Six Christian Brothers Academy student athletes will sign a National Letter of Intent on November 10.

Max Naglesmith (Duanesburg) will play baseball at LeMoyne College of the Northeast 10 Conference.

Steve Basile (Latham) will pitch for Iona College of the MAAC.

Galal Cancer (Albany) has committed to basketball at Cornell University of the Ivy League.

Cameron Fisher (Clifton Park) will play lacrosse at Sacred Heart of the Northeast Conference.

Max Kerber (Cohoes) and Carter Sherman (Ravena) have made Manhattan College their choice to play lacrosse.

Matt Gallup (baseball, Stony Brook) and Trevor LaCosse (baseball, Bryant) have also recently made verbal commitments.

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SCOTIA — Matt Gallup pulled a hamstring near the end of his varsity baseball season at Christian Brothers Academy this spring, which nearly derailed his dream of securing a Division I college scholarship.

A strong fall season with the South Troy Dodgers, however, put him back on the radar of college coaches and a visit to the Stony Brook University campus clinched his decision.

Gallup, a Scotia native and a senior at CBA, has made a verbal commitment to pitch for Stony Brook beginning in 2012.

A right-handed pitcher who features a curveball and a changeup and whose fastball tops out at 89 miles per hour, Gallup posted a 3-0-1 record and 26 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched this fall for the Dodgers.

Gallup had previously committed to Liberty University prior to his hamstring injury and picked Stony Brook over Monmouth and a number of Northeast Conference schools.

Trevor LaCosse, a left-handed pitcher, who like Gallup is a senior at CBA, recently made a verbal commitment to pitch for Bryant University. 

LaCosse, a Watervliet native, appeared in 10 games for the Dodgers this fall, collecting two wins and posting 30 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He appeared in the 2010 Don Mattingly 17-and-under American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series with the Dodgers in the summer.

Steve Basile, another member of the class of 2011 at CBA, made his verbal commitment to Iona College two weeks ago.

Gallup, who previously attended Schenectady Christian School, believes Mike Urbanski, the fourth member of the Brothers’ pitching staff, is also close to making his college decision.

CBA, which finished in second place in the Big 10 Conference behind La Salle Institute in 2010, advanced to the Section II Class AA quarterfinals before losing to South Colonie, 5-0.

“This year is going to be a big year, too,” Gallup said. “We only lost two guys from last year.”

Three other South Troy Dodgers players have also recently made verbal commitments. 

Nick Cioffi, a right-handed pitcher and Averill Park native, chose Towson University in Maryland. 

Patrick Zilberman, a left-handed pitcher at Niskayuna High School senior, picked Central Connecticut State.

Branden Cogswell, a senior shortstop at Shenendehowa, will play for the University of Virginia.

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Former La Salle Institute football players Nolan Flike (left) and Lou DiNovo (right) pose with the Sabre prior to the 2009 meeting against Chrisitan Brothers Academy. La Salle won that game, to retain the Sabre, but CBA is poised to reclaim it after this week's crossover game. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

When Christian Brothers Academy lost at Troy High Saturday afternoon in a Section II Class AA quarterfinal football game, it opened the door for the resumption of one of the Capital Region's premier rivalry games: the battle for the Sabre between CBA and its bitter rival, La Salle Institute.

Sunday, La Salle head coach Al Rapp said that he would refuse to have his team play in the game, but by Monday, his stance had softened.

"I guess we're playing," said Rapp on Monday. "But I'm not exactly pleased with the whole idea."

La Salle heads to Christian Brothers Academy for a Week Nine crossover game Friday night at 7 p.m. It will be one of the most talked-about crossover games in Section II history.

CBA head coach Joe Burke, who sits on Section II's scheduling committee, declined to comment Sunday, stating that the official Section II crossover schedule had yet to be announced.

The issue for Rapp is not that he fears losing the Sabre. He fears that Section II is breaking traditional crossover scheduling procedure.

The criteria for scheduling crossover games is generally based on finding equally matched opponents for a competitive game. In Rapp's mind, CBA, which was a No. 4 seed knocked out in the opening round of the Class AA quarterfinals, should play Schenectady, the opposite No. 4 that lost in the opening round.

La Salle would then match up against Bethlehem, a team that like La Salle, did not qualify for the postseason.

“We've never been one to back down from anybody,” Rapp said.

The Cadets, which finished with a 1-6 record in the regular season and were outscored 240 to 75. La Salle defeated winless Albany in a crossover game Friday night, 33-13.

Prior to 2010, La Salle was a perennial Section II title contender under Rapp's guidance, having appeared in a local Super Bowl game five times since 2000.

CBA went 4-3 in the regular season under first-year head coach Joe Burke, clinching the No. 4 playoff berth in the Empire Division. The Brothers were tied in the second quarter with Liberty Division No. 1 Troy, the No. 7 ranked Class AA team in the state, before losing 43-21 in Saturday's Section II quarterfinal.

As Rapp said, La Salle has not been one to back down from a challenge in the past. The Cadets have regularly scheduled the top teams from Sections I and IX when Section II teams played regular season games against teams from out-of-section.

La Salle, which has an enrollment of 420 students this year according to the 2010 BEDS report released by the New York State Sportswriters Association, is dwarfed by every other school in Class AA, all of which have enrollments of at least 1,000 students, save for CBA, which has 440 students.

The CBA vs. La Salle rivalry dates back to 1932, but has been suspended on occasion. La Salle dropped down to play in Class B in 1984 and the series was scrapped until 2001 when the Cadets returned to Class AA. Although the Brothers hold the series advantage, 32-21-6, La Salle has dominated since the resumption of the game, winning all eight contests and maintaing control of the Sabre, the sword that is presented to the winning side.

Friday's game will mark the 60th time the teams have met on the gridiron.

Adding intrigue to the rivalry were the rumors in late 2009 that the two schools were considering plans for a merger, as enrollment is down at both schools. CBA’ s 2009 enrollment fell 10 percent from 2008 to 352 students and La Salle’ s has steadily decreased in recent years, from 650 in 1997 to 402 in 2008.

The boards from both schools met on Oct. 20, 2009 and decided to remain separate.

"I don't think it's the right thing to do, but we're going to go over there and we're going to play the game," said Rapp.

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Troy High senior quarterback Brian Marsh drops back to pass during Saturday's Section II Class AA quarterfinal playoff game against Christian Brothers Academy. CBA lineman Mike Zaloga (70) is in the foreground. (Photos by Jeff Couch - The Record).

TROY — The Troy High School football team’s offense strung together a pair of 12-play scoring drives in the first half and the Flying Horses’ stout run defense was also on display early against Christian Brothers Academy in Saturday’s Section II Class AA quarterfinal game.

But one kickoff gone awry and one blown secondary assignment later, the Brothers had jumped right back into the game.

Troy turned to its passing attack, as senior quarterback Brian Marsh threw for three touchdowns after CBA had come back to tie the score. Senior running back Jordan Canzeri rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts in a 43-21 victory on Edward C. Picken Field at Troy High School.

“With all the close games that we’ve had, it’s been because teams are committing completely to the run,” Marsh, pictured at right, said. “If we can come out and throw three touchdown passes like we did today, I think that will keep their defense a little off balance more and open up lanes for our running backs.”

Marsh completed 7-of-9 passes for 95 yards, connecting with Noah Thomas, Josh Blaauboer and Raheem Felder on touchdown passes of five, 11 and 12 yards, respectively.

The Flying Horses ran Canzeri ragged in the first half, handing him the ball 19 times for 86 yards. Senior running back Shatiek Lewis, hobbled with an ankle injury since a Week Five victory at Saratoga Springs, gained 67 yards on eight attempts, but carried the ball just once in the second half.

“I guess we found a way,” Troy head coach Jack Burger said. “We did some things that conventionally we don’t do but we had practiced a lot. Brian got a chance to do some of those things and took a little bit of pressure off our run game.”

Troy High senior running back and cornerback Jordan Canzeri leaves CBA's Torey Williams on the turf during Saturday's Section II Class AA quarterfinal playoff game.

CBA (4-4), the Empire Division’s No. 4 seed, received an 82-yard kick return for a touchdown from Elijah Dukes in the second quarter. Troy was forced to punt on its ensuing drive and CBA quarterback Casey Crotty connected with Peter Luizzi for a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the Brothers’ next drive that tied that score, 14-14.

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

“We came here and our goal was to win,” said first-year CBA head coach Joe Burke. “We were prepared to win, we thought we had a shot to win and we certainly were in position to win at times. We slipped up a little bit and you can’t do those things against good football teams.”

Troy limited CBA to nine offensive plays in the first half and 84 rushing yards on 30 attempts in the game. Crotty finished 5-of-14 for 146 yards and Elijah Dukes added a 16-yard touchdown pass to Max Weaver in the second half.

Troy (8-0), the Liberty Division’s No. 1 seed, will host Liberty No. 3 Niskayuna (5-3) in a Class AA semifinal Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Silver Warriors upset Empire Division No. 2 seed Saratoga Springs Friday night, 34-27.

Niskayuna and Troy went to overtime in a regular season game in Week Six, with the Flying Horses pulling out the 35-28 victory, although Niskayuna’s Kyle Bayly passed for 336 yards in the losing effort.

“We didn’t get to them last time and we’re going to try to get to him,” said Luis Lind, at left, a senior defensive end at Troy. “He (Bayly) has a three-step drop and he gets rid of the ball quick, so we’re going to try hard.”

Marsh was among a handful of Troy High players that watched Niskayuna play at Saratoga Friday night and the quarterback is looking forward to the rematch against the Silver Warriors.

“I think it will help us because we’re not expecting to roll right over them like we did with a lot of teams this year,” Marsh said. “We know if we don’t play our game, they’ll beat us. We’ll be a little more on edge this week.”

• Notes: CBA ran nine offensive plays in the first half to Troy's 38.
• Troy's field was not in the greatest of shape for the game. Both Marsh and Crotty slipped to the turf untouched on option runs.
• Prior to Troy's second touchdown, Lewis fumbled a ball out of bounds that wound up giving Troy a first-and-goal from the two yard line. Two plays later, Marsh fumbled a handoff to Canzeri, who wound up scoring from three yards out on the next play.
• Blaauboer made a great diving catch down the Troy sideline for a 28-yard reception early in the second quarter.

Troy High junior running back and linebacker Stephaun Grinage scampers through the CBA defense during Saturday's Section II Class AA quarterfinal playoff game at Troy.

• Carter Sherman paced CBA with 39 rushing yards on 10 attemtps, all of which came in the second half. His sack of Marsh in the second quarter helped force a Troy punt and indirectly set up Crotty's 65-yard touchdown pass to Luizzi.
• Jordan Canzeri bowled over CBA's Max Weaver on an 11-yard run midway through the second quarter. The Flying Horses certainly dominated in the hard hits category, but that may have been the biggest. Canzeri also had a tackle for a loss when CBA tried to run a reverse midway through the third quarter. CBA's Elijah Dukes lost 11 yards on the play.
• Lind recovered a fumble one play after Canzeri's tackle for a loss, which set up the scoring drive that concluded with Marsh's touchdown strike to Blaauboer.
• Victor Pirela added a tackle for a loss on a CBA option play late in the third quarter.

Troy High offensive linemen take a break on the bench just before the start of the second half during Saturday's Class AA quarterfinal game against Christian Brothers Academy. (Videocapture by Will Montgomery - The Record).

• Quotes from the notebook: "It definitely feels a lot different from the regular season because the implications of every game are a little more real," Marsh said. "If you lose, high school football is done forever. You have to keep winning and keep going." 
• "For a while there, he looked like old Sha," Burger said of Lewis. "He got twisted up (ankle) down here again. Once we got up two touchdowns, we said, 'why really get him back in there?' I know he was anxious to get back in, but he had at least five or six carries and a couple of them looked like himself, moving the pile." 

TROY 43, CBA 21

CBA (4-4) 0 14 0 7 — 21
Troy (8-0) 7 14 15 7 — 43
First Quarter
T — Jordan Canzeri 4 run (Bardo Talbi kick) 6:17
Second Quarter
T — Canzeri 3 run (Talbi kick) 9:12
C — Elijah Dukes 82 kick return (Max Weaver kick) 8:58
C — Peter Luizzi 65 pass from Casey Crotty (Weaver kick) 6:27
T — Noah Thomas 5 pass from Brian Marsh (Talbi kick) 1:46
Third Quarter
T — Stephaun Grinage 4 run (Talbi kick) 5:28
T — Josh Blaauboer 11 pass from Marsh (Grinage pass from Marsh) 1:34
Fourth Quarter
C — Weaver 16 pass from Dukes (Weaver kick) 10:26
T — Raheem Felder 12 pass from Marsh (Talbi kick) 6:36
Individual Stats:
Rushing: CBA (30-84): Sherman 10-39, Williams 7-32, Crotty 6-7, Zappone 3-3, Antoinette 2-2, Dukes 2-1. Troy (47-268): Canzeri 25-122, Lewis 8-67, Grinage 2-41, Geraci 3-26, Marsh 9-12.
Passing: CBA: Crotty 5-14-146-1-0; Dukes 1-1-16-1-0. Troy: Marsh 7-9-95-3-0.
Receiving: CBA (6-162): Luizzi 2-81, Sherman 2-53, Weaver 1-16, Rustowicz 1-12. Troy (7-95): Blaauboer 2-39, Blair 1-24, Canzeri 2-15, Felder 1-12, Thomas 1-5.

Section II scoreboard

Friday, Oct. 22
Class AA quarterfinals
(L3) Niskayuna 34, (E2) Saratoga Springs 27
(E1) Ballston Spa 27, (L4) Schenectady 21
(E3) Shenendehowa 48, (L2) Shaker 6
Class A quarterfinals
(N1) Burnt Hills 49, (N5) Glens Falls 6
(N3) Queensbury 22, (S2) Averill Park 7
(S3) Bishop Maginn 35, (N2) Amsterdam 21
(S1) Lansingburgh 24, (N4) Gloversville 15
Class B quarterfinals
(W1) Schalmont 59, (R4) Cairo-Durham 6
(R1) Ravena 13, (W4) Cobleskill 7
Class C quarterfinals
(N1) Hoosick Falls 42, (S4) Watervliet 0
(N2) Greenwich 13, (S3) Voorheesville 8
(S1) Chatham 48, (N4) Tamarac 20
Class D quarterfinals
No. 3 Whitehall 40, No. 6 Warrensburg 20

Sat., Oct. 23
Class AA quarterfinals
(L1) Troy 43, (E4) CBA 21
Class B quarterfinals
(R2) Albany Academy 21, (W3) Schuylerville 17
(W2) Hudson Falls 48, (R3) Hudson 14
Class C quarterfinals
(S2) Fonda-Fultonville 38, (N3) Mechanicville 7
Class D quarterfinals
No. 4 Fort Edward 41, No. 5 Bishop Gibbons 0

Crossover games
Fri., Oct. 22
Mohonasen 54, South Glens Falls 34
Corinth 34, Catholic Central 28
Stillwater 40, Salem 13
Taconic Hills 26, Hoosic Valley 0
Coxsackie-Athens 46, Johnstown 8
Guilderland 25, Colonie 7.
La Salle 33, Albany 13
Canajoharie 16, Rensselaer 0
Scotia-Glenville 41, Broadalbin-Perth 13
Sat., Oct. 22
Cambridge 41, Granville 0
Cohoes 41, Ichabod Crane 27

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WATERVLIET — Steve Basile, a senior at Christian Brothers Academy and a member of the South Troy Dodgers' baseball program, has made his verbal commitment to pitch at Iona College, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Basile, a righthanded pitcher, chose Iona over MAAC rivals Fairfield and Siena and Central Connecticut, a member of the Northeast Conference.

“I took an official visit to Iona and I liked everything about it,” Basile said. “I really liked the coaches. I know their record hasn’t been great lately, but I think the program is improving and is about to turn it around. Coach (Pat) Carey (head coach) is very loyal to his players and that is important to me.”

Steve Basile pitches for Christian Brothers Academy in a game against La Salle Institute on May 13, 2010 at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

A native of Watervliet, Basile led the Brothers to the quarterfinal round in the Section II Class AA tournament this spring and was a first team Big 10 Conference All-Star and a fifth-team All-State Class AA selection. Later in the summer, he appeared in the 17-and-under Don Mattingly World Series with the South Troy Dodgers.

Iona finished the 2010 season with a 9-40 record. Since 2002, the Gaels have posted an overall record of 120-322-1.

Basile improved his scholarship positioning in 2010 by improving from spring to summer to fall, figuring out the mental side of the game on the mound.

“I’ve always had good velocity, but I really learned how to pitch,” said Basile. “I learned how to get ahead and I learned what to do when I have a 0-2 count.”

Basile credited former CBA head coach Dave Doemel, South Troy Dodgers pitching coach Wayne Jones and Nick Davey, an assistant with the Albany Dutchmen of the New York Collegiate Baseball League with which he took lessons in improving his pitching technique.

Former CBA teammate Chris Sand and former La Salle Institute product Kyle Charron are both sophomores on the Iona team. Charron, a Schaghticoke native, and Sand, from Altamont, both played on South Troy Dodgers teams in the summer and fall as well.

“I’ve been a good friends of Chris’ for a long time. We played together when I was a sophomore at CBA,” Basile said. “It can only be a good thing for me and it can only help to already know some people when I get there.”

Basile plans on majoring in business at Iona.

Once the fall baseball season wraps up in a few weeks, it’s time for Basile to hit the ice. He is a center on the CBA hockey team.

“It was a really long process and it was starting to get old,” laughed Basile of his college search. “It’s a big weight off my shoulders.

“I have hockey season coming up at my school and I’m going to take a break from baseball for a couple of months, but I’ll get back into it later in the winter.”

Steve Basile's 2010 stat sheet:

High school, Christian Brothers Academy

3-3, 1.70 ERA, 41.0 IP, 42 SO, 10 BB

Summer, South Troy Dodgers

5-1, 1.11 ERA, 38.0 IP, 44 SO, 13 BB, 28 H

Fall, South Troy Dodgers

2-1-1, 1.65 ERA, 17.0 IP, 27 SO, 6 BB, 6 H

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COLONIE -- There has been an inescapable car commercial on television for the past few months. A high school-age kid is in his driveway playing basketball as his mother pulls out of the driveway. She can't understand how her "new" car already has 29,000 miles on it. The car, of course, was "pre-owned."

In a nutshell, that explains the "pre-owned" Joe Burke, Christian Brothers Academy's first-year head coach.

Burke, who starred at Bishop Maginn High School in the late 1970s and is a member of the Capital Region Football Hall of Fame, has nearly 30 years of coaching experience under his belt. A longtime assistant to his former coach at Maginn, Joe Grasso, Burke also had a five-year stint as Albany High's coach in the mid 2000s.

"Anytime you bring your style of running a program, the challenge is, is it different?" Burke asked in between practice sessions on August 17. "And in most cases it  is. We're going to run our program the way I've been accustomed to running a program as an assistant and as a head coach in 27 years of coaching. I'm at the point where I'm comfortable with that and we just have to be sure that the kids are comfortable before we play our first game on September 3."

Joe Burke, in his first year as the head coach at Christian Brothers Academy, has a word with his team following a recent practice. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Joe Burke is hoping to turn the CBA football program around from a 2-7 finish in 2009 under then-head coach Matt Gormley. (Photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

For video highlights from CBA football camp, visit www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

Logan Frese is one of many returning starters for the CBA football team in 2010. A two-way tackle, Frese is fully healthy and expects to play a larger role on the defensive line this season.

With all of the learning the team is doing during the three short weeks of training camp, Burke is hoping the team can hold its own on defense until the offense catches up.

"There is no doubt we have to play great defense," he said. "It will give us an opportunity to fine-tune our offense. Offense generally takes a little bit longer to get going and when you have a new system the kids are learning, it will give us a couple of weeks to get going if we play good, solid defense. I really think that we have some very athletic kids that we can stretch the field with, either through the air or on the ground."

Trey Williams (left) and Carter Sherman (right) will team up in the Brothers' backfield in 2010 and will try to replace Jack Reilly, who served as CBA's punishing ballcarrier in 2009.

Senior wideout and defensive back Max Weaver won a New York State Class AA title with the Brothers' basketball team last winter. He also plays baseball in the spring. Still, he's going all in for football this season, hoping some of the success he found on the hardcourt can translate to the gridiron.

"Right now, I'm focusing on football," Weaver said. "I do have goals for the other sports, but right now, it's all football. I've never had a winning season in football, so it would be nice to get that and make the playoffs and make a run."

Burke's new practice strategy has been a bit jarring to the players during the first week of camp - all the learning is done on the field first in an up-tempo environment, classroom work comes later - but the team can see the benefits it will bring in the future.

"It can get frustrating because sometimes you get coach yelling at you, but that's part of the game," Grady said. "That's part of practice. You just have to suck it up and move on."

The Brothers were definitely a downhill running team behind Jack Reilly a season ago, but they're looking to attack the edges this season with speed in the backfield and on the line.

"We have a strong class of juniors coming up that were sophomores last year," said senior running back and strong safety Carter Sherman. "They have a lot of speed and talent and we're looking to use that to our advantage and get around the edge. We have some quick linemen."

"We were definitely a north-to-south team last year and now we can run around the edge," said senior running back and linebacker Trey Williams. "We have faster backs, faster linemen and quarterbacks that can read the option. I think it will be pretty good."

Ras-I Grady (left) and Max Weaver (right) are two of the key returning seniors on the 2010 CBA football team. Grady, a two-way lineman, and Weaver, a wide receiver and defensive back, are looking to carry the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Christian Brothers Academy playbook
COACH: Joe Burke
2009 RECORD: 2-7
NICKNAME: Brothers
OFFENSE: Split back veer
DEFENSE: 5-2
LAST PLAYOFF GAME: 2007
LAST SECTION II TITLE: 2006 (Class AA)
DIVISION: Class AA, Empire

Christian Brothers Academy, 2009 game-by-game results
COLONIE, L 29-20
La Salle, L 34-7
GUILDERLAND, L 22-21
SARATOGA SPRINGS, L 38-7
BALLSTON SPA, L 28-7
Shenendehowa, L 34-0
Albany, W 28-21
Shaker, L 21-0*
Columbia, W 14-6*
*Crossover games
Home games in CAPS

Christian Brothers Academy, 2009 stats review
Rushing, Att, Yds., Avg., TDs
Jack Reilly, 102, 736, 7.2, 5
Passing, Comp., Att., Yds., Avg., TDs
Casey Crotty, 32, 76, 356, 11.1, 2
Receiving, No., Yds., Avg., TDs
Max Weaver, 8, 83, 10.4, 0
Scoring, TD, 2-pt, PAT, FG, Tot.
Jack Reilly, 5, 1, 3, 0, 35

Christian Brothers Academy, 2010 schedule
Friday Sept. 3, vs. Columbia, 7 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 11, at Bethlehem, 1:30 p.m.
Friday Sept. 17, at Guilderland, 7 p.m.
Friday Sept. 24, at Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 1, vs. Shenendehowa, 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 8, vs. Ballston Spa, 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 15, vs. Albany, 7 p.m.

CBA’s three keys to the season
1, Play great defense.
2, Master the fundamentals – stances, form tackling, etc.
3, Learn a new playbook on both sides of the ball.

CBA football players get ready to conclude a post-practice talk with head coach Joe Burke. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

--

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 Thursday, 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 Thursday, Sept. 2.

Previous training camp reports:
No. 1, Lansingburgh High School
No. 2, Cohoes High School
No. 3, Watervliet High School
No. 4, Columbia High School
No. 5, Catholic Central High School

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Greenwich senior pitcher Neil Fryer has committed to Siena College along with CBA senior Dennis Buckley. (Photo courtesy Stan Hudy, The Saratogian).

According to a press release just sent out by Siena College, Greenwich High School senior Neil Fryer will be playing his college ball in Loudonville.

From the release:

He comes from the strong Greenwich High School program and played his summer ball for the renowned Saratoga Stampede. Fryer helped Greenwich reach the New York High School State finals this past season.

“Neil is coming off an outstanding high school season where his team finished runner-up in the New York State Tournament,” Siena head coach Tony Rossi said. “He should see quality innings out of the bullpen initially and spot start. He has an outstanding fastball and curve and is an outstanding student as well.”

Dennis Buckley, another local product, just finished his senior season with the strong Christian Brothers Academy team. He started and relieved for the team this year, and with a fastball in the upper-80’s, he will be counted on to come out of the bullpen and provide quality innings.

“Dennis transferred from Colonie Central High School to Christian Brothers Academy where he played football as well as baseball,” Rossi said. “He will be a welcome addition to the bullpen where the hope is he will provide mid to late inning help. He should get quality time immediately.”

Five athletes recently made late signing period commitments to Siena. The group raises the incoming freshman class to 11 – the largest recruited class in the history of the program.

Adam Guinn (Norris, Tenn.), Neil Fryer (Greenwich, N.Y.), Richard Baerga (Pomona, N.Y.), Dennis Buckley (Albany, N.Y.) and Greg Wilson (Medford, Mass.) all committed to the program. They join: Matt O'Kipney (Liverpool, N.Y.), Jimmy Meindl (Old Bridge, N.J.), John Rooney (Syracuse, N.Y.), Tyler Bell (Cornwall, N.Y.), Vinnie Citro (Montclair, N.J.) and Kenny Kirshner (Cornwall, N.Y.) who committed to the program during the early signing period.

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Tommy Kahnle, seen here pitching for the South Troy Dodgers in the summer of 2008, was drafted by the New York Yankees with the final pick in the fifth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Former Shaker High pitcher Tommy Kahnle was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the MLB draft this afternoon. He was the No. 175 pick.

He pitched Lynn University to a Division II championship a season ago and has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour in the Cape Cod League.

Prior to Kahnle's selection, former Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake pitcher Dave Filak was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as the No. 134 pick in the fourth round.

For more on the draft, check out Andrew Santillo's blog at therecordsports.blogspot.com

Update: After I had left the office for the afternoon, former Christian Brothers Academy star Greg Holle was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round.

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Bethlehem's Eric Halek celebrates a goal - he scored four - in Saturday's 8-6 Section II Class A semifinal victory over Christian Brothers Academy. (Photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Competing in Bethlehem High’s first sectional semifinal in boys lacrosse, Erik Halek and his teammates had nothing to lose.

With the Eagles brimming with confidence which grew throughout the game, Halek, a senior attackman who played through an ankle injury, scored four goals as Bethlehem forged an early lead and held off a furious comeback bid to oust Christian Brothers Academy, 8-6 on Saturday in a Class A semifinal at CBA.

By reaching the first sectional final in the history of the program, the third-seeded Eagles (12-6) denied the second-seeded Brothers (13-5) a trip in what would have been their first title game.

"This is the furthest we’ve gone in school history," Halek said. "This is a huge step for our program."

The Eagles advance to face top-seeded Shenendehowa (17-1) in the Class A final on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the University at Albany.

Our Chris Fitz Gerald caught the CBA game, as well as Shen's 12-5 victory over Guilderland. Look for his full story on both games in Sunday's edition of The Record.

CLASS A SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM 8, CBA 6

Bethlehem (12-6) 1 2 3 2 - 8
CBA (13-5) 0 2 1 3 - 6
Scoring: Bethlehem - Johnson, 2-0; Halek, 4-0; Wagner, 1-0; Drew, 1-0. CBA - Medici, 1-1; Cassin, 1-1; Bassett, 2-1; Risler, 0-1; Jensen, 1-0; Sherman, 1-1.
Goalie saves: Bethlehem - Ferguson, 13. CBA - Hans, 13.

SHENENDEHOWA 12, GUILDERLAND 5

Guilderland 1 0 2 2 - 5
Shenendehowa 5 3 3 1 - 12
Scoring: Guilderland - Sellie, 2-0; Jones, 1-2; Somers, 1-0; Wood, 1-0; Dyer, 0-2; Stanish, 0-1. Shenendehowa - Connors, 1-0; Jenkins, 3-1; Daly 3-0; Stephens, 2-0; Arnold, 0-1; Coll, 3-2; Powell, 0-1.
Goalie saves: Guilderland - Klim, 13; DePersis, 0. Shenendehowa - Wardwell, 13; Woloss, 1.

CBA's Jack Reilly navigates through the Bethlehem defense during Saturday's Section II Class A playoff game at CBA.

Every Sunday in The Record, we will be featuring a local athlete to give you a glimpse of their lives far away from the playing fields. This week, we featured Christian Brothers Academy senior Jack Reilly, who is headed to Johns Hopkins on a lacrosse scholarship. Here were Reilly's answers to our questions:

Class: Senior/2010
College I will attend: Johns Hopkins.
What’s on TV: Sportscenter, espn2, ESPNU.
What’s in my IPod: A lot of variety; rap, a lot of pre-game warmup songs and rock songs - all different kinds of music.
Favorite Flicks: Remember The Titans.
What’s I’m reading: Inside Lacrosse magazine, ESPN the Magazine.
Love to trade places for a day with: Michael Jordan or Steve Forbes. Someone in his field who is very, very powerful.
Talent I’d most like to have: I’d like to be able to do back flips.
Favorite Meal: Spaghetti and meatballs.
Favorite athletes I watch in different sports: Alfonso Soriano of the Chicago Cubs, even though I’m a Mets fan; Lebron James in basketball and (Landon) Donovan of U.S. soccer.
Favorite place to visit: Probably home. When I’m not out playing sports and traveling a lot with lacrosse and stuff like that, I like to stay at home.
Favorite sports teams: New York Mets, Boston Celtics and the New York Jets.
Favorite physical attribute: Being able to jump into certain situations and do certain things to help the team out.
Favorite subjects: Math and History.
Favorite Restaurant: Mario’s in Niskayuna and Lombardo’s in Albany.
Friday night, there isn’t a game and I’m: Get together with a few friends, get a slice of pizza or go see a movie, but mostly I’d be sleeping. I would be resting up because of all the running and everything I’m doing - I love to sleep.
Heroes: For long time was hero was Tiger Woods before the incident happened. On the field, I’d have to say him. But off the field, I would say Jackie Robinson by far he’s somebody to look up to.
Superstitions: A lot of people ask that, but I can’t say because they’ll be broken. I will say that my dad does cut my hair before every single game and I have to sit in the exact same chair.
My Motto: It’s a motto my mom and I came up with that I have written up on the wall - ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’

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Rich Scully, Christian Brothers Academy's Athletic Director, sent us the following note on behalf of the Section II Lacrosse Committee.

CBA senior Jack Reilly was named to the 2010 US Lacrosse High School boys All-American team. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Christian Brothers Academy and Niskayuna High School placed 2 players each on the 2010 US Lacrosse High School Boys All-American Team.

Niskayuna's Ryan Alden (Harvard) and Mark Panneton (Cortland) joined CBA's Jack Reilly (Johns Hopkins) , Dan Sipperly (Bryant) and Shenendehowa's junior goalie Bob Wardwell on the team.

A pair of Clarkson University-bound seniors were named Academic All-Americans. South Glens Falls defenseman Tim Boller and CBA's goalie Shane Hans were both named Academic All-American. Both student-athletes will major in engineering and play lacrosse at Clarkson next year.

Burnt Hills first year head coach Tom Schwan was named Coach of the Year. Jason Gifford, a first-year assistant at Shenendehowa, was named Assistant Coach of the Year. Section II Lacrosse Coordinator Bob Gula was named US Lacrosse Man of the Year.

All recipients will be recognized at the annual Adirondack Chapter dinner.

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The stakes were high Thursday night at Joe Bruno Stadium as La Salle Institute and Christian Brothers Academy clashed with the winner likely to hold on to the Big 10 Conference regular season championship. La Salle prevailed, 1-0.

La Salle's Nick Bernardo (25) is congratulated by Kyle Sacks (21) and Will Remillard (right) after scoring a run in Thursday's game against CBA at Joe Bruno Stadium. It held up as the game's only run. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

If you like pitching and defense, this was the game for you. CBA's Steve Basile and La Salle's Dave Roseboom each threw 90-pitch gems in a game that came down to a pair of plays at the plate.

Nick Bernardo scored after a leadoff double in the second inning. His brother, Garrett Bernardo, moved him to third for the first out. Dave Roseboom followed with a tapper back to the mound - Nick held at third base.

It looked like Bernardo might have wasted a leadoff double as Basile was working out of trouble.

Ryan Clarke, La Salle's DH strode to the dish, but he struck out looking. The trouble was for CBA, Nick Bernardo scored on a wild pitch during Clarke's at-bat.

It wound up being the only run of the game in La Salle's 1-0 victory.

For the full story, check out Friday's edition of The Record. For a video, click below.

La Salle's Kyle Sacks leans out of the way of a pitch from CBA's Steve Basile during Thursday's game at Joe Bruno Stadium.

Defense also played a major role for the Cadets. In the fourth inning, CBA's Casey McPartlon led off with an infield single and moved to third when Roseboom tried to pick him off at first base and threw the ball down the right field line.

Basile was up next. He struck out looking.

Max Nagelsmith followed, tapping a ground ball to shortstop, as La Salle's infield played in to cut off the run at the plate. Well, Zach Remillard fielded and threw home to brother Will behind the dish, who made the catch and the tag to preserve La Salle's one-run lead.

Roseboom mixed a dangerous combination of a fastball, changeup and curveball, keeping the CBA hitters off-balance all night. He struck out 11 and induced six ground ball outs in the complete game shutout.

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La Salle has a really nice trio of brother duos on the lineup card in 2010.

Nick and Garrett Bernardo man the infield corners and hit in the No. 4 and 5 spots in the order.

Zach Remillard plays shotstop and leads off, while Will Remillard catches and bats third.

Matt Mainello and Mike Mainello have also provided the Cadets with clutch hits and strong defense.

Thursday, La Salle's brothers proved to be just a bit stronger than the Brothers from CBA.

La Salle's University of South Carolina-Upstate bound senior, Dave Roseboom, throws a pitch Thursday at Joe Bruno Stadium. He admitted the mound and infield quality at the Joe helped the Cadets play to their potential.

First the boxscore. Click on it for a full-size version.
Second, the latest Big 10 standings:
La Salle, 12-1, 12-4
CBA, 10-2, 13-2
Troy, 10-3, 10-4
Schenectady, 5-4, 6-5
Catholic Central, 6-6, 8-6
Amsterdam, 4-8, 5-10
Albany, 2-8, 3-8
Bishop Gibbons, 2-9, 3-10
Bishop Maginn, 2-10, 2-13

The league plays a 16-game schedule, so most teams have three or four games yet to play. CBA and Troy are hanging around - and have to be considered in the Section II Class AA tournament - but it looks like the Cadets took a major step toward locking up the regular season title Thursday night. Moreover, it was just a fun pitcher's duel to watch and both teams should be pleased that they played well.

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And don't forget our upcoming baseball and softball chat on Sunday at 4 p.m.


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Christian Brothers Academy senior Kameron Ritter, seen here driving past Troy High's Javion Ogunyemmi in the Section II Class AA quarterfinals, has committed to Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

Kameron Ritter, who won a New York State Class AA championship during his senior season at CBA, will continue his career at the Division I level at Saint Francis (Pa.), hoping for a chance to appear in the Big Dance.

CBA head coach Dave Doemel confirmed in an email that Ritter had accepted an athletic grant from St. Francis.

Ritter, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 14.2 points per game during his senior year of high school and figures to get some minutes in the backcourt at Saint Francis under head coach Don Friday. The Red Flash compete in the Northeast Conference, which includes schools such as Central Connecticut State and Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Wagner and conveniently, Saint Francis (N.Y.)

Player of the Year: Kameron Ritter

School: CBA Class: Senior Position: Guard/Forward Height: 6-foot-3

Notable: Kam Ritter was not the area’s highest scoring player, nor was he particularly dominant at any one aspect of the game. Still, when the Christian Brothers Academy senior wanted to carry four of his teammates on his back, he did it like none other from the Capital Region in 2010.
A versatile slashing-type guard, Ritter was equally dangerous on the perimeter or in slicing through a defense on his way to the rim. The 2009-10 Big 10 Conference Most Valuable Player, Ritter guided the Brothers to an eighth consecutive Section II large school title game appearance and their third berth in the New York State Class AA Final Four since the 2003-04 season.
Ritter earned the Section II Class AA tournament and the state tournament’s MVP honors as CBA won its first Class AA state title in school history and advanced to the Federation Tournament of Champions. Although the Brothers fell in the Federation semifinals, the 2009-10 campaign went down as the finest in CBA history, thanks in large part to Ritter’s veteran leadership and fearless nature with the basketball.Ritter is currently undecided on his college choice, but is looking at a number of Division I schools.

Coach of the Year: Dave Doemel

School: Christian Brothers Academy
Notable: It was no surprise when the Brothers appeared in a Section II title game for the eighth consecutive season, but Christian Brothers Academy head coach Dave Doemel turned heads with his tactical brilliance during his team’s postseason run.
CBA soundly defeated a rangy Cicero-North Syracuse in the regional finals, setting up a meeting with defending state champion Newburgh, which returned all five starters, in the New York State Class AA semifinals. The Brothers won that game by 19 points and used a matchup zone defense rather than their usual man-to-man set against Half Hollow Hills West’s University of Tennessee recruit Tobias Harris, New York State’s 2010 Mr. Basketball, in an 18-point victory in the state championship game.
Under Doemel’s watch, the Brothers won 24 games and lost only once, which tied for the most wins in a single season in school history. Doemel will carry 199 career victories into the 2010-11 regular season. He certainly shares the credit with assistant coaches Dave Doemel, Jr., Mick Doemel, Rob Groelz and David Ryan.
Despite nearly a decade of Section II dominance, the Brothers entered the New York State Final Four as an underdog. Thanks, however, to Doemel’s strategic gambles, CBA made its mark on the biggest stage of all.

The Record’s 2009-10 All-Area boys basketball team

First Team

Dominic Prinzo

School: Maple Hill Height: 5-foot-9 Class: Senior Position: Point Guard

Notable: As a junior, Prinzo was a valuable backup behind starting senior guards Jaime Schultz and Trent Tibbitts, and sparked a number of postseason rallies en route to a spot in the New York State Class C Championship Game. As a senior, Prinzo brought the Wildcats back to the Empire State’s ultimate game, this time as the starter. While Maple Hill fell one game short of a state title for the second consecutive season, Prinzo averaged eight points per game and as the team’s assist machine was invaluable in setting up teammates Sean Danaher, Chris Despart, David Briggs and Jake Jasiewicz for easy buckets.

Galal Cancer

School: Christian Brothers Academy Height: 6-foot-2 Class: Junior Position: Point Guard

Notable: On a team packed with veteran talent, Cancer provided a steady presence in the backcourt on both ends of the floor. He averaged 11.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and was one of the most ferocious players in the area at getting to the rim for layups or cleaning up on the boards. His defensive presence helped the Brothers clinch the 2009-10 New York State Class AA championship, the first such title for CBA in school history. A Section II Class AA All-Tournament and New York State Class AA All-Tournament selection, Cancer will be one of the top returning players in Section II in the fall. Cancer was named a first team Big 10 Conference All-Star for his regular season exploits.

Matt Miner

School: Shenendehowa Height: 6-foot-2 Class: Senior Position: Guard

Notable: The Suburban Council’s Most Valuable Player guided the Plainsmen to a flawless (16-0) North Division title and also carried Shen to the Section II Class AA title game against CBA. It was Shen’s first appearance in a Section II title game since the 1995-96 season. Miner, who averaged 19.0 points and seven rebounds per game, will compete for Division II St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas this fall. St. Edward’s is coached by former Hudson Valley Community College head man and Watervliet High star Andre Cook.

Sajae Pryor

School: Lansingburgh Height: 6-foot-3 Class: Junior Position: Guard/Forward

Notable: Upon the graduation of Haneef Scott a season ago, Pryor became Lansingburgh’s offensive wizard at the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign. He averaged 13.4 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game as the Knights won a second consecutive Colonial Council regular season title (Lansingburgh tied with Watervliet at 12-2 in the standings but the Knights won both head-to-head matchups) and advanced to a Sectional title game for the first time since 1967. Pryor, who was always a threat to dunk or shoot a three-pointer, also earned first team All-Colonial Council honors and was a first team All-City pick by The Record.

Kevin McMahon

School: Hoosick Falls Height: 6-foot-6 Class: Senior Position: Forward

Notable: The Wasaren League’s Most Valuable Player in both his junior and senior seasons, McMahon was a dangerous forward with inside and outside skills during his career at Hoosick Falls. McMahon carried his team to league titles both of those years and played in the Section II Class C title game in 2010. McMahon averaged 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game during the 2009-10 season. He holds all Hoosick Falls blocks records (game, season, career) and scored his 1,000th point during his senior season, finishing with 1,055 for his career.

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Player of the Year
Name, School, Class, Pos., Ppg.
Kam Ritter, CBA, Sr., G/F, 15.2

First Team
Dominic Prinzo, Maple Hill, Sr., PG, 8.0
Galal Cancer, CBA, Jr., PG, 11.5
Matt Miner, Shenendehowa, Sr., SG, 19.0
Sajae Pryor, Lansingburgh, Jr., G/F, 13.4
Kevin McMahon, Hoosick Falls, Sr., F, 16.2

Second Team
Devonte Gleason, Watervliet, Jr., PG, 14.7
Kyle Pallozzi, Hoosic Valley, Sr., SG, 17.2
Chris Despart, Maple Hill, Sr., G, 12.6
Mike Murray, La Salle, Sr., F, 17.2
Sean Danaher, Maple Hill, Sr., C, 13.0

Third Team
Alex Lilac, Hoosick Falls, Soph., PG, 10.8
Max Weaver, CBA, Jr., SG, 12.4
Chris Britt, Rensselaer, Sr., SG, 18.4
Jerel Scott, Bishop Maginn, Sr., F, 15.6
Tyler Hammett, Lansingburgh, Sr., C, 11.6


Honorable Mention
Amari Gaddy, Jr., and Jeremic Bennett, Sr., Albany High Nolan Hart, Sr., and David Benoks, Jr., Albany Academy Kevin Rocco, Sr., Averill Park Shavar Fields, Sr., and John Scurry, Sr., Bishop Maginn Zach Morton, Sr., Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Will Bromirski, Soph., and Luca D’Auito, Sr., Cambridge Kevin Wilkes, Sr., Catholic Central Josh LeMay, Sr., Cohoes Mike Branche, Sr., Colonie Nick Keefe, Sr., Columbia Ryan Ochs, Sr., Guilderland Kevin White, Jr., Hoosic Valley Salaam Knight, Jr., Lansingburgh Marquis Campbell, Sr., La Salle Austin Bateman, Sr., Schuylerville Chris Bodgan, Sr., and Chris Hooks, Sr., Shaker Jose Reyes, Jr., and Dan Lee, Sr., Shenendehowa, Javion Ogunyemmi, Frosh., Troy High Ethan Mackey, Voorheesville Matt Berthiaume, Soph., Waterford-Halfmoon Kevin Pontore, Sr., Griffin Kelly, Soph., and Nick Durocher, Sr., Watervliet.

Cambridge lacrosse captains (from L to R) Jordan Fortier, Kyle Thomas, Mason Niles and Thomas Hemmerling. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Our Chris Fitz Gerald, The Record's lacrosse guru, reported from Cambridge High School yesterday. Traditionally a football power, Cambridge fields a varsity lacrosse team for the first time this season.

“I love this sport,” said Jordan Fortier, a senior attackman who has been playing lacrosse for eight years since the youth program in Cambridge was founded. “It’s grown. Everybody’s gotten way better, and since the very beginning I’ve been playing with a lot of these kids since the very first year (at the youth level) and they’ve gotten so much better. It’s just awesome to watch it progress.”

Cambridge lacrosse coach Tom Pillsworth positions a player at Wednesday's practice.

Kyle Thomas throws a pass during a team drill at practice.

Players warm-up as Cambridge starts practice on Wednesday. The team plays its first varsity game today (Thursday) at Glens Falls.

For the full story, visit www.troyrecord.com

Christian Brothers Academy senior Jack Reilly, seen here leading the Brothers in a drill during a recent practice, will play college lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University.

Be sure to check out Chris Fitz Gerald's boys and girls lacrosse previews, which will be published in The Record on Sunday.

Christian Brothers Academy junior Max Weaver goes to the rim against Christ the King in a Class AA Federation Tournament of Champions semifinal game Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. (Photos by Ed Burke, The Saratogian, for The Record).

Christ the King held off a ferocious second half rally by Christian Brothers Academy to post a 63-60 Class AA semifinal victory in the Federation Tournament of Champions Saturday afternoon at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Despite a valiant comeback effort, CBA fell just short in Saturday's game against Christ the King.

CBA's Big Three - Kam Ritter, Galal Cancer and Max Weaver - were all in foul trouble of some sort during the game, which forced CBA's bench into action. The reserves held their own, but they just didn't provide the scoring spark the Brothers starters did all year long.

Christ the King's big first half lead held just long enough.

“I think our team did a great job,” said CBA senior Kam Ritter. “I think our bench came in – (Christ the King) had us by 12 at the half - and I think they did a great job of keeping it to 12. Coach told us we had to pull up our britches at halftime and I think we did. We just fell short.”

CBA's Jack Reilly (left) and Josh Dennis (right) collapse on Christ the King's Roland Brown (25) during their Class AA Federation Tournament semifinal in Glens Falls.

Ritter, who sat out for an eight-minute span in the second half with four personal fouls, scored 17 points. Junior point guard Galal Cancer scored 19 for the Brothers, but their three-point shooting game, which carried them all season, just didn't materialize Saturday afternoon. Six different Brothers made threes in the game, but with no consistent rhythm, CBA was never able to hold a lead.

Click here for the full story in Sunday's edition of The Record.

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One must give CBA head coach Dave Doemel a lot of credit for the best season by a team in school history. While he has plenty of talent to go ga-ga over, he also got a great deal of effort out of a deep bench and a couple of role-playing starters.

CBA's Taylor Mulvey takes the ball to the basket and draws a foul on Dominykas Milka (40) of Christ The King. Mulvey couldn't get the ball to fall, but he converted two free throws.

Josh Dennis and Jack Reilly never scored many points, but they were always doing the little things that helped the Brothers win ballgames all year long.

Players like Chaz Lott, Joe Krong, Dan Cusato, Taylor Mulvey and Christian Signor never got a great deal of minutes, but they all put in big-time efforts night-in and night-out. Not many teams reach the Federation Tournament by going 10 deep, but that's exactly the formula that worked for CBA in 2009-10.

With players like Cancer, Weaver and Krong coming back, the Brothers should also be making plenty of noise in the years to come.