A number of local student-athletes will be officially putting pen to paper to sign national letters of intent to compete in college athletics.

Here are a few notes on the players that will be signing tomorrow:

Kaitlin Pericak, a star lacrosse and hockey player and member of the Class of 2011 at the Albany Academy for Girls, will sign her National Letter of Intent for lacrosse with Siena College.

In the classroom, Kaitlin has been able to maintain high academic standing at AAG and is a member of the National Latin Honor Society. She has challenged herself with a rigorous course selection and exceeded her graduation requirements in all academic areas.

On the athletic field, Kaitlin has been a member of the AAG Varsity Lacrosse Team for the past four years – helping to lead the team to a record of 16-0 for the second consecutive year in 2010 and its third straight Class C Section II championship. The team has not lost a regular season game in the past two years and has advanced to the regional finals both seasons. Kaitlin has played lacrosse at AAG since Eighth Grade and is also a member of the Albany Elite Lacrosse.

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Averill Park senior Nick Cioffi will be signing his letter of intent to pitch for the baseball team at Towson University.

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Lansingburgh's Meg Volz (softball, Siena College) and Rebecca Pratt (bowling, University of Nebraska) will also make their commitments official Wednesday afternoon.

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Here are some other updates.
Is there anyone we're missing?

Shenendehowa High School
Branden Cogswell – University of Virginia (baseball)
Timothy Coll – West Point (lacrosse)
Andrew Dorsey - Stony Brook (lacrosse)
Nicholas Hourigan - Le Moyne (lacrosse)
Owen Jarem – Merrimack (lacrosse)
Jessica Macaluso – Siena (tennis)
Allison Setter – West Point (basketball)
Robert Wardwell – Syracuse (lacrosse)

Shaker High School
Jimmy O'Brien - Holy Cross (lacrosse)
Jeff Hoffman - East Carolina University (baseball)
Adrianne Devine - Georgetown (lacrosse)
Charlotte Rehfuss - Vermont (lacrosse)

South Colonie High School
Tehresa Coles - Siena (basketball)
Matt Snyder - Virginia Tech (baseball)
Chris Kearney - Siena (baseball)
Chris Kalica - Fairfield (baseball)
Lexi Brannigan - UAlbany (lacrosse)

Bethlehem High School
Jackie Oskam - Quinnipiac (basketball)

Maple Hill High School
Katie Roth - University of Hartford (basketball)

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Albany Academy for Girls will recognize five talented individuals who have gone on to great success in college and beyond at the Inaugural AAG Alumnae Association Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Breakfast this Sat., Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m. in the AAG Lower School Gym (located at 140 Academy Road in Albany).

The inaugural Hall of Fame class includes Ruth Miner (Class of 1911), Marion Mooers Tietz Lamar (Class of 1947), Jennifer Riitano Levy (Class of 1993), Carrie Bolduc (Class of 1995), Ashley Gersuk (Class of 2001) and the 1995 varsity lacrosse team.

Ruth Miner is best known for her role as the first President of the AAG Athletic Association upon its creation in 1909. She played hockey, tennis and basketball during her time at AAG and was a strong competitor. Ms. Miner earned the nickname “Sport Miner” at Wellesley College and was one of just six women to graduate from Albany Law School in 1919.

Marion Mooers Tietz Lamar was a standout athlete at AAG and head of the Athletic Association during her senior year. She went on to excel in lacrosse and field hockey at Sargent College of Boston University – selected for the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Team and the Northeast Field Hockey Team. Ms. Lamar taught physical education for 20 years in area schools and officiated basketball for 29 years and field hockey for 48 years. When she retired from officiating at the age of 68, she received special recognition from the U.S. Field Hockey Association.

Jennifer Riitano Levy excelled at soccer, basketball and lacrosse during her time at AAG and served as a successful coach of the AAG Varsity Lacrosse Team. After attending Babson College and playing on the Women’s Lacrosse Team, she took Team deBeer (part of J. deBeer and Son, Inc.) from an unknown name in the women’s lacrosse industry to being the No. 1 provider of women’s lacrosse gear in the country. Ms. Levy currently serves as Vice President of the Lacrosse Industry Council, is the Director of Women’s Sports at Brine and has been selected to serve on the U.S. Lacrosse’s Board Development Committee.

A three-sport athlete at AAG in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse, Ashley Gersuk was recognized as a four-time Central Hudson Valley League All-Star; she also led the Varsity Lacrosse Team to the New York State Championship in 2001. Ms. Gersuk continued her passion for lacrosse at Northwestern University – helping to pioneer the lacrosse program from inception to a No. 1 national ranking; during her senior year, Northwestern won the first of five consecutive national championships. Ms. Gersuk was chosen to represent her team at the White House where she met then President George Bush, and presented the team’s gift to him during the Rose Garden “Champion’s Day” ceremony. She is currently the Partner & CEO of WomensLax.com LLC, a sports marketing and event management company.

Carrie Bolduc was captain of the AAG Varsity Soccer Team that finished third in the Central Hudson Valley League during her senior and was a member of the Section II, Class D runner-up team along with numerous other accolades. In addition, Ms. Bolduc served as captain of the 1995 Varsity Lacrosse Team and was one of two selected from the region as a first team All American. She went on to play lacrosse in Division I programs at Temple University (competing in the NCAA Final Four) and Syracuse University (winning the ECAC Championship). She later served as a successful lacrosse coach at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Farmingdale State College – recognized as Coach of the Year in 2009.


The 1995 AAG varsity lacrosse team had an outstanding season, finishing with a 15-2 record and advancing to the state finals – a first for AAG lacrosse.

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ALBANY -- The good news for the Albany Academy football team Thursday night was that the ‘Zaycat’ offense featuring senior running back Zay Richardson created plenty of yards for the Cadets. Richardson ran for 307 yards and four touchdowns on 28 attempts in a 35-7 Section II Class B Reinfurt Division victory over Hudson High on University Field at the University at Albany.

The bad news? Academy’s starting quarterback, junior Hunter McCarthy, went down with a hyperextended left knee midway through the third quarter and did not return. The Cadets utilized Richardson out of the Wildcat formation the remainder of the game rather than replace McCarthy with a backup quarterback.

Albany Academy's Zay Richardson runs as a pair of Hudson High tacklers cling to him during Thursday's game at the University at Albany. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Academy (1-0, 3-0), ranked No. 4 in the initial New York State Sportswriters Association Class B poll, may just have to rely even more on the Zaycat offense if McCarthy is unable to go for the Cadets’ next game, Sept. 25 at Cairo-Durham.

"We haven’t practiced Zaycat too much, but when we needed to do it, we stepped up and did it well," said Richardson. "We didn’t talk too much about it at the end of the game in the little circle, but I’m sure we will. Hopefully he has a speedy recover so we don’t have to depend on that and we can just run our regular offense. I’m just hoping he gets back and well."

"It was the knee," said head coach Tony Fruscio. "The first indication was hyperextension. Obviously when you have trauma you want to transport him (in an ambulance), rather than in the back seat of a car. Everything looks like a hyperextension but we won’t know until we get the results back."

Richardson is having an unbelievable 2010 season. Through three games, he had rushed for 866 yards and 15 touchdowns on 53 attempts, good for 16.3 yards per carry. Entering Thursday’s game, he was 215 yards ahead of Section II’s next-best running back, Matt Best of Cambridge (37 attempts, 344 yards, three touchdowns).

Albany Academy junior quarterback Hunter McCarthy palms the face of Hudson's Keino Robinson during Thursday's game at the University at Albany. McCarthy later left the game with an injury to his left knee.

"It’s something that we had done last year," Academy head coach Tony Fruscio said of the Zaycat. "We did that before and we wanted to have it ready. It doesn’t change our offense really that much. We prepared for it Week One, Week Two and Week Three and we needed it and our kids hung together."

Academy did not pass the ball once in the second half of Thursday’s game, meaning Richardson carried the ball more times against Hudson (28) than he had in his first two games combined (25).

Richardson desperately wants to carry the rest of his teammates to victory, even though he is aware every defensive coordinator and player in Class B are trying to figure out a way to slow him down.

"As a senior leader, you can’t really think about the pressure," said Richardson. "They expect me to step up week-in and week-out and leaders work hard in practice. To reward them, I want to show them that I’m going to reward them I want to show them that I’m not going to give up on them regardless if a star player goes down on not. I just have to keep fighting to keep the team going."

Hudson (0-1, 1-2) also suffered a quarterback scare when starting signalcaller Tayron Bryant limped off the field with an apparent injured right leg following a botched snap two plays after McCarthy’s injury. Bryant, however, returned the field in the fourth quarter.

Bryant and Richardson are, without a doubt, two of the most exciting players to watch with the ball in open space in Section II. Richardson can't really explain how he and Bryant do it, other than relying on hard work and experience.

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

"Honestly, I’ve been playing this sport for a long time, so I just have a good feel for it," said Richardson. "Like I said, I just work hard and keep practicing things and eventually it will work out for you."

The Bluehawks kept the Cadets off the scoreboard in the third quarter and drew within two possessions, but Richardson ran for 41 and 72-yard touchdown scores out of the Zaycat in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Academy's defense also played very well in the game, as Mike Berkowitz, Stuart Curtis, Kris Bucci provided sacks. Paolo LaPietra and Bucci also forced Hudson fumbles. The Cadets limited Hudson to 76 rushing yards on 33 attempts. The Bluehawks passed for 79 yards, most of that yardage coming on a pair of screen plays late in the first quarter.

"I thought our defense stepped up," Fruscio said. "I thought we had a complete game tonight."

Richardson passed his head coach, Tony Fruscio, a former star at Watervliet High in the late 1980s, on the all-time Section II scoring list during Thursday’s game. The duo entered the game tied with 256 points. Richardson has scored 94 of Academy’s 157 points this season.

Zay Richardson stays close to the ground during Albany Academy's 35-7 victory over Hudson Thursday at UAlbany.

A former Academy standout, Dion Lewis, a sophomore running back at the University of Pittsburgh who garnered Heisman Trophy buzz prior to the 2010 season, has been an inspiration to Richardson during his exceptional year.

"I know him very well," Richardson said. "I talk to him often. He’s a friend of my brother’s, so he’s a pretty good friend of mine. His main advice to me is to stay humble and keep working hard, week-in and week-out."

ALBANY ACADEMY 35, HUDSON 7

Hudson (0-1, 1-2) 0 0 7 0 - 7
Albany Academy (1-0, 3-0) 7 14 0 14 - 35
First Quarter
A - Zay Richardson 13 run (Jordan Newton kick) 6:04
Second Quarter
A - Richardson 40 run (Newton kick missed left) 4:52
A - Mike Berkowitz 5 pass from Hunter McCarthy (Berkowitz pass from McCarthy) 0:30
Third Quarter
H - Brian McSween 14 run (Anthony Kinane kick) 9:39
Fourth Quarter
A - Richardson 41 run (Richardson run) 5:37
A - Richardson 72 run (Stuart Curtis run failed) 3:28
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Hudson (33-76): Ferrusi 5-35, Swanigan 6-34, McSween 10-20, Bryant 10-4, Kinane 1-(-4), Roberts 1-(-13). Academy (41-369): Richardson 28-307, Curtis 5-46, Ja.Currie 4-18, McCarthy 4-(-2).
Passing: Hudson: Bryant 4-11-74-0-0 Dallas 1-5-5-0-0. Academy: McCarthy 3-6-57-1-0.
Receiving: Hudson (5-79): Ferrusi 3-53, Fredrick 1-17, McSween 1-9. Academy (3-57): Je.Currie 1-41, Berkowitz 2-16.

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Section II football roundup:
NISKAYUNA — Garrett Delory’s bootleg came on La Salle Institute’s final opportunity.
After three unsuccessful tries at the goal line, the Cadets seemed to be in trouble.
Delory’s rolled out and scampered in for the score with 1:26 remaining to give La Salle a 25-22 Section II Class AA Liberty Division victory over Niskayuna.
The Cadets (1-1, 1-2) got the ball back with 7:39 to go, trailing 22-19.
They drove the length of the field and Delory’s touchdown gave them their first victory of the 2010 season, and capped a comeback that saw them trailing 14-0 after one quarter.
La Salle got two rushing touchdowns from Josh Landy (75 total yards on 26 attempts) and another from Kevin Koberger (48 yards, 13 attempts). Delory finished 6-of-15 for 86 yards.
Niskayuna (2-1, 2-1) senior running back Rob Hilweh scored three rushing touchdowns on the night.
Shaker 35, Bethlehem 14: Senior quarterback Ben Capeless threw two touchdowns to junior Adrian Valentino and junior Kyle Bernard scored two rushing touchdowns as the Blue Bison (2-0, 3-0) remained unbeaten.
Junior Brandon Souza also scored a rushing touchdown, scoring from 10 yards out in the third quarter to give Shaker a 35-0 lead.
The Eagles, 1-1, in the Empire Division, dropped to 1-2 overall.
CBA 33, Guilderland 21: The Brothers (1-1, 2-1) scored 26 points in the middle two quarters as they picked up their first Empire Division victory.
Running back Carter Sherman had a big day for CBA.
The Dutchmen (0-2, 1-2) were led by quarterback Ryan Smith and his 308 passing yards, but it wasn’t enough.

Ballston Spa's Kyle Warmt watches the football bounce away during Thursday's 7-0 defeat at Shenendehowa. (Photo courtsey The Saratogian).

Shenendehowa 7, Ballston Spa 0: Tony Fusco scored the only touchdown of the game on a 49-yard run with six minutes to go in the first quarter for the Plainsmen (3-0, 3-0).
The Scotties (2-1, 2-1) had chances in the second half, but turned the ball over twice on fourth down in the final quarter and missed a field goal in the third.
Saratoga 20, Albany 0: Jaime Perez rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Luke Fauler added another as the Blue Streaks (2-1, 2-1) posted the shutout over the Falcons (0-3, 0-3).

Saratoga Springs wide receiver Brian Owen leaps to catch a pass during Thursday's game against Albany High. (Photo courtsey The Saratogian).

 
Class A
Averill Park 34, Scotia 6: The Warriors (1-0, 2-1) posted a convincing Southeast Division road victory over the Tartans (0-1, 0-3).
Bishop Maginn 19, Mohonasen 7: Antoine Johnson scored two touchdowns to give the Griffins (1-0, 2-1) enough for the victory at Bleecker Stadium.
Johnson scored in the second quarter on an 8-yard run and finished the game off with a 43-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.
Johnson finished with 117 yards on 18 carries, while Matthias McKinnon finished with 67 yards on 12 carries.
CJ Stone scored the lone Mighty Warriors (0-1, 0-3) touchdown on a 40-yard fumble return.

Section II scoreboard

Class AA
Empire Division
Shenendehowa 7, Ballston Spa 0
Saratoga Springs 20, Albany 0
CBA 33, Guilderland 21
Liberty Division
La Salle 25, Niskayuna 22
Non-division
Shaker 35, Bethlehem 14

Class A
Southeast Division
Averill Park 34, Scotia-Glenville 6
Bishop Maginn 19, Mohonasen 7

Class B
Reinfurt Division
Albany Academy 35, Hudson 7

Updated Section II football standings

Class AA, League, Overall
Empire Division, W-L, W-L, PF, PA, QP
Shenendehowa, 3-0, 3-0, 82, 10, 21
Ballston Spa, 2-1, 2-1, 71, 34, 11.5
Saratoga Springs, 2-1, 2-1, 68, 33, 16.5
Bethlehem, 1-1, 1-2, 42, 86, 4.5
Christian Bros. Acad., 1-1, 2-1, 83, 53, 9
Guilderland, 0-2, 1-2, 61, 74, 0.5
Albany, 0-3, 0-3, 7, 107, 0
Liberty Division
Shaker, 2-0, 3-0, 97, 35, 12
Troy, 2-0, 2-0, 95, 0, 14
Niskayuna, 2-1, 2-1, 88, 81, 13.5
La Salle, 1-1, 1-2, 28, 105, 4
Columbia, 0-1, 0-2, 42, 71, 2.5
Colonie, 0-2, 0-2, 0, 74, 0
Schenectady, 0-2, 0-2, 49, 60, 3

Class A
Northwest Division
Amsterdam, 0-0, 2-0, 83, 12, 0
Burnt Hills, 0-0, 2-0, 67, 15, 0
Glens Falls, 0-0, 2-0, 73, 37, 0
Queensbury, 0-0, 2-0, 71, 19, 0
South Glens Falls, 0-0, 1-1, 47, 41, 0
Gloversville, 0-0, 0-2, 61, 73, 0
Southeast Division
Averill Park, 1-0, 2-1, 72, 81, 7
Bishop Maginn, 1-0, 2-1, 91, 73, 6
Lansingburgh, 0-0, 1-1, 50, 53, 0
Mohonasen, 0-1, 0-3, 38, 102, 1
Scotia-Glenville, 0-1, 0-3, 6, 84, 0

Class B
Reinfurt Division
Albany Academy, 1-0, 3-0, 157, 51, 7
Ravena, 0-0, 2-0, 65, 32, 0
Cairo-Durham, 0-0, 0-2, 6, 82, 0
Cohoes, 0-0, 0-2, 13, 88, 0
Hudson, 0-1, 1-2, 49, 71, 0
West Division
Schalmont, 0-0, 2-0, 81, 13, 0
Schuylerville, 0-0, 2-0, 83, 13, 0
Cobleskill, 0-0, 1-1, 60, 21, 0
Broadalbin-Perth, 0-0, 0-2, 12, 115, 0
Hudson Falls, 0-0, 0-2, 38, 82, 0
Johnstown, 0-0, 0-2, 14, 79, 0
Independent
Ichabod Crane, 0-0, 0-2, 36, 69, 0

Class C
North Division
Greenwich, 2-0, 2-0, 97, 15, 14
Hoosick Falls, 2-0, 2-0, 90, 20, 14
Tamarac, 2-0, 2-0, 74, 18, 13.5
Granville, 1-1, 1-1, 58, 56, 7
Lake George, 1-1, 1-1, 32, 41, 4
Mechanicville, 0-1, 0-2, 0, 63, 0
Stillwater, 0-1, 1-1, 40, 61, 0
Corinth, 0-2, 0-2, 33, 62, 3
Hoosic Valley, 0-2, 0-2, 0, 100, 0.5
South Division
Chatham, 2-0, 2-0, 70, 20, 14
Fonda-Fultonville, 2-0, 2-0, 72, 36, 14
Watervliet, 2-0, 2-0, 85, 13, 13.5
Coxsackie-Athens, 1-1, 1-1, 58, 59, 0
Canajoharie, 0-1, 1-1, 42, 46, 0
Voorheesville, 0-1, 1-1, 35, 33, 0
Catholic Central, 0-2, 0-2, 27, 82, 0.5
Taconic Hills, 0-2, 0-2, 26, 81, 0


Class D
Cambridge, 2-0, 2-0, 61, 15, 11.5
Rensselaer, 1-0, 1-0, 34, 22, 7
Fort Edward, 1-1, 1-1, 76, 49, 6
Warrensburg, 1-1, 1-1, 33, 68, 6.5
Whitehall, 1-1, 1-1, 43, 49, 7.5
Bishop Gibbons, 0-1, 0-1, 7, 20, 1.5
Salem, 0-2, 0-2, 22, 53, 1.5

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The rest of Thursday's local roundup:

HOOSICK FALLS - Dan O’Brien gave himself a pretty nice birthday present on Thursday.
The Tamarac golfer fired a 40 to lead his team to a 3-2 victory over the host Hoosick Falls at the Hoosick Falls Country Club.
James Lynch and Kealan Hitt each shot 46’s to pace the Panthers.
Schenectady 181, Troy 181: The Patriots won the match on the fifth-man tiebreaker at Schenectady Muni on Thursday.
Adam McIlravey shot a 40 to lead Schenectady.
Blaise Kearns finished with a 42 for the Flying Horses, while both Adam Murray and Brian O’Connor fired 43’s.

Girls Soccer
Emma Willard 3, New Lebanon 0: Keegan McDonald scored two goals and Rae Steinbach made two assists as the Jesters won a CHVL matchup. Ximena Rosillo Cevallos also added a goal.
Heatly 3, Waterford 1: Alexi Anderson recorded the hat trick and Stasha Cuzdey made 11 saves for the Hornets (1-1-0, 1-1-0) in a CHVL victory over the Lady Fordians (1-2-0, 1-2-0).
Ashley Lefebvre scored Waterford’s goal.
Berlin 5, Loudonville Christian 2: Rachel Ferris and Tegan Shumway each scored two goals for the Mountaineers.
Amanda Allen and Jessica Parry scored goals for the Eagles.
Lansingbrugh 4, Fonda 0: Nicole Welcome scored twice and Taylor O’Malley-Jura and Jenna Retell added goals for the Knights (2-1-0).
Calli Moise and Carol Montanino combined to post the shutout.
Schalmont 2, Mechanicville 0: Megan Strijek scored a goal in each half to lead the Lady Sabres (3-0-0) to the Colonial victory.
Kelsey Desadore made 15 saves for the Red Raiders (2-1-0).
Niskayuna 5, Averill Park 0: Anka Parzych scored twice in the second half as the Silver Warriors coasted to the Suburban Council victory.
Bethlehem 2, Shaker 1: Kristina Maksuti and Marjana Maksuti both scored goals to lead the Eagles to the victory.
Becca Pike scored the lone goal for the Blue Bison.
Shenendehowa 6, Colonie 0: Kristen Connors scored twice and added an assist to lead the Plainsmen to a Suburban Council victory.
Burnt Hills 5, Mohonasen 0: Jess Lyden scored twice for the Spartans (3-0-0) in the victory.

Boys Soccer
La Salle 5, Bishop Gibbons 1: Freshman Ben Beaury picked up his first varsity victory by making eight stops in goal for the Cadets.
Andrew Worgan, Alex Pakatar, Kyle Reilly, Matt Connolly and Niall Coughlin scored for La Salle.
Bethlehem 2, Shaker 0: Danny Carrilo scored twice for the Eagles in the victory.
Colonie 1, Shenendehowa 0 (OT): Yaw Agyei scored in the first overtime to give the Garnet Raiders a big victory.
Niskayuna 5, Averill Park 1: Ryan Tauss recorded a hat trick as the Silver Warriors posted the road victory.
Nick Hess scored the lone goal for the Warriors.
Burnt Hills 2, Mohonasen 1 (OT): The Spartans scored in overtime to capture the victory.
Cairo-Durham 2, Taconic Hills 0: Johnathan Halligan and Andy Fishman each scored to lead the Mustangs to victory.

Field Hockey
Emma Willard 2, Ichabod Crane 1: Olivia Gundrum and Francesca Gundrum each scored as the Jesters (1-0, 2-0) remained unbeaten.

Volleyball
Emma Willard 3, New Lebanon 1: The Jesters (1-0) stormed back to take the final three games and the CHVL match on Thursday.
Mary Kemp had 12 aces and seven assists, while Wanda Noonan added nine aces and four kills.
Alannah Carpinello had 12 aces to lead the Tigers.
Maple Hill 3, Chatham 0: The Wildcats used their serving game to power past the Panthers by scores of 25-20, 25-17 and 25-20.
Niskayuna 3, Averill Park 0: The Silver Warriors (3-1) got nine aces and four kills from Natalie Olsen in the victory.
The Warriors (0-4) got three kills apiece from Rachel Wells and Kaitlyn Coon.
Bethlehem 3, Shaker 0: Kat Rice had 10 kills and seven aces as the Eagles posted the victory.
Guilderland 3, Saratoga 1: Liz Tapler had 27 digs, six kills and six service points to lead the Lady Dutch (5-0, 6-0).
Holy Names 3, Mechanicville 1: Kristen Neff had 14 kills to lead Holy Names (3-1) to the victory.
Anna Arceneaux had seven aces and six kills to lead the Red Raiders (2-2).
Ravena 3, Lansingburgh 0: Kat Race and Katie Vishneowski each had 20 points to lead the Indians to the victory.
Schalmont 3, Watervliet 1: The Sabres (2-1) got 19 service points from both Juliann Heigel and Katie Desmond in the win.
Laci Szcepanski and Amber Wells each had 12 service points for the Cannoneers (0-2).

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Zay it ain’t so!
Academy’s Richardson averaging over 20 yards per carry – and has scored 11 touchdowns – through two games


ALBANY — Albany Academy senior running back Zay Richardson is having a season to remember and he’s only played two games so far in 2010.

Richardson ran for 297 yards and five touchdowns – on five attempts! – in a 67-12 Week One victory over Broadalbin-Perth.

In Week Two, Richardson tied his head coach, Tony Fruscio, on the Section II all-time scoring list with 256 points. Richardson needed 36 points to reach 256 and Fruscio, in all seriousness, told Richardson prior to Saturday’s Class B non-division game against Hudson Falls that history was safe for at least one more week.

Richardson promptly went out and ran for 262 yards on 20 attempts, scoring six touchdowns in a 55-32 victory for the Cadets.

So far this season, Richardson has gained 559 yards on 25 attempts – an average of 22.4 yards per carry – and has scored 11 touchdowns.

Zay Richardson roams the practice field during 2009 training camp at Albany Academy. (Record file photo).

This week, Richardson will take on the Hudson High School defense in a Thursday night, Reinfurt Division special (7 p.m.) on the big stage on University Field at the University at Albany.

Richardson is just one of Section II’s running backs that have a mix of big-play ability and a workhorse attitude. Shenendehowa’s Bronson Greene, Hoosick Falls’ Brad Burns, Chatham’s Josh Keyes, Cambridge’s Matt Best and Averill Park’s Tyler Dunworth are among the running backs one can count on to carry the ball about 20 times for at least 100 yards per game.

As successful as Richardson has been this season – he owes a great deal, of course, to his offensive line and the passing game led by junior quarterback Hunter McCarthy – some defensive coordinator in Class B will devise a plan to at least slow him down. The Cadets, consequently, will have to find a balance on offense to move the ball in another way.

That was a concern of Fruscio’s in training camp, so Albany Academy has already been considering the idea of scoring points without Richardson. Still, expect the Cadets to ride him when he’s hot for as long as it lasts, which could well be all season long in Class B.

Other teams in the area, however, have been quicker to spread the ball to as many players as possible on offense.

In Troy High’s 40-0 victory over Colonie Saturday afternoon, the Flying Horses gave the ball to five different players on the first five snaps, gaining 51 yards on four runs and one pass.

No Troy rushers finished with more than 73 yards, but the Flying Horses top four runners each gained at least 58 yards on the ground.

In Tamarac’s 46-0 victory over Hoosic Valley – in which the Bengals turned the ball over four times and still posted a shutout - Mark Morine ran for 150 yards on 19 attempts, but most of those came in the second half. The Bengals also spread the ball around to senior Nick Feldmaier (19 yards, two touchdowns), Nick Casale (26 yards), Rick Roden (20 yards) and freshman David Newell (25 yards).

It’s true that all these figures have to be taken with a grain of salt in what has been a quirky 2010 season in Section II. 65% of the games (39 of 60) have been decided by 20 or more points.

One of the great thrills in anticipating high school football matchups every week is the differing coaching philosophies used by each team. Some local high schools are content to put all their eggs in one basket – albeit it a really good basket – and others are interested in diversifying their options.

All eyes will be on Academy’s Richardson the rest of the season, as fans look to see if he can compile another 200-plus yard, five-plus touchdown spectacle. The Cadets, however, enjoy the luxury of having a stockpile of offensive weapons and do not appear to be a one-trick pony in 2010, although it seems that way through two weeks.

Zay Richardson looks for running room during a 2009 game against Lansingburgh. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Section II high school football standings, 2010

(I'm missing quarterpoints on the Coxsackie-Taconic game from Week Two - quarter scores were never reported).

Class AA, League, Overall
Empire Division, W-L, W-L, PF, PA, QP
Ballston Spa, 2-0, 2-0, 71, 27, 11.5
Shenendehowa, 2-0, 2-0, 75, 10, 14
Bethlehem, 1-1, 1-1, 28, 51, 4.5
Saratoga Springs, 1-1, 1-1, 48, 33, 9.5
Christian Bros. Acad., 0-1, 1-1, 50, 32, 2.5
Guilderland, 0-1, 1-1, 40, 41, 0
Albany, 0-2, 0-2, 7, 87, 0
Liberty Division
Niskayuna, 2-0, 2-0, 66, 56, 10.5
Shaker, 2-0, 2-0, 62, 21, 12
Troy, 2-0, 2-0, 95, 0, 14
Columbia, 0-1, 0-2, 42, 71, 2.5
La Salle, 0-1, 0-2, 13, 83, 0
Colonie, 0-2, 0-2, 0, 74, 0
Schenectady, 0-2, 0-2, 49, 60, 3

Class A
Northwest Division
Amsterdam, 0-0, 2-0, 83, 12, 0
Burnt Hills, 0-0, 2-0, 67, 15, 0
Glens Falls, 0-0, 2-0, 73, 37, 0
Queensbury, 0-0, 2-0, 71, 19, 0
South Glens Falls, 0-0, 1-1, 47, 41, 0
Gloversville, 0-0, 0-2, 61, 73, 0
Southeast Division
Averill Park, 0-0, 1-1, 38, 75, 0
Bishop Maginn, 0-0, 1-1, 72, 66, 0
Lansingburgh, 0-0, 1-1, 50, 53, 0
Mohonasen, 0-0, 0-2, 31, 83, 0
Scotia-Glenville, 0-0, 0-2, 0, 50, 0


Class B
Reinfurt Division
Albany Academy, 0-0, 2-0, 122, 44, 0
Ravena, 0-0, 2-0, 65, 32, 0
Hudson, 0-0, 1-1, 42, 36, 0
Cairo-Durham, 0-0, 0-2, 6, 82, 0
Cohoes, 0-0, 0-2, 13, 88, 0
West Division
Schalmont, 0-0, 2-0, 81, 13, 0
Schuylerville, 0-0, 2-0, 83, 13, 0
Cobleskill, 0-0, 1-1, 60, 21, 0
Broadalbin-Perth, 0-0, 0-2, 12, 115, 0
Hudson Falls, 0-0, 0-2, 38, 82, 0
Johnstown, 0-0, 0-2, 14, 79, 0
Independent
Ichabod Crane, 0-0, 0-2, 36, 69, 0

Class C
North Division
Greenwich, 2-0, 2-0, 97, 15, 14
Hoosick Falls, 2-0, 2-0, 90, 20, 14
Tamarac, 2-0, 2-0, 74, 18, 13.5
Granville, 1-1, 1-1, 58, 56, 7
Lake George, 1-1, 1-1, 32, 41, 4
Mechanicville, 0-1, 0-2, 0, 63, 0
Stillwater, 0-1, 1-1, 40, 61, 0
Corinth, 0-2, 0-2, 33, 62, 3
Hoosic Valley, 0-2, 0-2, 0, 100, 0.5
South Division
Chatham, 2-0, 2-0, 70, 20, 14
Fonda-Fultonville, 2-0, 2-0, 72, 36, 14
Watervliet, 2-0, 2-0, 85, 13, 13.5
Coxsackie-Athens, 1-1, 1-1, 58, 59, 0
Canajoharie, 0-1, 1-1, 42, 46, 0
Voorheesville, 0-1, 1-1, 35, 33, 0
Catholic Central, 0-2, 0-2, 27, 82, 0.5
Taconic Hills, 0-2, 0-2, 26, 81, 0

Class D
Cambridge, 2-0, 2-0, 61, 15, 11.5
Rensselaer, 1-0, 1-0, 34, 22, 7
Fort Edward, 1-1, 1-1, 76, 49, 6
Warrensburg, 1-1, 1-1, 33, 68, 6.5
Whitehall, 1-1, 1-1, 43, 49, 7.5
Bishop Gibbons, 0-1, 0-1, 7, 20, 1.5
Salem, 0-2, 0-2, 22, 53, 1.5

The Record's Week Two Power Polls

Class AA
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Troy High, 2-0, 2-0, 1
The Flying Horses have posted two straight shutouts to open the 2010 season, but they have a long way to go to match what the 2009 team did. A season ago, Troy High posted 24 consecutive scoreless quarters during a streak of five straight shutouts.
2, Shaker High, 2-0, 2-0, 2
The Blue Bison refuse to lose under first-year head coach Greg Sheeler, mounting a fourth-quarter comeback against Schenectady in Week Two. They’ve done it so far without starting running back Conor Alund, who is injured and sitting on the sidelines so far.
3, Ballston Spa, 2-0, 2-0, 4
The Scotties used a blocked extra point in the waning minutes of their 21-20 Week Two victory over archrival Saratoga Springs. This week’s game against Shenendehowa looms even larger as control of the Empire Division hangs in the balance.
4, Shenendehowa, 2-0, 2-0, 5
The Plainsmen have beefed up their record in Saturday games against Bethlehem and Albany so far this year, but the Plainsmen get a big test in their home opener Friday night against Ballston Spa.
5, Niskayuna, 2-0, 2-0, NR
The Silver Warriors needed overtime to defeat Columbia in Week Two, keeping pace with Troy and Shaker in the Liberty Division. Nisky hosts La Salle this Friday night.

Class A
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Burnt Hills, 0-0, 2-0, 1
The Spartans won their 22nd consecutive Section II game Friday, blanking Averill Park, 42-0. They’ll be challenged on the road this Saturday at Queensbury in an all-Spartans showdown.
2, Queensbury, 0-0, 2-0, 2
Queensbury has outscored opponents 71-19 through the first two weeks, but expect that to change Saturday when Northwest Division play opens against Burnt Hills.
3, Glens Falls, 0-0, 2-0, NR
The Indians posted a huge 46-31 victory over Bishop Maginn Friday night at Bleecker Stadium. Glens Falls, however, can’t expect to win shootouts every night in the Northwest Division, not with Amsterdam and Burnt Hills looming on the schedule.
4, Lansingburgh, 0-0, 1-1, 5
The Knights made it interesting late Friday night in Gloversville, almost letting a 21-0 halftime lead slip away. With newcomers Carlos Grillo and Anthony Fogarty leading the way on offense, the Lansingburgh offense can only improve as they learn the system.
5, Amsterdam, 0-0, 2-0, NR
The Rugged Rams have outscored opponents by 71 points through two weeks, but one of those games was against Class B rival Broadalbin-Perth. Can Amsterdam bounce back in 2010 after missing the playoffs in 2009?

Class B
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Albany Academy, 0-0, 2-0, 1
The Cadets begin Reinfurt Division play Thursday night against Hudson High at UAlbany. Can Albany Academy, which traditionally plays its home games on Saturday afternoons, also shine under the lights?
2, Schalmont, 0-0, 2-0, 2
The Sabres have picked up where they left off in 2009 – Schalmont won its first Section II Super Bowl a season ago – with Jaren Ramundo and Joe Paskevich playing like adequate replacements for the graduated Vince Gallo.
3, Schuylerville, 0-0, 2-0, 3
The Black Horses continue to roll on the Class B level, having posted a 41-7 victory over Cohoes in Week Two in their first game on the new artificial turf surface in Schuylerville.
4, Ravena, 0-0, 2-0, NR
The Indians squeaked by Cobleskill in Week One by a single point but exploded for a 44-12 victory over Johnstown in Week Two.
5, Hudson, 0-0, 1-1, 4
The Bluehawks fell back to earth following a 34-7 defeat against Schalmont in Week Two and the defensive assignment gets even tougher this week: stop Albany Academy’s Zay Richardson this Thursday night.

Class C
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Hoosick Falls, 2-0, 2-0, 1
The Panthers cleaned up the defensive effort in Week Two, shutting out Mechanicville a week after allowing 20 points to Corinth. Tanner Williams has emerged as a rushing and receiving threat for Hoosick Falls in his junior season.
2, Chatham, 2-0, 2-0, 2
The Panthers are on the prowl again in 2010, having shut out Canajoharie, 28-0, in Week Two. Chatham hosts Fonda this week in critical South Division showdown.
3, Watervliet, 2-0, 2-0, 4
The Cannoneers played a close game against Catholic Central last week…for about one quarter. Quarterback Brandon Legault passed for 199 yards in the 40-7 victory.
4, Greenwich, 2-0, 2-0, NR
The Witches have done nothing but impress this season in Class C – they played in the Class D Super Bowl a season ago – and face a big test Friday night, playing host to traditional Wasaren League rival Hoosick Falls in a battle for control of the North Division.
5, Fonda-Fultonville, 2-0, 2-0, NR
The Braves made a major impression Saturday afternoon in defeating Voorheesville, vaulting into a three-way tie for first place in the South Division with Chatham and Watervliet.

Class D
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Rensselaer, 1-0, 1-0, 1
The Rams opened the 2010 season a week behind every other team, posting a 34-22 victory over Fort Edward. When Spa Catholic dropped its program over the summer, Rensselaer was awarded a Week One bye.
2, Cambridge, 2-0, 2-0, 2
The Indians have had no trouble adjusting to Class D in 2010, having outscored opponents 61-15 so far this season.
3, Fort Edward, 1-1, 1-1, 3
The Flying Forts scored 54 points in a come-from-behind rout of Warrensburg in Week One but dropped a road game in Rensselaer last Friday night.

WEEK THREE SCHEDULE

Thurs., Sept. 16
Class B
Reinfurt Division
Hudson vs. Albany Academy at UAlbany, 7 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 17
Class AA
Empire Division
Albany at Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m.
Ballston Spa at Shenendehowa, 7 p.m.
Christian Brothers at Guilderland, 7 p.m.
Liberty Division
Columbia at Colonie, 7 p.m.
LaSalle Institute at Niskayuna, 7 p.m.
Non-division
Bethlehem at Shaker, 7 p.m.

Class A
Southeast Division
Averill Park at Scotia-Glenville, 7 p.m.
Mohonasen at Bishop Maginn, 7 p.m.
Northwest Division
South Glens Falls at Amsterdam, 7 p.m.

Class B
West Division
Cairo-Durham at Ravena, 7 p.m.
Broadalbin-Perth at Schalmont, 7 p.m.
Cobleskill-Richmondville at Schuylerville, 7 p.m.
Non-division
Taconic Hills at Ichabod Crane, 7 p.m.

Class C
South Division
Fonda-Fultonville at Chatham, 7 p.m.
North Division
Stillwater at Lake George, 7 p.m.
Hoosick Falls at Greenwich, 7 p.m.
Mechanicville at Corinth, 7 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 18
Class AA
Liberty Division
Schenectady at Troy, 1:30 p.m.

Class A
Northwest Division
Gloversville at Glens Falls, 7 p.m.
Burnt Hills at Queensbury, 1:30 p.m.
Non-division
Lansingburgh at Cohoes, 1:30 p.m.

Class B
West Division
Johnstown at Hudson Falls, 1 p.m.

Class C
North Division
Tamarac at Granville, 1 p.m.
Hoosick Falls at Greenwich, 1 p.m.
South Division
Canajoharie at Watervliet, 1 p.m.
Coxsackie-Athens at Voorheesville, 1 p.m.
Non-division
Catholic Central at Hoosic Valley, 1 p.m.

Class D
Bishop Gibbons at Whitehall, 1 p.m.
Rensselaer at Warrensburg, 1 p.m.
Salem at Fort Edward, 1 p.m.

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(Note: This story first appeared in the Kickoff 2010 preview section on Thurs., Sept. 2).

SCHAGHTICOKE -- Jacob Shave wasn’t planning on playing football at Hoosic Valley High School this season because two of the most important people in his life – his mother and his doctor – feared he runs the risk of sustaining yet another concussion.

Playing rough games of sandlot football with his friends, Shave had accidentally taken knees to the temple and received concussions four times. He loves the game, but the idea of another blow to the head had kept him away from signing up for the high school team.

"Me and my mom both were kind of worried about concussions because if I get another one it’s not good," said Shave, who enters his sophomore year of school next week. "I’ve already had four or five. That was my reason for not joining in the first place, last year or this year. That was the only thing that had run through my mind."

Hoosic Valley High School sophomore Jacob Shave is playing his first year of organized tackle football in 2010 after having received at least four concussions in the past playing backyard football. (Photo by Will Montgomery - The Record).

Yet with the Indians, a Class C team, suffering from a lack of numbers, head coach Jay Garvey needed players to keep the fifth-year program afloat. Garvey saw Shave running laps around the track at the high school as the team trudged out for practice during the first week of training camp. Aware of why Shave was holding out on signing up, Garvey still implored him to change his mind.

"For kids like Jake, who we know is concussion-prone, we try and play him at receiver instead of running back so there is a little less contact," Garvey said. "We’ll be careful when we do full contact drills. It’s all common-sense stuff. I’m sure everyone is doing it. It’s definitely a good thing that everyone is doing it instead of what we used to do."

Knowing his coach had his best interests at heart, Shave had a discussion with his mother and decided to give organized tackle football a chance, all risks considered.

"She was hesitant and she never wanted me to join football because of the concussions. And my doctor didn’t think it was a good idea," said Shave. "But she realized because I’ve been kind of bothering her about it for the past couple of years now. I think she realized that I wanted to do it. It was just one of those things I want to get done."

What exactly is a concussion?

A brain concussion occurs when a person’s head comes to a sharp stop, causing the brain to slide violently inside the fluid layer that insulates the skull. Brain cells panic and fire neurotransmitters in a rapid burst, often causing receptors in the brain to become blocked. Short-term and long-term memory may be lost and other symptoms include nausea, confusion and blurred vision.

Leading scientists believe that one concussion makes future head trauma incidents more likely to become concussions, as even a less violent event will cause a similar injury the original event.

One of the biggest issues in treating concussions is that no clear, standard definition for a concussion exists. Players suffering from dehydration, for example, may exhibit dizziness or lightheadedness and complain of headaches, which could skew an overly-cautions doctor’s diagnosis toward a concussion and unnecessarily keep a player off the field.

What’s worse, many student-athletes ignore the symptoms or battle through them trying to play it tough.

"My first concussion, things were just really blurry and it was hard to see," said Shave. "I had half of my vision. The second time, basically, it was black spots where you can’t see much. The third and fourth times were a lot like the second time.

"Nothing is really easy to do. You can’t think straight. I remember my doctor asking me who the president of the United States was and I said ‘George Washington."

Like Shave, Hunter McCarthy, a junior quarterback at the Albany Academy, has already had four concussions. A three-sport athlete at Academy, McCarthy has not suffered his concussions on the football field. Basketball and baseball were the culprits for him.

"The first time I had one, I’m not really sure when it was, probably a couple of years ago," McCarthy said. "I was playing basketball. I don’t remember much when it happened. But I remembered the next couple of days, anytime you get out of bed or stand up, you get really dizzy and you just don’t feel like yourself. It takes a week or two to start feeling normal again."

Albany Academy junior quarterback Hunter McCarthy plays only on the offensive side of the ball, partly because of his concussion history. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Treatment strategies for concussions vary, but minimizing exposure to external stimuli is one of the most popular. Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow famously holed up in a dark room after sustaining a concussion in a game against Kentucky in Sept. 2009, trying to let his brain relax and not bombard it with music, television, reading or conversation.

Later that season, Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach was accused of banishing sophomore wide receiver Adam James to a dark equipment garage after James was diagnosed with a concussion and showed up to practice in sunglasses and street clothes.

In December of 2009, the NFL imposed new rules which force from a game or practice any player who exhibits any sign of a concussion and bans them from returning to action that day. Posters have also been placed in every NFL team’s locker room, alerting players to symptoms and encouraging them to speak up to the coaching staff if they believe a teammate is hiding a concussion-type injury from the organization.

A number of former NFL players who recently died in middle age were posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy in autopsies, a condition forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu likened to "a 90-year-old brain with advanced Alzheimer’s" Disease.

Even professional baseball has taken steps to prevent concussions. This season, all minor league players were required to wear the Rawlings S100 model – David Wright of the New York Mets and Francisco Cervilli of the New York Yankees were among those who wore it in the big leagues – which is much larger than a standard batting helmet because of an extra layer of synthetic foam.

Still, all the padding in the world can’t stop the root cause of concussions, which is the acceleration and sudden stopping of the momentum of the brain. Another type of injury helmets cannot protect against is a rotational concussion, where the brain twists, tearing brain fibers and causing permanent damage.

National rates

Although concussions are notoriously difficult to track, a number of medical organizations have attempted to intelligently guess just how wide-spread is the epidemic.

The Journal of Athletic Training reported in 2007 that an estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries occur annually in the United States. For people aged 15-24, sports are the second-leading cause of concussions behind motor vehicle crashes.

The National Athletic Trainers Association released a report in 2009 that claimed between four and six percent of high school football players sustain concussions in a given year, which equals an estimated 43,200 to 67,200 injuries annually.

A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio from 2005-08, which studied 100 high schools around the country, estimated that 130,000 high school athletes report concussions each year. Of the nine sports studied, girls soccer provided the second-highest concussion rate, a figure considerably higher than their counterparts on the boys soccer teams. In fact, rates of concussions for girls were higher in basketball as well.

Countless young people also receive concussions in unsupervised situations, many of which go unreported or worst of all, undiagnosed.

What are the solutions?

For local high school coaches, the first step in addressing the concussion issue is understanding how to know when to pull a player out of practice and send them to an athletic trainer or the doctor.

Cohoes head football coach James Ducharme is among the local coaches who attended a concussion seminar at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia in recent years.

Cohoes High School head coach James Ducharme is one of many local coaches who have attended concussion-awareness workshops in the offseason. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

"We tell our kids from the beginning, if you get hit and if you get lightheaded or dizzy or if something doesn’t feel right, you need to let us know right away," said Ducharme. "As a coach, you can see it in a kid 90% of the time if he got hit hard and if he gets up and he seems a little woozy. But sometimes we don’t see that and you have to rely on the kid to tell us."

At Hoosick Falls, head coach Ron Jones praised Superintendent Kenneth Facin and Athletic Director Mike Lilac for being "ahead of the curve" on the issue, bringing the school doctor in to give a seminar on athletic injuries to the district’s coaches. Half of the presentation focused on concussions.

Hoosick Falls head coach Ron Jones, pictured above with his team during the first week of practice, said that the health and safety of his players is his No. 1 concern, as it should be with all coaches. (McMahon photo - The Record).

"That’s the understanding now. You can’t tough out a concussion," Jones said. "It’s a serious thing and I don’t know if the guys hid their symptoms before or if they’re worse now. I think we’re seeing more size and speed at every level and even the high school impact is going to increase. I like the idea that they’re recommending that they shouldn’t even be returning to school until they’ve had time to rest."

Hunter McCarthy and his head coach, Tony Fruscio, both celebrated the work of Academy’s athletic trainer, Ron Hutchins. Academy gives all of its contact sports athletes a baseline test prior to any activity, which Hutchins and the coaching staff can refer to and compare the results in case they suspect a player has sustained a concussion.

Albany Academy head coach Tony Fruscio leans on his training staff to keep on top of the health of his players. (Montgomery photo - The Record).

"I think the policing and the training staffs really looking at it is up," Fruscio said. "You need the training staff to be looking at these head injuries that can affect your life forever, not just thinking about one game. One game isn’t that important."

At Tamarac, a switch to Riddell’s Revolution Concussion Reduction Technology helmets – the slightly funky-looking headgear popularized by NFL players such as Peyton Manning and advertised to decrease concussion risk by 31% - has solved some of the Bengals’ headache issues.

Tamarac head coach Erick Roadcap talks to his team after a practice in training camp. The Bengals have awarded Riddell Revoultion helmets to the players known to be concussion-prone. (Montgomery photo - The Record).

"Revolution helmets have seemed to helped me a little bit," head coach Erick Roadcap said. "We have a little bit of an older style that we rotate out and we get six new helmets a year. We use those with a few kids. It’s the same two kids. It’s always consistently the same kids and what alleviated it was switching the helmets."

At Shaker, first-year head coach Greg Sheeler says he has his players checking the inflatable bladders in their helmets daily to ensure a proper fit.

Are kids giving up football for safer pastimes?

A number of high school football programs were forced to dissolve during the first week of practice when it was evident the teams would not have enough players to survive a full season at the varsity level. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association mandates that teams must dress at least 16 healthy players for each game.

There is no direct evidence to support the idea that children are abandoning football for "safer" sports. According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy’s report, football, at 4.36 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures, is riskiest sport for all injuries, which factored in reports of sprains or strains, concussions, contusions, fractures, lacerations, dislocations, heat illness, asthma attacks and skin infections.

Wrestling was second with 2.50 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures (defined as a standard practice or game situation that presented a chance for injury), followed by boys soccer (2.43), girls soccer (2.36) and girls basketball (2.01).

Cohoes’ James Ducharme will dress just 18 players most of the season. all personal reasons aside, he thinks more high school students should be playing sports instead of sitting at home on the couch, playing video games.

"I even said to my athletic director today, I think New York State should make some kind of educational law that a kid needs to play one athletic sport a year," Ducharme said during the first week of practice. "They miss out on so much. If they’re not playing an athletic sport, maybe they should be in the band or chorus, because that’s just like a sport with the amount of time they prepare. I think something has to be done to get kids more involved in their extracurriculars in school.

"I think it would do wonders to a small school like us or Chatham," Ducharme continued. "Even Ravena, their numbers are down and that isn’t like them. They have a storied history."

While many local football coaches were lamenting a lack of numbers this season, each and every one that spoke with The Record for this story admitted that they are taking the concussion issue very seriously.
The players, on the other hand, especially the concussion-prone, are doing their best to put their injury history behind them once they step onto the field.

Entering his third year as the starting quarterback at Academy, McCarthy is one of the team’s best athletes. Still, the Cadets’ coaching staff hesitates to use him on both sides of the ball, primarily out of respect for his injury history.

"I don’t play defense, so that helps," McCarthy said. "Sometimes you have to block it out because if you’re worrying about it the whole time, you’re not playing as well as you can."

In Schaghticoke, Shave cannot wait to finally don a jersey and tie up his cleats to play in a football game that matters, not a backyard game of two-hand touch. Mostly, he’s looking forward to popping the buckles on his helmet so he can leave the thought of having another concussion in the back of his mind.

"I’m not really taking any extra precautions," said Shave. "I figure the helmet is enough safety for me, I hope, anyway. I hope there is not anybody big enough to break the helmet through. That’s the only fear I have."

--
Here is how it looked in the paper:
HSfootballtruck

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ALBANY --The Albany Academy football team got off to a great start in 2009, winning its first four games in a row.

And then the wheels fell off.

The Cadets lost their final four games and finished 4-4. That memory, however, has stuck with the players as they prepare for 2010.


"One of the big lessons is definitely don’t let up," said junior quarterback Hunter McCarthy. "Last year we played Lansingburgh and it was our first loss. I think after that we kind of had a hangover. We played a quick game against Cohoes after that (a Thursday game following a Saturday game) and it was kind of hard to rebound after two tough losses in a row. We kind of got on a streak and it was tough."

Members of the Albany Academy football team go over a play in the huddle during a practice last week. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

"We have to play two sports," said senior tight end and linebacker Mike Berkowitz. "But a lot of people want to play sports. It’s not like you’re pressured into it."

One of the reasons for Albany Academy's success over the years is that the schools requires its students to play on at least two of the athletic teams it offers. Consequently, many of the players are multi-talented athletes that are already in great shape when practice starts up in August.

"They’re constantly on the go, so having a bunch of wrestlers, hoopers, baseball players, they’re always active and they’re staying busy," said head coach Tony Fruscio.

Hunter McCarthy practices his footwork during a team practice last week in Albany. (McMahon photo - The Record).

The Cadets have a ton of veterans back for the 2010 campaign, something which has given early practices a distinctly positive feel.

"They’re older, stronger, faster, and more physically developed," Fruscio said. "What I see now is that those guys are leaders and they've had success. They have made the climate of the team such a positive climate. The kids really look up to them, they respect them and that's the key to our season. Finally we’ve got guys that have been around for two-to-three years as true leaders of the team and that’s what really exciting and that shows in practice."

Mike Berkowitz gets low during a drill in practice last week in Albany. (McMahon photo - The Record).

For video highlights from Albany Academy practice, visit www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

Albany Academy playbook
COACH: Tony Fruscio
STARTERS RETURNING: not provided
2009 RECORD: 4-4
NICKNAME: Cadets
OFFENSE: Wing-T
DEFENSE: 4-4
LAST PLAYOFF GAME: 2009
LAST SECTION II TITLE: 2006 (Class B)
DIVISION: Class B, Reinfurt

Albany Academy, 2009 game-by-game results
Schalmont, W 35-18
HUDSON FALLS, W 20-13
Ravena, W 52-35
JOHNSTOWN, W 53-7
LANSINGBURGH, L 42-32
Cohoes, L 33-26
Hudson, L 48-46
Schalmont, L 32-12*
*Section II Class B quarterfinals
Home games in CAPS

Members of the Albany Academy football team raise their helmets following Friday's practice on August 20, 2010. (Will Montgomery photo - The Record).

Albany Academy, 2009 stats review
Rushing, Att., Yds., Avg., TDs
Zay Richardson, 122, 1074, 8.8, 22
Renel Potter, 53, 416, 7.8, 5
Connor Ferris, 37, 373, 10.1, 2
Passing, Comp., Att., Yds., Avg., TDs
Hunter McCarthy, 42, 73, 713, 17.0, 7
Receiving, No., Yds., Avg., TDs
Connor Ferris, 12, 271, 22.6, 3
Scoring, TD, 2-pt, PAT, FG, Tot.
Zay Richardson, 24, 2, 0, 0, 148

Albany Academy’s three keys to the season
1, Conditioning. "It’s all about staying healthy and being in outstanding shape so we can play four quarters," head coach Tony Fruscio said.
2, Finding an offensive balance between pass and run and sharing the ball between playmakers.
3, Having a mindset defensively. "We didn’t have a mindset last year that we were going to come out and stop people and that our defense was going to make a difference in the game," Fruscio said. "Our defense has to be the reason we’re winning football games. We can’t rely only on our offense to put up the points."

Albany Academy, 2010 schedule
Friday, Sept. 3, at Broadalbin-Perth, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11, vs. Hudson Falls, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 16, vs. Hudson at UAlbany, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 25, at Cairo-Durham, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 2, vs. Bishop Maginn, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9, vs. Cohoes, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15, at Ravena, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22/29, Playoffs/Crossovers, TBA

Stuart Curtis moves in motion on the Albany Academy offense during a recent practice. (McMahon photo - The Record).

 

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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. It will feature 21 team previews, columns, feature stories, statistics and pictures to preview the upcoming 2010 high school football season.

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; head coach Ray Gaston update
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
No. 11, Troy High School
No. 12, Bishop Maginn High School
No. 13, La Salle Institute
No. 14, Stillwater High School
No. 15, Shenendehowa High School
No. 16, Mechanicville High School
No. 17, Hoosic Valley High School


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Albany Academy for Girls' Caroline Gersuk advances the ball during Wednesday's Section II Class C semifinal victory over Emma Willard. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Caroline Gersuk, a Northwestern University-bound senior at the Albany Academy for Girls, played her final home game Wednesday, a 19-4 victory over Emma Willard in the Section II Class C semifinals.

Gersuk and Kaitlin Pericak each scored four goals to spark top-seeded and unbeaten Academy (17-0), which advances to the Class C title game against No. 2 Glens Falls next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the University at Albany.

"This was a nice win for us." said Gersuk, the team’s captain who is in her fifth varsity campaign. "Then I realized this was my last game on this field. I got a little emotional there, but it’s not like our season is over. We still have a lot to do this season."

Our Chris Fitz Gerald was at the game, so to read his full story, be sure to check out Thursday's edition of The Record.

Albany Academy's Bridget Malicki looks to make a pass during Wednesday's Section II Class C semifinal victory over Emma Willard.

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Lansingburgh High's bats came alive early as the Knights used six extra base hits to defeat Albany Academy 12-1 in Colonial Council action Friday afternoon in Albany.

Lansingburgh left fielder Ryan McGrath claps upon reaching third base after launching a first inning triple to center field in Friday's 12-1 victory at Albany Academy. McGrath finished the game with four runs scored. (All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

It was a bat parade for the Knights Friday afternoon at Albany Academy.
Here's the blow-by-blow down the scorecard.

Frank Castiglone: single, triple, two runs, one RBI
Jarrod Nash: double, triple, two runs, two RBI
Ryan McGarth: triple, walk, two singles, four runs, two RBI
Jake Shaw: 4-for-4, two doubles, three RBI
Mark Tracey: RBI single in the fifth inning
Jake Luce: hit by a pitch
Bob Gould: RBI single in the third inning, closed out a perfect seventh inning on seven pitches.
Dom Cioffi: two runs, single, walk
Kynan Vandenburgh: single and run scored

Oh, and let's not forget T.J. McLaughlin on the mound, who used 77 pitches to hold the Cadets to one run on six hits and one walk through six innings.

The Knights are on fire and it couldn't have happened at a better time for the team, which holds a 10-1, 10-4 record. They host Ravena Monday before traveling to Rotterdam on Wednesday to take on Colonial Council leading Schalmont (10-0, 12-2).

"I think a lot of the kids are feeding off one another right now," said Lansingburgh head coach Joe Henkel. "I think they’re figuring out how to win ballgames. We’re getting some leadership with those guys. Plus, they’re hungry. I think they realize now they can win the league. A few weeks ago after the Schalmont loss, I think there was a lot of doubt over whether we could play with them."

FYI, should Lansingburgh and Schalmont finish the regular season with identical records, they would share the 2010 Colonial Council regular season title. A playoff game would not be played.

For the full story on how a new stretching routine has helped the Knights find their groove, be sure to check out Saturday's edition of The Record.

Lansingburgh senior pitcher T.J. McLaughlin throws a pitch during Friday's game. Always economical, McLaughlin breezed through six innings on 77 pitches, allowing one run on six hits and one walk.

The thing that most strikes me about this Lansingburgh team is how much fun they're having playing the game. Joe Henkle was clowning around down the third base line showing the signs, mocking how one of his assistants flashes the signs too quickly in practice.

Anytime I try to interview some of the players after the games, a few always congregate behind me, trying to get the player on the hot seat to lose it laughing.

I think part of this stems from Lansingburgh's shocking postseason exit against No. 8 seeded Mohonasen a season ago. The Knights have used that game as a lesson to take the season one game at a time.

"Mostly before every one of my starts he’ll (Henkel) bring up the Mohon game and talk about it and make sure I stay ahead in the count and I’m on my game," McLaughlin said.

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It's also been a great season for high school baseball in Troy.

La Salle is tied for the lead in the Big 10 and Troy (7-3, 7-4) is also playing well. Catholic Central (6-5, 8-5) has been a very pleasant surprise and may even qualify for the postseason for the first time in a long time.

Lansingburgh (10-1, 10-4) just might be the hottest right now, although La Salle is also charging hard down the stretch.

No, that's not artificial turf. Lansingburgh's Frank Castiglione fields a ground ball on Albany Academy's all-grass infield Friday afternoon in a 12-1 victory. Castiglione added a triple and two runs scored at the plate.

It's also been a pretty good year for the baseball program at Lansingburgh, as the varsity team is the only one with a loss so far.

The JV Knights are 11-0 and the modified team, led by head coach Eric Kennedy, is 7-0.

Here is a short video from the game. I had some technical difficulties shooting interviews, so I apologize for the brief nature of the clip.

Click the image to see a full-size box score.

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In other baseball news, Waterford-Halfmoon is hosting its annual Waterford Invitational Tournament on Saturday, although due to budget cuts, the traditional wood bat format has been scrapped. In case of rain Saturday (that's the forecast) the games will be played Sunday. Here is the schedule:

2010 Waterford Invitational Baseball Tournament

Game at Waterford Town Field
Heatly vs. Catholic Central, 10 a.m.
Games at Waterford High School
Waterford vs. Northville, 10 a.m.
Consolation game, 1 p.m.
Championship game, 4 p.m.

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