Saturday, October 31, 2009

Troy and Hoosick Falls are Super Bowl bound

Troy quarterback Brian Marsh eludes Gloversville's Cory Viscosi during Saturday's Section II Class A semifinal 28-13 victory on Edward C. Picken Field (Photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

The Flying Horses (9-0) got a test from Gloversville Saturday afternoon, but a 28-13 was good enough to punch their ticket to the Class A Super Bowl against defending Section II champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (9-0) Saturday at Shenendehowa High School. Kickoff is set fot 7 p.m.

Jordan Canzeri finished with 269 yards on 27 carries. Teammate Shatiek Lewis added 100 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

"It’s just nice to get back to the big game and play Week 10," Troy High head coach Jack Burger told our Ryan Kircher. "You work too hard to only play nine games. It’s harder than people think."

Troy's Jordan Canzeri, in his return from an injury that held him out of last week's quarterfinal, escapes a fingertip tackle attempt by Gloversville's Billy VanNostrand.

Troy's Grady Byrnes (1) makes a perfect form tackle on Gloversville QB Chad McCloskey during Saturday's game.

Jordan Canzeri is off to the races for the Flying Horses in Saturday's Class A semifinal 28-13 victory over Gloversville.

Jordan Canzeri has that magical glow about him as Gloversville tacklers miss the mark during Saturday's game at Troy High School.

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At Stillwater High School, Hoosick Falls made a goal line stand midway through the fourth quarter to preserve its second consecutive postseason shutout, this one a 32-0 Class C semifinal victory over Granville.

Alex Hansen rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns and junior QB Mike Brewster passed for 90 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 92 more and scored the Panthers' first touchdown on the ground.

Hoosick Falls (9-0) heads to its fourth Section II Super Bowl since 2003.

The Panthers looked a little lackadaisical in the first half, although they took a 13-0 lead into the locker room thanks to Hansen's long touchdown with under a minute to play in the second quarter. Head coach Ron Jones asked the players for more intensity and they delivered. Hansen scored on the third play of the third quarter and Logan O'Brien made an interception on Granville's ensuing drive, all but wrapping up the game for Hoosick Falls.

"We needed to turn the energy up," Jones said. "Even though we were up 13-0, it looked like we were run down or we were behind or something, I don’t know. We went in there and we asked for more and we pointed out the things we were doing right. Let’s just hustle a little bit more. We asked the sideline, the young kids, to get them pumped up and I think that always helps to hear the guys on the sidelines."

"The line just got more physical and saying ‘this is our game, we can’t lose it,’ Hansen said. "We got some motivation at halftime."

"In the playoffs, you always go back to fundamentals," said junior QB Mike Brewster. "You don’t get caught up in the hype. You stay disciplined and you stay focused. Granville is a hard-hitting team too. They’re a great team. They also made it here and I have to give a lot of respect to them."

Granville (7-2) won its first postseason game in school history last week at Fonda-Fultonville.

The Super Bowl was always the goal for the Panthers. That dream was what kept them working hard all winter and spring in the Panthers' impressive training center.

"We started in the weight room thinking about this and it didn’t seem like not to be an option," said senior two-way lineman Jake Colliano, who recovered the shutout-saving fumble on the Indians' two-yard line in the fourth quarter.

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Read all about Troy and Hoosick Falls in Sunday's edition of The Record and make sure to check the print edition all week for Super Bowl preview stories, as well as continuing coverage of the Section II soccer and volleyball tournaments.

One more note about Hoosick Falls - the Panthers traveled very well Saturday afternoon (they had more fans than Lansingburgh had for a home game Friday night) and they even brought the pep band along. I hope they're able to make it to the Super Bowl next week as well.
Dear Troy High and Burnt Hills, please brings your bands to the Class A Super Bowl if you can. Those groups add to the atmosphere of the game and they are two of the best in Section II, at least from what my ears have heard.

In the meantime...

Off the top of my head Section II Super Bowl Previews

Class AA
Ballston Spa (8-1) vs. Saratoga Springs (8-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
South
Colonie High School











The Scotties have lost only once this year - a 17-14 defeat at Saratoga Springs in Week 6.

The Blue Streak have lost only once this year - a 21-16 defeat against La Salle eons ago in Week 1.

I have not seen either of these teams in person this year, but I can direct you to Nicole Russo's article on the Blue Streaks and Stan Hudy's story on the Scotties in Saturday's Saratogian.

I do know the Scotties keep it on the ground first and foremost - which could be a good thing if it's windy and cold Friday night. That could also be a bad thing should they fall behind early and need a quick strike to narrow the deficit.

I do know the Blue Streaks have a power run game spearheaded by Tony DeLoatch and Ford Plowman, and quarterback Luke Fauler has not eclipsed the 100-yard passing mark in a game yet this season.

Therefore, one would assume the battle will be won in the trenches. Who blocks better? Who can break through blocks and make solid form tackles on the ballcarrier?

It's going to be a good, hard-nosed football game with rivalry implications in a Super Bowl setting. You can't ask for more than that.

Class A
Troy (9-0) vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (9-0)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Shenendehowa High School









Is this the game you've been waiting for?

For me, this is the hard-to-tell bowl because neither of these teams were tested very often in the regular season and it was hard to get a feel for each team's level of talent. Let's try to break it down by aspects of the game...

Rushing game: Advantage - Troy
Jordan Canzeri and Shatiek Lewis have been a two-man wrecking crew this season, combining for 2,187 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns on 191 attempts. (And Canzeri didn't carry the ball a single time last week in a game shortened by nine minutes due to thunder). Three times this season they've eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the same game.
Burnt Hills has done wonders on the ground too, but they don't have one (or two) go-to guys, it's more of a committee system that serves them well.

Passing game: Advantage - Burnt Hills
Phil Neumann (70-110-1,125-15-4) has done a great job for the Spartans this year, but he hasn't had to throw under pressure in the second half (or throw in the second half much at all).
Troy's Brian Marsh (26-39-412-6-1) has been very effective in limited bursts, but hasn't been asked the shoulder the load like Neumann has.
Burnt Hills wide receivers Keaton Flint and Tyler Paluba also got a ton of experience on the road to the state championship game last year, which also bodes well for the Spartans.

Defense: Advantage - even.
The Flying Horses famously posted five consecutive shutouts in the middle of the season (the scoreless streak stretched for 23 quarters) but that probably speaks to the relative weakness of the rest of Class A than it does to the ultimate talent of the Troy defense.
Burnt Hills has given up more total points, but a lot of those were late in games when second string teams were playing second string teams.

Special teams: Advantage - Burnt Hills
Both teams have excellent return men, Troy in Canzeri and Burnt Hills in Paluba.
I think you have to give Burnt Hills the slight edge in the kicking game, as Evan Nusbaum has been kicking the extra points all along and Troy has switched kickers a few times. Hey, this one could come down to the chip shot field shot, so it's not an insignificant edge.

And if you look at Burnt Hills' experience from the state championship run a year ago, they certainly have the edge there. But the Troy High coaching staff is absolutely tremendous - every one of them could be a head coach somewhere else - and the Burnt Hills staff is great, too....

Either way, it has all the dressing to be the game of the year and we will find out soon enough.

Class B
Lansingburgh (8-1) vs. Schalmont (7-2)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Schenectady
High School









You are guaranteed to see plenty of running in this game, as Schalmont's Vince Gallo had another great year for the Sabres while Tyrone Nichols, Zaquawn Gordon and Terrance Kemp split the duties in the Knights' backfield this season.

The wrinkle this year for Lansingburgh? They added an effective passing game in senior QB T.J. McLaughlin, making them a double-threat.

I've haven't seen Schalmont in person, so I can't vouch too much for or against what they do, but they're going to need a lot more than just Gallo's legs to be working in this game. Friday night, Lansingburgh allowed 304 rushing yards and four touchdowns to Hudson Falls' Dakota Drake (Lansingburgh PA announcer Rich Sheffer gave him his very well-deserved recognition after the game) but the Knights still won by 17 points.

Lansingburgh will likely be without Jake Shaw and Mark Tracey for another week, but they survived one game without them and the fill-ins got a good dose of experience.

The Knights were the big, bad boys dropping down from Class A at the beginning of the season and heading into Week 10, they are still the heavy favorites to walk away with their fifth Section II Super Bowl title this decade.

Class C
Hoosick Falls (9-0) vs. Chatham (9-0)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Stillwater High
School









If the Class C playoffs did one thing, they whittled the field down to absolutely the two best teams in the classification this season.

Chatham relies on Josh Keyes and an offense built on misdirection and deception - giving the ball to a powerful running back is certainly a plus - while Hoosick Falls runs that spread option and you know it's either Alex Hansen or Mike Brewster taking off on nearly every play.

Both defenses will certainly have their hands full.

What does Hoosick Falls have to do to stop Keyes? The first thing is that the Hoosick Falls tacklers have to bring him down on first contact. Arm tackles are not going to cut it and they cannot give Keyes opportunities for second bursts of speed because he will break off for long touchdown runs.

What does Chatham have to do to stop Hansen and Brewster? I think Hoosick Falls would be content to get four or five yards an attempt in this game, try to control the clock and keep Keyes off the field. That's the strength of this type of offense, that it relies on Brewster's read of the defensive end as to what he does with the ball, tuck it or hand it off. Certain selective blitzes could trap one of the two in the backfield, but Brewster can throw the ball, so even a third-and-long isn't the end of the world for Hoosick Falls. Kevin McMahon, Logan O'Brien, Greg Stifter and Tanner Williams have all had big catches this season, and that pass game is something Chatham lacks.

All eyes are on the defenses here because both of these teams have all but scored at will against everyone else. Can you give Chatham an instant edge because of their larger margin of victory over a common opponent in Cambridge? Perhaps. Still, Hoosick Falls has posted consecutive playoff shutouts, which must give them some confidence into thinking they can stop Keyes, but up to this point, no team has accomplished that goal.


Class D
Rensselaer (8-1) vs. Greenwich (7-2)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Glens Falls High
School










These teams played many moons ago, when Rensselaer won 20-7 in Week 1. Not counting Rensselaer's loss at Hoosick Falls, it was their closest game of the year...but it was so long ago, I don't think it carries much weight in a Super Bowl comparison two months later.

The Rams have plenty of things in their favor. A great running game with Nate Butler, Jashem Hamilton and Mico Do Los Santos and an effective, if little used, passing game led by junior QB Timmy Foust. Defensively, Butler, Hamilton and De Los Santos are three of the most ferocious hitters in all of Section II, and they've punished backs like Lake George's Caleb Meroski and Bishop Gibbons' Derrick Pitts.

As defending Section II Class D champs, the Rams also have that valuable experience of traveling to Glens Falls - they took a few school buses packed with fans last year, will they do it again? - and the belief that they are expected to repeat and atone for their loss in the New York State regionals a year ago.

I would be shocked to see the Rams lose, but a close game wouldn't surprise me at all. But for all the aforementioned reasons, I think the Rams have the edge in almost every scenario late in a tight game.

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PS - Admission to all Section II Super Bowls is $6.

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2009 Big 10 Conference boys soccer All-Stars

Big 10 Conference

Awards List

MVP- Matt Wu (Albany)


Co-Keepers of the Year: Zack Scher (Troy) and Carmen Volpe (CBA)


League title: Albany

First Team All-Stars

Name position grade school/class

1

ZACK SCHER

GOALIE

12

TROY AA

1

CARMEN VOLPE

GOALIE

12

CBA AA

2

MATT WU

DEFENSE

12

ALBANY AA

3

MARTIN SCHLEGEL

MIDFIELD

12

TROY AA

4

OWN DANIELS

FORWARD

12

ALBANY AA

5

BRANDON WILSON

MIDFIELD

11

TROY AA

6

MARTY RYAN

MIDFIELD

10

ALBANY AA

7

JUSTIN GREGORY

MIDFIELD

12

CBA AA

8

SPENCER FRANKS

MIDFIELD

12

LASALLE AA

9

EMANUEL NELSON

FORWARD

10

SCHENECTADY AA

10

MIKE CARROL

FORWARD

12

NDBG A

12

MATT GALLOP

FORWARD

11

CBA AA

13

JOE MURTHAU

DEFENSE

12

CCHS A

14

JOHN TOPER

GOALIE

10

AMSTERDAM AA


Second Team All-Stars

NAME POSITION GRADE SCHOOL/CLASS

KEVIN TUFFY

MIDFIELD

12

ALBANY AA

STEFANO SAINATO

FORWARD

10

ALBANY AA

GREG BOLAND

DEFENSE

12

TROY AA

GRAEME CORRIGAN

DEFENSE

9

TROY AA

ALEX STRAZALKOWSKY

DEFENSE

12

CBA AA

NICK PANUCCI

DEFENSE

12

CBA AA

PETER LEBLANC

DEFENSE

12

LASALLE AA

JUNIOR SODRE

FORWARD

10

SCHENECTADY AA

MIKE DOYLE

DEFENSE

12

CCHS A

SANTI URIBE

MIDFIELD

12

NDBG A

ANTHONY CARRESE

MIDFIELD

12

AMSTERDAM

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Call to duty in the 'Burgh; Rams rally in Rensselaer

Lansingburgh head coach Al McNall celebrates a touchdown during Friday's wild 52-35 victory over Hudson Falls. The Knights are heading to a Section II Super Bowl for the seventh time this decade. (Photos by Tom Killips - The Record).

Hudson Falls' Dakota Drake rushed for a Herculean 304 yards (37 attempts) and four touchdowns, but the Knights' offense just couldn't be stopped.

T.J. McLaughlin went 5-for-5 for 122 yards and two touchdowns and the Knights used eight different running backs to pile up 275 rushing yards on 42 attempts.

Lansingburgh (8-1) will face Schalmont (7-2) in the Section II Class B Super Bowl, to be played Saturday at Schenectady High School at 1 p.m.

It was a game featuring many injury replacements. Lansingburgh starting left tackle Mark Tracey injured his knee (likely MCL issue) in practice, so left guard Jake Luce shifted to tackle and sophomore Corey Fernet, called up to varsity from the JV squad just last week, made his first career start in Luce's stead.

Lansinguburgh's Jake Shaw, whose eye was injured in a freak badminton accident this week in gym class, is also out. (That is an insane sentence, but not a typo). The Knights certainly missed the junior placekicker and defensive end, but wound up making the five two-point conversion attempts they tried.

McLaughlin took his shot at placekicking and had two extra point attempts blocked. If the Knights want to win the field position battle against Schalmont next week they will also need to work on the kickoff team as well.

Lansingburgh's Terrance Kemp skips over outstretched defenders during Friday's game. His 80-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter sparked the Knights' second half surge.

Lansingburgh's Tyrone Nichols applies the stiff arm to Hudson Falls' Frank Savasta (7). Nichols finished with 93 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion run.

T.J. McLaughlin looks upfield during Friday's game. He finished with 58 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and four two-point conversion runs.

Hudson Falls' Aaron Dudley is spun around by Lansingburgh's Quincy Michael (11) and Marcus Little (r) during a kick return. Lansingburgh's Nate Gause (50) looks on.

"Coach said this is goal No. 2, getting to the Super Bowl," said McLaughlin. "The first one was winning the division, the second one was getting to the Super Bowl and now we have to win it."

The Knights will have their hands full with Schalmont's Vince Gallo in the big game, as he tore up the Cohoes defenders for 300 yards in a 55-14 victory for the Sabres.
But if Friday's game was any indication, no matter how much trouble the Lansingburgh defense has with an opposing running back, that offense always finds a way to put points on the board.

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Rensselaer's Jason Brown (65) drags down Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons' Justin Relyea (1) during Friday's game. Rensselaer made it interesting, but scored 29 unanswered points in the second half to escape with the 50-22 victory. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

A gang of Rams tacklers led by Kalen Judge (8) and Nate Butler (42) wrap up Bishop Gibbons' do-it-all quarterback Derrick Pitts.

Nate Butler (left) makes room for Jashem Hamilton (24), who rushed for 45 yards on four attempts and scored a pair of touchdowns.

"We have our work cut out for us," Rensselaer head coach Joel Preston told our Ryan Kircher. "Greenwich gave us a real fight the first time we played them, they’re going to ready. Tonight is something we needed. We needed to be in a tough game and we were."

In the other Class D semifinal Friday night, Greenwich ousted Spa Catholic 50-0, setting up a rematch between the Witches and the Rams. Rensselaer won 20-7 in Week 1.

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Check out the full stories in Saturday's edition of The Record. For the latest brackets, click here.

We'll be there for you Saturday as Troy High hosts Gloversville and Hoosick Falls takes on Granville in a Class C semifinal at Stillwater High School.

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Section II postseason bracket extravaganza

If you're looking for brackets for every class of all the Section II postseason tournaments going on right now, you've come to the right place.
Click on the text in RED below to be redirected to the digital version of the brackets, which we will update as soon as the scores come in.


Football

Girls soccer

Boys soccer

Girls volleyball

Labels:

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Week nine: a look ahead

Troy High's Vinny Pennisi (left) and Dorrell Williams (right) were newcomers to the Troy football program a season ago, but they're starters on the defensive line this year. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record)

Check out the full story on how these two developed into top-flight football players in Friday's edition of The Record.

Saturday at 1:30 p.m., the Flying Horses (8-0) host Gloversville (7-1) in a Section II Class A semifinal. The Huskies' only loss of the season was to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in Week 3, a 46-6 thumping.
Gloversville, however, is a very balanced team, able to switch between the pass and the run. Still, Gloversville has yet to face a defense like Troy's.

"From this weekend on, if you’re fortunate to win, you keep playing," Troy High head coach Jack Burger said. "We’ve been fortunate some years to play a tenth game and some years, up to a 13th game. It’s no fun just playing nine games. Too much goes into it for nine games."

Some of you may remember the helicopter over Edward C. Picken Field prior to the game against Amsterdam earlier this season. Our photographer Tom Killips was up there lining up for a shot of RPI's new East Campus Village Stadium, which was happening at the same time. Anyway, here is a bird's-eye view of Troy's playing field.


Hudson Falls (West No. 2, 5-3) at Lansingburgh (Reinfurt No. 1, 7-1, Friday, 7 p.m.









About Hudson Falls: Senior RB Kyle Sipowicz was injured two weeks ago and will not play the remainder of the season, but his fill-in, Dakota Drake, has proven to be more than adequate the past few weeks. Drake has rushed for at least 162 yards in each of his past four games, scoring 10 touchdowns in that span for the defending Section II Class B champions.
About Lansingburgh: The Knights relied on Tyrone Nichols in a redeeming victory over Broadalbin last week, as Nichols gained 243 yards on 13 attempts and scored a pair of touchdowns in the 35-0 win. Lansingburgh has scored more points (309) and allowed fewer (134) than any other team in Class B.
Notable: Lansingburgh defeated Hudson Falls 35-0 in Week 1, but the Tigers have rallied to win four straight. Lansingburgh won postseason games against Hudson Falls in 2005, 2003 and 2002.

Cohoes (Reinfurt No. 2, 6-2) at Schalmont (West No. 1, 6-2), Friday, 7 p.m.








About Cohoes: The Tigers are 5-0 at home this season – including four come-from behind victories – but have won only once on the road in three tries. Junior RB Anthony Fogarty, who rushed for 107 yards combined through Cohoes’ first three games, rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s comeback against Cobleskill.
About Schalmont: Vince Gallo is Section II’s third-best rusher, having piled up 1,544 yards on the ground on 202 attempts. The senior QB has also passed for 257 yards and a pair of scores out of the Sabres’ spread option set. Schalmont won its first postseason game in school history last week against Albany Academy.
Notable: The teams last met in Week 1 of the 2007 season, a game Cohoes won, 18-14

Bishop Gibbons (No. 4, 6-2) at Rensselaer (No. 1, 7-1), Friday, 7 p.m.










About Bishop Gibbons: Derrick Pitts rushed for six touchdowns and 160 yards in a quarterfinal victory over Warrensburg Sunday, Gibbons’ first postseason victory in school history. The Golden Knights are guaranteed their second consecutive winning season, the first time that has happened for them since the 1971-72 seasons.
About Rensselaer: The Rams earned a quarterfinal bye and easily handled Mechanicville, a Class C team that narrowly missed the postseason on a quarter points tiebreaker, in a crossover game last week. Only six players in Section II have scored more points than Mico De Los Santos, who has piled up 121 points through eight games.
Notable: The Rams earned a 49-19 Week 3 victory over the Golden Knights in Schenectady. Bishop Gibbons and Rensselaer are both 4-1 since that game.

Granville (North No. 3, 7-1) vs. Hoosick Falls (North No. 1, 8-0) (at Stillwater), Saturday, 2 p.m.







About Granville: Granville won its first-ever postseason game last weekend by traveling two-plus hours to Fonda and shutting down the Braves’ high-powered offense, holding them to a pair of rushing touchdowns in a 29-14 victory. The other three teams remaining in the Class C tournament, however, have all scored more points and allowed fewer than the Golden Horde.
About Hoosick Falls: Alex Hansen made his final home game on Ken Baker Field a memorable one, as he rushed for 254 yards and four touchdowns in a big 36-0 victory over Canajoharie. Over his last two games, Hansen has rushed for 582 yards and six touchdowns.
Notable: Traditional Wasaren League rivals, these teams last met in Week 5 of the 2008 season. Hoosick Falls won 24-14. This game will be played on the FieldTurf surface at Stillwater High School, which will also host the Cambridge vs. Chatham semifinal at 7 p.m.


SECTION II STAT PACK
Rushing
Player, School, Att., Yds., Avg., TD
Jordan Charbonneau, Corinth, 209, 1552, 7.4, 16
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 100, 1547, 15.5, 31
Vince Gallo, Schalmont, 202, 1544, 7.6, 19
Caleb Meroski, Lake George, 181, 1338, 7.4, 16
Derrick Pitts, Bishop Gibbons, 146, 1295, 8.9, 18
Tymear Mallory, Bishop Maginn, 166, 1259, 7.6, 10
Bronson Greene, Shenendehowa, 159, 1220, 7.7, 16
Alex Tesoriero, Columbia, 156, 1201, 7.7, 10
Alex Hansen, Hoosick Falls, 150, 1182, 7.9, 19
Tyrone Nichols, Lansingburgh, 104, 1153, 11.1, 14

Receiving
Player, School, Rec., Yds., Avg., TD
Justin Salvione, Johnstown, 39, 563, 14.4, 9
James Currier, Voorheesville, 31, 528, 17.0, 6
Jesse Lybert, Cambridge, 24, 507, 21.1, 5
Dane O’Neil, Canajoharie, 24, 496, 20.7, 5
Aaron Hall, Gloversville, 29, 486, 16.8, 9
Lou DiNovo, La Salle, 27, 454, 16.8, 8
Justin Markley, Cobleskill, 28, 449, 16.0, 5
Keaton Flint, Burnt Hills, 26, 447, 17.2, 7
Tyler Hall, Fonda, 24, 434, 18.1, 8
Kyle Hanson, Fonda, 27, 411, 15.2, 4

Passing
Player, School, Comp., Att., Yds., TD, Int.
Ryan Smith, Guilderland, 119, 211, 1445, 15, 5
Kyle Parmenter, Cambridge, 71, 147, 1321, 16, 8
Seth Hidde, Fonda, 83, 145, 1319, 16, 3
Adam Biron, Johnstown, 99, 206, 1112, 14, 5
Phil Neumann, Burnt Hills, 61, 96, 1009, 12, 3
Chad McCloskey, Gloversville, 72, 127, 958, 12, 4
Mike Brewster, Hoosick Falls, 62, 109, 913, 12, 1
Cullen Hanna, Cobleskill, 66, 139, 891, 7, 5
Ryan Duncan, Voorheesville, 69, 141, 875, 11, 8
Ryan Macari, Averill Park, 50, 123, 870, 10, 13

Scoring
Player, School, TD, PAT, FG, 2PT., Tot.
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 35, 0, 0, 1, 212
Zay Richardson, Albany Academy, 24, 0, 0, 2, 148
Alex Hansen, Hoosick Falls, 23, 0, 0, 3, 144
Vince Gallo, Schalmont, 21, 0, 0, 2, 130
Shatiek Lewis, Troy, 20, 0, 0, 1, 122
Jordan Charbonneau, Corinth, 18, 7, 0, 3, 121
Mico De Los Santos, Rensselaer, 16, 13, 0, 5, 119
Caleb Meroski, Lake George, 17, 0, 0, 6, 114
Derrick Pitts, Bishop Gibbons, 18, 0, 0, 2, 112
Anthony Fogarty, Cohoes, 18, 0, 0, 0, 108
Bronson Greene, Shenendehowa, 18, 0, 0, 0, 108

Kicking
Player, School, PAT, FG, Tot.
Michael Gilbert, Chatham, 48, 0, 48
Nick Daley, Saratoga Springs, 30, 5, 45
Evan Nusbaum, Burnt Hills, 42, 0, 42
Matt Best, Cambridge, 35, 0, 35
Matt Beighey, Ballston Spa, 31, 0, 31
Tim Pompa, Saratoga Central Catholic, 9, 6, 27
Dan Millington, Shenendehowa, 26, 0, 26
Jake Shaw, Lansingburgh, 26, 0, 26
Jarrett Lucas, Gloversville, 21, 1, 24
Brandon Sealey, Canajoharie, 21, 1, 24

The Record's Week 9 Power Poll

Class AA
Team League Overall Last Week
1. Saratoga Springs 5-0 7-1 2
The Blue Streaks have won seven in a row since their Week 1 loss to La Salle and will get another tough test from another Liberty League opponent, Schenectady. Saratoga last won a Class AA Super Bowl in 2004.
2. Ballston Spa 4-1 7-1 3
The Scotties lucked out with another home game after Guilderland upset No. 1 La Salle in the quarterfinals. Can Ballston Spa put it to good use and set up a Super Bowl rematch with Saratoga Springs?
3. Schenectady 4-1 6-2 4
The Patriots got their revenge against Shenendehowa last week in the quarterfinals and will need to upset Saratoga to advance to their second Class AA Super Bowl in as many years.
4. Guilderland 2-3 4-4 NR
The Dutchmen shocked La Salle last week in overtime, making this Guilderland’s third trip to the Class AA semifinals in school history.
5. La Salle 5-0 7-1 1
The Cadets outsmarted teams in Class AA all season long, but the luck just didn’t last in the playoffs. How does La Salle recoup from all its senior losses in 2010?

Class A
Team League Overall Last Week
1. Troy 5-0 8-0 1
With one more victory, the Flying Horses would advance to a Section II Super Bowl for the first time since the 2003 season.
2. Burnt Hills 5-0 8-0 2
The Spartans have won their past four Section II Class A quarterfinal contests by a combined score of 196-19. They’ve won semifinal contests the past three seasons by a score of 101-53.
3. Gloversville 4-1 7-1 3
The Huskies snapped a six-game postseason losing streak last week by shutting out Bishop Maginn. They have not appeared in a Section II semifinal since 2000 before losing to La Salle in the Class A Super Bowl.
4. Niskayuna 4-1 6-2 4
The Silver Warriors scored on a hook-and-ladder play late in last week’s game to hold off Queensbury and they’ll need plenty of trickery to pull one over on Burnt Hills tonight.
5. Queensbury 3-2 4-4 5
The Spartans were clearly the next-best team in Class A, but just didn’t have enough luck to make it to the Final Four.

Class B
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Lansingburgh, 4-0, 7-1, 1
The Knights posted their first playoff shutout since 2006 when they blanked Broadalbin 35-0 last week. QB T.J. McLaughlin has thrown for 786 yards and 11 TDs in 2009.
2, Schalmont, 4-0, 6-2, 2
Vince Gallo is nearing last year’s total rushing yardage of 1,612 yards. He has gained 1,544 this season, so he needs just 68 yards to set a new personal best.
3, Cohoes, 3-1, 6-2, 3
The Tigers are looking to get past the Section II semifinals for the first time in school history. Cohoes was tripped up in the second round in 2008, 2002 and 2000.
4, Hudson Falls, 3-1, 5-3, 4
The Tigers have advanced to the Section II Class B semifinals for the sixth time this decade. Hudson Falls won Section II Super Bowls in 2000 and 2008.
5, Hudson, 2-2, 5-3, NR
The Bluehawks’ high-powered offense sputtered in the rain in Hudson Falls last week, bouncing Hudson a season after they upset Schalmont in the first round in 2008.

Class C
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Hoosick Falls, 6-0, 8-0, 1
The Panthers will look to advance to their fourth Section II Class C Super Bowl this decade, but they need to defeat Granville to get there.
2, Chatham, 6-0, 8-0, 2
Josh Keyes needs just 53 yards to break the 1,600-yard barrier, which would vault him into the top 30 single-season rushing efforts in Section II history.
3, Cambridge, 5-1, 7-1, 3
The Indians made a big statement in the quarters, shutting out Voorheesville 41-0. How will Class C’s best defense fare against Chatham’s Keyes?
4, Granville, 5-1, 7-1, NR
The best season in Golden Horde history rolls on, and although they carry a 7-1 record into Saturday’s semi against Hoosick Falls, Granville will be the decided underdog. They were against Fonda last week, too.
5, Fonda-Fultonville, 5-1, 6-2, 4
The Braves have qualified for the postseason 14 years in a row, tied with Burnt Hills behind Cambridge’s active streak of 15 consecutive playoff appearances.

Class D
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Rensselaer, 6-0, 7-1, 1
The Rams have the inside track to their second consecutive Section II Class D Super Bowl. They defeated the three remaining teams in the Classs D bracket during the regular season by a 119-24 margin.
2, Bishop Gibbons, 4-2, 6-2, 4
The Golden Knights are now looking for their first-ever playoff victory on the road, a tough task in Rensselaer.
3, Greenwich, 5-1, 6-2, 2
The Witches squeaked by Schuylerville in a crossover last week, 28-21. Resting for the semis, perhaps?
4, Saratoga Central Catholic, 2-5, 3-5, NR
Tim Pompa kicked a pair of extra points and a field goal, providing the difference in the Saints’ first-ever playoff victory last week in Lake George, 17-14.
5, Lake George, 5-1, 5-3, 3
The Warriors started out strong, but dropped two in a row to end their 2009 run in Class D.


Class AA
League Overall
Liberty Division W-L W-L PF PA
La Salle (24) 5-0 7-1 231 74
Schenectady 4-1 6-2 242 113
Bethlehem 2-3 3-5 129 236
Colonie 2-3 3-5 113 188
Columbia 1-4 2-6 107 227
Shaker 1-4 3-5 117 154
Empire Division
Saratoga Springs (15) 5-0 7-1 253 87
Ballston Spa (20) 4-1 7-1 267 83
Shenendehowa 3-2 5-3 238 193
Guilderland 2-3 4-4 153 232
CBA 1-4 1-7 90 227
Albany 0-5 0-8 96 224

Class A
League Overall
Division I W-L W-L PF PA
Troy (6) 5-0 8-0 378 21
Niskayuna 4-1 6-2 180 151
Bishop Maginn 2-3 3-5 128 259
Averill Park 2-3 3-5 113 248
Scotia-Glenville 2-3 2-6 126 265
Mohonasen 0-5 0-8 74 223
Division II
Burnt Hills (2) 5-0 8-0 373 67
Gloversville 4-1 7-1 244 107
Queensbury 3-2 4-4 191 135
Glens Falls 2-3 3-5 118 175
Amsterdam 1-4 2-6 78 259
South Glens Falls 0-5 2-6 87 182

Class B
League Overall
Reinfurt Division W-L W-L PF PA
Lansingburgh (10) 4-0 7-1 309 134
Cohoes 3-1 6-2 223 180
Hudson 2-2 6-2 218 236
Albany Academy 1-3 4-3 276 228
Ravena 0-4 2-6 161 200
Ichabod Crane* 0-0 0-8 12 385
West Division
Schalmont 4-0 6-2 237 166
Hudson Falls 3-1 5-3 203 158
Cobleskill 2-2 2-7 157 250
Broadalbin-Perth 1-3 3-5 154 200
Johnstown 0-4 0-8 131 317

Class C
League Overall
North Division W-L W-L PF PA
Hoosick Falls (7) 6-0 8-0 266 71
Cambridge (10) 5-1 7-1 304 28
Granville 5-1 7-1 201 116
Corinth 4-2 5-3 187 150
Mechanicville 4-2 5-3 171 187
Tamarac 2-4 3-5 137 183
Schuylerville 2-5 2-6 190 205
Hoosic Valley 0-6 1-7 107 262
Stillwater 0-7 1-7 54 302
South Division
Chatham (12) 6-0 8-0 426 68
Fonda-Fultonville 5-1 6-2 260 124
Voorheesville 6-1 6-2 204 186
Canajoharie 4-2 5-3 210 111
Taconic Hills 3-4 4-4 193 192
Watervliet 2-4 3-5 170 174
Catholic Central 1-5 2-5 126 159
Cairo-Durham 1-5 2-6 68 280
Coxsackie-Athens 0-6 1-6 131 249

Class D
League Overall
W-L W-L PF PA
Rensselaer (10) 6-0 7-1 324 79
Greenwich 5-1 6-2 244 107
Lake George 5-1 5-3 205 129
Bishop Gibbons 4-2 6-2 241 144
Saratoga Catholic 2-5 3-5 109 214
Warrensburg 2-4 2-6 143 221
Fort Edward 2-4 3-5 146 198
Salem 2-4 2-5 86 264
Whitehall 0-7 1-7 106 235
*Ichabod Crane playing a Class C schedule and is ineligible for postseason
Numbers in parentheses indicate New York State Sportswriters Association ranking


HS Football admission: Tickets for Section II football games in all five classifications - semifinal and Super Bowl level - cost $6 at the gate. Super Bowls next week will be held at neutral sites: Class AA (Colonie HS, Nov.6, 7 p.m.), Class A (Shenendehowa HS, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.), Class B (Schenectady, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.), Class C (Saratoga or CBA, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.), Class D (Glens Falls HS, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.).


Friday
Class AA
L2 Schenectady at E1 Saratoga Springs 7 p.m.
E4 Guilderland at E2 Ballston Spa 7 p.m.
Class A
D-I No. 2 Niskayuna at D-II No. 1 Burnt Hills 7 p.m.
Class B
W2 Hudson Falls at R1 Lansingburgh 7 p.m.
R2 Cohoes at W1 Schalmont 7 p.m.
Class D
No. 5 Saratoga Central Catholic at No. 2 Greenwich 7 p.m.
No. 4 Bishop Gibbons at No. 1 Rensselaer 7 p.m.
Crossover
La Salle at Shenendehowa 7 p.m.
Voorheesville at Corinth 7 p.m.
Tamarac at Catholic Central 7 p.m.
Schuylerville at Lake George 7 p.m.

Saturday
Class A
D-II No. 2 Gloversville at D-I No. 1 Troy 1:30 p.m.
Class C
Semifinals played at Stillwater High School
N3 Granville vs N1 Hoosick Falls 2 p.m.
N2 Cambridge vs S1 Chatham 7 p.m.

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