort Edward 0, Salem forfeit
Analysis: The North is pretty much settled at the top. Greenwich's 42-7 win over the Whitehall Railroaders gives them the edge. Now all they have to do is to win at Warrensburg this Saturday and they will have clinched the #1 seed. The Burgers season looked like it was in trouble after their 53-0 loss to Salem in week three, but Coach Mike Leonbruno has done a good job getting the team settled as they rebounded nicely with wins at Fort Edward and last week's huge last-second win over the Lake George Warriors.
Whitehall and Warrensburg will settle that #2 and #3 seed in Week 7 (12:45PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio), and Salem and Fort Edward are tied right now for that final position. The forfeit win for the Flying Forts was something they'd prefer to earn on the field, but that forfeit keeps them in the playoff chase as they host Lake George this weekend (12:45PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio).
Meanwhile, the south's #1 will get decided this week when Rensselaer faces Cambridge. Last year the two schools met on neutral field after extended periods of rain forced the game to be moved from Cambridge to Stillwater. In that game, Cambridge rolled to an early lead on their way to claiming the #1 seed, but showed some vulnerabilities late that would come back to haunt them in their Week 9 loss to Salem.
Canajoharie's 40-0 win over Schoburg gives them the edge for the #3 seed, but still could find themselves propelled to the #2 seed should Rensselaer lose back-to-back games to close their regular season, as the two teams meet in Week 7. Schoburg can clinch the last spot this week with a win over Bishop Gibbons/Spa Catholic, and they're going to want to do it this week as they face Cambridge to close the season next week.
GAME(S) TO WATCH:
Cambridge (5-0) at Rensselaer (5-0): As mentioned above, this game settles who will be the #1 seed come Week 8. If Rensselaer wins, it will settle both the 1 and 2 seeds, as Cambridge already has the win over Canajoharie for the tiebreaker, but if Cambridge wins, it will make next week's Rensselaer vs. Canajoharie game a battle for a home-field seed.
In addition, the Whitehall (3-2) vs. Salem (2-3) and Greenwich (4-1) vs. Warrensburg (2-3) games bear watching. A loss by the Witches in the shadows of the Adirondacks will make things interesting in Class D North. A win by the Generals will put more pressure on the Lake George/Fort Edward match.
OVERALL:
There's a lot of football still to be played. Most teams are still in the hunt, but those who aren't are still fighting for pride. Buckle up... it's going to be a wild two weeks.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy after 34-18 loss.
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The game started with promise for the Indians, who recovered an onside kick, which lead to Zach Infield passing to Colin Duell for the 9 yard score. But the two point conversion was no good.
The very next play, Mike Visco made the Indians pay for kicking to him as he ran the ball about 86 yards to the end zone for the score. Getting free for the touchdown was easy for Visco, a track and field star for the Patriots who got a wide-open lane in the middle and made his way towards the near sideline for the score. The extra point would give the Patriots the 7-6 lead.
In the second quarter, Quentin Austin rolled with the option to Nate Plocharczyk for the 22 yard score to give the Indians the 12-7 lead.
Quentin Austin would find the end zone with his feet about two minutes later as he ran in for a 3 yard score to widen the Indians lead to 18-7.
But the Patriots bounced back, and Tyler Schmidt scored from 30 yards out to close the gap to 18-14. The Indians would move the ball on the ensuing drive to within the Broadalbin-Perth 30, but Zach Infield then was picked off by Visco to end the Indians threat. After a three-and-out, the Indians got the ball back with great field position, but with less than 50 seconds left, Infield's pass to Plocharczyk was called back for pass interference after he pushed off for the completion.
The Indians then let the clock run out to end the half.
In the third quarter, the Indians moved the ball well, but could not finish what they started as they would turnover on downs on the first possession after the half. Darius Reyes would rush for a 16 yard score to give the Patriots the 20-18 lead.
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Reyes would chase after Infield, and knocked the ball free, then scooped up the fumble and took it back 72 yards for the score. The PAT would give the Patriots a 9 point lead. The Indians moved the ball back into Broadalbin-Perth territory, but would get stopped at around the 35 yard line. This allowed the Patriots to run down the clock, and then connected on a Zach Morreale to Luigi Magliocca six yard pass to widen the gap to 33-18. The extra point was good, and the Patriots walked out of Glens Falls with the 34-18 win.
It was the second straight loss for the Glens Falls Indians, and the third they've suffered this year. With Scotia's win over Schuylerville, and Johnstown's win over Hudson Falls, the Indians now find themselves a game behind Scotia for the fourth and final playoff spot, tied with Johnstown for 5th in the division. The last time the Indians failed to make the playoffs was in 1998, when a 5-2 Foothills Council record wasn't enough as Gloversville edged the Indians for the Class A Sectionals.
The Broadalbin-Perth Patriots improved to 4-1 on the season, and with Cobleskill losing to Schalmont, the Patriots now are alone in second place in the division, however the two teams still have to face each other.
The Indians travel to Hudson Falls for the Jug Game on Saturday at Moran Field. The Patriots are at Schuylerville, where they will face the Black Horses.
Note: Any published statistics here are considered unofficial and should not be used for official record-keeping.
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