Shenendehowa senior running back Suhayb Banks ran for a 50-yard touchdown on the Plainsmen's first play from scrimmage in 2009. He added a 58-yard scamper on his first touch of the third quarter, leading the Plainsmen to a 27-14 victory over Shaker on Friday. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

"The line opened it up, I read the blocks and I got through it clean," Banks said. "It was off to the races."

"(Banks) is a very talented young man," said Shenendehowa head coach Brent Steuerwald. "I certainly appreciate how he contributes to the team on both sides of the ball."

Banks finished with 166 yards on the ground (15 carries) and added an interception.

Shaker running back Anthony Pascarella gained a gritty 84 yards on 23 carries.

The Bison used two quarterbacks - Michael Parzych and Ben Capeless interchangeably - which looks to be the Shaker strategy this season. The two combined to go 16-of-30 for 139 yards, with one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

Capeless led a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter that greatly impressed Shaker head coach Dennis Bender, who was proud of his team's attitude, even with the end result.

In Saratoga Springs, the La Salle Cadets held off the Blue Streaks, winning 21-16. Nate Rider of The Saratogian covered the game for us.

La Salle senior wide receiver had another great day on opening day. A year ago, he caught five balls for 202 yards, and followed that up with a five-catch, 151-yard performance on Friday.

"In the first half I missed a couple of assignments and we were playing sloppy," said La Salle senior quarterback Mike Murray. "We had a couple big plays in the second half. Football is a game of 200 plays and we just got a couple big ones in the second half."

--

In Schuylerville, Mike Brewster led the Hoosick Falls Panthers to an upset of sorts over a team that went 9-0 to start the 2008 season and returned many of its key players.

Brewster finished 14-for-17 for 255 yards and three touchdowns, as the Panthers scored a 39-19 road victory over the Black Horses in a crucial early season Class C North Division game.

"We were still kind of feeling out our game speed," Hoosick Falls head coach Ron Jones told The Saratogian's Nicole Russo. "This is going to be one of the faster teams we play. In the second half, our guys started trusting the decisions they made."

--
Read the full stories and check out the full roundup in Saturday's editions of The Record and The Saratogian, which also include a story on Ballston Spa's 42-0 victory over Columbia.