Power Eight - Week #3

Now until the end of the season, we're going to give you our thoughts who the top 8 teams of each classification is, with one exception.

In Class D, because only four teams will make the playoffs, we will limit that classification to four teams instead of eight.

We will post a new list every Thursday.

Thoughts from the Press Box: Kingston Musings

Last year, Cornwall made Queensbury fans sweat as Tyler Peddie was able to make it in to claw the Dragons within a point of the Spartans.

Especially when they went for two.

Mitchel Crispens batted the ball away and Queensbury was one step closer to their first state title.

This year, Cornwall made Queensbury sweat in a great renewal of a game between two teams that deserved to advance to the Dome.

This time, Queensbury came up with the defensive stops when they needed it most, and they were able to win 28-21 to advance to this Sunday's game at the Dome.

It was a game Queensbury really needed.  Very few times this season would Queensbury be required to give their starters a full 48 minute game.  Outside of the Scotia game in Week 9, the outcome wasn't really in doubt in any of their games entering the fourth quarter.  Some games were closer than others, but for the most part, Queensbury had a cushion entering the final frame.

But here, like last year, Cornwall forced Queensbury to have to play a full game with their #1 crew on the field.  It showed that the Spartans have the agility to play four full quarters if they need to.

It would seem like that's a minor thing, but when you get deeper into the tournament, and the teams get stronger, there lies the lingering question of whether or not a team will start to crumble the closer the clock reads 0:00 in the fourth quarter.

Queensbury didn't here.  And because of that, they should be ready to go for the Championship Game.

***

Penalties: The Queensbury Spartans and the Cornwall Green Dragons executed a mostly penalty-free game.  A lot of that can be at the result of John Irion's attempt to clean up some of the mental mistake penalties, like the holds that have called back several touchdowns during the season.

The Spartans had no holding calls on Friday.  

In fact, the first penalty flag flew in the second quarter, when Erik Wettersten was slapped with a "Hit to the Head" penalty that ultimately resulted in a Cornwall touchdown.   It was the first of two of those penalties for the junior, and Wettersten should be counting his blessings that he wasn't deemed ineligible for the championship.

Penalties like that are something Wettersten needs to watch out for, because in this era we live where concussions are a major concern, they are going to be flagging that more often on all levels of football from prep to the pros.  

After the game, I was outside taking some pictures while they were handing out the honors.  As Jeffrey Underhill was noted as the Defensive Player of the Game for Queensbury, there were people nearby muttering that Underhill "had a good game, but not as good as Erik's".

Not to take away from Underhill's game and award, but Erik Wettersten's name may have been dropped from consideration for that defensive award because of those two personal foul penalties.

***

Cambridge: The Cambridge Indians fumbled away their chances to play for the State Championship as their first three drives resulted in turnovers.

The Indians ran into a strong squad in the Hambletonians, and with a strong squad, you cannot give them special opportunities.  While the first turnover shouldn't have been called a turnover as the player was out of bounds before it happened, the second turnover on the throw by Ethan English was poorly-advised, and the third was a horrible ball exchange.

Cambridge had their opportunities, especially the one gifted to them when the refs missed a fumble deep in Hambletonian territory late in the game, which ultimately led to Caleb Rowland's touchdown to the right side.  

But the turnovers hurt.  Badly.

The Indians had a great season, making it one step deeper than they did last year when they were knocked off by the Moriah Vikings in the regional round.

***

Syracuse-bound: For the third time in as many years, we're heading to Syracuse to cover a State Championship.  It's something I never thought would happen when we made plans to start broadcasting local high school sports, and will reflect on that more on a special "Thoughts from the Press Box" come Sunday morning.

We'll be on the air live from the Carrier Dome approximately 2:45PM, when things wrap up after the Schalmont/Maine-Endwell game.

For those who expecting the Buffalo Bills on FOX Sports Radio 1230, be advised we are moving the Bills broadcast to our sister station, CBS Sports Radio 1410 (WENU) so that we can carry the Championship game.

Cambridge fumbles in Kingston, falls to Hambletonians 47-14

KINGSTON - The Cambridge Indians had three drives to start off their afternoon at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

They all ended in turnovers.  Two fumbles and a pass intercepted, all which allowed the Chester Hambletonians to build a lead that they would not relinquish.

One of those two fumbles came on an attempt to double hand-off, as Jarred Sausville did not get firm control of the football, bouncing off the turf and recovered by a Chester defender in Hambletonian territory.  

The Cambridge Indians were able to get the ball up to the Hambletonian 23 yard line before the fumble.  

The Hambletonians were not able to generate any points from that fumble, already up 12-0, leading to the only punt between either team all game. 

Chester would add eight more before Cambridge would finally get some points on the board, but needed the help of the officials.  In the red zone, Ethan English pitched the ball over to Caleb Rowland, who ran to the right and was tackled.  He lost the football in the process, covered up by the Hambletonians.  But the referees blew the whistle too early on the forward progress, keeping the ball in Cambridge's possession.

A few plays later, Ethan English threw a ball to the left side of the end zone, but did not complete his pass as time expired in the second quarter.  However, a pass interference penalty gave Cambridge an untimed down, which they took advantage of to score their first seven points when Caleb Rowland ran the ball from the right side for the touchdown.

However, the second half became the half of Angel Suarez, churning up large quantities of yardage per play as he helped put more points on the board for the Hambletonians.  Cambridge was able to answer back once for a touchdown, but then the Hambletonians stamped their second straight trip to Syracuse with Suarez's second and third touchdowns of the half.

It put the Indians in a deep hole they were unable to get out of, as the Hambletonians went on win 47-14, setting Chester up with a rematch of last year's State Championship as they face the Randolph Cardinals next Saturday at Noon.

The Cambridge Indians finished with five fumbles.  Ethan English was not able to show off some of his magic that he showed teams in Section 2 after their other loss this season when they lost to the Whitehall Railroaders 21-19 on a soggy afternoon in October.  

On The Road Again: Heading to Kingston

On the road again.

We're hitting the road to catch today's Class D and Class A Semifinal games featuring the Cambridge Indians and the Queensbury Spartans.

We'll be tweeting during the Cambridge Indians/Chester Hambletonians game a plenty, so follow us on Twitter for game updates.

During the Queensbury Spartans/Cornwall Green Dragons game, our tweeting ability will be limited due to the on-air broadcast, so please be sure to follow The Post-Star's Pete Tobey for continuing updates.

We'll be on-air live at 7:45PM from Dietz Stadium for the broadcast of the Queensbury/Cornwall game.

NYSPHSAA State Semifinals Schedule (as of 11/20)

Here's the schedule for this weekend's State Semifinals, which are being played in Rochester and Kingston.  There have already been three schedule changes announced out west, as lake-effect snow has hindered travel out that way.

This year, with the exception of the Class AA game, Section 2 will be noted as the home team for the Eastern Semifinals.  In the Class AA game, Newburgh Free Academy will be recognized as the home team, with Shenendehowa being the away team.

We'll be live in Kingston tweeting as the Cambridge Indians take on the Chester Hambletonians on Friday, and then on-air as the Queensbury Spartans take on the Cornwall Green Dragons.

Coverage for our live broadcast will begin at 7:45PM on FOX Sports Radio 1230.

SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE

Eastern Semifinals at Dietz Stadium, Kingston
Western Semifinals at Sahlen's Stadium, Rochester

Friday, November 21st

Class D

East: Chester (9-2) vs. Cambridge (10-1) - 4PM
West: Tioga (10-1) vs. Randolph (10-1) - 5PM

Class A

East: Cornwall (11-0) vs. Queensbury (11-0) - 8PM

Saturday, November 22nd

Class C

East: Millbrook (8-2) vs. Hoosick Falls (11-0) - 11AM

West: Maple Grove/Chautauqua Lake (11-0) vs. Chenango Forks (10-1) - Noon

Class B
East: Marlboro (9-2) vs. Schalmont (11-0) - 3PM

Class AA
West: Henninger (11-0) vs. Jamestown (10-1) - 4PM
East: Shenendehowa (11-0) vs. Newburgh Free Academy (8-2) - 7PM

Sunday, November 23rd

Class A

West: Irondequoit (11-0) vs. Indian River (11-0) - Noon

Class B

West: Cheektowaga (9-2) vs. Maine-Endwell (11-0) - 3PM

Perfect English; Indians Remain In The Hunt

CAMBRIDGE - Ethan English was 9-for-9 as he threw for 230 yards and four touchdowns as the Cambridge Indians won their divisional game against the Warrensburg Burghers 49-14.

The win keeps the Cambridge Indians in the hunt for the Class D divisional title.

Caleb Rowland was the recipient of two of English's touchdown tosses, with Jarred Sausville and Chris Warnke being the other two.  

Overall, it was an offense that wasn't seen in the Indians game last week when they fell against Whitehall 21-19 in a game where they turned the ball over six times.

Turnovers were not a concern this time for the Cambridge Indians

The Indians went 7-for-7 on their first 7 drives, converting their offensive opportunities for points.  After receiving the kick to begin the game, Ethan English aired his first pass out to Caleb Rowland for the score on the first play from scrimmage to give the Indians the 7-0 lead.

Warrensburg was able to answer back, scoring on a run up the middle on Szabo's carry, set up by a 4th down play where the Burghers double-handed off and then tossed back to Jake Nemec for the first down conversion.  The two point conversion was no good. 

Cambridge began to pull away thanks to Ethan English and Caleb Rowland to lead 35-6 at the half, and tacked on two more scores in the second half.

The only time Cambridge was unable to convert a drive into points was on their final drive, as the backups fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter.

The Indians close out the regular season by hosting the Hoosic Valley Indians in a game that will not matter for playoff seeding, but will be a good test heading into the postseason.  The Hoosic Valley Indians bounced back from their first loss of the season by handing Whitehall their first loss of the season on Saturday, coming back from a 20-0 deficit after the first quarter to win 41-26.

The Cambridge Indians still have a chance at the #1 seed, as a Rensselaer win next week at Whitehall will result in a three-way tie for first place.  In that case, quarter points will settle who gets the #1 seed for the playoffs, which begin November 1st at Schuylerville.

Thoughts from the Press Box: Unbeaten No More

WHITEHALL - One team had to experience their first loss of the season in the rain at Ambrose Gilligan Field on Saturday.

That team turned out to be the Cambridge Indians, who fumbled their way to a 21-19 loss against the Whitehall Railroaders to fall a game behind Whitehall for the top spot in Class D.

While the win gives Whitehall the edge in the playoff chase, it ultimately doesn't matter, as with Canajoharie's win over the Fort Edward/Argyle Flying Forts, it settled which four teams would be playing come November 1st at Schuylerville High.

Whitehall, Cambridge, Rensselaer and Canajoharie will make up the field for the Class D Sectional, with Fort Edward and Warrensburg playing in Week 7 to see which team will win their first game of the season.

It was a game that Whitehall got comfortable playing early, though we didn't see the magic that either team was known for through the first four weeks of the season.  With the rain, it made the passing game nearly extinct.

We didn't get to see Ethan English at his finest.  We didn't get to see Justin Hoagland at his finest.  Which is a shame, because on the top of their game, both quarterbacks would have electrified their offenses with their ability to both run and pass.

But maybe that makes this the appetizer for what could be another meeting between these teams on Saturday, November 8th in the Sectional Championship at Schuylerville.

Let's just hope for a dry day then.

The weather not only impacted the play on the field, it impacted our broadcast.  We were inside the press box, protected by the elements, however, thanks to a surprisingly good crowd that came out in support despite the rain, the elements made things hard for us.

The press box at Ambrose Gilligan Field is on even level with the top level of the bleachers, requiring us on several occasions to peek around supporters whose umbrellas were blocking our view.  If it wasn't for Tim Drawbridge or The Post-Star's Pete Tobey, I'm not sure how we would have made it through the broadcast with as much accuracy as we did.

We can write it off as just another challenge we have faced in our 33rd football broadcast in the last three years we've been doing this.

Cambridge Fumbles Control of Class D

WHITEHALL - The Cambridge/Salem Indians lost four fumbles and threw for two interceptions as they fell to the Whitehall Railroaders 21-19 at a rainy Ambrose Gilligan Field in Whitehall.

The loss, their first of the season, drops them to 4-1 on the season, and gives Whitehall control of their own destiny in Class D with two weeks left to play in the regular season.  The Railroaders, now 5-0, face Hoosic Valley next week and Renssealer to finish the season.

Whitehall took control early when Brad Hanna found the end zone from 3 yards out, then tacked on two more when he was bounced the snap on the fake to give the Railroaders the 8-0 lead.  Cambridge would then be forced to punt late in the quarter, when Cody LaRock returned a blocked punt for the score to make it 14-0.

Cambridge was able to find the end zone in the second quarter, when Chris Warnke ran it in from 38 yards out.  However, they failed the two-point conversion to trail 14-6 at the half.

Both teams suffered turnovers in the third quarter, when Justin Hoagland fumbled the kickoff trying to stretch out his return.  But Cambridge's gift turned into nothing after they fumbled the ball back to the Whitehall Railroaders.  Justin Hoagland then made up for his earlier mistake as he made it to the far sideline and beat the defense to extend Whitehall's lead.

On the ensuing drive, Cambridge answered with Caleb Rowland's 34 yard touchdown run, but still was down by two possessions when their conversion try failed on a botched snap.

That would become critical as Cambridge drove the field to end the third quarter, and found success on the first play of the fourth quarter as Ethan English connected with Todd Gorman for the 5 yard touchdown pass.  The extra point was good, and the Whitehall lead was down to 2.

The rest of the game saw Cambridge try to drive for the go-ahead score, but failed to convert.  When passing became critical for Ethan English, he turned it over twice, first by Brian McLaughlin and then by Justin Hoagland, allowing the Railroaders to knee it at the end to finish off the victory.

Week 11 Schedule

We put a lot of information up on our Twitter account (@WMML1230), but it can get lost in the sea of information that gets sent there.  Especially on Sundays when we try to keep up with the Buffalo Bills and on Adirondack Phantoms hockey nights.

So, to help spread the word better, here's the upcoming schedule for Section 2's Regional Games.  Included are directions to the venues.

CLASS AA
CBA Brothers (9-1) vs. Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders (10-0) - Saturday, 7PM at Dietz Stadium, Kingston
(Exit 19 off the NYS Thruway, take second exit in the traffic circle and proceed about 1 mile, stadium on the right at the intersection of Washington Avenue and North Front Street)
Last Meeting: 2006.  Monroe-Woodbury won 21-0

CLASS A
Massena Red Raiders (7-2) vs. Queensbury Spartans (10-0) - Saturday, 7PM at Shenendehowa High School, Clifton Park
(Exit 9W [9 if you're travelling north] off I-87, take NY Route 146 West about 1 Mile.  Steuwerald Field is on your left, first traffic signal after passing a State Police station, then take a right about a quarter mile into the campus)
Last Meeting: First Meeting.  Massena is 1-3 against Section 2 schools

CLASS B
Schalmont Sabres (10-0) vs. Beekmantown Eagles (6-4) - Saturday, 1PM at AuSable Valley Central School, Clintonville
(Exit 34 off I-87, take NY Route 9N South about 5 Miles, school on your right)
Last Meeting: 2009.  Schalmont won 34-20.

CLASS C
Ogdensburg Free Academy (9-1) vs. Hoosick Falls Panthers (10-0) - Friday, 7PM at Stillwater Central School, Stillwater
(Exit 12 off I-87, take NY Route 67 East about 8 miles until you meet US Route 4 and NY Route 32 in Mechanicville.  Take US Route 4 and NY Route 32 north about 3 miles into Stillwater.  School on your right)
Last Meeting: 2009.  Hoosick Falls won 51-6.

CLASS D
Cambridge Indians (10-0) vs. Moriah Vikings (6-4) - Friday, 7PM at AuSable Valley Central School, Clintonville
(Exit 34 off I-87, take NY Route 9N South about 5 Miles, school on your right)
Last Meeting: 2010.  Moriah won 14-6.

SUPER BOWL WEEKEND: Week 10

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.

High School Football: Week 1 Preview

Are you ready for some local football?
It's the dawn of a new High School Football season tonight as teams across the entire North Country and Capital District meet on the gridiron, trying to emulate the success that Shaker, Burnt Hills, Glens Falls, Hoosick Falls and Rensselaer had last year. 

So how will the local teams fare?  Let's take a look:

Troy @ Queensbury - 1:30PM Saturday
Radio Coverage: 1230 FOX Sports Radio

It’s a fresh new season for both teams, and time to put the past behind them and look forward to the future.

For Queensbury, that future rests on the legs of Phil Wettersten, who was the Spartans number two rusher behind Alston Moses last year.  Now with Moses gone, Wettersten looks to be that go-to guy, churning 690 total yards for an average of 7.0 yards per carry last year.

But he won’t be the only one churning up yards of offense, as Tim Voorhis, Kalen Minott, Eric Wettersten and more gives John Irion a lot of different options behind the line.  Plus Aidan Switzer will also be available to generate offense through his arm.  Now, Queensbury is not a pass-friendly team, but can do so when needed as Switzer last year went 11 for 23 for 169 yards, including two touchdowns.

Troy, too, has a lot of experience in the backfield in the form of their primary running backs, Rayshawn Johnson and Maurice Jones. And with a experience line returning with three captains, those two could easily find the holes needed to churn up a lot of offense.

So the task for both defenses is to close those holes and to make sure that the running backs have to work extra hard to gain offense.  Both teams have the benefit of a thick roster, coupled with some veteran coaching.  Both John Irion of the Spartans and Jack Burger of the Flying Horses have a combined 36 years of coaching experience in high school football.

Class A only has 9 teams, and with a 8-team playoff system, all but one team will make it past Week 7.  But that doesn’t mean teams have nothing to play for in Class A, being able to play in front of your home crowd in Weeks 8 and 9 is better than being the road team.

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Schalmont @ Glens Falls - 1:30PM SaturdayMeanwhile, the past may have been rich to the Glens Falls Indians, but they will have to move on.  With the core group that brought Glens Falls to their first sectional title since 1993 and their first ever Carrier Dome appearance now gone, the Indians will have to rely on the new talent to carry the torch.

How good that new talent will be will immediately be put up to the test when they host the Schalmont Sabres on Saturday.  The Schalmont Sabres fell to the Indians in the Class B Super Bowl, but maintain Devon Willis, who churned up a good piece of real estate last year, and is in the top 30 career rushers in Section 2 already, hoping to move up the list as the season progresses.

The Indians were very good at stopping Willis’s run attack for the most part during the Super Bowl last year, but will need new components to work together to do the same this year.  Willis’s performance may not exactly determine an outcome for the game, but it will definitely set the tone.

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Hudson Falls @ Schuylerville - 7:00PM Friday

The team that the Indians beat in the semifinals to move onto the Super Bowl is hosting the Hudson Falls Tigers.  The Schuylerville Black Horses have a new look, from the head coach to the players on the field.  John Bowen takes over the duties for retired coach Greg O’Connor, and now will face a new lineup now that Shane Lyon is graduated.

Shane Lyon was a dangerous threat when holding onto the football, and what made him more of a threat was not knowing what he was going to do with the ball.  Although his passing wasn’t crisp – going 24 for 72 for a 33% completion percentage, it made defenses worry as he ran a lot of quarterback options, accumulating 1200 yards of offense to lead all rushers, nearly doubling the efforts of Dan Waldron, their second biggest rusher at 680 yards. 

Both those players are not with the team, leaving the Black Horses with underclassmen running the show.  Skyler Bateman has experience touching the ball, accumulating 105 rushing yards and crossing the endzone 3 times during his season last year.  He looks to be a bigger threat this year, and so too does Josh Thomas.

The opposite is true in Hudson Falls, where they have plenty of returning talent on both ends of the ball, including junior Geno Brancati.  Last year Brancati was responsible for 8 touchdowns, running 746 yards.  But Brancati wants more, as he told Laura Owens of the Glens Falls Post-Star that he wants to break the millennium mark this season, scoring more than 20 touchdowns.  He also wants to be Section II’s leading rusher, which will be a tough task for the junior with Devon Willis still carrying the ball over in Schalmont.

On the other side of the ball, Hudson Falls is returning back to the defense that brought the Tigers to Dietz Stadium for the State Semifinals in Kingston back in 2008, a 3-5 formation. 
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Greenwich @ Cambridge - 1:00PM Saturday

Also in Week 1, it’s the battle of Route 372 as cross-highway rivals square off at Cambridge Saturday afternoons as the Greenwich Witches take on the Cambridge Indians.  Last year’s matchup turned out to be one of the best games of the year, as the Indians and Witches went to overtime before the Indians would go on to win.

The loss for Greenwich was key as it put them behind both Rensselaer and Cambridge in a division where only two teams make the playoffs.  Two things benefit Greenwich this year over last year without even playing a game – the fact that Class D has gone to a 8 team playoff system, and also the fact that Greenwich is now in Class D North, apart  from Cambridge and Rensselaer.

On the field, Josh Barnes has earned a lot of preseason attention, and with good reasons.  He was one of the top rushers in Section II last year, devouring 1480 yards of turf on his way to 17 touchdowns.  His return gives Brandon Linett some options with his Multiple-I offense.

With a return of 3 of their 5 offensive linemen, Greenwich should be a top candidate to win Class D North.

Cambridge wants to return to the Class D Sectionals, where their time last year came to a surprising end when they lost 27-26 to the Salem Generals in the semifinals at Schuylerville.  It will be tough with a younger squad, notably without Matt Parmeter, who led the team with over 1200 yards of offense. 

Even though Saturday’s cross-highway rivalry will not count towards towards playoff seeding, both teams will want to start off well, and, of course, there is that presence of wanting to be the better team.