STILLWATER -- Chatham received 204 rushing yards on 17 carries from Josh Keyes, who scored four total touchdowns in the Panthers (9-0) 48-14 Section II Class C semifinal victory at Stillwater High School.
Chatham, the South Division’s No. 1 seed, owned a plus-five differential in turnovers, recovering four Greenwich fumbles and intercepting one pass.
Ian McGrath added four receptions and 89 receiving yards for Chatham. Three of McGrath’s catches found him in the end zone.

Class D
Rensselaer 33, Whitehall 22: The Rams overcame an early 7-0 deficit to claim a quarterfinal round victory at Schuylerville High School. Tom Collins returned a 65 yard punt for a score to put Rensselaer on the board. Phil Sayers followed that with an 80 yard touchdown run before catching a 17 yard touchdown pass from Tim Foust.
Josh Hoagland rushed for three Whitehall touchdowns.
Cambridge 33, Fort Edward 6: The No. 1 seeded Indians clinched a Super Bowl berth against No. 2 Rensselaer with a victory over No. 4 Fort Edward Saturday at Schuylerville.
The Class D Super Bowl will be played Friday at Schuylerville at 7 p.m.

Crossover
Coxsackie-Athens 48, Cairo-Durham 34: Cairo quarterback Kevin Hunt completed 18 of 40 passes for 354 yards and five touchdowns in a crossover loss.
Indians quarterback Kyle Humphrey was 12 of 18 passing for 297 and three touchdowns. Cairo’s Andrew Dreste gained 217 yards receiving.
Granville 23, Mechanicville 0: The Golden Horde compiled 325 yards of total offense behind Codi Scribner’s 164 yards on 30 carries and one touchdown in a crossover win. Jamie Hicks rushed for scores from nine and eight yards out for Granville.
The Red Raiders were held to just 17 yards rushing in the first half.

Girls Soccer
Class B
Chatham 5, Mechanicville 4: The No. 7 seeded Panthers stunned defending Section II champion Mechanicville, the No. 2 seed, in a Section II Class B quarterfinal round game. Cailey Nieto scored two goals and set up another while Caroline Connor added a goal and two assists for the Tigers. Abby Maiello accounted for three Mechanicville goals.
Mechanicville held leads of 3-2 and 4-3 in the second half, but Chatham roared back for the upset.
Hoosick Falls 2, Broadalbin-Perth 1: Grace Delurey and Meg McKee scored goals for the No. 4 seeded Lady Panthers in a Section II quarterfinal victory over the Patriots.
Maple Hill 3, Greenville 0: Meegan Arno contin¬ued her torrid goal scoring pace with all three goals for the unbeaten No. 1 seed Wildcats (18-0) in a Section II quarterfinal victory over the Spartans. Arno’s hat trick extended her school-record goal total to 55 this season.
Maple Hill goalie Elizabeth Briggs made three saves. Greenville keeper finished with four stops.
The Wildcats will play No. 4 Hoosick Falls in a Section II Class B semifinal game Wednesday at Stillwater High School at 7 p.m.
Schuylerville 2, Hoosic Valley 0: Courtney Pierce set up both goals with assists to lead the Black Horses, who lost to Hoosic Valley twice in the regular-season, in the Class C semifinals.
Marissa McCarthy and Gabby Capobianco scored for Schuylerville, which lost to Hoosic Valley, 5-4 and 3-1 in Wasaren League games.
Schuylerville goalie Brianna Miller made nine saves. Samatha Carlo finished with nine saves for Hoosic Valley (14-3-1).

Class A
Burnt Hills 2, Ichabod Crane 0: Jillian Beatty and Emily Nikolski scored a goal each for the Spartans (13-4-0) in a quarterfinal round tilt. Alicia Mink made 22 saves in net for the Jesters.
Scotia-Glenville 1, Lansingburgh 0: The No. 5 Lady Knights were eliminated in a Section II Class A quarterfinal game at No. 4 Scotia-Glenville.
South Glens Falls 6, Glens Falls 0: The Bulldogs topped their rival in a Section II Class A quarterfinal.
Schalmont 3, Queensbury 0: The Sabres advanced to the Class A semifinals against South High with a victory over the Spartans.

A South Glens Falls soccer player attempts to corral the ball during Saturday's victory over archrival Glens Falls in sectional competition. (Photo courtsey The Saratogian).

Class D
Northville 3, Bolton 0: No. 1 Northville advanced to the Section II championship game.
Fort Ann 3, Heatly 0: The No. 3 seeded Hornets were eliminated by No. 2 Fort Ann.

Boys Soccer
Class A
Ichabod Crane 1, Burnt Hills 0: The No. 1S Riders won a quarterfinal round contest.
Scotia-Glenville 2, Mohonasen 0: The No. 1N Tartans advanced.
South Glens Falls 3, Schalmont 2: The No. 3N Bulldogs advanced to a Class A semifinal against Foothills Council rival Scotia.

Class B
Chatham 1, Cohoes 0 (OT): Ryan Mackerer scored the game-winning goal in overtime on a crossing pass from Will McEachern as the No. 12 seeded Panthers upset No. 4 Cohoes.
Hoosick Falls 1, Cairo-Durham 0: P.J. Priore registered the only goal to lead No. 11 Hoosick Falls in a stunning quarterfinal upset over No. 3 Cairo-Durham.

Class C
Fort Plain 2, Waterford 1: The No. 8 Toppers advanced to the semifinal round on penalty kicks, 4-2 after upsetting Class C’s No. 1 Fordians. The match was tied at one and was decided by penalty kicks after two scoreless overtime periods.

Class D
New Lebanon 1, Northville 0: Mike Gavrity scored off a feed from Ben Cassavaugh for New Lebanon in the quarterfinal round victory.

Cross Country
Suburban Council Championships: Burnt Hills senior Otis Ubriaco completed Saratoga State Park’s 3.04-mile course in 14:55.82 for first place. The Spartans finished with 82 team points for second place.
Sam Place was second in 14:58.65 for Saratoga, which finished third with 89 team points. Christian Delago finished in third place in 15:06.67 for Shaker, which was first with 41 team points. Columbia freshman Kyle Gronostaj came in fourth in a time of 15:21.48 and Marshall Pagano of Niskayuna rounded out the top five, posting a time of 15:22.72.
Shenendehowa’s Lizzie Predmore won the girls race in 17:08.15 while Saratoga captured six of the top ten spots led by Keelin Hollowood’s second place finish (17:10.18) and Sydney King’s third place finish (17:33.45). The Blue Streaks compiled 20 team points for first place and the Plainsmen were second with 74 team points.

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Hoosick Falls senior quarterback and linebacker Mike Brewster takes a lesson from head coach Ron Jones during Saturday's Section II Class C semifinal victory over Fonda-Fultonville. (Photos by Will Montgomery - The Record).

STILLWATER — The postseason winning streak for the Hoosick Falls High School football team at Warriors Park at Stillwater High School continued in spectacular fashion Saturday evening.

Hoosick Falls allowed Fonda-Fultonville just four first downs through the first three quarters – Fonda added four more in the fourth – and Mike Brewster ran for three touchdowns and passed for 142 yards as the Panthers posted a 46-13 Section II Class C semifinal victory at Warriors Park.

Hoosick Falls quarterback Mike Brewster jumps for joy after running for a touchdown against Fonda in Saturday's Section II Class C semifinal victory.

Hoosick Falls (9-0), the North Division’s No. 1 seed and the No. 4 ranked Class C team in New York State, had won three consecutive games at Stillwater in the 2009 postseason en route to a berth in the state semifinals.

For video highlights from Saturday's game, visit www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

Saturday’s victory clinched a Section II Class C Super Bowl rematch against Chatham (9-0), the South Division’s No. 1 seed. Friday’s Super Bowl will be played at Stillwater at 7 p.m.

Mike Brewster leaps for joy after running for a touchdown in Saturday's victory over Fonda-Fultonville at Stillwater High School.

The Panthers’ starting defensive unit has allowed just two touchdowns all season and that intensity was evident in the first half of Saturday’s game. Fonda could not pick up a first down in the first quarter. In the second, the Braves twice drove within Panthers territory, but a failed fake punt run and Mike Downing pass intercepted by Hoosick Falls junior free safety Tanner Williams spelled the end of Fonda’s chances before halftime.

“When somebody has to work that hard to get first downs, it’s frustrating,” said Hoosick Falls head coach Ron Jones. “I’ve been on the other side of that and it’s tough. It gets you out of your rhythm and makes you do things you don’t normally do.”

“Our coaches, they prepare us every single week for exactly what we’re going to see,” said senior two-way lineman Steve Colvin, at right. “They’re always at least 90% right on everything they do. That’s what gets us prepared and we just hustle to the ball. Our pursuit is second to none. That’s just what we’ve been taught here.”

Hoosick Falls received the kickoff to start the third quarter and scored on its first drive. The Panthers then forced a Fonda three-and-out and scored again.

Erick Mulready blocked a Fonda punt on the ensuing Braves drive, leading to another Hoosick Falls touchdown. Brad Burns returned an intercepted pass for a touchdown on Fonda’s next drive, cementing a massive momentum swing for Hoosick Falls.

“We just had to stay more disciplined,” senior quarterback and linebacker Mike Brewster, at left, said. “Of course it’s a bigger game, a bigger step. This is the playoffs. This is when it’s fun, when it gets cold and the hits always string.”

Tanner Williams rushed for a game-high 84 yards on six attempts and added 59 receiving yards with three catches.

The Hoosick Falls cheerleaders and band entertained the crowd during Saturday's game.

Fonda-Fultonville (6-3), the South Division’s No. 2 seed, was paced by running back Wally Kowalski (19 atts., 74 yds.) and quarterback Mike Downing (12 atts., 63 yds.).

Hoosick Falls’ next opponent, Chatham, defeated Greenwich in Saturday’s early semifinal, 48-14. Josh Keyes rushed for 204 yards and Chatham posted a plus-five turnover differential against the Witches.

“We know they’re going to have their best game against us because it’s the Super Bowl for them, too,” Colvin said. “They’re going to be just as excited as we are. We’re just going to do what we do every week and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”

Hoosick Falls won the 2009 Super Bowl on a last-second field goal by Quinn Rasmus and the Panthers are expecting an equally tough game in 2010.

“It’s not over ‘til it’s over,” senior two-way lineman Garrett Foster, at left, said. “That game last year went down to the wire. It could happen again this year. You just have to play fundamental football and play your best.”

HOOSICK FALLS 46, FONDA-FULTONVILLE 13

Fonda-Fultonville (6-3) 0 0 0 13 — 13
Hoosick Falls (9-0) 7 12 27 0 — 46
First Quarter
HF — Mike Brewster 2 run (Erick Mulready kick) 3:24
Second Quarter
HF — Brewster 8 run (E.Mulready kick wide right) 7:27
HF — Tanner Williams 36 run (E.Mulready kick wide right) 2:23
Third Quarter
HF — Brewster 3 run (E.Mulready kick) 10:16
HF — Williams 12 pass from Brewster (E.Mulready kick) 6:51
HF — Williams 2 run (E.Mulready kick wide right) 3:41
HF — Brad Burns 48 interception return (E.Mulready kick) 3:22
Fourth Quarter
FF — Mike Downing 10 run (Travis Mulyca kick blocked) 4:11
FF — Alex Kocjan 13 pass from Downing (Mulyca kick) 0:03
Individual Stats:
Rushing: Fonda (36-136): Kowalski 19-74, Downing 12-63, Nethaway 3-1, Nowak 1-0, Coupas 1-(-2). Hoosick Falls (27-200): Williams 6-84, Burns 8-58, Brewster 9-35, Brogue 3-20, Sargood 1-3.
Passing: Fonda: Downing 3-10-1-73; Shaw 1-5-1-0.
Receiving: Fonda (4-73): Twardzik 2-64, Kocjan 1-9, Kaczor 1-0. Hoosick Falls (10-142): Rasmus 4-61, Williams 3-59, J.Mulready 2-21, Martin 1-1.

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Jay Yaskanisch hoists the ball after he recovered a fumble forced by a sack by Nick Valenti in Saturday's Section II Class AA semifinal against Niskayuna. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

TROY — The Troy High football team wanted to send a message in Saturday’s Section II Class AA semifinal against Niskayuna.

It only took two plays.

Senior quarterback Brian Marsh ran for a 74-yard touchdown on Troy’s first offensive play and Shatiek Lewis scampered 73 yards to the end zone on Troy’s second play from scrimmage.

 Shatiek Lewis breaks away for a long touchdown run during Saturday's Section II Class AA semifinal victory over Niskayuna.

The Flying Horses gained 492 total rushing yards on 46 attempts and the defense intercepted four passes and made seven sacks in a 63-7 victory on Edward C. Picken Field.

Troy (8-0), the Liberty Division’s No. 1 seed and the No. 7 ranked Class AA team in New York State, advanced to Friday’s Section II Class AA Super Bowl against Empire Division No. 3 Shenendehowa (7-2). Kickoff at South Colonie High School is set for 7 p.m.

Brian Marsh takes off for the end zone on Troy's first play from scrimmage Saturday afternoon against Niskayuna. Chris Henry (22), Nick Massaroni (21) and Shatiek Lewis (41) are in pursuit.

Lewis finished with 207 rushing yards on 10 attempts and also scored on a 77-yard run in the second quarter. He suffered a high ankle sprain at Saratoga Springs in Week Five of the regular season and sat out Troy’s 35-28 overtime victory at Niskayuna in Week Six.

Although Lewis appeared in Troy’s last two games, he was glad to be back at full strength Saturday afternoon.

“It feels really good. I’m just glad to get back,” he said. “I felt like I was just letting the guys down on the sideline so I had to come back and do good for the team. I feel like I owe it to them.”

Marsh finished with 101 rushing yards on six attempts and senior running back Jordan Canzeri added 95 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.

Stephaun Grinage comes up with the ball after intercepting a pass thrown by Niskayuna's Kyle Bayly. Raheem Felder (11) looks on.

“It’s my senior season and I don’t want to go out in the bad way,” Lewis said. “I was being patient, but I got emotional sometimes. I looked at my teammates and I said, ‘I’m going to do this for you guys. I’m doing it for you guys.”

Troy’s defense, which was torched for 336 passing yards in its regular season contest against Niskayuna (5-4, Liberty No. 3 seed), bent but didn’t break against the Silver Warriors Saturday. Niskayuna senior quarterback Kyle Bayly completed 14-of-33 passes for 232 yards, but he also had three passes intercepted by the Troy defense.

“We know how it is when teams score on us,” Lewis said. “We know how it is to struggle in games. We all know how it is and we don’t like that feeling, so we try to put them out early.”

Stephaun Grinage intercepted a pair of passes and Canzeri and Tyler Moore added interceptions for Troy.
Troy held the Silver Warriors to -19 yards rushing, thanks to the seven sacks made by Luis Lind (two), Nick Valenti, Kyle Geraci, Tyler Moore, Dan McAuley and Tom Welcome.

Stephaun Grinage (31) and Noah Thomas (82) leap for joy during Saturday's Section II Class AA semifinal victory over Niskayuna.

“We needed to control the ball with our offense, but with the same token, our defensive coaches put together a great scheme,” said Troy head coach Jack Burger. “Coach (Bob) Burns runs the show with Coach (Mark) Galuski and Coach (Sam) Marro and they had a great scheme and the kids were able to execute.”

A season ago, Troy played in the Section II Class A Super Bowl against Burnt Hills, losing 33-18.

Shenendehowa, which is 6-0 away from Steuerwald Stadium this season, last appeared in a Section II Super Bowl in 2004.

For the Troy High seniors, a second shot at a Section II championship has been a major motivating factor in 2010.

“In January, that was our goal. Go to the Super Bowl again,” Lewis said. “I feel that we’re back where we belong, but this time, we’re going to win it. We’re not going there just to be there, we’re going there to win it.”

TROY 63, NISKAYUNA 7

Niskayuna (5-4) 0 7 0 0 — 7
Troy (9-0) 21 21 14 7 — 63
First Quarter
T — Brian Marsh 74 run (Badro Talbi kick failed) 11:39
T — Shatiek Lewis 73 run (Marsh run) 9:07
T — Jordan Canzeri 5 run (Talbi kick) 5:11
Second Quarter
T — Stephaun Grinage 31 run (Talbi kick) 10:28
N — Josh Callahan 58 pass from Kyle Bayly (Joel Agnes kick) 9:50
T — Lewis 77 run (Talbi kick) 7:46
T — Canzeri 4 run (Talbi kick) 1:14
Third Quarter
T — Canzeri 3 run (Talbi kick) 9:25
T — Marsh 3 run (Talbi kick) 5:21
Fourth Quarter
T — Raheem Felder 70 punt return (Talbi kick) 4:34
Individual Stats:
Rushing: Niskayuna (19-(-19): Hilweh 8-5, Baisy 1-1, Singleton 5-(-4), Bayly 5-(-21). Troy (46-492): Lewis 10-207, Marsh 6-101, Canzeri 12-95, Grinage 4-55, Mann 3-14, Geraci 3-11, Felder 4-4, Pastore 1-4, Pirela 2-1, Valenti 1-0.
Passing: Niskayuna: Bayly 14-33-3-232; Singleton 1-5-1-12. Troy: Marsh 2-2-0-53.
Receiving: Niskayuna (15-244): Callahan 5-109, Fragnoli 5-77, Schuler 3-42, Akpanikat 2-16. Troy (2-53): Blair 1-27, Blaauboer 1-26.

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Shenendehowa High senior running back Bronson Greene attempts to stiff-arm a Ballston Spa defender during Friday's game. Shen won, 24-14, advancing to the Section II Class AA Super Bowl against the winner of today's game between Troy and Niskayuna. (Photos courtsey The Saratogian).

BALLSTON SPA -- The Shenendehowa Plainsmen just seemed to have Ballston Spa’s number in 2010.
The Plainsmen scored twice very late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Scotties 24-14 in a Section II Class AA semifinal.
The Plainsmen (7-2) advance to the Super Bowl, where they await the winner of today’s game between Troy (8-0) and Niskayuna (5-3).
It was the second time this season that Shenendehowa defeated Ballston Spa. The Plainsmen earned a 7-0 victory, back in Week 3.
The Scotties (6-3) seemed to have things in control after scoring the game’s first two touchdowns to take a 14-3 lead.
Shenendehowa running back Bronson Greene scored twice in the second half, the second score capping a drive that gave his team a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing possession, the Scotties tried a reverse pass and it was intercepted by Brandon Miller.

Class A
Burnt Hills 31, Queensbury 14: The No. 3 ranked team in Class A had a little trouble, leading just 12-0 at halftime, but remained unbeaten.
Evan Nusbaum finished with 171 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Keaton Flint galloped 115 yards on 10 carries and one score.
Burnt Hills (9-0) advance to take on Lansingburgh (8-1) in the Class A Super Bowl, next Saturday at Shenendehowa at 7 p.m.

Class B
Our Brien Bouyea covered the Albany Academy at Schalmont game Friday night. Here is an excerpt from his story. For the full scoop, check out Saturday's edition of The Record.

ROTTERDAM -- Slowing down Zay Richardson has been a fruitless task all season for Albany Academy’s opponents on the gridiron. Schalmont, however, wasn’t about to let Richardson stand in its way on Friday night.
The Sabres limited the leading rusher in Section II to a season-low 78 yards and scored two early touchdowns en route to a 21-7 victory over the Cadets in the Class B semifinals. Schalmont (9-0), the defending Class B champion, advances to meet Ravena in the Class B Super Bowl next Saturday at 3 p.m. at Schenectady High School.
Richardson, who entered the game with 1,718 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground, was held in check throughout the contest. The Sabres, who are ranked No. 7 in the state, kept Richardson between the tackles and limited him to only one gain of more than 10 yards.
"They did a great job against us on defense," Albany Academy head coach Tony Fruscio said. "They bent some, but they really didn’t break. They have quick athletes and they flow to the ball. Give them a lot of credit for shutting us down."
Ravena 27, Hudson Falls 14: Corey Watts scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help lead the Indians (8-1) into the Super Bowl.
Ravena rolled up 277 yards on the ground, getting 71 from Daryl Stewart.
Dakota Drake scored the game’s first touchdown for the Tigers (4-5) on a 45-yard run and finished with 73 yards on eight carries. Artem Treise also rushed for a touchdown for Hudson Falls.
Tyler Stewart also rushed for a touchdown for the Indians, who will match up with undefeated Schalmont (9-0) on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Schenectady High.

Crossover Games
Schenectady 12, Guilderland 7: The Patriots (4-5) scored the game-winning touchdown on a 36-yard pass from Tim Cox to Jallah Tarver with less than two minutes to go for a wild, down-to-the-wire crossover victory.
Tim O’Connor hauled in a Ryan Smith pass for a 26 yard touchdown reception in the fourth for a 7-6 Dutchmen (5-4) advantage.
Kareem Pitts rushed for a five yard score to give the Patriots a 6-0 second quarter lead.
CBA 49, La Salle 25: The Brothers (5-4) claimed possession of the Sabre by posting a crossover win over the Cadets (2-7).

The Ballston Spa team takes the field prior to Friday's Section II Class AA semifinal game against Shenendehowa.

The rest of Friday's roundup:

SCHUYLERVILLE -- Samantha Skott scored two goals to lead the Hoosick Falls field hockey team to a 2-0 victory over Taconic Hills in the Section II Class CC semifinals.  
Ashley Costantino and Amanda Lewsey added assists for the Panthers (16-1), which will take on Corinth in the championship game on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Schuylerville.
Corinth 1, Emma Willard 0 (OT): The Tomahawks secured a Class CC semifinal victory on a Nicole Bovee goal at 3:10 of the overtime period.
Nastacia Pereira stopped four shots in net for the Jesters (6-2, 7-5), while Teresa Turcotte made two stops in net for Corinth (6-2, 11-7). 

Girls Soccer 
Class C
Albany Academy 5, Ft. Plain 1: Freshman Talia Rockmore scored two goals for the Bears in the quarterfinals.
Emma Malicki, Lizzie Robinson and eighth grader Brianna Hart also scored for Albany Academy, which advances to play against top-seeded Middleburgh on Tuesday.  
Berlin 5, Canajoharie 1: Maria Gordon and Rachel Ferris netted two goals each for the Mountaineers in an opening round contest.
Tegan Shumway accounted for Berlin’s fifth goal.
Emily Brown scored the lone goal for Canajoharie and Sierra Rockwell made 29 saves in net.
Ashley Vincent stopped 16 shots in net for Berlin.
Voorheesville 6, Duanesburg 0: The Lady Blackbirds advance to the quarterfinals against Lake George after an opening round victory.
Emily Blow paced Voorheesville with three goals while Lexi Pelletier added a goal and two assists.
Caroline Weiss and Caitlin Abelseth accounted for a goal each in the win.
Samantha Tomeck made 15 saves in net for the Purple Eagles.
Schoharie 1, Greenwich 0: Mattia Cornell registered the game’s lone goal off a feed from Beth Cleveland to give the Indians an opening round triumph.
Anissa Anuszewski stopped 20 shots in net for the Witches. No. 4 seed Schoharie will face fifth seeded Galway in the quarterfinals.
Galway 6, St. Johnsville 0: Carolyn Gibbins scored a game-high three goals and one assist to lead Galway (15-2) in a first round victory.
Erica Chase chipped in with a goal and an assist while Annie Oakes and Kelly Phillips netted single goals.
Victoria Reynolds and Emily Chrisman com¬bined for 16 saves in net for St. Johnsville.
Cambridge 6, Hadley-Luzerne 0: Bridget Cuddihy tallied a hat trick and Sara Tironi added a two goals and one assist for the Indians in a first round tilt.
Molly Lauver contributed a goal and two helpers for Cambridge, who will face Berlin in the quarterfinals.
Kirsten Jones finished with 22 saves in net for Hadley-Luzerne.
Middleburgh 5, Whitehall 1: Amanda Roney paced No. 1 seed Middleburgh with two goals and one assist while Katie Clayton added a goal and an assist.
Amber Reinheimer and Kelsey Roney collected single goals in the opening round tilt.
Paige Mason netted Whitehall’s lone goal and Katie Paddock made 21 saves in net.
Lake George 2, Berne-Knox 0: The No. 6 seed Warriors posted a shutout to move on to the quarterfinals.

Boys Soccer 
Class AA
Colonie 8, Amsterdam 0: Massimo Smiroldo’s three goals and one assist sparked the third seeded Garnet Raiders in a Class AA first round match.
Yaw Agyei scored a goal and an assist while Will Lyons, Justin Francis, Adam Yule and Matt Ancona netted single goals for Colonie.
John Toper finished with nine saves in net for the Rugged Rams.
Colonie will Niskayuna in the quarterfinals on Monday at 6 p.m. at Colonie High.

Class A
Albany Academy 2, Averill Park 1: Nick Hess put the Warriors on top in the 4th minute, a lead they held until the Cadets scored a pair of unanswered goals in the 69th and 73rd minute.
Tom Kim fed Nick Abel for Academy’s first goal and Jordan Newton assisted on Jake Miorin’s game-winning goal in a Class A quar¬terfinal match.
Brandon Westfall made six saves in net for Averill Park.

Class C
Greenwich 2, Duanesburg 1 (OT): The No. 4 seed Witches survived, getting a goal from Ian Kelly in the second overtime to life them past the Eagles. 
Schoharie 4, Galway 1: The No. 3 seed¬ed Indians advanced as Dylan La Badia record¬ed a hat trick.

Class D
Loudonville Christian 4, Bolton 1: Tyler Calzada scored in the 20th minute to give Bolton an early lead before the Eagles responded with four unanswered goals in a Class D quarterfinals match.
Leo Pusatere notched two goals while Aaron Film and Chris Henk collected single goals for the Eagles.
Hartford 2, North Warren 1 (OT): The No. 3 Tanagers escaped with the overtime victo¬ry to advance into the semifinals.

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Lansingburgh High School senior running back Jake Luce runs with the ball during Friday's Section II Class A semifinal against Bishop Maginn. Luce ran for three touchdowns and 183 yards on 11 attempts in the 30-8 triumph for the Knights. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

TROY — The Lansingburgh High School football team had had enough of the come-from-behind victory.

After needing rallies each of the last two weeks, the Knights took care of business early against Bishop Maginn in Friday’s Section II Class A semifinal game.

Jake Shaw recovered an Antoine Johnson fumble on the second play of the Griffins’ first drive and Shaw booted a 32-yard field goal on the ensuing set of plays.

Anthony Fogarty made a shoestring tackle on fourth down to stop Bishop Maginn’s resulting 11-play drive and Jake Luce ran 65 yards to the end zone on the second play of Lansingburgh’s next set of downs. The Knights made that head start hold up in a 30-8 victory at Lansingburgh High School.

“The past two weeks, we played sloppy. It was bad conditions and we just weren’t ready for the game,” Luce, at right, said. “Last week, I don’t know, we just didn’t come out in the first quarter to play. Today we did and it showed. It definitely showed.”

Luce, a senior who converted from left offensive guard to fullback midway through the season, finished Friday’s game with 183 rushing yards on 11 attempts, scoring three touchdowns.

“I got the big man Mark Tracey right in front of me,” Luce said of his senior left tackle. “He just opens the holes up and I run right through them. Mark Tracey, he opens the holes. That’s why I love that kid. He should be getting more credit than I should. He’s the one that opens the holes. I just run the ball.”

Lansingburgh senior running back and defensive back Anthony Fogarty runs with the ball against Bishop Maginn Friday night in Troy.

Anthony Fogarty added 90 rushing yards on 11 attempts and Marcus Little ran for 82 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries for the Knights, but the biggest offensive weapon Lansingburgh had Friday night was its defense.

Video highlights from this game are available online at www.troyrecord.com

Lansingburgh forced four Maginn turnovers – Fogarty and Tom Blake intercepted passes thrown by Maginn quarterback John Sica and Mackenzie Carpenter added a fumble recovery – and the Knights forced the Griffins to turn the ball over on downs three times.

Bishop Maginn (5-4), the Southeast Division’s No. 3 seed, had upset Northwest Division No. 2 Amsterdam in the Class A quarterfinals last week. Matthias McKinnon paced the Griffins with 102 rushing yards on 24 attempts and Isaiah Phillips added a 93-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

A Lansingburgh defender tackles Bishop Maginn's Antoine Johnson during Friday's Section II Class A semifinal game.

Lansingburgh (8-1), the Southeast Division’s No. 1 seed and ranked No. 24 in the latest New York State poll, advances to its eighth Section II Super Bowl appearance since 2002. The Knights will face Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (9-0), the No. 3 ranked Class A team in the state, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Shenendehowa High School.

“For these kids, that’s been the mission,” said head coach Al McNall. “The mission was, we had them Week One and we wanted them in Week Ten and here we are.”

Burnt Hills posted a 25-15 victory at Lansingburgh on opening night. The Spartans have appeared in the New York State Class A championship game two years in a row.

“There is a lot of legacy here,” McNall said. “Every team that comes through, they want to uphold that and we’ve been pretty successful.”

“It means the world to us,” Shaw, at left, said of a chance to play in the Super Bowl. “It’s what we work for every day.”

“It’s tradition. It’s where we want to be,” said Luce. “We talked about toady being our last home game, the last game we’re ever going to play on this field. We had to make it count. We definitely did.”

LANSINGBURGH 30, BISHOP MAGINN 8

Bishop Maginn (5-4) 0 0 0 8 — 8
Lansingburgh (8-1) 10 6 7 7 — 30
First Quarter
L — Jake Shaw 32 field goal (6:49)
L — Jake Luce 65 run (Shaw kick) (0:08)
Second Quarter
L — Marcus Little 1 run (Shaw kick blocked) 8:53
Third Quarter
L — Luce 54 run (Shaw kick) 6:30
Fourth Quarter
BM — Isaiah Phillips 93 pass from John Sica (James Lawitz pass from Sica) 10:32
L — Luce 1 run (Shaw kick) 7:04
Individual Stats:
Rushing: Bishop Maginn (47-159): McKinnon 24-102, Johnson 16-47, Sica 2-6, J.Williams 1-4, McCarthy 4-1. Lansingburgh (36-355): Luce 11-183, Fogarty 11-90, Little 14-82.
Passing: Bishop Maginn: Sica 6-17-2-146-1; Lawitz 0-1-0-0-0. Lansingburgh: Grillo 5-10-0-13-0.
Receiving: Bishop Maginn (6-146): Phillips 2-105, Lawitz 2-21, McCarthy 2-20. Lansingburgh (5-13): Pryor 2-13, Luce 1-9, Little 2-(-9).

• Notes:Lansingburgh public address announcer Rich Sheffer continues to be the most accurate in the business from his perch in the Lansingburgh press box. He's also very fair in announcing player names from the opposing team, which is a nice touch.
• Lansingburgh's Anthony Fogarty had a big hit in the game (check the video for that) and Quincy Michael added a big hit late in the fourth quarter as well.
• Here is a series sequence that explains how the drives in the game broke down:
• Jake Shaw recovered a Maginn fumble after the Knights punted on their first possession. Shaw's field goal on the next drive put 'Burgh up 3-0.
• Fogarty stopped Maginn's Shaquille McCarthy on fourth down on the Knights' 28-yard line later in the first quarter. Luce scored on a 65-yard run two plays later.
• Fogarty intercepted a John Sica pass on Maginn's next drive. Marcus Little scored on a one-yard run on 'Burgh's following series.
• Maginn again turned the ball over on downs and 'Burgh's next drive sputtered as the second quarter ended.
• Mackenzie Carpetner recovered a fumble for Lansingburgh at the end of an 11-play drive for Maginn to open the third quarter. Luce scored two plays later on a 54-yard run.
• Shaw made a tackle for a loss on fourth down on Maginn's next drive, forcing another turnover on downs. 'Burgh was forced to punt on the next drive and Maginn scored its lone touchdown after that.
• Luce scored on a one-yard run to cap an eight-play drive later in the fourth, which essentially put the game out of reach for the Griffins.
•  I asked Jake Shaw how special it was for him to be able to play in the Super Bowl in 2010, after having to miss the game last year. Jake Luce hit him in the eye with a badminton shuttlecock in gym class last year, forcing Shaw to sit out the Knights' final few games. (For highlights from their response, view the video above).
• Quotes from the notebook: "It’s definitely more fun being a running back," Luce said. "I get to score touchdowns and run people over, you know what I’m saying? It’s not really a big transition. I’m sure anybody could do it. He could do it (nods at Shaw). It’s not too hard. All you have to do is get the ball and run."
• "When we made that switch, we took Jake from the guard and put him at the tackle spot," said McNall. "What that does is give us another dimension that people have to look at. With the hard work of offensive coordinator Jeff Pasinella and Mike Drinkwine with the offensive line, we've gotten to the point now where we can run both offenses pretty good."
• "Burnt Hills is Burnt Hills," said McNall. "They’re the big gun in Section II. If you don’t aspire to play them, you probably shouldn’t be out here. I think for the first week, welcome back to the As, here’s your first game, Burnt Hills, we played that game pretty well, but we turned the ball over and made some mistakes. You can’t do that against Burnt Hills."
  

TONIGHT
Class AA semifinals
E3 Shenendehowa 24, E1 Ballston Spa 14
Class A semifinals
N1 Burnt Hills 31, N3 Queensbury 14
S1 Lansingburgh 30, S3 Bishop Maginn 8
Class B semifinals
W1 Schalmont 21, R2 Albany Academy 7
R1 Ravena 27, W2 Hudson Falls 14
Crossover games
Corinth 25, Ichabod Crane 14
Cobleskill 34, Hudson 7
Schenectady 12, Guilderland 7
Amsterdam 36, Scotia-Glenville 18
CBA 49, La Salle 25

Sat., Oct. 30
Class AA semifinals
L3 Niskayuna at L1 Troy 1:30 p.m.
Class C semifinals
At Stillwater High School
N2 Greenwich vs. S1 Chatham 2 p.m.
S2 Fonda-Fultonville vs. N1 Hoosick Falls 7 p.m.
Class D semifinals
At Schuylerville High School
3 Whitehall vs. 2 Rensselaer 1 p.m.
4 Fort Edward vs. 1 Cambridge 7 p.m.
Crossover games
Mechanicville at Granville 1 p.m.
Coxsackie-Athens at Cairo-Durham 1 p.m.
Tamarac at Voorheesville 1 p.m.

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The view behind home plate at Albany's fabled Bleecker Stadium during the 2010 old-timer's day celebration this past August. (Photo by John Whipple - for The Record).

ALBANY -- The Albany Twilight League has announced its 2010 Hall of Fame class which will be inducted at the League’s annual Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 13th at 6 pm at the Polish American Citizens Club in Albany.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are Pitcher/Infielder Brian Brown, infielder Dan Conway, and Pitcher/Outfielder Tim Shepardson. Spearheaded by a nomination from the ATL Veterans Association, the League also voted to induct just its second team ever into the Hall of Fame. This year the Oppenheim Post VFW 1019, a top tier franchise in the League for 34 years from the 1950’s through the 1980’s, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. A committee of league officers and commissioners voted the four inductees from a field of nominations made following the 2010 season. A player, officer or coach is eligible for induction after two full seasons of being retired.

Brown, a current Schenectady resident, played in the league from 1970-1979 and 1982-83 as a pitcher and infielder with Schaffer’s Brewers, Cocca’s Diner and the Sons of Italy. He was a four-time All Star and was the 1977 League MVP hitting .405 and going 5-1 on the mound. Brown was a key player for the 1982 Sons of Italy League Champions and ranks among the career hitting leaders with a .382 batting average, 53 RBI, and 12 homers in just 199 career at-bats.

Conway, a 1972 free agent draft selection by the Kansas City Royals, played shortstop and second base for the Oppenheim Post throughout the 1970’s. He was a perennial All Star and catalyst on five League Champion Oppenheim teams. Conway notched a career high batting average of .394 in the 1979 season, and tallied a .297 career average with 47 RBI, 7 home runs, and 66 runs scored.

Shepardson was a pitcher and outfielder with Finkle’s Jewelers, Burger King, the Sons of Italy and Apex Printing from 1982-85 and 1988-91. He was selected League Rookie of the Year in 1982 for hitting .385 and having a 4-2 pitching record that year. Shepardson was a four-time All Star hitting a career best .352 in 1984 and was a key player on the 1989 Apex Printing team that advanced to the AABC World Series in Battle Creek, MI. Shepardson holds a career batting average of .323 with 92 RBI, 17 home runs, and 73 runs in 349 at bats.

The Oppenheim Post team will be just the second Twilight team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The team achieved excellence from 1955-1988 winning 10 league titles, seeing 12 players sign professionally and 23 of its players later inducted into the Twilight League Hall of Fame.

2010 TEAM AND SEASON AWARD WINNERS HONORED

Also being honored at the banquet are all the 2010 All-Stars and individual award winners, including Albany Athletics’ third baseman Mike Zgorzelski who won the Most Valuable Player award leading the league in batting average (.464), home runs (6) and runs scored (24).

League Pitcher of the Year honors went to the Albany Athletics’ Jim Shook, for a 7-1 record, 7 complete games, a 0.25 ERA, and a new league record 104 strikeouts in 54 innings of work—leading the league in all these categories. This is Shook’s second straight League Pitcher of the Year award.

Rookie of the Year honors went to the Albany Athletics second baseman Al Barbato for hitting .323 with 20 RBI and 6 home runs (tied for the League lead). Barbato will also be presented the Harold Finkle Awards as the League Playoff MVP.

The American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC) Upper NY Association will also hand out two scholarships to players currently in the league and participating on college teams. This year’s AABC Peter Keyrouze Memorial scholarship winners are Matt Montross from the Albany Athletics and Aaron Tilley from Waterford Nolan Propane.

The Albany Athletics will receive the League Championship trophy at the conclusion of the night, their fourth League championship in the last five years.

The Twilight League will also recognize two AABC achievements by its teams. The Regional Champion, Albany Athletics became the first team since 1989 (and only the 4th in the league’s 80 year history) to reach the AABC National World Series in Houston. Furthermore, All Stars Academy will be recognized as the AABC Upper NY State Champion—their first title and the League’s 11th consecutive crown.

Tickets for the event, which is open to the public, are now on sale for $30. Those interested should contact League President Bill Miles at (518) 459-6534 or mail a check payable to: Albany Twilight League, Bill Miles, 8 Crisswood Drive, Albany, NY 12205. A limited number of tickets will be on sale at the door as well.

2010 Twilight League All-Stars

First Base – Jason Martin, Albany Athletics
Second Base – Al Barbato, Albany Athletics
Third Base – Mike Zgorzelski, Albany Athletics
Shortstop – Leo Corvino, All Stars Academy
Catcher – Bruce Barkevich, Dreyer Boyajan
Outfield – John Marcella, Albany Athletics
Outfield – Justin Meagher, Albany Athletics
Outfield – Greg Sulz, Dreyer Boyajan
Outfield – Paul Izzo, Waterford Nolan Propane
Designated Hitter – Dave Perry, Dreyer Boyajan
Utility – Bill Behrle, Blue Slate Bluehawks
Pitcher – Jim Shook, Albany Athletics Harold Finkle Award
Pitcher – Matt Dahlin, Waterford Nolan Propane Al Barbato, Albany Athletics
Pitcher – Tyler Travis, Waterford Nolan Propane
Relief Pitcher – Chris Shoepe, All Stars Academy

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The New York State Sportswriters Association has released its latest edition of high school sports polls. Here are the Section II teams that made the cut.
For full high school football polls, visit www.roadtosyracuse.com

For all other polls, visit http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/

Football

Class AA
7 - Troy

Class A
3 - Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
24 - Lansingburgh

Class B
6 - Schalmont

Class C
4 - Hoosick Falls
7 - Chatham
17 - Fonda-Fultonville

Class D
7 - Cambridge
20 - Rensselaer

Girls soccer

2010 NYSSCOGS & NYSSWA
NYS Girls Soccer Poll
Week No. 6 (Oct. 20-27)
Poll editor: Perry L. Novak

Class AA
6: 13-3-0 Saratoga Springs
9: 12-3-1 Niskayuna
11: 14-2-0 Bethlehem

Class A
3: 12-4-0 Burnt Hills
5: 16-0-0 Schalmont
16: 15-1-0 South Glens Falls
18: 14-1-1 Scotia-Glenville

Class B
2: 15-1-0 Mechanicville
12: 17-0-0 Maple Hill
15: 14-2-1 Hoosic Valley
17: 11-3-2 Hoosick Falls

Class C
5: 15-1-0 Middleburgh
13: 11-3-2 Cambridge
17: 14-2-0 Schoharie

Class D
20: 10-5-1 Northville

Boys soccer

Class AA
13. Bethlehem (12-2-0)
20. Saratoga Springs (11-2-2)

Class A
1. Ichabod Crane (15-0-1)
13. Scotia-Glenville (12-2-2)

Class B
9. Maple Hill (14-1-0)

Class C
7. Waterford (14-2-0)
18. Voorheesville (8-4-2)

Class D
3. Fort Ann (14-0-1)
13. New Lebenon (11-3-0)

Boys cross country

Class AA
1. Shaker
5. Saratoga Springs
15. Shenendehowa
20. Guilderland

Class A
1. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
2. Queensbury
15. Scotia-Glenville

Class B
10 Norte Dame-Bishop Gibbons
13 Glens Falls
17 Broadalbin-Perth

Class C
1 Fonda-Fultonville
8 Berne-Knox-Westerlo
17 Schuylerville

Class D
4. Mayfield
6. Berlin
7. Schenectady Christian
19. Hawthorne Valley

Girls cross country

Class AA
2,  Saratoga Springs
5, Shenendehowa
10, Guilderland
13, Shaker
18, Colonie
19, Columbia

Class A
1, Burnt Hills
3, Queensbury
10, Holy Names
17, Scotia-Glenville
22, Averill Park

Class B
4, Broadalbin-Perth
12, Cobleskill
16, Albany Academy
19, Glens Falls
24, Cohoes
25, Bishop Gibbons

Class C
1, Greenwich
15, Berne-Knox-Westerlo

Class D
None ranked

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(Throughout the fall season, I'll be posting the local roundup as soon as it starts to trickle in every night. It will be updated as we received more scores).

Catholic Central High School junior outside hitter Hannah Kutny dives for a ball during the Big 10 Conference championship match against Troy High Wednesday afternoon at Lansingburgh High School. CCHS won, 3-1. To read that story, click here. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Greenwich High runner Austin Lane took home first place at The Wasaren League Championships at Saratoga Spa State Park on Thursday afternoon.
Lane, who won the race for the fifth consecutive year, finished the 3.04-mile course in 15:42, 66 seconds ahead of second place finisher Tucker Hampson of Schuylerville.
Jeremy Spiezio of Greenwich finished third.
Berlin took home the boys’ team title, placing five runners in the Top 10. Alex French was the Mountaineers highest individual finisher, placing fourth in a time of 17:02.
Llew Palmer (5th), Conner Hoyt (7th), Erik Viner (8th) and Rocco Farano (9th) rounded out the Top 10 finishers for Berlin.
On the girls’ side, Greenwich’s Betsy Edinger finished first in 17:49, while Schuylerville’s Samantha Watson was second.
The Witches dominated the team competition, placing six runners in the Top 10, including Madeline Montague, Victoria Houser and Sarah Lapham, who finished third through fifth respectively.

Boys Soccer
Class AA
Ballston Spa 12, La Salle 1: The Scotties showed no mercy as they advanced into the quarterfinals.
Tyler Reed scored the lone goal for the Cadets.
Niskayuna 2, Schenectady 0: The Silver Warriors scored twice in the first 20 minutes of the game to advance.
The Patriots closes chance came in the 65th minute, when Junior Sodre hit the post on a direct kick.
Niskayuna will play the winner of today’s Colonie vs. Amsterdam game.
Shenendehowa 3, Guilderland 0: The Plainsmen blanked the Dutchmen to set up a Monday date with top-seeded Bethlehem.
Class A
Burnt Hills 2, Queensbury 1:Burnt Hills prevailed in the Spartans showdown.
Mohonasen 1, Glens Falls 0: The Mighty Warriors advance to take on Scotia in a semifinal game on Saturday at noon.
Class B
Cohoes 4, Catskill 2: The No. 4 Tigers got goals from Brandon LaForest, Mohammed Rasoully and Todd Haynes, while also getting an own goal from a Cats player.
Nate Bulich scored one of the two goals for Catskill.
Cohoes plays No. 12 Chatham on Saturday.
Hoosick Falls 2, Greenville 0: Andy Tudor and Luke Will both scored as the Panthers pulled off the upset victory.
Hoosick Falls will play at No.3 Cairo-Durham on Saturday.
Hoosic Valley 2, Tamarac 1: Alex Roulier and Hal Kilmartin both scored for the No. 8 seed Indians in the preliminary round victory.
Andrew Doody had the lone goal for the No. 9 seed Bengals.
Cairo-Durham 5, Mechanicville 2: Adam Kraszewski and Alex Derepentigny scored for the Red Raiders, but it wasn’t nearly enough in this preliminary round game.
Andy Fishman recorded a hat trick for the Mustangs, who advance to the quarterfinals.
Johnstown 3, Coxsackie 0: The Sir Bills posted a shutout to advance into the semifinals.
Class C
Voorheesville 2, Middleburgh 1: The Blackbirds advanced into the quarterfinals with a one-goal victory.
Fort Plain 3, Mayfield 1: The No. 8 Hilltoppers moved into the quarterfinals with the win.
Lake George 0, Berne-Knox 0 (OT): The No. 2 seeded Warriors advanced 3-0 on penalty kicks, to avoid the upset bid of the Bulldogs.
Class D
Fort Ann 2, Sharon Springs 0: The top-seeded Cardinals advanced to the semifinals with a shutout victory.

Girls Soccer
Class AA
Schenectady 2, Troy 1: The Patriots scored the game-winning goal with 10 minutes to go in the game.
The Flying Horses lone goal came off the foot of Liisi Vink-Lainas.
Shaker 3, Albany 0: Kaitlin Cheney, Anne Morrison and Justine Tiger all scored to give the Blue Bison a shutout victory.
The No. 5 seed Blue Bison will face No. 4 Shenendehowa on Tuesday night in a semifinal.
Guilderland 2, Columbia 1: The Lady Dutch got two goals from Michaela Maybee to advance them into Tuesday’s quarterfinals, where they will take on No. 3 seed Bethlehem.
Amanda DeBarr scored the lone goal for the Blue Devils.
Colonie 3, Ballston Spa 1 (OT): The Garnet Raiders got two goals in overtime to advance to play top-seeded Saratoga on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

CCHS volleyball fans cheer on their team during Wednesday's Big 10 championship match at Lansingburgh High School.

Field Hockey
Class A
Niskayuna 3, Guilderland 0: Claire Young scored twice and Ali Frary added another goal to lead the Silver Warriors into the semifinals.
Girls Tennis
Section II Championship
Shaker 5, Emma Willard 0: The Blue Bison won four of six singles matches and their No. 2 Doubles team of Suzanne Zoutaly-Hannah Ostwald made the difference with a 7-5, 6-2 triumph over EW’s Hannah Haight and Kacey Jones.
Emma Willard’s Claire Schmitz won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles, then Shaker’s No. 2, Catherin Jenkins, posted a tough, clutch victory over Molly Goodman, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Singles – Claire Schmitz (EW) def. Cat Crummey, 6-2, 6-1 Catherine Jenkins (S) def. Molly Goodman, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 Mitali Das (EW) def. Shannon Mukerji, 6-3, 6-1 Molly O’Connor (S) def. Sam Blond, 6-3, 6-4 Elena Wolner (S) def. Kailin Baechle, 7-5, 6-3 Emily Eruysal (S) def. Grace Smith, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.
Doubles -- Acacia Lanson-Mata Ragavan (EW) def. Ali Coyle-Angela Wang, 6-3, 7-6 Suzanne Zoufaly-Hannah Ostwald (S) def. Hannah Haight-Kacey Jones, 7-5, 6-2 Mel Dincer-Lauren Christiansen (EW) def. Elaine Tse-Shilpa Taneja, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5.
Football
Crossover game
Bethlehem 14, Colonie 13: John Gosstola ran for 93 yards and two second half touchdowns as the Eagles (4-5) erased a 13-point first half deficit in a crossover victory over the Garnet Raiders.
Davion Brink paced Colonie (3-6) with 95 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Columbia 21, Albany 6: John Stanley threw two touchdown passes as the Blue Devils (2-7) posted the victory.
Luis George also ran for 60-yard touchdown for Columbia.
Michael Blair threw a 44-yard touchdown pass for the Falcons (0-9), but Albany failed to post a win for the third consecutive season.

Catholic Central's Caitlin Whelan spins around at the net trying to play the ball against Troy High Wednesday afternoon in the Big 10 championship match.

From Wednesday
Hoosic Valley 4, Catskill 1: Mollie Gilchrist scored three goals and added an assist for the third-seeded Indians.
Janelle Stannard added the fourth goal and Whitney Kugler dished out an assist for Hoosic Valley, who will play Schuylerville in a Class B Quarterfinal on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Cross Country
Big 10 Championships: Bishop Gibbons freshmen Talya Williams won the girls 5k race at Saratoga State Park in 19:18.86.
Troy High senior Bianca Jordan finished second in 19:41.43 while Amsterdam’s Rebekah Johnson was third in 19:55.53.
Troy won the meet for the girls with 45 team points while Amsterdam was second with 54 points.
Matt Lange of Bishop Gibbons captured the top spot for the boys in a time of 16:04.58 while teammates Jordan Pantalone (16:07.41) and Jason Lange (16:08.42) finished second and third, respectively.
Gibbons won the meet for the boys with 27 total points and LaSalle was second with 64 points.

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Troy High's Luis Lind (left) puts the pressure on Niskayuna quarterback Kyle Bayly (8) during a Week Six game at Niskayuna. The Flying Horses are going to need pressure like that all game Saturday to keep pace with the Silver Warriors' passing attack. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

TROY — The close calls have been few and far between for the Troy High School football team in 2010, as the Flying Horses have outscored opponents 333 to 61 through eight weeks.

But Troy’s biggest scare of the season, a 35-28 overtime victory at Niskayuna in Week Six, has given the team confidence this week as it prepares to host the Silver Warriors, the Liberty Division’s No. 3 seed, in a Section II Class AA semifinal contest Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

“Our coaches mention all the time that we’re happy we came that close to them in overtime the first time,” said senior running back and defensive back Jordan Canzeri, at left. “If we just played them for the first time now, we’d say, ‘oh, they’re 5-3 and they lost to La Salle and Columbia in overtime. We wouldn’t think that much of them.

“But we’re really happy they stepped up their game and we both went into overtime. We’re not going to let down at all this week.”

Troy (8-0), the Liberty Division’s No. 1 seed and the No. 7 ranked Class AA team in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association poll, was pushed to the brink by Niskayuna’s passing game in their first meeting between the teams.

Kyle Bayly, Niskayuna’s senior quarterback, completed 20-of-37 passes for 336 yards and one touchdown in Week Six. He threw for 420 yards in an upset victory at Ballston Spa in Week Seven and passed for 221 yards and four touchdowns last week in a Class AA quarterfinal upset at Saratoga Springs.

The leading passer in Section II, Bayly, who plays out of the shotgun set and has a rocket right arm, has completed 109-of-207 passes for 1,631 yards and thrown 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Troy’s defensive secondary, Canzeri and fellow seniors Evan Vadney, Dan Danahy and Ian Blair, pictured at right, know that they’ll have their hands full Saturday afternoon, but they believe they’re ready for the challenge.

“We start off on Monday with a scout look and coach goes through their defense and what they’re going to show us and then their offense, with what they’re going to show us,” Vadney, at left, said. “Then they give us scout sheets a couple of pages thick. Tuesday and Wednesday are all-out. Tuesday is offense and Wednesday is defense. All-out practice. It kind of slows down toward the end of the week, but it’s just getting after it all week.”

Bayly’s main target is senior Nick Schuler, Section II’s leading receiver, who has caught 34 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns. Josh Callahan, a junior wide receiver with 26 receptions for 383 yards and two touchdowns, is also a threat for the Silver Warriors.

“The first time we faced them, we weren’t really ready for how much they passed,” said Canzeri. “Every week, once you see a team and see how they play and see what their adjustments are, we just go into practice fix all of what we need to do. We make new plays and all we do is practice, practice, practice.”

Troy’s offense, which has averaged 41.6 points per game, has been potent as well, but the Flying Horses tend to get it done on the ground. Canzeri has rushed for 1,203 yards on 144 attempts this season. Senior Shatiek Lewis, who has been limited by an injured ankle each of the past four weeks, has gained 569 yards on 53 attempts.

Shenendehowa (6-2), the Empire Division’s No. 3 seed, travels to Empire No. 1 Ballston Spa (6-2) in the other Section II Class AA semifinal game. Semifinal winners meet in the Super Bowl on Fri., Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at South Colonie High School.

Niskayuna has not appeared in a Section II Super Bowl since 1996. Troy won that Class A game, 38-6, en route to a New York State title.

“The bottom line is we have to play Troy football,” Danahy, at right, said. “If we do that, we’ll be fine.”

Bishop Maginn (5-3, No. 3 seed, Southeast) 

at Lansingburgh (7-1, No. 1, Southeast)

Fri., 7 p.m.

Class A semifinals

About Maginn: The Griffins upset Northwest Division No. 2 Amsterdam on the road last week behind 148 rushing yards from Matthias McKinnon.
About ‘Burgh: Last week, the Knights came from behind to defeat Gloversville - for the second time this season – in a Class A quarterfinals. Marcus Little rushed for 78 yards and Anthony Fogarty added a kick return touchdown to spark the Knights. Lansingburgh has won seven straight since losing to Burnt Hills, 25-15, in Week One.
Notable: Lansingburgh defeated Maginn in Troy, 20-14, on Oct. 15 in the regular season finale. The Knights trailed 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but rallied for the victory.

Albany Academy (6-2, No. 2, Reinfurt) 

at Schalmont (8-0, No. 1 seed, West)

Fri., 7 p.m.

Class B semifinals

About Academy: The Cadets rallied for a 21-17 victory over Schuylerville in the quarterfinals last week. Senior running back Zay Richardson ran for 152 yards on 27 attempts, scoring twice in the second half.
About Schalmont: The Sabres, who have outscored opponents 311 to 38 this season, posted a humongous 53-6 victory over Cairo-Durham in the quarterfinals last week. Schalmont, which won its first Section II Super Bowl in school history in 2009 thanks to the running of quarterback Vince Gallo, have turned to the passing skills of quarterback Joe Paskevich (44-of-74 for 804 yds., 12 TD, 2 INT) in 2010.
Notable: These teams did not meet this season. In 2009, Academy won the first meeting, 35-18, but Schalmont posted a 32-12 victory over the Cadets in the Class B quarterfinal round.

 Hoosick Falls (8-0, No. 1 seed North Division) vs. Fonda

(6-2, No. 2 seed, South Division) 

at Stillwater High School

Sat., 7 p.m.

Class C semifinals

About Fonda: The Braves have leaned on workhorse running back Wally Kowlaski this season. Kowalski has rushed for 994 yards on 170 attempts, an average of 5.8 yards per carry.
About Hoosick Falls: The Panthers have relied on a number of offensive weapons this season, including sophomore running back Brad Burns (65 atts., 608 yds., eight TDs) and junior Tanner Williams, who has gained 712 all-purpose offensive yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a runner or receiver. Hoosick Falls went 3-0 on the artificial turf at Stillwater in postseason games in 2009.
Notable: The Panthers won a non-division game in Fonda on Oct. 9, 21-6.

Rensselaer (5-2, No. 2 seed) vs. Whitehall (5-2, No. 2 seed)

at Schuylerville High School

Sat., 1 p.m.

Class D semifinals

About Whitehall: Running back Josh Hoagland has rushed 137 times for 1,172 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Hoagland is also a threat to throw the football, as he has completed five-of-20 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
About Rensselaer: Rensselaer clinched the No. 2 seed with an 18-6 victory over the Railroaders on Oct. 15 and played Canajoharie, a non-playoff Class C team, in a bye game last week. Canajoharie won, 16-0. Rensselaer has won two straight Section II Class D Super Bowl titles and has lost to Moriah (Section VII) in the regional round two years running as well.
Notable: Whitehall topped No. 6 Warrensburg in Class D quarterfinal action last week, 40-20.

---
Of the 10 semifinal football games on the schedule in Section II this weekend, eight are rematches of regular season games. The Record takes a look at what happened the first time and what fans can expect to see the second time around with Super Bowl berths on the line.

Class AA semifinals

Liberty Div. No. 3 Niskayuna (5-3) 

at Liberty Div. No. 1 Troy (8-0)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

First game: Troy outlasted Nisky, 35-28, in overtime on Oct. 8. Jordan Canzeri returned the game's opening kickoff for a touchdown, scored the go-ahead touchdown in overtime and finished with 145 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
Niskayuna quarterback Kyle Bayly completed 20-of-37 passes for 336 yards. He passed for 420 in Week Seven and leads all of Section II with 1,631 passing yards.
Semifinal outlook: Troy, which posted four straight shutouts to open the season, has faced been challenged in three of the past four weeks but found a way to win its games.
Niskayuna, which won on the road Friday night, upsetting Saratoga Springs, is one of the hottest teams in Section II and will play with the confidence that it knows it can hang in a competitive game with Troy.

Empire Div. No. 3 Shenendehowa (6-2) 

at Empire Div. No. 1 Ballston Spa (6-2)

Friday, 7 p.m.

First game: The Plainsmen posted a 7-0 victory on Sept. 17, Shen's only victory at Steuerwald Stadium this season.
Semifinal outlook: Shen, 5-0 on the road this season, heads across Saratoga County to take on a Scotties team that lost to Nisky in the final week of the regular season but rebounded with a 27-21 victory over Schenectady Friday night.
The Plainsmen will rely on senior running back Bronson Greene, while the Scotties count on a number of weapons in their traditional option-based rushing attack.

Class A semifinals

 

Southeast Div. No. 3 Bishop Maginn (5-3) 

at Southeast Div. No. 1 Lansingburgh (7-1)

Friday, 7 p.m.

First game: Lansingburgh defeated Maginn in Troy, 20-14, on Oct. 15 in the regular season finale. The Knights trailed 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but rallied for the victory.
Semifinal outlook: The Knights have been red-hot – winning seven straight - since losing to Burnt Hills, 25-15, in Week One. Marcus Little, Anthony Fogarty and Jake Luce form a three-headed rushing threat and junior quarterback Carlos Grillo can also throw the ball when asked.
Maginn upset Northwest Division No. 2 Amsterdam on the road last week. Matthias McKinnon is a threat out of the backfield and Isaiah Phillips is a big-play option at wide receiver.

Northwest Div. No. 3 Queensbury (6-2) at Northwest Div. No. 1 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (8-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

First game: Burnt Hills blanked a previously undefeated Queensbury team, 48-0, on Sept. 18.
Semifinal outlook: Burnt Hills will be the heavy favorite in this showdown of the Spartans. BH-BL has won 28 straight games against Section II opponents.

Class C semifinals

North Div. No. 2 Greenwich (6-2) vs. South Div. No. 1 Chatham (8-0) 

at Stillwater High School

Sat., 2 p.m.

First game: Chatham won a non-division game in Greenwich, 48-28, on Oct. 15.
Semifinal outlook: Chatham features senior running back and safety Josh Keyes, who is always a threat for a long run or a punishing tackle.
Greenwich, which appeared in the Class D Super Bowl in 2009, squeaked past Voorheesville in a quarterfinal game, 14-8.

South Div. No. 2 Fonda-Fultonville (6-2) vs. North Div. No. 1 Hoosick Falls (8-0) 

at Stillwater High School

Sat., 7 p.m.

First game: The Panthers won a non-division game in Fonda on Oct. 9, 21-6.
Semifinal outlook: Both Hoosick Falls and Fonda have been renowned for their passing games in recent years, and given dry conditions on Stillwater's artificial turf, these teams could turn to the skies in the semis as well. Hoosick Falls won semifinal, Super Bowl and regional round games at Stillwater last season en route to an appearance in the New York State Class C semifinals.

Class D semifinals

 

No. 3 Whitehall (5-2) 

vs. No. 2 Rensselaer (5-2) 

at Schuylerville High School, Sat., 1 p.m.

First game: Rensselaer clinched the No. 2 seed with an 18-6 victory over the Railroaders on Oct. 15.
Semifinal outlook: The Rams, two-time defending Section II Class D champions, lost a crossover game to Canajoharie last week, 16-0. Whitehall trounced Warrensburg, 40-20, in a Class D quarterfinal game. Can Rensselaer get back on the winning track in the semifinals or will Whitehall advance to a Section II Super Bowl game for the first time since 1989?

No. 4 Fort Edward (4-3) 

vs. No. 1 Cambridge (7-0) 

at Schuylerville High School

Sat., 7 p.m.

First game: Cambridge won a regular season game on Sept. 25, 49-8.
Semifinal outlook: Cambridge's Matt Best ran for 262 yards in the first meeting between these teams and he's been practically unstoppable for the Indians this season. Quarterback Billy Pine threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 41-0 crossover victory over Granville, so Cambridge can also get it done through the air.

Class B semifinals

(R2) Albany Academy (6-2) at (W1) Schalmont (8-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
(W2) Hudson Falls (4-4) at (R1) Ravena (7-1) , Friday, 7 p.m.

Crossover games

(Dates, times and sites are TBD for many of these games as of now)

Broadalbin-Perth at Cohoes, Weds., 3:30 p.m.
Shaker at Saratoga Springs, Thurs., 6 p.m.
La Salle at CBA
Schenectady at Guilderland
Bethlehem at Colonie
Columbia at Albany
Scotia-Glenville at Amsterdam
South Glens Falls at Schuylerville
Cobleskill-Richmondville vs. Hudson
Coxsackie-Athens vs. Cairo-Durham
Corinth at Ichabod Crane
Lake George at Warrensburg
Granville at Mechanicville
Tamarac at Voorheesville
Catholic Central at Stillwater

Section II stat pack

Rushing
Player, School, Att., Yds., Avg., TD
Zay Richardson, Albany Academy, 157, 1718, 10.9, 26
Duane Todman, Corinth, 169, 1457, 8.6, 16
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 115, 1336, 11.6, 18
Jordan Canzeri, Troy, 144, 1203, 8.4, 18
Dakota Drake, Hudson Falls, 190, 1190, 6.3, 14
Bronson Greene, Shenendehowa, 168, 1188, 7.1, 15
Josh Hoagland, Whitehall, 137, 1172, 8.6, 18
Troy Garguilo, Ballston Spa, 141, 1041, 7.4, 10
Matt Best, Cambridge, 91, 1033, 11.4, 12
Codi Scribner, 178, 1000, 5.6, 11
Justin White, Fort Edward, 116, 1000, 8.6, 14

Passing
Player, School, Comp., Att., Yds., TD, INT
Kyle Bayly, Niskayuna, 109, 207, 1631, 12, 7
Ryan Smith, Guilderland, 107, 212, 1488, 18, 4
Nick Casale, Tamarac, 58, 125, 1154, 9, 9
Tony Giroux, Greenwich, 45, 88, 1104, 10, 3
Tanner Niles, Chatham, 45, 79, 994, 18, 2
John Stanley, Columbia, 74, 146, 962, 9, 11
Brandon Legault, Watervliet, 76, 168, 960, 7, 12
Mike Brewster, Hoosick Falls, 59, 92, 955, 12, 2
Ryan Duncan, Voorheesville, 75, 130, 953, 7, 1
Jake Guislane, Ichabod Crane, 48, 112, 888, 8, 7

Receiving
Player, School, Rec., Yds., TD
Nick Schuler, Niskayuna, 34, 652, 19.2, 7
Ian McGrath, Chatham, 26, 648, 24.9, 11
Tyler Larvie, Tamarac, 25, 623, 24.9, 8
Ryan McFee, Greenwich, 22, 489, 22.2, 6
Ricky Pallozzi, Ichabod Crane, 26, 447, 17.2, 4
Dylan August, Guilderland, 26, 405, 15.6, 5
Alex Grayson, Mechanicville, 24, 398, 16.6, 1
Dom Litz, Guilderland, 22, 392, 17.8, 4
Adrian Valentino, Shaker, 14, 391, 27.9, 5
Josh Callahan, Niskayuna, 26, 383, 14.7, 2

Kicking
Player, School, PAT, FG, Tot.
Evan Nusbaum, Burnt Hills, 45, 0, 45
Ryan Behrens, Chatham, 39, 0, 39
Joel Agnes, Niskayuna, 25, 3, 34
Matt Best, Cambridge, 32, 0, 32
Matt Beighey, Ballston Spa, 28, 1, 31
J.J. Murphy, Schalmont, 31, 0, 31
Harlan Hoose, Ravena, 20, 3, 29
Jake Shaw, Lansingburgh, 22, 2, 28
Bardo Talbi, Troy, 28, 0, 28
Joshua Sommers, Guilderland, 18, 3, 27

Total scoring
Player, School, TD, PAT, FG, 2-pt., Tot.
Zay Richardson, Albany Academy, 29, 0, 0, 5, 184
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 23, 0, 0, 0, 138
Josh Hoagland, Whitehall, 20, 0, 0, 4, 128
Evan Nusbaum, Burnt Hills, 13, 45, 0, 0, 123
Brandon Beatty, Burnt Hills, 20, 0, 0, 0, 120
Jordan Canzeri, Troy, 20, 0, 0, 0, 120
Duane Todman, Corinth, 20, 0, 0, 0, 120
Justin White, Fort Edward, 16, 2, 0, 11, 120
Tyler Pruiksma, Greenwich, 15, 0, 0, 12, 114
Matt Best, Cambridge, 13, 32, 0, 0, 110

The Record’s Power Polls

Class AA
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Troy High, 8-0, 1
The Flying Horses pulled away in the second half of Saturday's quarterfinal game against CBA. Can they pull away from Niskayuna in the rematch or are they destined for another overtime classic?
2, Niskayuna, 5-3, 2
The Silver Warriors remained red hot as the defense held off a late Saratoga Springs rally in last week's quarterfinal showdown in the Spa City. How will the Nisky passing attack operate on Troy's often slippery and muddy field?
3, Ballston Spa, 5-1, 6-2, 3
The Scotties lost in the final week of the regular season and held on for a 27-21 victory over Schenectady in the Class AA quarterfinals. Will it be another close game against Shen?
4, Shenendehowa, 6-2, NR

Bronson Greene scored five touchdowns in a big 48-6 win at Shaker on Friday night. Will the Plainsmen be able to find any other targets on offense? Ballston Spa will surely be targeting Greene from the get-go.
5, Shaker, 6-2, 4
The Blue Bison enjoyed their finest season in recent memory, but a first round blowout at the hands of Shenendehowa will leave a bitter taste until next year.

Class A
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Burnt Hills, 8-0, 1
The Spartans have won 28 straight games against Section II opponents. They get Queensbury in the semis, a team BH-BL defeated 48-0 in the regular season.
2, Lansingburgh, 7-1, 2
The Knights have won seven straight since losing to BH-BL in Week One, but they've had their share of close games. Expect another Friday night when 'Burgh plays host to Bishop Maginn.
3, Queensbury, 6-2, 5

The Spartans upset Averill Park on the road last week, earning a semifinal date at Burnt Hills, the No. 3 ranked Class A team in New York State.

4, Bishop Maginn, 5-3, NR

The Griffins shocked Amsterdam on the road last week, but beside Burnt Hills' dominance, it has been an unpredictable year in Class A. Can Maginn earn a 2008 Super Bowl rematch against Burnt Hills?

5, Averill Park, 5-3, 4

The Warriors improved by leaps and bounds in 2010 under second-year head coach Zach Gobel and they'll certainly miss a big group of talented seniors in 2011.

Class B
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Schalmont, 8-0, 1
The Sabres cruised to a 59-6 quarterfinal victory over Cairo-Durham Friday night. Can Joe Paskevich carry Schalmont to where Vince Gallo took them in 2009 – a Section II Class B Super Bowl title?
2, Ravena, 7-1, 2
The Indians have won every game against Class B competition in 2010. Their one loss came in a non-division game at Averill Park.
3, Albany Academy, 6-2, 3
The Cadets held off a tough Schuylerville team in the quarterfinals, but does Zay Richardson and the rest of the Academy team have what it takes to upset Schalmont on the road?
4, Hudson Falls, 4-4, 4
The Tigers rolled to an easy home quarterfinal victory over Hudson High. Don't expect the ball to be thrown too many times when Hudson Falls plays at Ravena in a semifinal game this week.
5, Schuylerville, 5-3, 5
The Black Horses successfully made the leap from Class C to Class B this year, even though their Super Bowl dreams came up short.

Class C
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Hoosick Falls, 8-0, 1
The Panthers blanked Watervliet at home in the quarterfinals, 42-0. Hoosick Falls' starting defense has allowed just two touchdowns through eight games.
2, Chatham, 8-0, 2
The Panthers crushed Tamarac in a quarterfinal game, 48-20. Josh Keyes rushed for 162 yards on just 12 attempts and Ian McGrath snared four touchdown passes from quarterback Tanner Niles.
3, Fonda-Fultonville, 6-2, 3
The Braves are one win away from their first Section II Super Bowl appearance since 1999, but Hoosick Falls, which defeated Fonda two weeks ago in a regular season game, will have something to say about that in Saturday's semifinal.
4, Greenwich, 6-2, 4
The Witches barely held on against Voorheesville in a quarterfinal game and saw star running back Tyler Pruiksma banged up in the process. Will Greenwich be ready to go against Chatham?
5, Mechanicville, 4-4, 5
The Red Raiders squeaked into the playoffs as the North Division's No. 4 seed, making something out of a season that looked dismal after a 1-3 start.

Class D
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Cambridge, 7-0, 1
Just how good are the Indians? In a crossover game against Class C Granville last week, Cambridge won 41-0. Cambridge will play Fort Edward in the semis as its quest for its first Section II title since 2007 continues.
2, Rensselaer, 5-2, 2
The Rams take to the turf Saturday against Whitehall in a Class D semifinal a week after losing 16-0 to Canajoharie in a crossover bye game.
3, Whitehall, 5-2, 3

Running back Josh Hoagland, who has rushed for 18 touchdowns and 1,172 yards this season, is averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

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