Nick St. Denis
For The Record


CLINTONVILLE – Placekicking wasn’t a strong point Saturday during NYSPHSAA Class C football regional action at AuSable Valley.

Oddly enough, one great kick decided the game.

A combined four failed extra points and a blocked field goal led Saranac Lake and Hoosick Falls to overtime, but Saranac Lake’s Forrest Morgan was good on a 34-yarder in the Red Storm’s first and final possession of extra play, leading his team to a 15-12 victory over the Panthers.

"We had discussed potentially doing something different," Saranac Lake coach Eric Bennett said. "But Forrest said, ‘Give it to me, I got it.’ We’ve listened to our players all year, and he won the game for us."

The Red Storm brought the match to overtime when they blocked a short Hoosick Falls field goal attempt with six seconds remaining in the game. Saranac Lake’s Mike Phelan nearly ran the block back for a score, but Randy Tutunjian made a terrific play to get back and tackle Phelan at the 22-yard line.

"He’s only a sophomore and I expect a lot of great things from him in the future," Hoosick Falls Ron Jones said.

The dramatic blocked kick was a climax of Saranac Lake momentum that had been building since Josh Quinn finally got the Red Storm, who were trailing 12-0, on the board on a 20-yard reverse play at 4:02 in the fourth quarter.

The score was set up by good field position thanks to an interception by Brian Fortune – an interception that was long overdue since Saranac Lake dropped three potential picks in the first half.

"They made a couple plays down the stretch, and that was the difference," Jones said. "There were a couple times it looked like we were going to squirt out for a big gain and they made the tackle. They tipped a couple passes where we had room to run afterward, things like that."

Saranac Lake’s Dalton Demarco made another interception on the ensuing drive after Hoosick Falls’ Brad Burns brought a 50-yard kick return to the Red Storm’s 49-yard line, and a 15-yard personal foul penalty by the Panthers put Saranac Lake 28 yards from the end zone.

Morgan wasted no time getting the Red Storm the tying score when he hit CJ Stewart for a scoring strike.

"We went with a sprint out, and the middle of the field was wide open because they knew we were trying to throw to the other side," Morgan said. "CJ Stewart made an unbeliev¬able catch in the back of the end zone."

Hoosick Falls held a halftime lead thanks to a touchdown run and a scoring pass by Panthers quarterback Mike Brewster.

Brewster, who finished the game with a stellar 287 yards through the air, hooked up with receiver Quinn Rasmus on a 32-yard touchdown strike with just over two minutes to go in the second quarter.

"He’s going to be a great college quarterback," Jones said.

The Red Storm continued its trend of offensive possessions in the third quarter – get one or two big first downs but stall and punt around midfield.

Aside from Morgan’s touchdown pass, Hoosick Falls gave up just one other play longer than 15 yards when it surrendered a 43-yard run by Morgan on the Red Storm’s first possession.

Whenever Saranac Lake tried to get its outside run game going, the backs were met by speedy Panthers defenders.

"That’s what their game seems to be, getting around the perimeter," Jones said. "We did a good job stopping that. They made good plays on defense that got them good field position, because we did have them backed up at times."

Morgan had net punts of 57 and 58 in the first half that helped the Red Storm hold their ground in the field-position battle.

Jones said despite the loss, it’s impossible to look at the Panthers’ 2010 campaign negatively.

"Our guys worked so hard in the offseason to get ready for this," he said. "We’re Section II champs. We would’ve liked to have gone further but it is what it is. We’ll go back to the drawing board, get back to work and keep pushing forward.

"We have nine seniors. It’s a really good group and it’s been a lot of fun watching those guys mature and grow up. We’ll have a lot of guys go on to lead successful lives, I think they know an awful lot about competition, being successful and holding your head up."

The Red Storm will face Bronxville in the state semifinals Saturday at noon at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

Saranac Lake 15, Hoosick Falls 12 (OT)
Hoosick Falls 0 12 0 0 0 – 12
Saranac Lake 0 0 0 12 3 – 15
First quarter
No scoring.
Second quarter
HF- M. Brewster 2 run (pass failed), 0:05.
HF Rasmus 32 pass from M. Brewster (kick missed), 9:48.
Third quarter
No scoring.
Fourth quarter
SL- Quinn 20 run (kick blocked), 4:02.
SL- Stewart 28 pass from Morgan (kick failed), 6:35.
Overtime
SL- Morgan 34 kick.
Individual statistics
Rushing
SL- Morgan 15-102. Quinn 2-20, TD. Ryan 5-17. Stewart 9-13. Madden 2-0. Phelan 2-0. Totals: 35-152, TD.
HF- Burns 15-79. Williams 7-26. M. Brewster 6-13, TD. Totals: 28-118, TD.
Passing
SL- Morgan 4-12-1-41, TD. Monty 0-1-0-0. Totals: 4-13-1-41, TD.
HF- M. Brewster 24-37-2-287, TD.
Receiving
SL- Stewart 1-28, TD. Ryan 1-7. Quinn 2-6. Totals: 4-41, TD.
HF- Rasmus 12-146, TD. Williams 5-70. Mulready 1-30. Tutunjian 3-26. Burns 1-4. M. Brewster 1-(-5). Totals: 24-287, TD.
Interceptions
SL- Fortune, Demarco.
HF- Rasmus.

--

PAWLING -- Rensselaer County High Schools were well represented Saturday in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association cross country meet at Lakeside Park.
Columbia freshmen Kyle Gronostaj finished ninth with a time of 16:18.6 in the Class AA dash. Lansingburgh senior C.J. Sousis placed 22nd in 17:06.2 in the Class B run. In Class D, Berlin’s Lew Palmer came in 33rd with a time of 18:09.8 while team¬mates Alex French was 43rd (18:36.2) and Connor Hoyt was 53rd (18:52.0).
On the girls side, Columbia eight grader Kaylee Scott finished in 50th place with a time of 19:59.7 in the Class AA girls race. Berlin’s Hannah French was 45th in 22:24.7 and Kayleigh Corrado was 48th in 22.27.6 in the Class D run.
Other top finishers in Section II include Saratoga senior Sam Place who finished second in 15:56.7 for the Class AA boys. Burnt Hills senior Otis Ubriaco was third in a time of 16:17.8 in the Class A boys race. Shaker High juniors Christian DeLago was sixth (16:06.8) and Michael Libruk was seventh (16:12.9).
On the girls side, Saratoga’s Keelin Hollowood finished 10th with a time of 18:44.0 in the Class AA girls race. Bishop Gibbons freshmen Tayla Williams was 11th in 19:43.6 in the Class B race. Betsy Edinger finished fourth in 19:24.5 for Greenwich in the Class C dash.

Girls Volleyball
Voorheesville 3, Ausable Valley 0: The 21-0 Lady Blackbirds swept a Class C Regionals match by scores of 25-15, 25-11 and 25-14. Libby Bjork paced Voorheesville with 13 service points and dished out 19 assists while Ellie Wagner smashed 18 digs and added seven points.
Rebecca Bablin finished with nine kills and 13 service points and Jessica Brower chipped in with 15 digs and 13 service points.
Voorheesville advances to the Class C state Final Four at Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Football
Moriah 14, Cambridge 6: Nick Gilbo scored on a one yard touchdown run in the first quarter before adding the game winning score from 50 yards out in the second quarter to give Moriah a Class D regional contest victory at Schuylerville High School.
Ryan Mascarenas connected on two extra point kicks in the victory for Moriah. Matt Best put Cambridge on the board with a 40 yard touchdown run late in the game.

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Hoosick Falls lost to Saranac Lake in the New York State Class C quarterfinals today, 15-12 in overtime. The Panthers were stopped on the first series of overtime and Saranac Lake kicked a 29-yard field goal on fourth down to win.
Mike Brewster, Hoosick Falls' senior QB, was named the Offensive Player of the Game.
David Couch was named the Defensive Player of the Game.

Later tonight, I will be at the Troy High vs. Monroe-Woodbury Class AA regional game at Dietz Stadium in Kingston (scheduled start time is 7:30 p.m.).

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Class C regional playoff game

Hoosick Falls (10-0) vs. Saranac Lake (9-0, Section X)

Saturday, 1 p.m., AuSable Valley High School, Clintonville

HOOSICK FALLS — As a freshman and a sophomore at Hoosick Falls High School, Quinn Rasmus wasn’t the happiest camper on the Panthers soccer team.

Prior to his junior year, Rasmus, at right, tried out for the football team and caught on as the team’s kicker and he made 22 extra points and one giant field goal – the game-winner in the Section II Class C Super Bowl against Chatham.

This season, Rasmus has emerged as one of the major weapons in Hoosick Falls’ air attack. Rasmus, a wide receiver, has caught 18 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he has intercepted three passes.

“Freshman and sophomore year I just hated soccer and my brother told me to give it a shot and I did,” Rasmus said. “I did a lot of sitting around and kicking, but it worked out. And this year, I’m starting, so it’s good.”

Rasmus, however is just one of five targets senior quarterback Mike Brewster has consistently found this season. Tanner Williams, at left, (26 recs., 398 yds., 7 TD), Brad Burns (11, 229, 2), Josh Mulready (11, 149, 1) and Randy Tutunjian (6, 107, 1) have backed Brewster, who has completed 80-of-121 passes for 1,254 yards and thrown 14 touchdowns against three interceptions.

The passing game has balanced out Hoosick Falls’ rushing attack, which has amassed a total of 2,295 yards on 306 attempts for 36 touchdowns.
Hoosick Falls head coach Ron Jones, in large part, gives credit for the Panthers’ passing success to assistant coach Josh Furnas, an Elmira native who played his college football at the University at Albany.

“Josh Furnas, he has done a great job with these guys teaching them very, very specific ways to run routes,” Jones said after Wednesday’s practice at the town park. “And that has been a very big advantage for us.”

Josh Mulready, above, is wearing a pink Mohawk during Hoosick Falls' playoff run.

Another reason the Panthers excel at throwing the football is the dedication Brewster and his receivers put in to route-running and catching following daily weight lifting sessions at the high school all summer long.

“That has been going on way before Mike was here,” Jones said. “We’ve had four or five QBs in a row to take the time and throw with the receivers. It’s made a big difference for us.”

Saturday, Hoosick Falls will see its mirror image in Section X champion Saranac Lake (9-0) in a regional playoff game at AuSable Valley High School. The Red Storm have won the Class C North Country championship two the past three years.

Saranac Lake, which runs a spread option offense like Hoosick Falls, also sports a 3-5-3 defensive alignment.

Randy Tutunjian, above, has over 100 receiving yards this season.

“They run the same defense we do and they run the same offense, mostly,” Jones said. “They’re pretty good. They hustle to the ball. They do a lot of things that good teams do well.”

Saranac Lake senior running back C.J. Stewart missed a chunk of the regular season with a knee injury, but rushed for 55 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Red Storm’s 55-6 championship victory over AuSable Valley last week.

Saranac Lake rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns against AuSable Valley.

“It definitely helps knowing what they’re going to do,” Williams said. “The scouting report helps. Our coaches do a great job of letting us know what they’re going to do.”

Whether they’re relying on the run or the pass in Saturday’s regional game, the Panthers also have a stout defense. Hoosick Falls’ starting defense has allowed just six touchdowns this season and four of those came in the first half of last week’s 61-28 Section II Class C Super Bowl victory over Chatham.

“I think we just have to keep the emotions high and stay focused and strive to win,” Burns, at right, said.

Note: A version of this story will appear in the paper Friday or Saturday.

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The defense certainly showed up for Troy in Friday's Section II Class AA Super Bowl against Shenendehowa. The Flying Horses posted a 38-0 shutout, capturing the first Section II title for the school since 2000. (Troy photos by J.S. Carras - The Record). 

COLONIE -- The Troy High School football looked super Friday night against Shenendehowa in the Section II Class AA championship game.

Troy limited Shen to 63 yards of total offense and the Flying Horses piled up 367 rushing yards on 44 attempts in a 38-0 victory over the Plainsmen at South Colonie High School.

Luis Lind (21) leads a group of Troy tacklers in pursuit of a Shenendehowa ballcarrier in Friday's Section II Class AA Super Bowl.

Jordan Canzeri, a senior running back and defensive back for Troy, gained 173 yards on 13 carries, scoring four touchdowns, including all three of Troy’s scores before halftime.

Troy (10-0), the Liberty Division’s No. 1 seed, held the Plainsmen to seven first downs in the game, two of which came on defensive pass interference calls. Shen’s star senior running back Bronson Greene was kept to 10 rushing yards on eight attempts – he ran the ball just once after halftime.

For video highlights from Troy's Super Bowl win, visit www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

"It’s a shutout in the Super Bowl. How much better does it get?" asked a soaking wet Troy head coach Jack Burger, who, like defensive coordinator Bob Burns, had been drenched with the contents of the water bucket in the game’s waning moments.

It was Troy’s first Section II Super Bowl title since 2000, which was the last in a string of five consecutive titles for the Flying Horses.

Troy's Michael Pastore drags down a Shen running back during Friday's game. Troy limited Shen superstar Bronson Greene to just 10 rushing yards in the game.

"This is what we’ve been waiting for," said senior lineman Jay Yaskanich. "We’ve been busting our tail all year for this. The first thing we have to do is say thanks to the coaches, our parents and everyone on the team that supported us."

Troy advances to play the Section IX champion in a regional game Saturday Nov. 13 at Dietz Stadium in Kingston at 7:30 p.m.

Monroe-Woodbury (9-0, No. 1 in the state) and Kingston play today in the Section IX championship game at Dietz Stadium at 7 p.m.

"Everybody is on the same page right now," said senior fullback and middle linebacker Kyle Geraci. "We’re all working hard in practice. We had three decent weeks of practice in a row. We’ve all been working hard and we all want the same goal."

Troy's Stephaun Grinage (31), a tough-as-nails linebacker, is the Flying Horses' No. 4 option out of the backfield and a pretty potent one at that.

Troy drained five and one half minutes off the clock on its first drive, a 10-play series that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown run for Canzeri. He scored on a 34-yard scamper on the first play in the second quarter and added a 36-yard touchdown run later in the period.

"We had to put it in their heads early that we had to stop them on defense and we had to score quick on offense," Canzeri said. "We just had to push, push, push and get the ball down the field and score. We knew that that would shake them up a little bit."

Troy High's Jordan Canzeri runs behind Shatiek Lewis (41) and Kyle Geraci (44) in Friday's Section II Class AA Super Bowl at Colonie High School.

Senior quarterback Brian Marsh added 87 rushing yards on nine attempts and Shatiek Lewis, who scored a pair of touchdowns, gained 70 yards on 10 carries.

"We’re as good as the sum of our parts," Burger said. "If you try to shut down Jordan, Sha will carry the load. If you try to shut down Sha, Brian can carry the load.

"We should have probably thrown the ball a little bit more since they were getting nine guys up, but we knew they’re not a quick strike offense and they were going to have to burn five, six minutes to move the ball and score," continued Burger. "We were trying to shorten the game just like they were."

Shenendehowa (7-3), the Empire Division No. 3 seed, sputtered in the Super Bowl but made a tremendous run just to get there after losing its final two regular season games.

"I thought that showed a little character," said Shen head coach Brent Steuerwald. "They responded in the correct manner to adversity and that is one of the great lessons that you learn from playing football."

TROY 38, SHENENDEHOWA 0

Shenendehowa (7-3) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Troy (10-0) 6 12 13 7 - 38
First Quarter
T - Jordan Canzeri 7 run (Badro Talbi kick blocked) 6:32
Second Quarter
T - Canzeri 25 run (Brian Marsh run failed) 11:54
T - Canzeri 36 run (Marsh pass to Canzeri failed) 8:32
Third Quarter
T - Shatiek Lewis 8 run (Talbi kick failed) 5:56
T - Canzeri 56 run (Talbi kick) 0:57
Fourth Quarter
T - Lewis 10 run (Talbi kick) 11:10
Individual Stats:
Rushing: Shenendehowa (37-30): Fusco 8-15, McCart 3-11, Greene 8-10, Walrath 6-1, No. 6 10, Neumann 1-5, Schilling 2-4, Sutton 1-1, Gailor 1-0, Van Galen 6-(-27). Troy (43-367): Canzeri 13-173, Marsh 9-87, Lewis 10-70, Grinage 5-28, Felder 4-7, Geraci 1-6, Mann 1-(-1), Chamberlain 1-(-3).
Passing: Shenendehowa: Van Galen 2-9-33-0-0. Troy: Marsh 1-3-18-0-0.
Receiving: Shenendehowa (2-33): Wall 1-17, Sutton 1-16. Troy (1-18): Thomas 1-18.

--

Hoosick Falls senior quarterback Mike Brewster pumps his fists as he runs into the end zone against Chatham in Friday night's Section II Class C Super Bowl game at Stillwater. (Hoosick Falls photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Ed Weaver

The Record

STILLWATER — Hoosick Falls delivered a message to contenders for the New York State Class C football championship on Friday night.

'Just try to stop us' was that message, as the Panthers overwhelmed their namesakes from Chatham in an avalanche of offense, scoring nine touchdowns, gaining 31 first downs and amassing 674 yards in total offense in a 61-28 Section II Super Bowl blowout.

The 10-0 Panthers scored late in the wild first half to gain a 28-28 tie, then dominated Chatham -- the state's 4th-ranked Class C team -- on both sides of the ball in the second half.

Sophomore running back Brad Burns rushed for 248 yards and five touchdowns, while senior Tanner Williams, the Panthers No. 1 rusher this season, carried 24 times for 201 yards and one touchdown.

He also set up another first-half score, taking a swing pass on a tackle-breaking, direction-changing 60 yard gain.

Panthers quarterback Mike Brewster passed for 166 yards, one for a touchdown, and also rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Hoosick Falls rushed for 508 yards.

"Never did I imagine we would rack up over 600 yards, especially in a (Section II) Super Bowl against such a strong team," Hoosick Falls coach Ron Jones said.

"Our two running backs did a great job of running through tackles and finishing runs," Jones said.

"This is awesome," Burns said. "Our offensive line took control and we just started running the ball and when we got up, we stayed up. I love it."

Hoosick Falls defense surrendered four touchdowns and 277 yards in the first half but kept Chatham off the board over the final 24 minutes and held them to 74 yards.

"The coaches made some great adjustments to the play-calling and we followed that up," linebacker Garrett Foster said of the great defensive showing in the second half.

"There wasn't one person who didn't step it up in the second half," said fellow linebacker Steve Colvin. "We knew we had to do that."

Chatham speedy star running back Josh Keyes rushed for 110 yards and one touchdown in the first half and also threw an option pass to Ian McGrath for a 21-yard TD.

In the second half, Keyes rushed just five times for 14 yards and Chatham fell behind.

Hoosick Falls senior linebacker Garrett Foster tackles Chatham's Josh Keyes during Friday's Section II Class C Super Bowl at Stillwater.

Chatham quarterback Tanner Niles passed for 199 yards and one TD but a pair of second-half interceptions killed any chance for a Chatham rally.

"It was almost like an arena football game," Jones said. "We felt like if we could get a couple stops, we'd be all right."

Burns capped scoring drives of 70 and 65 yards with 5-yard scoring runs over the first eight minutes of the third quarter, then an interception by Ryan Hyde killed a Chatham drive deep in Hoosick Falls territory. 

Then Brewster capped a 63-yard drive with a 37-yard, scrambling run for a touchdown that gave HF a 48-28 lead early in the fourth quarter.

That, coupled with the fact that Keyes was showing a limp, virtually ended Chatham's hopes.

 

Hoosick Falls receiver Josh Mulready leaps with the football during Friday's Section II Class C Super Bowl victory over Chatham.

"We thought it was going to be a great game and it was," Burns said.

"Not a clue," Burns said when asked if the Panthers suspected they could run so effectively against Chatham.

"We saw that some other teams ran the ball against them, so that was our game plan but no, nothing like this.

"Just amazing," Burns said. "We came out firing in the second half, we ran all over them and I love it."

HOOSICK FALLS 61, CHATHAM 28

Hoosick Falls (10-0) 7 21 14 19 — 61

Chatham (9-1) 14 14 0 0 — 28

First quarter

HF — Quinn Rasmus 21 pass from Mike Brewster Erick Mulready kick) 7:31

Ch. — Ian McGrath 21 pass from Josh Keyes (Ryan Behrens kick) 5:14

Ch. — Keyes 8 run (Behrens kick) 0:08

Second period

HF — Brad Burns 5 run (Mulready kick) 9:28

Ch. — McGrath 28 pass from Mike Brewster (Behrens kick) 7:33

HF — Burns 4 run (Mulready kick) 5:42

Ch. — Keyes 7 run (Behrens kick) 4:24

HF — Brewster 7 run (Mulready kick) 3:21

Third quarter

HF — Burns 5 run (kick failed) 8:05

HF — Burns 5 run (Connor Williams pass from Randy Tutunjian) 4:14

Fourth quarter

HF — Brewster 37 run (kick failed) 11:50

HF — Williams 1 run (kick blocked) 7:53

HF — Burns 1 run (Mulready kick) 4:46

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Hoosick Falls -- Burns 18-248, 5 TDs; Tanner Williams 24-201, 1TD; Mike Brewster 6-60, 1 TD. Chatham-- Keyes 17-124, 2 TDs; Chase Smith 6-30; Trevor Madsen 2-6; Mike Dorato 1-6; Tanner Niles 5-minus-8; Zack 1-minus-3.

PASSING: Hoosick Falls -- Brewster 7-10-0, 166 yards, 1 TD; Niles 14-28-0, 199 yards, 1 TD.

RECEIVING: Hoosick Falls -- Rasmus 3-62, 1 TD; Williams 1-60; Josh Mulready 1-20; Tutunjian 1-13; Burns 1-11. Chatham -- McGrath 4-81, 2 TDs; Gilbert Rivera 4-69; Jordan Sirani 4-37; Keyes 1-6; Smith 1-6.

Hoosick Falls junior Tanner Williams (40) gained over 200 yards of total offense in Friday's Section II Class C Super Bowl victory over Chatham.

--

Cambridge's Matt Best runs against Rensselaer in the Section II Class D Super Bowl Friday night at Schuylerville High School. (Rensselaer photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Mike Cioffi
The Record

SCHUYLERVILLE -- The Cambridge High School football team is back. After a three year hiatus, the Indians are returning to the Class D regionals after overcoming a sluggish first half to post a convincing 35-0 Class D Super Bowl victory over Rensselaer Friday night at Schuylerville High School. The Indians last advanced past the Section II playoffs in 2007 when it won the Class C Super Bowl.

"We didn’t start off very well and little mistakes cost us points," Cambridge coach Doug Luke said. "We could have taken care of things a little earlier I think but eventually we got it together. Every time you win a sectional championship it feels good, there’s no question about it. It’s new for these guys so it’s even more special in that way," he added.

"We just came out with emotion and played great tonight," Cambridge running back Matt Best said. "It feels wonderful their (Rensselaer) a very good team."

Best finished with 151 yards rushing on 12 carries and three touchdowns.

Rensselaer's Tom Collins (7) looks to slip through the Cambridge defense Friday night at Schuylerville High School.

Rensselaer opened the game with a 12 play drive that was stalled on a failed fourth down attempt. The Rams lost starting quarterback Timmy Foust during that drive and he did not return.

"Tommy Collins tonight, hell of an effort but he’s also our number one weapon when we can move him around. With no quarterback we can’t move him around to much," Rensselaer coach Joel Preston said. "He (Collins) is not as sharp with it and it really handcuffed what we could do offensively."

Collins replaced Foust and fumbled the ball three plays later into the hands of Cambridge’s Jeremy Stevens deep in Rams territory. Cambridge took advantage and converted on a two yard touchdown run by Will Bromirski with 1:18 left in the first.

Matt Best scored from 60 yards out for one of his two touchdown runs on the night to give the Indians a 14-0 advantage with 5:51 left in the half.

"It helps to break a 50 yard run and then block a punt, everything went our way at that point," Luke said.

Bromirski picked off a Collins pass three plays later but the Rams front line stymied four consecutive Indian rushing attempts on the goal line to escape with a 14-0 deficit at the half.

Cambridge came out re-energized in the third quarter, rattling off two scores in a span of five minutes to stun the Rams. Best capped a four play, 57 yard drive with a 20 yard touchdown run just 1:42 into the quarter.

"Intensity, we all played with emotion (in the second half) and we played great. We came together, worked out all of our kinks and did what we needed to do to get better," Best said.

Later in the third, Cambridge snuffed out a fake punt attempt by Collins at mid field and took over at Rensselaer’s 11. On the next play, Billy Pine connected with Nick Diotte on an 11 yard scoring pass.

"Its one of those things that can happen, a little momentum change then bang you have three touchdowns," Luke said.

After a high snap resulted in a 29 yard loss for the Rams Collins had to punt from his own end line. The attempt was blocked and recovered by Best in the end zone for a touchdown and a 35-0 advantage for the Indians.

Cambridge will play the winner of today’s Section VIII Super Bowl between Moriah and Ticonderoga.

Moriah had beaten Rensselaer the past two years.

"We concentrate on the same thing every week, and hope that we do a good job with our scouting and put the kids in a position to play well and we take it from there," Luke said. "Its going to be nothing different than any other week, were just playing a different team," he added.

Cambridge's Bill Englehardt tackles a Rensselaer rusher during Friday's Section II Class D Super Bowl at Schuylerville.

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Section II Class C Super Bowl

N1 Hoosick Falls (9-0) 

vs. S1 Chatham (9-0)

At Stillwater High School

Friday, 7 p.m.

HOOSICK FALLS — It’s déjà vu all over again in Class C, as Hoosick Falls and Chatham have successfully navigated back to the Section II Super Bowl for a second consecutive season.

“It’s Chatham week. Let’s go,” said Steve Colvin, a senior two-way lineman, after Saturday’s semifinal victory over Fonda-Fultonville.

While the uniforms will look the same – and some of the key players from the 2009 game also return – the teams have taken different paths to the 2010 rematch.

Hoosick Falls relied heavily on senior running back Alex Hansen a season ago, as he rushed for 1,575 yards. With Hansen gone, the Panthers have diversified on offense.

Junior running back Tanner Williams leads the way with 473 rushing yards, 382 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns. Sophomore running back Brad Burns (73 atts., 666 yds., 8 TDs) and senior quarterback Mike Brewster (51 att., 182 yds., 7 TDs) also figure in the running game.

Brewster has passed for 1,097 yards, completing 69-of-105 passes and tossing 13 touchdowns against two interceptions. Williams and Burns join Quinn Rasmus, Randy Tutunjian, Connor Martin and Josh Mulready as receiving threats.

“We have to come out with the intensity,” said Brewster. “If we can hit them hard a couple times – they’re a great team, they’re a well-coached team – we just have to come out intense. We have to come out ready for them.”

Chatham, on the other hand, returns its starting tailback from 2009 in senior Josh Keyes. Diversification has been the name of the game for the South Division champions as well.

Keyes, who has rushed for 1,544 yards on 135 attempts and has scored 21 total touchdowns, is also one of Section II’s most fearsome defensive players from the free safety position.

Chatham rode Keyes for nearly 2,000 yards in 2009, but the Panthers have lightened the load on him by turning to the passing game. Tanner Niles has completed 50-of-91 passes for 1,098 yards, including 21 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Ian McGrath, Section II’s leading receiver, has caught 30 of those passes for 733 yards and 14 touchdowns.

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

If any defense is ready for the challenge that Chatham’s offense presents, it would be Hoosick Falls’, as the starting stoppers have allowed just two touchdowns all season.

Hoosick Falls, which is 4-0 in postseason games at Stillwater High School the past two years, is also hoping to avoid any last-second drama the second time around. Quinn Rasmus’ last-second field goal lifted Hoosick Falls to a 17-14 victory over Chatham in the 2009 Panther Bowl.

“The three of us have been doing this since our sophomore season,” Brewster said of his friendships with Colvin and senior two-way lineman Garrett Foster. “We want to keep continuing on this road and we want to get through Chatham. We’re going to keep working hard.”

--
Look for previews on the other three Section II Super Bowls coming soon.

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Maple Hill senior striker Meeghan Arno (20) threads the needle between Hoosick Falls' Alexis Hagadorn (20) and Liz Babson (12) during Wednesday's Section II Class B semifinal game at Stillwater High School. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

STILLWATER — For the first 20 minutes of Wednesday’s Section II Class B semifinal, the Hoosick Falls High School girls soccer team brought the pressure against No. 1 seeded Maple Hill.

The Panthers squeezed off a handful of shots on Wildcats keeper Elizabeth Briggs and Hoosick Falls senior Kristin Bird even hit the post on a shot attempt less than five minutes into the game.

Maple Hill’s Meeghan Arno, however, proved to be the finisher in a game of missed opportunities.

Arno, a senior striker, scored with 4:18 remaining in the first half on a high shot just out of the reach of Hoosick Falls keeper Katelyn Stowell. Arno scored again with 25:08 to play in the second half, which was all the Wildcats would need in a 2-0 victory over the No. 4 seeded Panthers at Warrior Park at Stillwater High School.

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

Maple Hill (19-0-0), ranked No. 12 in the latest New York State Class B poll, advanced to face No. 7 Chatham (15-2-0) in Saturday’s Section II championship game, which will be played at Stillwater at 3 p.m.

“I knew coming into the game I had to shoot a lot,” Arno said. “We had to put a lot of shots on the keeper.”

Arno’s first goal, which came just before the halftime break, certainly swung the momentum toward Maple Hill, seeing as Hoosick Falls had forced Briggs to make six of her eight saves in the first 40 minutes alone.

“We were crushing them in the first 20 minutes and if we score two, all of a sudden, the momentum, we’re going crazy,” said Hoosick Falls head coach Tom Husser on his team’s early chances. “It’s a whole different game. Girls soccer is a funny thing. Some days it’s not meant to be.”

In the second half, Arno took advantage of a Hoosick Falls misplay in the backfield and raced in on Stowell one-on-one. Arno patiently waited for Stowell to make her move before firing the ball at the net, which gave the Wildcats an insurmountable two-goal lead.

Hoosick Falls sophomore goalkeeper Katelyn Stowell leaps to make a save during Wednesday's Section II Class B semifinal game against Maple Hill.

“The momentum changed a lot, really,” Arno said. “We knew if they got one quick one in the first half, they would have had the momentum. Their forwards had us on our heels. We knew we had to come out strong and just make sure we could stay back, focus on defense and on marking those very good Hoosick Falls girls.”

One year ago, Maple Hill fell in heartbreaking fashion in double overtime to another Wasaren League team, Cambridge, in the Section II Class CC semifinals on the artificial turf surface at Stillwater.

“We didn’t want to make the same mistakes we did last year,” said Arno. “We worked hard in practice the two days we had off between games and just fixed the mistakes from last year and came out strong.”

Hoosick Falls (13-4-2), ranked No. 17 in the latest Class B poll, will graduate six seniors, but with a number of underclassmen with experience, Husser is already looking forward to 2011.

“We’re very young,” he said. “We lost five good starters, three of them were All-State, from last year’s team and they still expected to be bringing it every time. We’re young and the good thing is we’ll have a lot of those girls back next year.”

Maple Hill's Chelsea Mannion evades a Hoosick Falls defender during Wednesday's semifinal game at Stillwater High School.

Chatham defeated No. 6 Schuylerville in double overtime Wednesday evening. Jenelle Wallace scored with 3:05 remaining in the second overtime period for the upset victory.

In the quarterfinals, Chatham had knocked out No. 2 Mechanicville and Schuylerville topped No. 3 Hoosic Valley.

Maple Hill defeated Chatham twice in the Patroon Conference regular season by scores of 3-1 and 4-1.

“We know what they are, they know what we do and it’s going to be a very good game,” Arno said. “It’s good for them to make it this far. They had a strong team this year.”

Hoosick Falls' Deanna Dubois leaps as Maple Hill's Meeghan Arno leans into a header during Wednesday's Section II Class B semifinal playoff game at Stillwater.

MAPLE HILL 2, HOOSICK FALLS 0

Hoosick Falls (13-4-2) 0 0 –0
Maple Hill (19-0-0) 1 1 — 2
Scoring: MH: Arno 2-0, Legge 0-1.
Goalie saves: HF: Stowell, 8. MH: Briggs, 8.
Corner kicks: HF: 0. MH: 2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOOSICK FALLS 46, FONDA-FULTONVILLE 13

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

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Hoosick Falls linemen Erick Mulready (58) and Jeremy Barss (78) take a breather during a game against Mechanicville earlier this season. (Photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

HOOSICK FALLS — Tonight’s game at Hoosick Falls is going be meaningful for plenty of reasons, few of which will actually have to do with the action on the gridiron.

The Panthers (6-0, 7-0), the No. 1 seed in Class C’s North Division, host South Division No. 4 seed Watervliet (4-2, 4-3) at 7 p.m. in a quarterfinal round contest. Hoosick Falls received a bye last week when Lake George could not field a roster of at least 16 healthy players (a New York State Public High School Athletic Association rule) and was forced to postpone a number of homecoming and senior day activities.

Hoosick Falls will honor its seniors prior to tonight’s game, although pregame ceremonies are traditionally taboo in the postseason. The Panthers have only played two home games this season because of the Lake George forfeit, so Watervliet head coach Erick Bernard and the Section II football committee OK’d the pomp and circumstance without a second thought.

Hoosick Falls senior quarterback Mike Brewster, seen here looking to pass against Mechanicville earlier this season, will be one of 11 seniors honored prior to Friday's game against Watervliet.

Mike Brewster is among the 11 seniors that will be recognized in the ceremony. Hoosick Falls’ starting quarterback and outside linebacker, has completed 52-of-80 passes for 753 yards, throwing nine touchdowns against two interceptions.

Steve Colvin, John Crucetti, Garrett Foster, Nick Frazier, Ryan Hand, Chris Marshall, Connor Martin, Erick Mulready, Quinn Rasmus and Jordan Telford, will also be recognized.

Hoosick Falls, the No. 4 ranked Class C team in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association poll, has outscored opponents 217 to 39. The Panthers’ starting defense has allowed just two touchdowns in six games.

Hoosick Falls sophomore Brad Burns attempts to tackle Mechanicville's David Funaro during a game at Mechanicville earlier this season.

The unexpected bye week allowed that defense to get even tighter, as Hoosick Falls head coach Ron Jones was able to delve into his patented situation-based practices that helped his 2009 team reach the New York State Class C semifinals.

“We had a surprisingly good week of practice,” Jones said. “I was very happy with that. We worked on situations. We always work on the two-minute offense, but we also got into passing situations offensively and defensively and overtime scenarios. We broke up practice that way and changed the format around.”

Hoosick Falls sophomore Brad Burns runs with the ball at Mechanicville earlier this season.

A season ago, the Panthers relied heavily on senior running back Alex Hansen, a first team all-area selection who rushed for 1,606 yards on 214 attempts, scoring 26 touchdowns. This year, sophomore Brad Burns (56 atts., 469 yds., 6 TD) and junior Tanner Williams (48 atts., 339 yds., 9 TD) have split the duties.

Williams is also a major receiving threat, having gained 267 yards on 17 catches. Four were touchdowns.

“We’re a little more diverse this year, but we’re not as big and strong,” said Jones. “I don’t know which one is better. I couldn’t tell right now.”

Tanner Williams, a junior running back and safety for the Hoosick Falls football team, is a dual threat as a running back and a receiver.

Watervliet, on the other hand, has been reeling since losing senior running back and defensive back Ryan Manning to a season-ending shoulder injury in a Week Four game at Tamarac. The Cannoneers have gone 1-2 in their last three games and were outscored 60-16 over that stretch.

In 2008, however, an underdog Watervliet team, on the road, upset Hoosick Falls in the first round of the Class C playoffs en route to a Section II Super Bowl title.

The Hoosick Falls sports marketing class taught by Steve Kenna, who credited his students with coming up with all of the ideas, will be conducting a number of breast cancer awareness activities as part of a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser tonight. Both endzones on Ken Baker Field will be painted pink and a pink ribbon decal will be applied to the helmet of every player on both teams.

T-shirts will also be on sale for $15 and pin-up placards will also be available for purchase. They will be displayed on the fence ringing the field. All proceeds, of course, go to charity.

Hoosick Falls' David Couch (51) looks to make a tackle at Mechanicville earlier this season.

Class C playoff glance

(S4) Watervliet (4-2, 4-3) 

at (N1) Hoosick Falls (6-0, 7-0)

Fri., 7 p.m.

Class C quarterfinals

Notable: The Cannoneers scored an upset first round victory at Hoosick Falls on Oct. 24, 2008, winning 22-19 en route to a Section II Class C Super Bowl title. The teams did not meet in 2009.

(N3) Mechanicville (4-2, 4-3)

at (S2) Fonda-Fultonville (5-1, 5-2)

Sat., 1 p.m.

Class C quarterfinals

Notable: These teams have not met on the gridiron in recent memory. Mechanicville is making its first playoff appearance since 2006.Fonda has qualified for the playoffs every season since 1996.

(N4) Tamarac (4-2, 5-2)

at (S1) Chatham (5-0, 7-0)

Fri., 7 p.m.

Class C quarterfinals

Notable: Tamarac is making its third postseason appearance in program history. The team also played in the playoffs in 2008 and 1983, the year of its one and only Section II title. Chatham, which appeared in the Section II Class C Super Bowl last season, has qualified for the postseason every year since 2002.

(S3) Voorheesville (3-2, 5-2)

at (N2) Greenwich (5-1, 5-2)

Fri., 7 p.m.

Class C quarterfinals

Notable: Greenwich played in the Class D Super Bowl last season and has successfully made the jump to Class C in 2010. Voorheesville last won a Section II Class C Super Bowl in 1998, having defeated Greenwich in the semifinals.

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Panthers spoil the party
Hoosick Falls shuts out Mechanicville in Red Raiders’ first night game in nine years

MECHANICVILLE -- An hour before Friday’s game, David Couch prowled around the football field at Mechanicville High School, eyes squinted and fists clenched, ready for action.

During the playing of the national anthem, Couch, a junior offensive guard and inside linebacker, had to excuse himself from the Hoosick Falls sidelines. He was dry-heaving and crouched down behind the Panthers bench to get his breath.

Yet on the first play of the game, Couch buried Mechanicville running back David Funaro with a thunderous hit at the line of scrimmage that set the tone for the rest of the game. The Hoosick Falls defense held the Red Raiders to 32 total yards and senior quarterback Mike Brewster passed for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 Class C North Division victory on Coach Ted Weigle Memorial Field.

"I get kind of nervous before every game," Couch grinned. "I get too excited, I get too wound up and I get myself all choked up. Just about every game I do that. But after I get that first hit out of the way, it’s all downhill from there."

Hoosick Falls junior David Couch (51_ looks to make a tackle as a Mechanicville lineman bears down for a block during Friday's game at Mechanicville. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Hoosick Falls (2-0, 2-0) forced Mechanicville to punt after three plays on its first drive and Brewster connected with Randy Tutunjian on a 22-yard scoring strike on the fourth play of the Panthers’ ensuing drive.

After forcing another three-and-out, Hoosick Falls scored on the first play of its second offensive drive, as Brad Burns scampered 57 yards to the end zone.

Brad Burns (35) looks for running room as Garrett Foster (53) blocks a would-be Mechanicville tackler during Friday's game. (McMahon photo - The Record).

"I try to make the first hit on the first play of the game so I’m ready to go for the whole game," Couch said. "I don’t want to be gagging up on the field at all."

On the Panthers’ third drive of the first quarter, Tanner Williams ran 11 yards for a touchdown on the fourth play after Hoosick Falls had forced another Mechanicville three-and-out.

Hoosick Falls senior quarterback Mike Brewster eludes a would-be Mechanicville tackler during Friday's game. (McMahon photo - The Record).

"We’ve had a lot of big plays and when we start playing some really good teams, we’re going to have to develop longer drives," Brewster said. "It’s something we’re going to have to keep working on in practice and keep up the pace."

Erick Mulready provided two sacks for the Panthers and Steve Colvin added one sack.

Erick Mulready climbs on board Mechanicville quarterback Sal Cimino for a sack during Friday's game. (McMahon photo - The Record).

Mechanicville (0-1, 0-2), which was hosting its first Friday night game in nine years – the Red Raiders have played home games on Saturday afternoons in recent times – made just three first downs in Friday’s game. One came via a Hoosick Falls penalty. The Red Raiders, who fell 21-0 to Voorheesville in Week One, have yet to score a point in the 2010 season.

John Abele paced Mechanicville with a team-high 37 rushing yards on nine attempts.

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

For Hoosick Falls, Brad Burns led the way on the ground with 95 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Junior Tanner Williams, primarily a receiving threat a season ago, added 121 all-purpose yards (96 receiving, 25 rushing) for the Panthers.

"It’s a lot more pounding you take, but our line is doing a good job this year and we’re getting yards, getting big plays and breaking them," Williams said.

Tanner Williams looks for running room during Friday night's game against Mechanicville. (McMahon photo - The Record).

Hoosick Falls began its Section II Class C Super Bowl title defense with a 48-20 victory over Corinth in Week One, but the Panthers took a major step forward Friday night, especially with their discipline on defense.

"We just asked them to play within themselves tonight," said head coach Ron Jones. "They did. Our defense was just amazing.

"Last week they were trying to make everything a big hit," Jones continued. "Tonight, let’s make everything a tackle. That’s what I asked them to do before the game and I think they did a great job of that."

HOOSICK FALLS 42, MECHANICVILLE 0

Hoosick Falls (2-0, 2-0) 21 7 7 7 - 42
Mechanicville (0-1, 0-2) 0 0 0 0 - 0
First Quarter
HF - Randy Tutunjian 22 pass from Mike Brewster (Quinn Rasmus kick) 8:20
HF - Brad Burns 57 run (Rasmus kick wide left) 5:45
HF - Tanner Williams 11 run (Williams run) 2:23
Second Quarter
HF - Williams 49 pass from Brewster (Rasmus kick) 11:01
Third Quarter
HF - Williams 32 pass from Brewster (Rasmus kick) 6:53
Fourth Quarter
HF - Mike Mattat 3 run (Rasmus kick) 5:10
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Hoosick Falls (33-216): Burns 11-95, Williams 4-25, Brewster 4-11, Brogue 7-44, Sargood 2-18, Mattat 5-23. Mechanicville (32-25) Funaro 11-12, Abele 9-37, Dunn 5-5, Cimino 5-(-23), Williams 2-(-6).
Passing: Hoosick Falls: Brewster 6-9-146-2-0. Mechanicville: Cimino 2-10-7-0-0.
Receiving: Hoosick Falls (6-146): Williams 4-96, Tutunjian 1-22, Burns 1-28. Mechanicville (2-7): Funaro 1-7, Grayson 1-0.

--
In Lansingburgh, Brien Bouyea covered the Watervliet/Catholic Central game for us. Here is an excerpt from his story.

TROY -- Ryan Manning says the Watervliet High School foot¬ball team has a simple approach on the gridiron.

"We bleed garnet and we sweat gray," Manning, a senior captain, said in reference to his team’s colors. "When you play for Watervliet you are expected to leave everything you have on the field. That’s what we are all about. We don’t want to leave the field with the feeling that we didn’t play to our potential."

Watervliet senior running back Ryan Manning (32) looks for running room against the Catholic Central defense Friday night. (McMahon photo - The Record).

It took the Cannoneers some time to rise to their talent level on Friday night, but once they did Catholic Central had no answers. Manning scored three touchdowns, junior quarterback Brandon Legault passed for a pair of TDs and Watervliet’s defense registered four interceptions en route to a 40-7 Class C South Division drubbing of the Crusaders at Carley Field.

Watervliet's Eric Clemons gets his hands on Catholic Central quarterback Mike Sunkes during Friday's game. (McMahon photo - The Record).

Manning scored on a 19-yard pass from Legault in the first quarter and then found the end zone on runs of 6 yards and 1 yard in the second quarter to stake the Cannoneers (2-0, 2-0) to a 21-7 lead at the half.

Watervliet's Pat Ebenhoch (7) makes a tackle on CCHS quarterback Mike Sunkes during Friday's game. (McMahon photo - The Record).

"It took us some time to get rolling, but we made some big plays and did what we needed to do," said Manning, who rushed for 68 yards on 11 carries and hauled in four passes for 82 yards. "It all started up front with our line. Those guys really wore them down and did all the dirty work for us. They deserve a lot of credit."

Watervliet players (left) and Catholic Central players (right) meet in a scrum on the field Friday night. (McMahon photo - The Record).

WATERVLIET 40, CATHOLIC CENTRAL 7

Watervliet (2-0, 2-0)......................................7 14 7 13 - 40
Catholic Central (0-2, 0-2)............................7 0 0 0 - 7
First Quarter
W - Ryan Manning 19 pass from Brandon Legault (Shevon Sneith kick), 7:08.
C - Tyler McLeod 33 pass from Mike Sunkes (Sunkes kick), 0:16.
Second Quarter
W - Manning 6 run (Sneith kick), 6:46.
W - Manning 1 run (Sneith kick), 1:01.
Third Quarter
W - Andre Williams 7 run (Sneith kick), 3:54.
Fourth Quarter
W - Pat Ebenhoch 3 pass from Legault (kick failed), 9:47.
W - Sean Daley 48 interception return (run failed), 2:25.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: W - Ryan Manning 11-68, Andre Williams 11-55, Brandon Legault 1-(-11), Nick Brown 5-51; C - Ryan Gratton 4-(-13), Anthony Marchese 2-7, Tyler Gaston 6-30, Mike Sunkes 7-(-5), Tyler Gagnon 1-0, Tyler McLeod 1-(-4).
PASSING: W - Brandon Legault 12-20-0-199; C - Mike Sunkes 6-15-3-85, Tyler Gaston 2-5-1-14.
RECEIVING: W - Antonio Lind 2-39, Ryan Manning 4-82, Pat Ebenhoch 3-17, Tom Sczepanski 2-33, Andre Williams 1-28; C - Ryan Gratton 4-46, Tyler McLeod 4-53.

Saratoga Springs' Landon Moore attempts to tackle a Ballston Spa ballcarrier, but the Scotties won the game, 21-20. (Photo courtesy The Saratogian).

Section II scoreboard

WEEK TWO
TONIGHT
Class AA
Liberty Division
Niskayuna 34, Columbia 28 (OT)
Empire Division
Ballston Spa 21, Saratoga Springs 20
Shaker 28, Schenectady 21
Non-division
Guilderland 28, La Salle 13
Class A
Non-division
Glens Falls 46, Bishop Maginn 31
Amsterdam 48, Broadalbin-Perth 0
S.Glens Falls 27, Scotia-Glenville 0
Burnt Hills 42, Averill Park 0
Lansingburgh 35, Gloversville 28
Class B
Non-division
Cobleskill 40, Cairo-Durham 0
Schuylerville 41, Cohoes 7
Stillwater 27, Ichabod Crane 18
Ravena 44, Johnstown 12
Schalmont 34, Hudson 7

Cohoes's Eric Maxwell attempts to bring down a Schuylerville ballcarrier during Friday's game. Schuylerville won, 41-7. (Photo courtesy The Saratogian).

Class C
North Division
Hoos. Falls 42, Mechanicville 0
South Division
Watervliet 40, CCHS 7
Coxsackie at Taconic Hills 7 p.m.
Chatham 28, Canajoharie 0
Class D
Rensselaer 34, Fort Edward 22

TOMORROW
Sat., Sept. 11
Class AA
Empire Division
CBA at Bethlehem 1:30 p.m.
Liberty Division
Shen at Albany 1:30 p.m.
Colonie at Troy 1:30 p.m.
Class A
Non-division
Mohon at Queensbury 1:30 p.m.
Class B
Non-division
Hudson Falls at 1:30 p.m.
Class C
South Division
Voorheesville at Fonda 1 p.m.
North Division
Greenwich at Granville 1 p.m.
Tamarac at Hoosic Valley 1 p.m.
Class D
Cambridge at Whitehall 1 p.m.
Warrensburg at Salem 1 p.m.

Check back Saturday for more updates, pictures and videos. Also be sure to check out our next live chat Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

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