Thursday, October 8, 2009

Steuerwald trying for win No. 300

Shenendehowa head coach Brent Steuerwald, the only coach in the 42-year history of the program, tries for win No. 300 Friday night against CBA. He would become the first coach in Section II history to reach that milestone. Steuerwald's teams have won two state, 12 Section II and 24 league championships since1968. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record)

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The Record's Week 6 Power Polls are below and remember to check back tonight at 6 p.m. for our weekly high school football chat where you can discuss games around Section II with other fans. I'll be covering the Albany Academy-Cohoes game this afternoon, so you can also ask me questions about that before the story hits the newsstand tomorrow morning.

Class AA
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, La Salle, 3-0, 5-0, 1
If the Cadets can knock off Bethlehem tomorrow in the Eagles’ homecoming game, they will set up a second consecutive season with an important regular season matchup against Schenectady. La Salle and the Patriots meet in Week 7.
2, Ballston Spa, 3-0, 5-0, 2
Quarterback Mark Seager has not played in the Scotties’ past two contests, and his teammates dearly need him tonight in a big-time rivalry game at Saratoga Springs. The winner takes the edge in the Empire Division.
3, Schenectady, 3-0, 4-1, 3
Only Ballston Spa and Shen have scored more points than the Patriots, who posted a shutout against Colonie last week. With a deep backfield and a talented young quarterback in Tim Cox, the Patriots could be very dangerous in the postseason.
4, Saratoga Springs, 3-0, 4-1, 4The Blue Streaks have won four games in a row after losing to La Salle in Week 1, but finish out the schedule with tough games against Ballston Spa and Shenendehowa.
5, Shenendehowa, 2-1, 4-1, 5
Head coach Brent Steuerwald goes for career win No. 300 tonight against CBA. The one and only coach in Shen football history, Steuerwald has won 24 league championships, 12 Section II titles and two New York State championships in his 42 years as head coach.

Class A
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Troy, 3-0, 5-0, 2
The Flying Horses have scored 254 unanswered points since surrendering the first touchdown of the year to Queensbury. Week 6 opponent Bishop Maginn was the only team to defeat Troy High a season ago, but the Golden Griffins have been inconsistent in 2009.
2, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 3-0, 5-0, 2
The Spartans trailed for only the second time this season at Glens Falls and scored a season-low 29 points in a victory at Glens Falls last weekend. Perhaps it was just an off week, but Troy High looks just a smidge stronger right now.
3, Niskayuna, 3-0, 4-1, 4
Ryan Alden scored four touchdowns last week in a big victory over Bishop Maginn and just like that, the Silver Warriors are tied with Troy atop the Division I standings. They travel to the Collar City for a Week 7 showdown, likely for first place.
4, Gloversville, 2-1, 4-1, 5
The Huskies have won two in a row after being thumped at Burnt Hills and can wrap up a home playoff date with a victory over Glens Falls in Week 7. Winless Amsterdam, however, stands in the way tonight.
5, Glens Falls, 2-1, 3-2, 3
The Indians gave Burnt Hills the biggest scare of the season but still lost by 22 points. Two tough games against Queensbury and Gloversville in Weeks 6 and 7, respectively, put the Indians in a tough spot trying to earn a home playoff game.

Class B
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Lansingburgh, 3-0, 5-0, 1
The Knights rallied to beat Albany Academy last week, confidently letting Tyrone Nichols carry the load. Who is the hero in the backfield this week against West Division crossover opponent Broadalbin-Perth?
2, Albany Academy, 1-1, 4-1, 2
The Cadets didn’t win last week, but they proved they are only a play or two away from defeating Lansingburgh, which should give Academy plenty of confidence heading into the playoffs.
3, Cohoes, 2-1, 4-1, 3
The Tigers aren’t winning games by big margins as they did in 2008, but they have plenty of heart and plenty of luck, too, which is just as important.
4, Schalmont, 2-0, 3-2, 4
The Sabres have rebounded with three consecutive victories after losing to Albany Academy and Lansingburgh to open the season. Can they develop an alternative to Vince Gallo’s running or will they suffer another first round ext in the playoffs?
5, Hudson Falls, 2-1, 2-3, NR
The Tigers are coming on strong late in the season and are the odds-on favorite to earn a first round home game against a Reinfurt Division team that likely enters the game as the favorite.

Class C
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Hoosick Falls, 4-0, 5-0, 1
The Panthers played pretty well on both sides of the ball against Rensselaer last week, not a bad crossover warmup for tonight’s game against Cambridge. Loser of this game may be hitting the road for the first round of the postseason.
2, Chatham, 5-0, 5-0, 2
Josh Keyes set a school record with seven touchdowns scored last week against Cairo-Durham and is averaging 13.0 yards per carry for the Panthers. They’ve beaten Fonda and Voorheesville and Watervliet, which hosts Chatham tomorrow, is the next South Division foe on the schedule.
3, Cambridge, 4-0, 5-0, 3
The Indians are one of only two Section II teams to allow seven points through five games, but that defense will certainly be tested by Hoosick Falls tonight. It doesn’t get any easier for Cambridge – they host Granville in Week 7.
4, Granville, 4-0, 5-0, 4
Jayson Osborne is one of 12 Section II running backs to have piled up over 600 yards this season and he’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry for the surprise story Golden Horde. Granville is 0-3 all-time in playoff games.
5, Corinth, 3-1, 4-1, NR
Jordan Charbonneau is one of two Section II backs with at least 1,000 yards on the ground and the do-it-all back has also passed for 194 yards and four touchdowns.

Class D
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Rensselaer, 4-0, 4-1, 1
The Rams are looking to rebound after a crossover loss at Hoosick Falls with a home game against Salem tonight. Rensselaer closes out the regular season with a big-time home game against Lake George, which defeated the Rams in a crossover a season ago.
2, Lake George
, 4-0, 4-1, 2
The Warriors handled Bishop Gibbons last week, solidifying their grip on the No. 2 spot in the rankings. All signs point to a potential Super Bowl preview next week in Rensselaer.
3, Greenwich, 3-1, 3-2, 5
The Witches are in the thick of the hunt in Class D and close out the season with winnable games against Whitehall and Spa Catholic.
4, Bishop Gibbons, 2-2, 3-2, 3
Derrick Pitts and the Gold Knights couldn’t top Lake George last week, but will look to hold on to the No. 4 spot in the Class D standings and earn a home playoff game for the first time in a long time.
5, Fort Edward, 2-3, 2-3, NR
The Flying Forts rebounded with a win at Salem last week and could be a darkhorse in Class D as the regular season nears an end.

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