Notes & Thoughts - Week #4 in Section 2 Football

Some thoughts from Week #4 in High School Football:

- Hoosic Valley 20, Greenwich 13: You have to wonder how much the rain affected the outcome of this game, as it made things very difficult for the Greenwich Witches.  Tom Madigan was going to run circles around the Witches either way, but did the slickness of the ball lead to the first Hoosic Valley score?

It could become a storyline should these two teams meet again in what will likely be the Semifinals in Week #9, since the Indians are likely heading for the #1 seed now and the Witches will more than likely be the #4 or #5 seed.

- Troy 20, Shaker 13: This battle of the 3-0's was everything it was advertised to be.  And Troy continues to show that they belong in Class AA.  They have a good nucleus, keeping their composure while they were down against Shaker in the 4th Quarter.

And John Germinerio deserves a lot of recognition.  We saw this last year when he helped lead Troy to their come-from-behind win against the Queensbury Spartans in the A Semifinal, launching an amazing 80 yard touchdown with just over a minute left to play.  And we're seeing this again this year, as Germinerio was responsible for all 20 points the Flying Horses put up against Shaker.

- Averill Park 19, Burnt Hills 16: The Averill Park Warriors scored their first win over the Burnt Hills Spartans in 11 years with a nail-biter in Rensselaer County.  The win, coupled with Lansingburgh's loss to Amsterdam, creates a log jam for the top spot in the Southeast Division, one that may not be sorted out until the final whistle of the Week #7 game between Averill Park and Lansingburgh.

Averill Park's only loss of the season so far was a non-divisional game where they forced overtime before falling to the Queensbury Spartans.

- Amsterdam 35, Lansingburgh 0: You give head coach Doug Edick a week to properly prep a quarterback, and this is the result you get.

Arthur Ausfeld's game wasn't clean, as he threw for 55 yards and got picked off once, but it was better than the 2-for-8 for negative yardage against Queensbury.  His pass helped open the playbook, allowing for Dale Stanavich to be the role player he couldn't of been against the Spartans.

And as a result, you have to feel better about the Amsterdam Rams than you did a week ago when Trey Holloway went down for an injury that will sideline the Junior until the playoffs at the earliest.

- Lake George/Hadley-Luzerne 22, Hoosick Falls 19: The War Eagles win their third straight game with a come-from-behind win against the Panthers.  Shane McCabe called his own number for the go-ahead touchdown and gave the War Eagles the field goal padding with his two point conversion toss.

The loss now leaves the Panthers with only one win in four divisional games, thus already eliminating them from postseason contention.  It will mark the second straight year the Panthers will miss on the playoffs, a strange state of affairs for a team heading into last year having won 6 straight Section 2 crowns.  But the win now places the War Eagles in a good position to possibly make the playoffs.

- Hudson 64, Ichabod Crane 0: If you needed further proof that the Hudson Blue Hawks are off to an amazing 2016 season, here you go.

Mike Alert had over 200 total yards rushing and receiving to help lead the Blue Hawks to an impressive win over the Ichabod Crane Riders, keeping them undefeated and setting up a very important Weeks 6 and 7 for the Blue Hawks, hoping to make it to their first Super Bowl since 2006 when they lost to Albany Academy in the big game.

The last time Hudson won the sectional championship was when they beat Glens Falls for the Class B title in 2001.

- Mechanicville 42, Watervliet 15: Mechanicville is now the favorite to win the Class C Central Division thanks to their win over previously undefeated Watervliet.

Evan Chapman is a beast, with 450 yards rushing in his last two games.  As his workload has increased over the last two weeks, he has been paying dividends, scoring three touchdowns and helping to drive home the ground and pound philosophy that the Red Raiders are executing.

- Albany 26, Schenectady 12: Albany may not be the best team in Section 2, Class AA.

But they're celebrating something they haven't seen in nearly a decade - two wins over Class AA opponents in the same season.   One look at the past in Albany Falcons football will offer you a reason why this milestone is huge.

The Falcons are not synonymous with winning like other programs in Section 2 are.  Their last Sectional appearance came in 2004.  Their only Sectional Championship came in 1996.  In fact, in 35 years, the Falcons have only made the playoffs six times.

So, in short, the 2-2 Falcons have a lot to be proud of.

- Schalmont 54, Albany Academy 19: Two things come out of this game.

First, the Schalmont Sabres are back.  After their 0-2 start where they faced last year's two teams to play in the Sectional Championship, the Sabres have bounced back with quality wins over Cobleskill-Richmondville and Albany Academy.

Until the Sabres meet up with Hudson coming up in just under three weeks, we'll peg the Sabres as the second best team in the Reinfurt Division, but not by much.

Second, Albany Academy had a great opportunity to prove their 3-0 record was for real and they had a great shot at being the top team in the Reinfurt Division.  But in this crushing 35 point loss, we instead find the Cadets as either the third or fourth best team in the Reinfurt Division,

Thoughts From The Press Box - Glens Falls at Schalmont

ROTTERDAM - On the last gasp of summer, an electric crowd came to watch a great game.

A game that came down to the last possession.

A game that could be a preview of the playoffs.

Schalmont's 0-2 record doesn't matter.  In divisional play, they are 0-0.  Both of their losses were close, against the #1 and #2 teams in Class B last year.

The same could be said about Glens Falls's 2-0 record.  But wins over Ravena and Schalmont, especially given the injury situation on Friday night, could give the Indians a lot of momentum for the road ahead.

Those week 6 & 7 games could be very interesting for the Indians.  Especially once Aaron Sampson heals up.

The Glens Falls Indians didn't miss a beat without him, relying on a blend of run and pass plays to get their offense.  Girard's arm brought over 200 yards passing for the Indians, three for touchdowns.  His legs contributed to the 4th of Glens Falls's 5 touchdowns.

I noted this several times during the broadcast, but will bring it up here again.  He's a sophomore.  If he continues to play both football and basketball for the Indians, they will have amazing things to look forward to over the course of the next two years.

And if Cameron Brooks does to other teams what he did to Glens Falls, he is going to be a beast in the Running Back position for the Schalmont Sabres.  Those who made it down to Rotterdam was treated to a showcase of his abilities.  One of the best highlights came in the third quarter when he raced through the line of scrimmage, then in the secondary found two Indians ready to tackle him.  He jumped, danced and juked his way free, then found the end zone for the score.

It's the type of athleticism you expect to see from a veteran running back in the NFL.  Keep an eye on him.

Just like you need to keep an eye on Joe Girard III.  These two kids are why High School sports are great.  

Indians hang on for hard-fought victory

ROTTERDAM - Without offensive weapon Aaron Sampson, the Glens Falls Indians used their remaining offensive weapons efficiently, leading to a 32-28 win over the Schalmont Sabres on Friday night.

The win improves the Glens Falls Indians to 2-0 as they begin divisional play next week.  The Schalmont Sabres fell to 0-2 with the loss.

The Indians balanced a run and pass attack, using Joe Girard III's arm and Josh Griffin's legs effectively, mixed together with the receiving corps of Andrew Murphy, Quinn Girard and Tony Green.

But it wasn't easy for the Indians.

After scoring on the first two drives to open a 13-0 lead, Schalmont's Cameron Brooks began what would be a career day for the senior running back with a 82 yard touchdown run to close the gap to 13-7.

But no matter what Schalmont would do, Glens Falls had an answer.  Early in the second quarter, Andrew Murphy caught a 5 yard pass from Joe Girard III, then turned on the legs to race to the end zone, resulting in an 82 yard reception for the score to pad the Indians lead.

Schalmont bounced back, scoring again on a Cameron Brooks touchdown, this time from 27 yards out, to climb back to within a possession.  But the Indians marched back down the field and finished a drive with a Tony Green 17 yard pass reception from Joe Girard in the back corner of the end zone to rebuild their two-possession lead.

However, Schalmont was unable to answer before the half, going to the locker room down 26-14.  Having deferred the ball to the second half, the Sabres's move paid off when Brooks quickly scored on the first possession of the half from 58 yards out, pulling the Sabres to within 5.

The Indians stormed back down the field, and were raced with a 4th & 2 at the Schalmont 3 yard line.  Instead of attempting to use kicker Andrew Stamatel's leg to put the Indians up 8, head coach Pat Lilac went for it.  The gamble paid off as Joe Girard III called his own number, rushing up the middle for the score to put the Indians back ahead by two possessions.

Cameron Brooks helped the Sabres get close again, scoring in the 4th quarter from 18 yards out with just under four minutes to play.  But the Sabres would never get the ball back to bid for a game-winning drive, as the Glens Falls Indians ran the clock out, aided by a face mask penalty on a third down with 90 seconds left to play, allowing Girard to knee the ball for the victory.

Cameron Brooks finished the game with an impressive 321 yards on 20 carries, finding the end zone four times for the Jake Defayette-led offense.  Defayette had a rough game, only completing three of his thirteen passes, two of which were caught by the opposition.

Joe Girard III led the Glens Falls Indians with his 11-for-19 passing for 194 yards, three of which went for touchdowns.  Girard also rushed for 67 yards on the ground, scoring a touchdown that proved to be the decider.  Josh Griffin rushed for 83 yards, scoring a touchdown himself.

The two teams combined for over 900 yards of total offense, most of which came from Joe Girard's arm and Cameron Brooks's feet.

The win improves the Glens Falls Indians record to 2-0 as they get ready for divisional play next Saturday as they host the Johnstown Sir Bills at Putt LeMay field.  The Schalmont Sabres drop to 0-2, beginning their Reinfurt Division play by hosting Cobleskill-Richmondville.

Glens Falls Indians at Schalmont Sabres
Friday, September 9th, 2016

Glens Falls    13   13    6     0    32
Schalmont       7    7    7     7    28

1st Quarter:
 9:03 - GF - Josh Griffen, 9yd run (Stamatel kick) 07-00
 7:55 - GF - Dylan Balcom from Joe Girard III, 25yd pass (kick failed) 13-00
 5:50 - SHL- Cameron Brooks, 82yd run (Defayette kick) 13-07

2nd Quarter:
11:47 - GF - Andrew Murphy from Joe Girard III, 82yd pass (Stamatel kick) 20-07
 8:07 - SHL- Cameron Brooks, 27yd run (Defayette kick) 20-14
 3:58 - GF - Tony Green from Joe Girard III, 19yd pass (kick failed) 26-14

3rd Quarter:
11:07 - SHL- Cameron Brooks, 58yd run (Defayette kick) 26-21
01:37 - GF - Joe Girard III, 3yd run (pass failed) 32-21

4th Quarter:
03:46 - SHL- Cameron Brooks, 18yd run (Defayette kick) 32-28

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

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 Sports: Week 3 Recap: What have we learned?

Three weeks down, four to go in the regular season of the High School Football season.

So what have we learned?

We’ve learned that although some things have changed, some things have remained the same.  New faces in new places haven’t brought an end to old success. A lot of the same teams we had our eyes on last year are still in the top spots this year.

Ultimately … what we’ve learned is that this could be another exciting year for Section 2.  More after the jump.

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.