Rensselaer's Justin Wilkinson drives for a basketball in the first half while competing vs. Maple Hill. (Mike McMahon — The Record).

A few leftovers here while we wait for the beginning of the Burnt Hills-Bishop Gibbons class A semifinal at the Civic Center.

I caught the end of the Germantown-Hadley-Luzerne game on Wednesday and that was one of the, if not the loudest crowd I've heard all year. Just about everyone from Hadley and Germantown made the trip to Shen for the game and if the Clippers bring that same crew up to Glens Falls tomorrow, the Rams fans might get drowned out in the big gym. That crowd really has the six seed Clippers riding high going into an upset bid in the final.
Still, the Rams should pull it out if big man Keith Britt can stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor.

--
In the As tonight, the first game features the upset-minded Spartans of Burnt Hills, who knocked off Averill Park in the quarters. They'll face Big 10 powerhouse Bishop Gibbons, who had a nice run against AA opponents during the regular season, losing five games (twice to CBA and Maginn and splitting the season series with CCHS. The buzz here suggests a close one, but the odds are the Knights walk away easily. You never know at the Civic Center though - just ask the Riders from Ichabod Crane that saw their 21-game win streak snapped last night.

--
In the second game, Albany Academy will face Mohonasen and the Cadets, by all estimations, should take this one pretty easily. I don't think the Warriors have an answer for Cadets big man Chris Pelcher (6-9) and even if they do, they still have to counter Jamel Fields and Tyler Foster on the perimeter.
I will be interested to see if Academy point guard Jimmer Bennett returns from a high ankle sprain. The Cadets' offense still ran well under the guidance of Omar McGill and Jamel Fields, who filled in at the one guard spot against Lansingburgh in the quarters. However, Bennett is so important to that offense that I can't see the Cadets running without him all the time.

--
I'll try to drop some updates here during the breaks. Any questions or comments, please drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail.com

7:30 pm: At the half, Gibbons leads 25-21. Nick Sarchioto leads the Knights with eight and Dave Fischer has eight for BH-BL as well. The Spartans aren't out of it, but Gibbons is showing a little more intensity on the glass but we will see how the Spartans adjust in the second half. Zach O'Brien has been held scoreless so far and Jaret Falkowitz has only two buckets thus far for BH-BL.

7:56 pm: After three, it's ND-BG 45, BH-BL 38.

8:24 pm: Final: BG 65, BH 56. Although BH's Dave Fischer led all scorers with 30 points, it was not enough for the Spartans. Zach O'Brien scored all of his 12 points in the second half to give the Knights the momentum to close out the game.

The Academy-Mohon game is about to begin and it looks like Jimmer Bennett will play - he's taking warmups but wearing a brace on that right ankle.

9:04 pm: At the half, it's all Academy, 39-16. Bennett has played sparingly. Jamel Fields dropped an easy 18 points in the first half.

10:33 pm: Game over, story done, Academy rolls, 77-43. They face Gibbons in the A final Tuesday night at 7:30. It's an eagerly anticipated game as these two schools were widely seen as the cream of the crop in the As all year long.

A great stretch of basketball coming up - Rensselaer plays Germantown in the C final tomorrow around 4pm, followed by the Voorheesville-Mechanicville CC final around 5:30. Then, Hoosic Valley takes on an upstart Broadalbin squad in the B final at 7:15. All games at the Civic Center.

Monday we get yet another CBA-Maginn showdown from the arena to be named later and on Tuesday the CC/C playoff precedes the A final with the opening tip at 6 pm.

--Will Montgomery

Members of the Hoosic Valley team celebrate their quarterfinal victory over Spa Catholic at HVCC.

5:40 pm: I'm here live at center court in Glens Falls getting ready for the class B semifinal game between No. 3 Hoosic Valley and No. 2 Fonda-Fultonville.
The class D semifinal between North Warren and St. Johnsville is still going on. Of note, the players on the floor outnumber total cheerleaders 10-9. At halftime, St. Johnsville leads, 24-19.

Fonda narrowly escaped over Cohoes in the quarters, but the Braves carry a 19-2 record into the contest. The Wasaren champion Indians are 19-3.

Not having seen Fonda, I'm not sure what to expect from them, but I know the Indians live and die by the outside shot. We'll see if the larger floor affects them.

--
Yesterday, Rensselaer beat Maple Hill to advance to the class C final against Germantown on Saturday. Keith Britt scored 16 points and grabbed 14 boards while sitting out most of the first half due to foul trouble. Britt and Justin Wilkinson will have to slow down a surprising sixth seed Clipper team looking for an upset.
The winner of the class C final plays the class CC winner in a playoff for a state tournament berth on Tuesday night.

6:30 pm: We're minutes away from the start of the second game -- Fonda and Hoosic Valley are taking their warmups. In the first game, after leading by double digits most of the game, St. Johnsville held on for a 51-49 victory.

7:00 pm: With 5:26 to go in the second, it's HV 24, FF 16.

7:10 pm: At halftime, HV leads 27-22. Pat Lanoue has 17 points already, including three 3-pointers. Matt Horton has six points on two treys in the first quarter.
After a big first quarter, the Braves switched to zone and have started to slow down the Indians' offense because they can swing two guys up in Lanoue's face. No one else has yet to step up for Hoosic Valley - although if Alex Kugler or Kyle Pallozzi start getting hot from behind the arc, HV may just have too many weapons on the outside for Fonda to handle.
However, HV has had a tough time with the Braves' big man, Josh Nethaway. Their tallest starter is Lanoue at 6'1".

7:27 pm: HV 39, FF 32, 2:54 left in the 3rd.

7:42 pm: HV 50, FF 41, 4:51 to go in the 4th.

8:04 pm: Final from Glens Falls, HV 56, Fonda 47. Lanoue scored 27 and Matt Horton added 14 for the Indians. Each knocked down four treys.
The Indians face the winner of the Broadalbin-Perth/Ichabod Crane tilt beginning in five minutes.

8:54 pm: With 6 minutes to go in the third quarter, Ichabod leads Broadalbin 23-15.
CBA nudged Guilderland by a point down at the former Knickerbocker Arena and according to the PA announcer here, Colonie leads Maginn 31-21 at the half.

9:55 pm: BP snapped Ichabod Crane's 21-game win streak and will face off against the Indians on Saturday at 7:15 pm at the Civic Center. The Patriots hit some clutch shots down the end - Dan Schultz led the way with 17 points. Defense, however, was the key. The Riders did not score in the overtime period.

More basketball tomorrow, as I'll see the A semifinal games. BH-BL plays Bishop Gibbons at 7, followed by Mohonasen-Albany Academy at 8:30.

Looks like it's another CBA-Maginn final in Albany on Monday night.


--Will Montgomery

It what has to be the biggest upset in sectional play thus far the two-seed Bethlehem Eagles beat Amsterdam 51-45 in the class AA semifinals at HVCC Wednesday night.
Amsterdam was undefeated and is the No.1 ranked team in the state. The Rams had also just moved into the 24 spot nationally in the USA Today top 25 poll before the loss.
When you think about it the outcome shouldn't be that much of a shocker because Bethlehem is a talented, well coached athletic team. Meg Olsen , Taylor Teal and Alex McCullough are as solid a trio as there is in section II.
The key for the Eagles was their defense holding Amsterdam to just 45 points and stars Megan Gaugler and Brittany Stahura to just 17 combined points.
The Eagles are the No.10 team in the state and their only two losses came to Shenedehowa, who they will face in the AA finals. The Lady Plainsmen advanced thanks to a 45-29 victory over Albany. Tip-off for the all- Suburban Council AA finals is 5:15 at HVCC on Saturday.

In class B action the Hoosic Valley girls got more than they bargained for from the Lady Riders of Ichabod Crane but escaped with a 39-37 win. Ichabod Crane didn't back down from the Indians physical play and almost pulled off a huge upset. Clutch foul shooting in the waning moments of the game and tough defense that forced an off balance last second shot from Ichabod helped Hoosic Valley hold on. They'll play Cohoes in what figures to be a great match up of contrasting styles. The bruising physical defense of the Indians against the long range, run and gun Tigers. Tip-off is 12p.m. Saturday at HVCC.

Section II basketball schedule for the next few days is below. We will fill in the winners as the results come in tonight.

Thursday, Feb 28

BOYS BASKETBALL

Glens Falls Civic Center

Class B Semifinals

(2) Fonda vs. (3) Hoosic Valley, 6 pm

(1) Ichabod Crane vs. (4) Broadalbin, 7:30 pm

Class AA Semifinals

TU Center, Albany

(S1) Guilderland vs (B2) CBA, 6pm

(B1) B. Maginn vs (S2) Colonie, 7:30 pm

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Adirondack Community College

Class D Semifinals

(4) Heatly vs (1) Argyle, 7:30p.m.

(3) Sharon Springs vs (2) Hartford 6p.m.

Friday, Feb 29

BOYS BASKETBALL

Glens Falls Civic Center

Class A Semifinals

(2) Bishop Gibbons vs (6) Burnt Hills, 7 pm

(1) Albany Academy vs (4) Mohonasen, 8:30 pm

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hudson Valley Community College

Class C Final

(1) Schenectady Christian vs (2) Maple Hill, 6 pm

Class CC Final

(1) Mechanicville vs (2) Watervliet, 7:45 pm

Saturday, March 1

BOYS BASKETBALL

Glens Falls Civic Center

Class D Final

(3) Northville vs , 2 pm

Class C Final

(1) Rensselaer vs (6) Germantown, 3:45 pm

Class CC Final

(3) Mechanicville vs (4) Voorheesville, 5:30 pm

Class B Final

Vs , 7:15 pm

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hudson Valley Community College

Class B Final

(1) Hoosic Valley vs (2) Cohoes, Noon

Class A Final

(1) Averill Park vs (2) Mohonasen, 1:45 pm

Class D Final

Vs, 3:30 pm

Class AA Final

(S1) Shenendehowa vs (S2) Bethlehem, 5:15 pm

Monday, March 3

BOYS BASKETBALL

TU Center, Albany

Class AA Final

Vs , 7 pm

Tuesday, March 4

BOYS BASKETBALL

Glens Falls Civic Center

Class CC/C Playoff

Vs, 6 pm

Class A Final

Vs , 7:30

No basketball games tonight, boys or girls, due to the weather.

All girls games will be made up Wednesday, same time, same place.

Boys class C semis will be played Wednesday at Shenendehowa High School. Hadley-Luzerne plays Germantown at 6 with the Rensselaer-Maple Hill game to follow, approximately 7:30 pm.

Cambridge's Abraham Andrew (3) attempts to strip the ball from Mechanicville's Pat Marra. (Jeff Couch — The Record).

Glens Falls was upset city Monday night - the lower seeded team won all three games.

Joe Loudis' No. 3 Red Raiders of Mechanicville knocked off the Shea Bromirski-led Cambridge Indians 48-46 and advance to Saturday's class CC final against No. 4 Voorheesville, who bested No. 1 seed Schenectady Christian 54-44. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm on Saturday.

The Raiders and the Blackbirds met twice in Colonial Council play - Mechanicville won the first meeting at home by two and then lost at Voorheesville Jan. 29 55-48.

In class D, Northville beat second seed Argyle 60-52.

--
North Warren and St. Johnsville play in the other half of the D semis today at 5 pm.
Both class C semis will follow - Hadley-Luzerne vs. Germantown at 6:30 and Rensselaer vs. Maple Hill at 8.

Maple Hill and Rensselaer split their regular season series - each team winning on the road. The Wildcats are riding a 5-game winning streak, but the Rams are the No. 1 seed, thanks to the play of point guard Justin Wilkinson, guard Shane Brozowski and center Keith Britt.
I think it's a toss-up. Rensselaer has the talent, but they stumbled down the stretch in the regular season. The Rams looked pretty good against Duanesburg at SEFCU in the quarters, but they will need to step up their game even more to stop Patroon foe Maple Hill.

Assuming Ichabod Crane beat Broadalbin in the Bs, the Patroon Conference will send two teams to sectional finals.

-- Will Montgomery

Colonie's Tashan Newsome is closely guarded by Catholic Central's Chris Bouchard during Sunday's Section II Class AA quarterfinal at the Times Union Center. (Mike McMahon — The Record)

12:38 pm: I'm logged into the wireless here at the former Pepsi Arena and I'll be bringing you updates from the boys class AA quarterfinals throughout the day.
Troy High is just about to hit the court to take their warmups and the game against CBA will be starting in a matter of minutes.
CBA won both regular season meetings and they are expected to do the same today, but Troy is coming off a big road upset at Shen. Can't ask for a better venue for high school hoops - the kids look excited to be playing on the big floor.

1:37 pm: It's halftime here, CBA holding a 34-22 edge. Malcolm Austin has been huge so far, 19 points in the first half with three 3-pointers. Kameron Ritter scored CBA's first 4 points, but picked up his second foul at 5:21 in the first and hasn't come off the bench since.
However, guards Galal Cancer and Pete Wolfgang, along with John Mantas have picked up the pace on the point.

Troy had a nice 9-0 run at the end of the first and beginning of the second, but CBA charged right back with an 8-0 clip of their own.

Troy's Dan McClaren has done a good job on CBA's rangy Andrew Stire, but the Flying Horses don't have a match for big Brother DeAndre Kennedy. Kennedy only has six points so far, but he's been big on the defensive glass.

We'll see if Troy can get going in the second half and pull off another upset.

3:15 pm: It's halftime of the CCHS-Colonie game. Colonie has a 31-22 lead at the break.

No upset in the first game, CBA cruised to a 79-53 victory thanks to Malcolm Austin's 30 points. John Mantas hit three clutch treys early in the third quarter to put the game away.

In this game, Colonie's Tashan Newsome has 15 points - three 3-pointers and a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line. Sean Peer's also chipped in 7.

The Crusaders are off to a slow start, Devin Grimes has only 9 points, only two of those in the second quarter. Newsome has done a great job locking down CCHS' Jordan Gettings, not allowing him many shots. Gettings has been held to 7 so far.
It's far from over, but if Colonie can keep up the good defense and if Newsome continues his sharpshooting, the Raiders may likely be facing Bishop Maginn in the semis on Thursday.

4:21 pm: Colonie held on for the 64-41 victory, Newsome finished with 28 points, including a 12-of-12 performance from the line. Herb Tedford chipped in 16 and Sean Peer added 14 for the Garnet Raiders.

Devin Grimes of CCHS was just overwhelmed in the paint by the tall duo of Tedford and Peer. Grimes and Gettings were held to a combined 25 points - Colonie's defense down low the difference.

CCHS never looked comfortable on offense, Newsome was sticky on Gettings and did not look like his normal self.

The Raiders will play the winner of the Maginn-Amsterdam game on Thursday.

With 3:27 to go in the first quarter, it's Guilderland 15, Shaker 8.

5:21 pm: With 6 minutes to go in the game, it's Guilderland 52-39.

The Dutchmen have dominated all game long and look like they have themselves a date with CBA on Thursday.

9:36 pm: Well, I'm back at the office and my stories are done. Shaker made it a game in the closing minutes, but the Dutchmen held on for a 63-57 win over the Bison.

The fourth and final game was not nearly as close. The Bishop Maginn Golden Griffins kept their steamroller rolling with a 108-50 win over Amsterdam. The Griffins, ranked No. 2 in the state, are also on a 17-game winning streak and will face a pumped-up Colonie squad on Thursday.
The Griffs bounced the Raiders in the quarters last year.

--
All in all, not a bad day of basketball. The first two games were not especially close, and in the CBA-Troy contest, that was to be expected. However, it looked like the Flying Horses program took a step forward. The junior-laden team picked up some experience playing in a big gym against a quality team. (CBA is No. 12 among New York's AA teams).
Troy's 9 juniors should be a formidable force in the Big 10 next year - especially with teams such as CBA, Maginn and CCHS graduating key seniors.

CBA looks strong every time I see them. Guilderland will have its collective hands full, but if Marfurt and Kevin Kost can light it up from behind the arc, the Brothers could stand a challenge.

--
Catholic High surprised many tonight in losing by 23 points. This was supposed to be a battle between two very evenly matched teams and I expected a barnburner. However, Newsome never relented and Peer and Tedford really put a blanket on Grimes underneath and Gettings never got many shots off from the outside. Colonie played the perfect formula and the Raiders stepped up to the challege. Maginn ought to be a little worried about Thursday's game.

--
I'll be in Glens Falls for Rensselaer-Maple Hill on Tuesday, Hoosic Valley-Fonda-Fultonville on Thursday and Albany Academy-Mohonasen on Friday. Finals for B, CC, C and D are on Saturday, all from Glens Falls. The AA finals are Monday in Albany and the A final is Tuesday in Glens Falls.

The only team I have yet to see is Fonda, so please feel free to send me your predicitions on that one to troyrecordsports [at] gmail.com

-- Will Montgomery

Members of the Hoosic Valley boys basketball team celebrate after a 51-50 victory over Saratoga Catholic in Saturday's Section II Class B quarterfinals at Hudson Valley Community College. (Mike McMahon — The Record)

Quite a day for boys basketball yesterday at HVCC and SUNY-Albany. The No. 3 seed Hoosic Valley Indians (above) squeaked past Spa Catholic for a berth in the B semis in Glens Falls against No. 2 Fonda-Fultonville on Thursday at 6 pm.
I will be there - and with the Indians' penchant for late-game heroics, I'm expecting another great game.

I spent the day over at SUNY, and saw Rensselaer and Maple Hill advance to the class C semis, which will be held Tuesday night in Glens Falls at 8 pm. I know the Rams stumbled down the stretch in the regular season, but they looked great in the first half against Duanesburg. Maple Hill went toe-to-toe with a feisty Fort Plain squad and held on in the final minutes. Maple Hill and Rensselaer split their regular season meetings, each team winning on the road. Since Maple Hill is the underdog (and they've already seen the Rams twice and scouted yesterday) I think they have a shot at the upset.

Albany Academy cruised past Lansingburgh in a third-time meeting later on. Sans point guard Jimmer Bennett (out with a high ankle sprain) Jamel Fields and Omar McGill took over the point and led the Cadets to a 62-42 victory. While Academy's offense was impressive, they held 'Burgh's Connor Gallo to 3 points. Jared Teta did have a very good game for the Knights and they should have a good young core returning next year with Teta and Haneef Scott.
Albany Academy plays Mohonasen on Friday in the latte game in Glens Falls.

The clock finally struck midnight on the Tamarac Bengals Cinderella story - Ichabod Crane kept rolling on their 21-game win streak thanks to Kevin Knack's 7-of-8 performance from the free throw stripe in the final minute of play. Steve Hunt had a 16 point, 10 rebound double-double for the Bengals, but their unforced errors with turnovers gave the Riders too many easy points. The game was close, within one point with 1:08 to go, but Tamarac had to foul and put the hot-handed Knack on the line.
Ichabod plays Broadalbin-Perth in the other half of the B semis at 7:30 on Thursday. Should Hoosic Valley and Ichabod Crane both win - that would be one heck of a sectional final game.

Congratulations must go to the Bengals for making it to the second round in the first time in recent memory. Although they will sorely miss senior Matt Dixon, the Bengals have a great young core returning and should contend for the Wasaren League title next year.

--
Class AA quarters are coming this afternoon from the big arena not to be named in downtown Albany.
CBA-Troy is 1 pm and CCHS-Colonie is set for 2:30. Guilderland plays Shaker after that and Amsterdam takes on Big 10 foe Bishop Maginn in the late game.
There is a big buzz about the CCHS-Colonie game and rightfully so. They teams played in the Troy Christmas Tournament, CCHS coming away with a close win. It should be the closest of the afternoon, but both teams have Achilles heels.
For Colonie - it is the Jekyll and Hyde inconsistency. They have great players but sometimes they do not communicate and play as a team on the offensive end. Consequently, they force bad shots and end up falling behind and forcing even more bad shots. This was exactly the case in their games at Guilderland and home against Shen that I covered this year. If Tashan Newsome and Herb Tedford, along with Jim Bacher and Sean Peer, can keep that offense moving and flowing, the Raiders can win, no doubt about it.
The Crusaders have an awesome two-headed attack in Devin Grimes and Jordan Gettings, but if one of those guys has an off-night, it is usually a long night for CCHS. They combine to average around 35 points per game.
The game will come down to Colonie's defensive effort on Gettings and Grimes. If the Raiders can shut one down and manage to maintain some offensive flow, Colonie can win.
However, very few teams have been able to blanket Gettings or Grimes all year long.

--
Keep those questions and comments coming - drop us a line at troyrecordsports {at} gmail.com

I'm especially interested in any comments on the Maple Hill boys since I've only seen them once - yesterday. Any info on Hoosic Valley's opponent, Fonda, would be appreciated as well.

I'll haul my laptop down to the Knickbocker Arean today and see if I can't do a little live blogging during the AA quarters.

--Will Montgomery

Shen's Tom Asterino (5) cuts off La Salle's Vinny Planz in the Section II Division I hockey final. (J.S. Carras — The Record)

It was a true battle of the goaltenders on Thursday night at the section II Division I hockey final at Union College. La Salle's Brendan Wagner and Shen's Nathan Mellow spent most of the evening standing on their heads, stopping great scoring chances for most of three periods.

With 2:46 remaining in the third period, the game still a scoreless tie, Shenendehowa's Andy Cantiello was called for boarding, setting up a crucial power play opportunity for the Cadets. Who knew the Plainsmen pentaly kill would end up with the game-winner.

Adam Hitchko pried the puck loose from La Salle's Niall Cahill and flung it out to Jesse Elliott on the right boards. Ellioot and Hitchko flew down in a 2-on-1, drawing Wagner to the ice as Elliott ripped a nasty wrister over Wagner's right shoulder to give the Plainsmen a late advantage.

Shen advances to the state playoffs although they do not yet know their opponent. Unlike previous years, the runner-up will not advance to the state playoffs.

Still, the Cadets should be proud of making it to the final - as late as December 22nd, La Salle was second-to-last in Division I. They turned around a goal-scoring drought and, prior to the final, were the only section II team to beat or tie Shen.

While plenty of talented seniors on the La Salle squad will move on, Wagner and a cast of talented juniors and sophomores will return next season.

Couldn't have asked for more of a final - although the final was 3-0 (Shen added two empty-netters) it was as exciting a game as a 0-0 tie could be. Both teams had plenty of scoring chances, there were plenty of hits and the goalies were spectacular.

The following games orignally scheduled for tonight have been moved to tomorrow.

At Cohoes High School
Tamarac vs. Hudson @ 6:00
Catskill vs. Cohoes @ 7:30

At Maple Hill High School
Warrensburg vs. Middleburgh @ 6:00
Maple Hill vs. Rensselaer @ 7:30

At Hoosic Valley High School
Fonda vs. Ichabod Crane @ 6:00
Emma Willard vs. Hoosic Valley @ 7:30

At Mohonasen High School (Note time changes)
Lansingburgh vs. Burnt Hills @ 2:00
Hudson Falls vs. Mohonasen @ 3:30

--
Games at Averill Park and Scotia will still be played Friday.
All of Friday's boys games are still on.

This weekend's full quarterfinal schedule is listed below.


All tickets $6

Friday, Feb. 22

Class CC Quarterfinals
(4) Voorheesville vs (5) Berne-Knox at UAlbany, 6:30 pm
(1) Schenectady Christian vs (9) Hoosick Falls at UAlbany, 8 pm
(3) Mechanicville vs Stillwater at HVCC, 6:30 pm
(2) Cambridge vs (7) Watervliet at HVCC, 8 pm

Class D Quarterfinals
(2) Argyle vs (10) Sharon Springs at HVCC, 5 pm
(3) Northville vs (6) Fort Edward at UAlbany, 5 pm


Saturday, Feb. 23

Class A Quarterfinals
(1) Albany Academy vs (8) Lansingburgh at UAlbany, 6 pm
(4) Mohonasen vs (5) Scotia at UAlbany, 7:30 pm
(3) Averill Park vs (6) Burnt Hills at HVCC, 6 pm
(2) B. Gibbons vs ( ) at HVCC, 7:30 pm

Class B Quarterfinals
(4) Broadalbin vs (5) Schuylerville at UAlbany, 3 pm
(1) Ichabod Crane vs (8) Tamarac at UAlbany, 4:30 pm
(3) Hoosic Valley vs (6) Spa Catholic at HVCC, 3 pm
(2) Fonda vs (10) Cohoes at HVCC, 4:30 pm

Class C Quarterfinals
(4) Fort Plain vs (5) Maple Hill at UAlbany, noon
(1) Rensselaer vs (8) Duanesburg at UAlbany, 1:30 pm
(3) Berlin vs (6) Germantown at HVCC, noon
(2) Whitehall vs (7) Hadley-Luzerne at HVCC, 1:30 pm

Class D Quarterfinals
(1) North Warren vs (8) Fort Ann at HVCC, 10:30 am
(4) St. Johnsville vs (5) Loudonville Christian at UAlbany, 10:30 am


Sunday, Feb. 24

Class AA Quarterfinals
All games at TU Center, Albany
(B2) CBA vs (B6) Troy, 1 pm
(S2) Colonie vs (B3) CCHS, 2:30 pm
(S1) Guilderland vs (S5) Shaker, 4 pm
(B1) B. Maginn vs (B5) Amsterdam, 5:30 pm

Division 1 and Division 2 seeds for Section II wrestling championships at Glens Falls, Friday February 22 and Saturday 23.
Division I Top Four Seeds
96 -1. Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa) 28-5; 2. Jeff King (Averill Park) 23-6; 3. Spencer Thomas (Ballston Spa) 25-10; 4. Matt Green (Bethlehem) 17-7.
103 - 1. Luke Popolizio (Shen) 33-2; 2. John Belanger (Glens Falls) 28-7; 3. Connor Sutton (La Salle) 33-8; 4. Evan Wallace (Columbia) 32-9.
112 - 1. Juliano Pabon (Shen) 28-10; 2. Jon Clemente (La Salle) 29-10; 3. A.J. Rue (Saratoga) 25-7; 4. Toby Barnes (BSpa) 34-10.
119 - 1. T.J. Popolizio (Shen) 33-4; 2. Rick DuFresne (Amsterdam) 38-10; 3. Russell Radigan (Queensbury) 27-11; 4. Jason Chudzinski (Colonie) 32-7.
125 - 1. Matt Cubillos (Guilderland) 31-3; 2. Dan Riggi (Scotia) 33-6; 3. Lou Angelo (Columbia) 29-10; 4. Eddie Davis (Sara) 25-5.
130 - 1. Brian Benton (Amst) 46-2; 2. Robert Romeo (Guild) 32-4; 3. Brendan McKeown (Burnt Hills) 32-12; 4. Nick Oligney (Lansingburgh)36-3.
135 - 1. Giuseppi Lanzi (Amst) 43-2; 2. Zach Crain (Guild) 39-1; 3. Kyle Vuillaume (BH) 36-6; 4. Nick Lashway (GF) 28-7.
140 - 1. Zach Clemente (La Salle) 44-0; 2. David Staulters (BSpa) 35-5; 3. J.J. Anderson (Colonie) 36-7; 4. Kevin Selin (Niskayuna) 30-7.
145 - 1. Eliah Golding (Colonie) 34-5; 2. Paul Martin (BH) 33-6; 3. Jestin Seays (Amst) 37-9; 4. Cameron Staulters (BSpa) 33-6.
152 - 1. Josh Simmons (Colonie) 34-8; 2. Rob Morey (Amst) 40-3; 3. Ethan Wilson (BH) 36-12; 4. Adam Ostrander (Qby) 29-6.
160 -1. Alex Steciuk (BSpa) 37-1; 2. John Paris (Amst) 42-3; 3. Jimmy Neal (GF) 30-8; 4. Josh Comer (Qby) 27-8.
171 - 1. Austin Meys (Shen) 38-0; 2. Adam Winnie (Sara) 29-5; 3. Dan McNamara (Amst) 37-7; 4. Josh Sawyer (Guild) 30-6.
189 - 1. Hunter Meys (Shen) 39-0; 2. Jared Myhrberg (Qby) 32-1; 3. Jake Newcomb (Nisk) 29-3; 4. Andrew Purcell (Albany) 26-7.
215 - 1. Tim Elbert (Qby) 35-0; 2. Spencer Miller (BH) 41-8; 3. Dan Peyron (Shen) 22-8; 4. A.J. Monin (Colonie) 31-8.
285 - 1. Ken Altarac (La Salle) 39-4; 2. Zeal McGrew (BH) 32-3; 3. Devan Van Auken (Guild) 29-7; 4. Andrew Jones (Schenectady) 29-7.
Division II Top Four Seeds
96 -1. John Delaney (Watervliet) 38-2; 2. Kody Shaw (Fonda) 30-7; 3. Tyrel White (Whitehall) 32-6; 4. Brendan Goldup (Schuylerville) 19-5.
103 - 1. Sarah Anderson (Schuy) 32-1; 2. Tom Fuller (Tamarac) 28-4; 3. Abby Roth (Warrensburg) 18-14; 4. Sammy Shields (Schalmont) 26-3.
112 - 1. Curt Thompson (Whi) 38-3; 2. Amy Whitbeck (Duanesburg) 34-7; 3. Aaron Dudley (Hudson Falls) 32-5; 4. Taylor Treadgold (Voorheesville) 37-3.
119 - 1. Brian Borst (Dua) 41-1; 2. Kirk Harrington (HudF) 26-8; 3. James Baker (Corinth) 32-5; 4. Tyler Delisle (Maple Hill) 35-2.
125 - 1. Mark Gillen (Johnstown) 33-1; 2. Andy Lyman (Ravena) 26-13; 3. J.J. Goblet (Schoharie/Middleburgh) 30-7; 4. Evan Borst (Dua) 32-7.130 - 1. Randy White (Dua) 39-5; 2. Jordan Lane (Rav) 28-10; 3. Josh Rankin (Cohoes) 31-5; 4. Billy Chandler (Schal) 29-3.
135 - 1. John Gochenour (Galway) 26-2; 2. Zach Diekel (Whi) 37-7; 3. Wes Hotaling (Rav) 26-13; 4. Mykel Foland (S/M) 22-4.
140 - 1. Robert Merchant (Cobleskill) 33-2; 2. Vincent Gallo (Schal) 30-3; 3. Joey Morrison (John) 28-6; 4. Tyler Nicholson (Cor) 32-7.
145 - 1. Nate Cross (HudF) 24-3; 2. Travis Beayon (Whi) 35-5; 3. Mat White (Dua) 36-8; 4. Austin Irish (Cob) 32-8.
152 - 1. Aaron Barber (HudF) 31-2; 2. Cody Legg (Rav) 25-4; 3. Wes Coppolo (Dua) 37-6; 4. Jake Arrunategui (John) 10-6.
160 - 1. Ryan Black (Warr) 37-1; 2. Nick Gwiazdowski (Dua) 34-8; 3. Chris Tommasino (Hoosick Falls) 27-4; 4. Rocco Nicoletta (Ichabod Crane) 25-6.
171 - 1. Dave Larson (Dua) 31-8; 2. Tom Barber (HudF) 27-9; 3. Mike Welcome (Coh) 35-4; 4. Mike Magazu (HooF) 27-6.
189 - 1. Jeremy Burns (HooF) 29-3; 2. Dana Mesick (Dua) 32-11; 3. Jon Bucher (HudF) 11-9; 4. Lou Emden (John) 30-8.
215 - 1. Jedd Mason (Whi) 35-4; 2. Logan Rock (Warr) 27-7; 3. Janse Van Alstine (Broadalbin-Perth) 25-6; 4. Ross Pardy (Granville) 26-9.
285 - 1. Dan Ladd (Schuy) 28-0; 2. Ron Daigle (Gran) 20-6; 3. Tim Hammond (HudF) 30-4; 4. Derek Mollnow (Coh) 21-10.

Tamarac's Matt Dixon looks to pass in a game against Hoosic Valley earlier this year (Photo - Tom Killups - The Record)

A historic night in Brunswick last night for the Tamarac Bengals. In their first ever home playoff game, the Bengals won their first sectional game in a very long time*, defeating Hudson 56-37. The Bengals' three big men - Matt Dixon, Steve Hunt and Brent Matazinsky - all had big games, all scoring in double figures.

Tamarac faces No. 1 Ichabod Crane on Saturday at 4:30 at SEFCU Arena at UAlbany.

*I've heard different reports so far on when the last time Tamarac actually won a playoff game - 1980-1981 season and the 1990-1991 season have come up as possibilites. Please send us any concrete evidence at the email below - we just want to run the correct date.

That said, if last night was any idication, postseason success will becoming a regular activity in Brunswick.

At 3pm Saturday at SEFCU, Broadalbin and Schuylerville will battle it out in the route 29 rivalry. The Black Horses' pesky defense just might be able to slow down the high-flying Patriots offense - and the winner will face the Crane-Tamarac winner in Glens Falls.

On the other side of the B bracket, Cohoes beat Taconic Hills on the road by 12 points and will play Fonda-Fultonville on Saturday at 4:30 pm at HVCC. Hoosic Valley and Spa Catholic will precede that game at 3 pm.

Any of these teams have a shot to take home the B title and every single one of these quarterfinal games should be exciting.

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The CC bracket also tipped off last night, Watervliet, Stillwater and Hoosick Falls all advancing to the quarters.
The Cannoneers face Cambridge at 8 pm on Friday at HVCC in a rematch of a Christmas Tournament game. The Indians stumbled a bit down the stretch, falling to Hoosic Valley and Tamarac - and with a long layoff since the end of the Wasaren League season, Watervliet has a shot at an upset.
Stillwater will face Mechanicville in what should be a great rivalry game in sectionals. However, the senior-laden Red Raiders should advance to the semis. The game is set for 6:30 pm on Friday at HVCC.
The Panthers pulled off the upset on the road at Schoharie but now must face No. 1 seed Schenectady Christian at UAlbany on Friday at 8 pm.

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In the Ds, Sharon Springs ended Heatly's season with a 76-61 victory.

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Boys AA, A and C games begin tonight.
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On the girls' side, Lansingburgh and Hoosic Valley got off on the right foot. 'Burgh beat Bishop Gibbons 61-11 and the Indians knocked off Granville, 71-12. Lansingburgh's Erin Glikes steals the ball away from Bishop Gibbons' JaQuasia Chaires during Tuesday's Section II Class A playoff game at Lansingburgh. (J.S. Carras — The Record)

In the girls' B bracket quarters, Hoosic Valley hosts Emma Willard; Ichabod Crane hosts Fonda-Fultonville; Cohoes hosts Catskill; and Tamarac hosts Hudson. All games are set for Friday.
'Burgh heads to Mohonasen on Friday to play Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Averill Park hosts Glens Falls in the A quarters.

AA, CC and C brackets get going this evening.

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Here is what we have coming up - we'll have the full schedule once the first round finishes tonight.

All tickets $6 - all games at SEFCU Arena, UAlbany or the McDounough Sports Complex, HVCC

Class B Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 23
(4) Broadalbin vs (5) Schuylerville at UAlbany, 3 pm
(1) Ichabod Crane vs (8) Tamarac at UAlbany, 4:30 pm
(3) Hoosic Valley vs (6) Spa Catholic at HVCC, 3 pm
(2) Fonda vs (10) Cohoes at HVCC, 4:30 pm

Class CC Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 22
(4) Voorheesville vs (5) Berne-Knox at UAlbany, 6:30 pm
(1) Schenectady Christian vs (9) Hoosick Falls at UAlbany, 8 pm
(3) Mechanicville vs Stillwater at HVCC, 6:30 pm
(2) Cambridge vs (7) Watervliet at HVCC, 8 pm

Class D Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 22
(2) Argyle vs (10) Sharon Springs at HVCC, 5 pm
(3) Northville vs (6) Fort Edward at UAlbany, 5 pm
Saturday, Feb. 23
(1) North Warren vs (8) Fort Ann at HVCC, 10:30 am
(4) St. Johnsville vs (5) Loudonville Christian at UAlbany, 10:30 am

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All comments (and statistical corrections) are welcome - drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail.com

-- Will Montgomery

Sectional tournaments begin Tuesday night for both boys and girls basketball. Full schedules are below.

Also, be sure to check out the Division I hockey final on Thursday at Messa Rink on the campus of Union College in Schenectady. La Salle will take on Shenendehowa for the third time this season - the Cadets rallied for a 2-2 draw in the first meeting and then shut out the Plainsmen 3-0 in Clifton Park in the second. The puck drops Thursday at 7 pm.

You can read about the Cadets' 5-1 win over Saratoga last Saturday by clicking here.

Boys basketball first round sectionals, Feb. 19 and 20
Tickets are $3 for all first round games

Class AA
First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
S = Suburban seed, B = Big 10 seed
(B8) Albany at (S1) Guilderland, 7 p.m.
(S5) Shaker at (B4) Schenectady, 7:30 p.m.
(S7) Saratoga at (B2) CBA, 7 p.m.
(B6) Troy at (S3) Shenendehowa, 7 p.m.
(S8) Columbia at (B1) Bishop Maginn, 7 p.m.
(B5) Amsterdam at (S4) Bethlehem, 7:30 p.m.
(B7) Queensbury at (S2) Colonie, 7 p.m.
(S6) Niskayuna at (B3) Catholic Central, 7:30 p.m.

Class A
First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
(1) Albany Academy, (2) Bishop Gibbons, (3) Averill Park, (4) Mohonasen and
(5) Scotia all have first round byes
(9) Gloversville at (8) Lansingburgh, 7 p.m.
(10) Glens Falls at (7) Hudson Falls, 7 p.m.
(11) South Glens Falls at (6) Burnt Hills, 7 p.m.

Class B
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
(16) Granville at (1) Ichabod Crane 7:30 p.m.
(9) Hudson at (8) Tamarac, 7:30 p.m.
(13) Chatham at (4) Broadalbin-Perth, 7 p.m.
(12) Johnstown at (5) Schuylerville, 7 p.m.
(15) Ravena at (2) Fonda-Fultonville, 7:30 p.m.
(10) Cohoes at (7) Taconic Hills, 7 p.m.
(14) Cobleskill at (3) Hoosic Valley, 7:30 p.m.
(11) Cairo-Durham at (6) Saratoga Catholic, 7 p.m.

Class CC
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
(1) Schenectady Christian, (2) Cambridge,
(3) Mechanicville, (4) Voorheesville and (5) Berne-Knox all have first round byes
(9) Hoosick Falls at (8) Schoharie, 7 p.m.
(10) Greenwich at (7) Watervliet, 7 p.m.
(11) Stillwater at (6) Lake George, 7 p.m.

Class C
First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
(1) Rensselaer, (2) Whitehall and (3) Berlin all have first round byes
(9) Waterford at (8) Duanesburg, 7 p.m.
(13) Middleburgh at (4) Fort Plain, 7 p.m.
(12) Salem at (5) Maple Hill, 7 p.m.
(10) Canajoharie at (7) Hadley-Luzerne, 7p.m.
(11) Warrensburg at (6) Germantown, 7:30 p.m.

Class D
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
(1) North Warren, (2) Argyle, (3) Northville, (4) St. Johnsville and
(5) Loudonville Christian all have first round byes
(9) New Lebanon at (8) Fort Ann, 7 p.m.
(10) Sharon Springs at (7) Heatly, 7 p.m.
(11) Hawthorne Valley at (6) Fort Edward, 7 p.m.

Cohoes' Meg Rivage draws a foul as she attempts to drive past Watervliet's Chanessa Blakemore (23) and Molly McGrouty. (J.S. Carras — The Record).

Girls basketball first round sectionals, February 19 and 20
Tickets are $3 for all first round games

Class AA
S=Suburban Council
B=Big Ten Conference
Wednesday, February 20
(S1) Shenendehowa has a first round bye
(S5)Colonie at (B4) Catholic Central, 6p.m.
(S7) Guilderland at (B2) Albany, 6p.m.
(B6) Bishop Maginn at (S3) Niskayuna, 6p.m.
(S8) Shaker at (B1) Amsterdam, 6p.m.
(B5) Troy at (S4)Columbia, 6p.m.
(B7) Queensbury at (S2) Bethlehem, 6p.m.
(S6) Saratoga at (B3) Schenectady, 6p.m.

Class A
Tuesday, February 19
(1) Averill Park, (2) Mohonasen, (3) Burnt Hills, (4) Holy Names and (5) Scotia all have first round byes
(9) Glens Falls at (8) So. Glens Falls, 6p.m.
(10) Gloversville at (7) Hudson Falls, 6p.m.
(11) Bishop Gibbons at (6) Lansingburgh, 6p.m.

Class B
Tuesday, February 19
(16) Granville at (1) Hoosic Valley, 6p.m.
(9) Coxsackie-Athens at (8) Emma Willard, 6p.m.
(13) Spa Catholic at (4) Ichabod Crane, 6p.m.
(12) Greenville at (5) Fonda, 6p.m.
(15) Broadalbin-Perth at (2) Cohoes, 6p.m.
(10) Catskill at (7) Johnstown, 6p.m.
(14) Schalmont at (3) Tamarac, 6p.m.
(11) Schuylerville at (6) Hudson, 6p.m.

Class C
Wednesday, February 20
(1) Schenectady Christian, (2) Maple Hill and(3) Warrensburg all have first round byes
(9) Waterford at (8) Albany Academy, 6p.m.
(13) Salem at (4) Whitehall, 6p.m.
(12) Duanesburg at (5) Germantown, 6p.m.
(10) Berlin at (7) Rensselaer, 6p.m.
(11) Hadley-Luzurne at (6) Middleburg, 6p.m.

Class CC
Wednesday, February 20
(1) Mechanicville and (2)Watervliet have first round byes
(9) Corinth at (8) Hoosic Falls, 6p.m.
(13) Mayfield at (4) Stillwater, 6p.m.
(12) Schoharie at (5) Lake George, 6p.m.
(10) Greenwich at (7) Canojoharie , 6p.m.
(14) Cambridge at (3) Berne-Knox-Westerlo, 6p.m.
(11) Galway at (6) Voorheesville, 6p.m.

Now that the sectional brackets have been announced, let's recap the regular season standings for each of the local leagues.

Here are full brackets you can print out for future reference.

Class AA
Class A
Class B
Class CC
Class C
Class D

(League, Overall)
(Class, State ranking)(W-L, W-L)

Big 10
Bishop Maginn (AA, 4) (16-0, 19-1)

CBA (AA, 12) (14-2, 17-2)

Bishop Gibbons (11-5, 13-7)

CCHS (11-5, 15-5)

Schenectady (6-10, 9-11)

Amsterdam (4-12, 6-14)

Troy (4-12, 5-14)

Albany (3-13, 4-14)

La Salle (3-13, 6-14)

No surprises here. Maginn and CBA were strong and state-ranked all year and dominated the league all season long. CBA's two losses both came to Maginn.

Gibbons was ranked in the A poll for a while, but their loss to Mohonasen over Christmas break really hurt their reputation in that regard. The Knights should cruise easily into the A final but they will have to beat Averill Park or Burnt Hills to get there. CCHS was also very good thanks to Jordan Gettings and Devin Grimes and if those two can have a good night on the same night, Maginn may get a challenege in the semis.

Other than La Salle, the private schools were at the top and the public schools on the bottom. Hmmm.

Still, look for a CBA-Maginn rematch in the AA finals - a rematch of last year's final as well. CBA went undefeated through the regular season, but Maginn topped them in the final and eventually wound up in the state championship game.

Suburban Council
Blue Division
Colonie (10-4, 14-6)
Shenendehowa (10-4, 12-8)
Shaker (7-7, 9-11)
Saratoga (3-11, 6-14)

Gold Division
Guilderland (14-0, 18-2)
Bethlehem (9-5, 14-6)
Columbia (4-10, 7-13)
Ballston Spa (0-14, 2-17)

White Division
Averill Park (8-6, 12-8)
Mohonasen (8-6, 11-9)
Burnt Hills (6-8, 10-10)
Niskayuna (5-9, 8-12)

Guilderland went undeafeated in league play (Maginn and Albany Academy did this as well and Ichabod Crane lost only once) and should be a force in the AA bracket. However, CBA beat the Dutchmen in the Columbia Tournament in December sans leading scorer Malcolm Austin. With Austin in the AA semis, the Dutchmen will have their hands full.

Bethlehem and Colonie will try to knock off Maginn in the lower half of the bracket - but I don't think either of those teams has enough to hang with the Big 10 team.

In the As, Averill Park, Mohonasen and Burnt Hills all have a chance to make some noise. BH-BL and Averill Park are likely to meet in the second round. Mohon is already set to play Scotia in the second thanks to byes. However, Academy and Gibbons just look destined to meet in the A final.

Colonial Council
Albany Academy (A, 8) (16-0, 17-3)

Lansingburgh (12-4, 13-7)

Mechanicville (11-5, 15-5)

Voorheesville (10-5, 13-6)

Cohoes (9-7, 9-11)

Watervliet (6-9, 8-11)

Cobleskill (4-12, 5-15)

Ravena (2-14, 3-17)

Schalmont (1-15, 1-19)

Academy's perfect run through the Colonial earned them a No. 1 seed in the As and the winner of Lansingburgh/Gloversville. The Cadets have had their way with the Knights in two meetings this year and a third game would be interesting.

Watervliet had an off-year but will play Greenwich at home in the first round of the CC playoffs. Should they win, the Cannoneers would take on Cambridge for the second time this season and might just have enough to solve Shea Bromirski and the Indians a second time around.

Mechanicville and Voorheesville earned byes in the CCs, and Voorheesville in particular played well down the stretch and could be an upset special. The Red Raiders have a senior-laden team, starring Paul MacMillan and Pat Marra and are also very dangerous.

Wasaren League
Hoosic Valley (B, 16) (12 -2, 17-3)

Cambridge (C, 11) (11-3, 17-3)

Schuylerville (11-3, 14-6)

Tamarac (9-5, 13-7)

Hoosick Falls (5-9, 8-12)

Greenwich (4-10, 6-14)

Granville (3-11, 6-14)

Stillwater (1-13, 3-17)

Hoosic Valley captured its first league title since 1974 and deservedly so. The Indians dropped their first two league games to Tamarac and Schuylerville but then rattled off 12 in a row, including a buzzer-beating victory over Cambridge to clinch the crown. Hoosic Valley, a No. 3 seed in the Bs, must be considered one of the favorites to win the section, thanks to the play of senior Pat Lanoue.

Cambridge secured the No. 2 and a bye in the CCs and it looks like a Schenectady Christian-Cambrdige final unless an upset occurs.

Tamarac and Schuylerville are both teams to watch for in the wide-open Bs.

Patroon Conference
Ichabod Crane (B, 5) (17-1, 19-1)

Rensselaer (12-6, 14-6)

Cairo-Durham (10-8, 11-9)

Hudson (10-8, 11-9)

Maple Hill (10-8, 11-9)

Taconic Hills (10-8, 12-8)

Chatham (7-10, 8-11)

Catskill (6-11, 7-12)

Coxsackie (5-12, 5-13)

Greenville (2-16, 2-16)

The Riders had a wonderful regular season. After dropping the first game of the year to Rensselaer, Ichabod Crane has not lost. Thanks to the streak, the Riders captured the No. 1 seed in the Bs and will face the winner of the Tamarac/Hudson game providing they can get past Granville.

In the C bracket, Rensselaer captured the No. 1 seed and a bye - but the Rams did struggle down the stretch. Fellow Patroon Conference team Maple Hill could be a sleeper in the Cs from the 5 seed - potentially seeing Rensselaer in the semi-finals.

Taconic Hills hosts Cohoes and Hudson travels to Tamarac in their first-round games. The logjam of four different 10-8 teams are all potentially dangerous in sectional play.

Central Hudson Valley League
Berlin (14-2, 15-5)

Germantown (14-2, 16-3)

Waterford (11-5, 11-9)

Loudonville Christian (10-6, 11-9)

Heatly (9-7, 9-11)

Berkshire (5-11, 5-14)

New Lebanon (5-11, 5-14)

Doane Stuart (2-13, 2-14)

Hawthorne Valley (1-14, 1-14)

Berlin and Germantown split the CHVL crown and could well meet in the second round of the C playoffs if Germantown (No. 6) can beat Warrensburg in the first round. Berlin, the No. 3 seed, received a bye.

Waterford could potentially meet Renssealer if they can beat Duanesburg on the road.

Loudonville Christian captured the No. 5 seed and a bye in the Ds, and Heatly hosts Sharon Springs in a first round contest on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

CHVL Boys Basketball All Stars
2007-2008

Co-MVPs
Chris Zema, Junior, Berlin
Ryan Broast, Senior, Germantown

First Team
Karl Brock, Senior, Berlin
Thomas Griffin, Freshman, Germantown
Shane McHugh, Senior, New Lebanon
Cullen Overholt, Sophomore, Loudonville Christian
Kevin Terry, Junior, Waterford

Second Team
Ethan Chevrette, Senior, Loudonville Christian
Joe Iachetta, Senior, Waterford
James Jackson, Junior, Hawthorne Valley
Justin Roberts, Senior, Germantown
Aaron Willis, Senior, Berlin
Jim Wittmann, Senior, Heatly

Honorable Mention
Cody Broast, Freshman, Germantown
Jesse Brown, Senior, New Lebanon
Kameron Cary, Junior, Doane Stuart
Brandon Fish, Junior, Heatly
Alan Gallardo, Sophomore, Hawthorne Valley
Jake LeBlanc, Junior, New Lebanon
Erik Medina, Senior, Heatly
Jared Rebeor, Junior, Loudonville Christian
Lucas Wager, Sophomore, Doane Stuart
Elisha Washington, Senior, Berkshire
Jeff Yattaw, Junior, Waterford
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High School hockey is also heating up. Shen hosts CBA tonight in the Division I semis and Saratoga travels to La Salle on Saturday. Game time is 7:20 p.m. at HVCC. The winners will face off on Thursday at Messa rink at Union College in Schenectady for the Division I title.

La Salle's Vincent Planz (15) and Shaker/Colonie's Brian Seniw battle for the puck during Wednesday's Section I Division I playoff game at Robert Conway Arena in Troy. (J.S. Carras — The Record)

A third La Salle-Shen game promises to be epic. LSI and Shen tied the first meeting in Troy and LSI upset Shen on senior night in Clifton Park a few weeks ago.

Here are the 2007-08 CDHSHL All Stars:

2007-08 CDHSHL Player of the Year
Adam Hitchko, senior, forward, Shenendehowa

2007-08 All-CDHSHL Team
Brendan Wagner, junior, goal, La Salle
Pete Bonelli, senior, defense, La Salle
DJ O’Connell, senior, defense, Shaker/Colonie
Matt Soprano, senior, forward, Queensbury
Jesse Elliot, senior, forward, Shenendehowa
Bryan Hunter, senior, forward, Shenendehowa

2007-08 Division I First Team
Andrew Blood, sophomore, goal, Christian Brothers Academy
Mike Casey, junior, defense, Niskayuna/Schenectady
Andrew Sellner, junior, defense, Christian Brothers Academy
Mike Walsh, senior, forward, La Salle
Greg Warnken, sophomore, forward, Guilderland
Niall Cahill, sophomore, forward, La Salle

2007-08 Division I Second Team
Scott Hartz, senior, goal, Niskayuna/Schenectady
Justin Luzinas, senior, defense, La Salle
Scott Brayden, junior, defense, Shenendehowa
Aaron Cahill, senior, forward, Guilderland
Zack Crowley, senior, forward, La Salle
Collin Burg, junior, forward, Guilderland

2007-08 Division II First Team
Patrick Murhpy, senior, goal, Queensbury
Anthony Soprano, sophomore, defense, Queensbury
Evan Ross, senior, defense, Burnt Hills/Scotia
Tom Dolfi, senior, forward, Bethlehem
Tyler Lingel, freshman, forward, South Glens Falls
Kevin Corbett, junior, forward, Queensbury

2007-08 Division II Second Team
Bryan Mulcahy, senior, goal, Glens Falls
Ken Lancto, senior, defense, Mohonasen/Schalmont
Ian Saunders, senior, defense, Glens Falls
Ryan Brown, senior, forward, Glens Falls
Adam Walkup, senior, forward, Queensbury
Stephen Russo, sophomore, Bethlehem

2007-08 CDHSHL Honorable Mention
Evan Greenwald, junior, goal, South Glens Falls
Craig Ward, senior, defense, La Salle
Andy Miller, senior, defense, Christian Brothers Academy
Jon Fogel, senior, defense, Guilderland
Greg Dwyer, junior, defense, Burnt Hills/Scotia
Lucas Hay, sophomore, defense, Queensbury
Ryan Wilson, senior, defense, Queensbury
Matt Mason, junior, defense, Glens Falls
Mark Meybaum, senior, forward, Christian Brothers Academy
Mike Tenenboym, junior, forward, Niskayuna/Schenectady
Dan Dickinson, junior, forward, Guilderland
Matt Kimmey, senior, forward, Niskayuna/Schenectady
Nico Cortese, junior, forward, Saratoga
Mike McCloskey, senior, forward, Shaker/Colonie
Matthew Vertrone, junior, forward, Shaker/Colonie

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Drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail . com

--Will Montgomery

2008 Section 2 Girls Basketball
All first round games played at higher seeds’ gym
Ticket prices: $3 first and second round, $6 semis and finals

First Round Games

Class AA
S=Suburban Council
B=Big Ten Conference
Wednesday, February 20
S1 Shenendehowa bye
S5Colonie at B4 Catholic Central 6p.m.
S7 Guilderland at B2Albany, 6p.m.
B6 Bishop Maginn at S3 Niskayuna, 6p.m.
S8 Shaker at B1 Amsterdam, 6p.m.
B5 Troy at S4Columbia, 6p.m.
B7 Queensbury at S2 Bethlehem, 6p.m.
S6 Saratoga at B3 Schenectady, 6p.m.

Class A
Tuesday, February 19
1 Averill Park bye
2 Mohonasen bye
3 Burnt Hills bye
4 Holy Names bye
5 Scotia bye
9 Glens Falls at 8 So. Glens Falls, 6p.m.
10 Gloversville at 7 Hudson Falls, 6p.m.
6 Lansingburgh at 11 Bishop Gibbons, 6p.m.

Tuesday, February 19
Classs B
16 Granville at 1 Hoosic Valley, 6p.m.
9 Coxsackie-Athens at 8 Emma Willard, 6p.m.
13 Spa Catholic at 4 Ichabod Crane, 6p.m.
12 Greenville at 5 Fonda 6p.m.
15 Broadalbin-Perth at 2 Cohoes, 6p.m.
10 Catskill at 7 Johnstown, 6p.m.
14 Schalmont at 3 Tamarac, 6p.m.
11 Schuylerville at 6 Hudson, 6p.m.

Class C
Wednesday, February 20
1 Schenectady Christian, bye
2 Maple Hill, bye
3 Warrensburg, bye
9 Waterford at 8 Albany Academy, 6p.m.
13 Salem at 4 Whitehall, 6p.m.
12 Duanesburg at 5 Germantown, 6p.m.
10 Berlin at 7 Renssealer, 6p.m.
11 Hadley-Luzurne at 6 Middleburg, 6p.m.

Class CC
Wednesday, February 20
1 Mechanicville, bye
2 Watervliet, bye
9 Corinth at 8 Hoosic Falls, 6p.m.
13 Mayfield at 4 Stillwater, 6p.m.
12 Schoharie at 5 Lake George, 6p.m.
10 Greenwich at 7 Canojoharie , 6p.m.
14 Cambridge at 3 Berne-Knox-Westerlo, 6p.m.
11 Galway at 6 Voorheesville, 6p.m.

Class D
1 Argyle, bye
Saturday, February 23
5 Northville at 4 Heatly, 6p.m.
7 Fort Edward at 2 Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
6 New Lebanon at 3 Sharon Springs, 6p.m.


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Look for full brackets and analysis in Thursday's Record.
Any questions, drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail.com

(Due to technical difficulties on our main site, I've posted this article here)

William Montgomery
The Record

COLONIE – Guilderland and Shaker-Colonie squared off in the championship game of the inaugural Albany County Hockey Cup on Saturday night and the tournament is off to a legendary beginning. The Dutchmen dominated the first period, but Shaker-Colonie retalalited in the second to knot the score at 2 heading into the final stanza.
With 2:19 remaining in the third period, Guilderland’s Dan Dickinson threw a shot on net and Shaker-Colonie goaltender Jim Lanne pinned the puck to the ice with the handle of his stick. Aaron Cahill pried it loose and put it past Lanne for the game-winning goal, the Dutchmen adding an empty-netter for a 4-2 victory and initial possession of the Albany County hockey crown.
“I saw it at the last minute and thought I’d tap it in,” grinned Cahill. “I’m kind of happy to do that, it got our team started up and changed the momentum a little bit.”
The momentum was all Guilderland’s in the first period. Dan Dickinson scored twice, picking up two assists from Greg Warnken. Shaker-Colonie simply had no energy and offered little physical resistance to the Dutchmen in front of the net.
Dickinson’s first goal came as he slid across the front of the net and ripped a wrister past Lanne. On his second goal, Dickinson moved to his right as the puck bounced towards him, flicking a backhanded drive into the net.
“Greg was setting me up perfect,” Dickinson said. “I put them away.” Dickinson picked up 4 goals on the tournament, assisting on two others. He was involved in every Guilderland goal of the weekend except Collin Burg’s open-net tally in the championship game. Dickinson and goaltender Brendan Glennon were the two Dutchmen named to the all-tournament team.
“It seems like (Dickinson is) there at the right time, but it’s really not by coincidence,” Guilderland head coach John De Rubertis said of junior forward. “He’s got a nose for it. Certainly an all-tournament player, no doubt about it.”
Glennon also had a solid evening between the pipes, buckling down after allowing two goals to the Jets in the second period.
“I kind of had a rough second period,” Glennon said. “I tried to make up for it in the third. It felt good, that my team was behind me. They came back and won the game for me.”
De Rubertis was excited about the progress his senior netminder has made over the past two seasons.
“(Glennon) had such an improvement last year, which was his first year as a starter,” De Rubertis said. “He grew quite a bit. He has really solidified the position, though he’s still working on his positing and angles. But he’s ready, pulling out the Ws for his team.”
The Jets stormed back in the second period, playing an inspired and physical period. Seth Clickner scored Shaker-Colonie’s first goal after intercepting an errant Dutchmen pass on the defensive end, a cannon of a slapshot from the top of the circle trickling past Glennon.
DJ O’Connell replied with a big shot of his own, the goal coming off a Shaker-Colonie dump into the offensive zone, catching Glennon off-guard. Mike McCloskey assisted an O’Connell’s goal. O’Connell was also named all-tournament.
“We thought we had it and it was over with,” Warnken said of the Dutchmen’s flat effort in the second period. His goaltender echoed those sentiments.
“The second period we came out, I think it was a 2-0 lead and we thought we had them,” said Glennon. “We came out in the third, and (said to ourselves) we’re going to win this because we want to go into sectionals with a win.”
Although Guilderland captured the first-ever Albany County Cup, the games did not influence sectional seedings or standings. The Dutchmen, however, were more than pleased to come away with a victory. Confidence from the late rally promises to carry over into their first round sectional game against Saratoga on Tuesday.
“We wanted to work hard 24/7, but it got to our heads that this wasn’t for anything,” Cahill said of the team’s lack of motivation in the second period. “Then it came to our heads that this was for something - we wanted the cup.”
“It felt great,” Dickinson said of hoisting the cup over his head after the game. “I went on a victory lap and everything. It’s a big tournament and we got the W.”
Bethlehem defeated CBA 1-0 in the consolation game, with Eagles’ goalie John Remmel recording the shutout and earning a spot on the all-tournament team.

GUILDERLAND 4, SHAKER-COLONIE 2
SHAKER-COLONIE (8-13-3) 0 2 0 - 2
GUILDERLAND (12-9-1) 2 0 2 – 4
First Period – 1, G Dan Dickinson (Greg Warnken, Robby King) 3:15, 2, G Dickinson (Warnken, Collin Burg) 11:46
Second Period – 3, SC Seth Clickner (unassisted) 3:38 4, SC DJ O’Connell (Mike McCloskey) 10:11
Third Period – 5, G Aaron Cahill (Nick Koss, Dickinson) 12:31 6, G Burg (empty net, unassisted) 14:53

All first round games played at higher seeds’ gym
Ticket prices: $3 for first round games, $6 for all subsequent rounds
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Class AA
(Note change:) Play-in game, Saturday, Feb. 16
Albany at La Salle, 1 p.m.

First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
S = Suburban seed, B = Big 10 seed
S1 Guilderland vs Play-in winner, B8, 7 p.m.
B4 Schenectady vs S5 Shaker, 7:30 p.m.
B2 CBA vs S7 Saratoga, 7 p.m.
S3 Shenendehowa vs B6 Troy, 7 p.m.
B1 Bishop Maginn vs S8 Columbia, 7 p.m.
S4 Bethlehem vs B5 Amsterdam, 7:30 p.m.
S2 Colonie vs B7 Queensbury, 7 p.m.
B3 Catholic Central vs S6 Niskayuna, 7:30 p.m.



Class A
First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
1 Albany Academy, bye
8 Lansingburgh vs 9 Gloversville, 7 p.m.
4 Mohonasen, bye
5 Scotia, bye
2 Bishop Gibbons, bye
7 Hudson Falls vs 10 Glens Falls, 7 p.m.
3 Averill Park, bye
6 Burnt Hills vs 11 South Glens Falls, 7 p.m.



Class B
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
1 Ichabod Crane vs 16 Granville, 7:30 p.m.
8 Tamarac vs 9 Hudson, 7:30 p.m.
4 Broadalbin-Perth vs 13 Chatham, 7 p.m.
5 Schuylerville vs 12 Johnstown, 7 p.m.
2 Fonda-Fultonville vs 15 Ravena, 7:30 p.m.
7 Taconic Hills vs 10 Cohoes, 7 p.m.
3 Hoosic Valley vs 14 Cobleskill, 7:30 p.m.
6 Saratoga Catholic vs 11 Cairo-Durham, 7 p.m.



Class CC
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
1 Schenectady Christian, bye
8 Schoharie vs 9 Hoosick Falls, 7 p.m.
4 Voorheesville, bye
5 Berne-Knox, bye
2 Cambridge, bye
7 Watervliet vs 10 Greenwich, 7 p.m.
3 Mechanicville, bye
6 Lake George vs 11 Stillwater, 7 p.m.



Class C
First round games, Wednesday, Feb. 20
1 Rensselaer, bye
8 Duanesburg vs 9 Waterford, 7 p.m.
4 Fort Plain vs 13 Middleburgh, 7 p.m.
5 Maple Hill vs 12 Salem, 7 p.m.
2 Whitehall, bye
7 Hadley-Luzerne vs 10 Canajoharie, 7p.m.
3 Berlin, bye
6 Germantown vs 11 Warrensburg, 7:30 p.m.



Class D
First round games, Tuesday, Feb. 19
1 North Warren, bye
8 Fort Ann vs 9 New Lebanon, 7 p.m.
4 St. Johnsville, bye
5 Loudonville Christian, bye
2 Argyle, bye
7 Heatly vs 10 Sharon Springs, 7 p.m.
3 Northville, bye
6 Fort Edward vs 11 Hawthorne Valley, 7 p.m.

Congratulations to the La Salle hockey team, who defeated Shen 3-0 on Friday in Clifton Park. The loss ended a 23-game CDHSHL win streak for the Plainsmen.

Shen is now 15-1-1 in CDHSHL play - the loss and tie both coming at the hands of the Cadets.

LSI's Brendan Wagner makes a save against Shen in the first meeting of the teams, Jan 5 in Troy.

The Plainsmen remain the favorites in sectionals, but last night's game must have been a big boost for the Cadets.


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Albany County Hockey Cup final is tonight, Shaker/Colonie will play Guilderland for the title. Bethlehem will square off against CBA in the consolation beginning at 5:30 at the Albany County Hockey Facility.

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Big basketball night last night as well. Bishop Maginn and Albany Academy remained perfect in league play and in the Wasaren League, Hoosic Valley's boys team wrapped up its first league title since 1974. HV finished one game ahead of Cambirdge, and they can thank Tamarac for knocking Cambridge off last Saturday to provide the one-game cushion.

The Bengals nearly doubled up Granville, 61-31, on their senior night Friday. However, I was impressed by the level of sportsmanship the Tamarac players displayed throughout the game regarding the score. Tamarac coach Eric Medved pointed out to me that the referees also thanked him for the composure his team had on the floor in such a lopsided game.
Phil Arnold hit 3 3s in the first quarter as part of a 21-0 run that sealed the victory. Tyler Shaw hit a couple of his own in the third, and Brent Matazinsky, Matt Dixon and Steve Hunt all finished with at least 10 points.
Tamarac will likely host its first home sectional game in over 30 years in the first round. With Dixon the only senior graduating, it looks like playoff basketball just might become a new institution around Brunswick.

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We would appreciate your comments, questions or outlandish playoff predicitions. What darkhorse teams do you like? Drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail.com

-- Will Montgomery

Consolation Round, Saturday, Feb. 9
(At Washington Ave Armory, Albany)
10 am - Saratoga vs Ballston Spa, boys
11:45 - Mohonasen vs Ballston Spa, girls
1:30 pm - Niskayuna vs Averill Park, boys
3:15 - Saratoga vs Colonie, girls
5 - Niskayuna vs Columbia, girls
6:45 - Mohonasen vs Shenendehowa, boys

Colonie's Brian Sleasman moves the ball up the floor agains Shenendehowa's Matt Lee during Tuesday's Suburban Council game at Colonie. (J.S. Carras — The Record)

Championship Round, Sunday, Feb. 10
(At Washinton Ave Armory, Albany)
10 am - Burnt Hills vs Shaker, girls
11:45 - Burnt Hills vs Columbia, boys
1:30 pm - Guilderland vs Averill Park, girls
3 - Shaker vs Bethlehem, boys
4:30 - All-League Awards
5 - Bethlehem vs Shenendehowa, girls
6:45 - Colonie vs Guilderland, boys

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Should be a solid matchup in the final, a rematch between Colonie and Guilderland. If the Raiders can play like they did on Thursday against Mohonasen, it should be a heck of a game down there at the Armory. But, if the Raiders come out flat, as they did against Shen on Tuesday, it will be a long game for Colonie.
Guilderland has four big-time weapons - Brett Marfurt, Drew Smith, Jon Terry and Kevin Kost. Without a doubt, whichever team wins the game will get a big boost going into sectionals against the major league teams from the Big 10.

Shaker is also on a roll - look out for the Bison. On Saturday, the Mohon-Shen game should be fun to watch too, each of those teams bring a exciting, balanced attack.


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Full sectional brackets come out Wednesday and we will have them here first.

-- Will Montgomery

Regarding my comments about Albany Academy in a column that ran in Monday's paper, I take full blame for not doing my homework on that one. It is the first year there for their coach, and he inherited the roster. He had no role in recruiting or the team's lone transfer this season.

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That said, I still do believe the private schools have a distinct advantage over the public schools athletically because in a sense, all private school athletes are "recruits." Parents with the means to send their children to private schools certainly have the right to do so., don't get me wrong.
Certainly, a good number of the players on private school teams are students that have been going to private schools all their lives - so most student-athletes aren't solely there for sports.
Looking at the standings, is it any surprise that the private schools (with the exception of La Salle) are all at the top? With the "recruiting" advantage, is it any surprise that the public schools are all at the bottom of the Big 10? (What about the Suburban Council teams facings these schools in sectionals?)

I'm a public school guy myself, so there's my bias. But one of my favorite aspects of playing in high school was that by the time we were all seniors, we had been playing together for 10 years in different sports, throughout various seasons. That is why it is so hard for a public school coach to have continued success over a long period of time - the coach can only work with what players in the district choose to come out for their sport in any particular season.
Perhaps the public schools have an advantage in sports such as football that require a deep sense of trust and teamwork between players only developed by time. In basketball, one great player can often dominate a game singlehandedly - so these "recruited" dream teams have a distinct advantage.

I don't think "recruiting" by high school coaches and administrators is endemic to the private schools. Some of the area's public schools have also lured athletes into their programs with parents registering children under relatives' addresses, or doing other such things to ensure that their children are on a competitive team.
The private schools actually have that ability to attract whomever they would like, so I can only admonish those that skirt the public school rules.

Sometimes I get the impression that some of the kids these days are only playing to get to college (or because of parental pressure on this front) or to put their accomplishments on their resume. No sports news was sadder lately than the story of Kevin Hart. This high school senior from Nevada held a press conference on national signing day, choosing Cal over Oregon. Trouble was, neither of those schools had interest in Hart. The whole thing was a hoax - Hart just wanted to play DI football "more than anything."

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As confusing as the motivations behind high school sports have become, I had the opportunity to see two fantastic games last week. Hoosic Valley beat Cambridge on Tuesday thanks to buzzer-beaters to end the third and fourth quarters. On Friday, CBA scored 20 unanswered points to rally from a 16-point deficit, only to have Bishop Maginn knock down a 3 at the buzzer to force overtime.
It was enough to make me completely forget about all the politics surrounding youth sports - a feeling I could get used to.

-- Will Montgomery