TROY -- The Troy High football team had a great year in 2009, winning its first nine games and  posting a 24-quarter shutout streak early in the regular season.

Yet the Flying Horses ran into Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in the Section II Class A championship game and saw their magical season come to a crashing halt at Brent Steuerwald Stadium in Clifton Park.

One thing Troy High won't have to worry about in 2010 is playing Burnt Hills, as Troy has moved back up to Class AA. The Flying Horses will meet arch-rival La Salle Institute in Week One in The Record's sponsored battle for the Collar City Cup.

The Record's Collar City Cup History
2007 – La Salle 19, Troy 14
2006 – Troy 29, La Salle 21
2005 – La Salle 26, Troy 12
2004 – La Salle 12, Troy 7
2003 – Troy 27, La Salle 25
2002 – Troy 14, La Salle 7
2001 – La Salle 14, Troy 0

Note: In 2008, Troy defeated Lansingburgh in the inaugural Uncle Sam Cup game, 28-3. There were no intra-city matchups in 2009.

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Although Troy High has a number of high-profile skill players returning in running backs Shatiek Lewis and Jordan Canzeri, as well as quarterback Brian Marsh, the Flying Horses have some rebuilding to do up front. Only one offensive lineman - Jay Yaskanich - returns.

"We kind of have a little idea because of the camps that we did," Brian Marsh said of his expectations for the season ahead. "We’re going to have four new guys on the line since only one is returning, but most of the guys have experience from the JV year where we went to the Super Bowl. They know what they’re doing."

Ian Blair is set to be a force in the defensive backfield for the Troy High School football team this fall. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Troy High will see one key returner in Dan Danahy, who went down with an injury during the season last year, which forced him to sit out the Flying Horses' successful basketball season last winter.

Danahy and Ian Blair will make a fearsome duo as safety men in the Flying Horses' defensive backfield.

Jesse Twiss, Troy's dominant right-handed hurler during the baseball season, has also joined the team as a tight end and defensive end.

Troy's potent Canzeri and Lewis-based rushing attack returns, but their former fullback, Kyle Geraci, may be making a position switch to the offensive line if the Flying Horses think they're getting their best 11 players on the field that way.

Jordan Canzeri, one of Section II's most fearsome running backs, is hoping to run for at least 1,000 yards again during his senior season.

For video clips from Troy High practice, check out www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

We'll also have a feature story on the rise of concussion awareness in our preview section on Sept. 2, but here is what Troy High head coach Jack Burger had to say on the subject.

"We have a trainer and if the kids have a headache, they'll see the trainer and we let them talk to the trainer," Burger said. "If it’s something about hitting the ground or hitting another player, she’ll evaluate things like that. The coaches and trainers and everybody are more aware of it even then they were five years ago.

"As a coach, sometimes you’re the assistant trainer, you’re the team psychiatrist, the equipment manager," continued Burger. "Sometimes you’re just a little bit of everything. But one thing I try not to play is doctor. I leave that up to the doctor and the trainer. You don’t want to goof around with any kind of head injury."

Like Canzeri, Shatiek Lewis (above) also ran for 1,000 yards last season. Lewis scored a team-high 21 touchdowns.

Troy High playbook
COACH: Jack Burger
STARTERS RETURNING: 6 defense, 6 offense
2009 RECORD: 9-1
NICKNAME: Flying Horses
OFFENSE: Multiple
DEFENSE: 4-3
LAST PLAYOFF GAME: 2009
LAST SECTION II TITLE: 2000 (Class AA)
DIVISION: Class AA, Liberty

Troy High, 2009 game-by-game results
Queensbury, W 30-7
AMSTERDAM, W 50-0
Scotia-Glenville, W 67-0
MOHONASEN, W 53-0
AVERILL PARK, W 54-0
Bishop Maginn, W 49-0
NISKAYUNA, W 35-7
GLENS FALLS, W 40-7*
GLOVERSVILLE, W 28-13!
Burnt Hills, L 33-18@
*Section II Class A quarterfinals
!Section II Class A semifinals
@Section II Class A Super Bowl
Home games in CAPS


Troy High, 2009 stats review
Rushing, Att, Yds., Avg., TDs
Shatiek Lewis, 120, 1271, 10.6, 21
Jordan Canzeri, 115, 1252, 10.9, 12
Passing, Comp., Att., Yds., Avg., TDs
Brian Marsh, 32, 57, 471, 14.7, 6
Receiving, No., Yds., Avg., TDs
Kyle Ishman, 11, 210, 19.1, 3
Ian Blair, 12, 144, 12.0, 1
Scoring, TD, 2-pt, PAT, FG, Tot.
Shatiek Lewis, 22, 1, 0, 0, 134
Jordan Canzeri, 15, 0, 0, 0, 90

Troy High 2010 Roster
No., Player, Yr., Pos. Ht., Wt.
1, Jordan Maldonado, Sr., WR-DB, 5-7, 142
2, Evan Vadney, Sr., WR-DB, 5-11, 178
3, Badro Talbi, Sr., K, 5-8, 140
4, Dan Danahy, Sr., WR-DB, 5-9, 171
5, Brian Marsh, Sr., QB-DB, 5-10, 182
7, Josh Blaauboer, Sr., WR-DB, 6-1, 163
8, Ian Blair, Sr., WR-DB, 6-1, 170
10, Tyrek Brace, Jr., WR-DB, 5-9, 160
11, Raheem Felder, Jr., QB-DB, 5-9, 162
20, Dre’ Wheatley, Jr., WR-DB, 5-11, 160
21, Luis Lind, Sr., TE-DE, 5-10, 192
31, Stephaun Grinage, Jr., RB-LB, 5-7, 187
33, D’ondre Mann, Soph., RB-DL, 5-7, 182
34, Jordan Canzeri, Sr., RB-DB, 5-9, 172
38, Michael Pastore, Jr., RB-LB, 5-9, 178
40, Nick Valenti, Soph., RB-DE, 5-11, 187
41, Shatiek Lewis, Sr., RB-LB, 5-8, 180
42, Victor Pirela, Soph., RB-DE, 5-10, 185
44, Kyle Geraci, Sr., RB-LB, 5-11, 220
50, Tyler Moore, Sr., OL-DL, 5-9, 183
51, Rob Valet, Sr., OL-DL, 5-9, 180
55, C.J. Kownack, Sr., OL-DL, 6-0, 208
56, Jayson Colon, Sr., OL-DL, 6-2, 252
58, Sean Peabody, Sr., OL-DE, 6-0, 202
63, Jay Yaskanich, Sr., OL-DL, 6-1, 240
66, Chris Nunes, Sr., OL-DL, 5-7, 296
67, Tim Ryan, Sr., OL-DL, 5-9, 240
68, Kyle Czarnick, Sr., OL-DL, 6-0, 220
70, Tom Welcome, Jr., OL-DL, 6-2, 223
71, Shane Ross, Jr., OL-DE, 6-4, 192
73, Carlos Hill, Sr., OL-DL, 6-1, 280
75, Eric Rhabb, Jr., OL-DL, 5-8, 292
80, Daquan Holmes, Jr., WR-DB, 5-10, 150
81, Nick DePuccio, Jr., WR-DB, 6-2, 175
82, Noah Thomas, Sr., TE-LB, 5-11, 188
83, Dan McAuley, Jr., TE-DE, 5-11, 175
84, Jesse Twiss, Sr., TE-DE, 6-3, 195

Troy’s three keys to the season
1, Development of the young and inexperienced offensive line.
2, Staying healthy. "It sounds kind of corny, but you only have so many key guys," said head coach Jack Burger. "We can’t go out and recruit three or four more at this position. What you have is what you coach. Our key guys can’t afford injuries."
3, Open up the offense beyond a Canzeri and Lewis-based rushing attack.

Troy High, 2010 schedule
Friday Sept. 3, at La Salle Institute, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 11, vs. Colonie, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 18, vs. Schenectady, 1:30 p.m.
Friday Sept. 24, at Columbia, 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 1, at Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 8, at Niskayuna, 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 16, vs. Shaker, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22/29, Playoffs/Crossovers, TBA
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Keep checking back on the blog for a training camp report posted every day between now and opening day of the high school football season on Thurs., Sept. 2. The schools will be posted in no particular order, so please be patient if you don't see your school right away.

Also keep your eyes open for our 48-page preview section - Kickoff 2010 - which hits the newsstands inside The Record on Thurs., Sept. 2.

Previous training camp reports:
No. 1, Lansingburgh High School
No. 2, Cohoes High School
No. 3, Watervliet High School
No. 4, Columbia High School
No. 5, Catholic Central High School
No. 6, Christian Brothers Academy
No. 7, Rensselaer High School
No. 8, Hoosick Falls High School
No. 9, Averill Park High School 
No. 10, Tamarac High School


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