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 D Super Bowl

No. 2 Rensselaer (6-2) vs.

No. 1 Cambridge (8-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Schuylerville High School

RENSSELAER — For the third consecutive season, the Rensselaer High School football team will be playing in the Section II Class D Super Bowl.

The 2010 campaign, however, certainly wasn’t an all-smiles victory lap for the Rams.

“It’s definitely been a rebuilding year for us,” said head coach Joel Preston, “a very challenging year for us in that regard. There is a lot of football talent out there, but I think our biggest struggle is our junior class. It’s really just a void there. Between that and injuries, it’s been a very tough year.”

First, the Rams had to replace nearly all of their skill players from the 2008 and 2009 Section II Super Bowl championship squads and remodel a defense that was one of the toughest in Class D. Numbers were up this season, but only three juniors are on the team, meaning Preston has had to lean on sophomores and freshman in key positions.

Although Rensselaer returned three true starters on the offensive line and added two players with significant experience, injuries have beset the team. Three players have been ruled out for the season and a handful of others are playing at less than 100%.

With only seven teams in Class D this season, Rensselaer also faced two bye weeks in 2010, including a 16-0 crossover defeat at Class C Canajoharie in Week Eight.

“The last few years we won the Super Bowl. We lost a couple of great players, but we want to three-peat,” said senior Tom Collins. “We want to win for a third year in a row.”

Collins, an outside linebacker at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, has been a boon to the Rensselaer offense, as he plays a multitude of different positions and gives the Rams flexibility from week-to-week and from play-to-play.

“I’m whatever coach tells me to play,” he laughed. “Receiver, quarterback, running back.”

The Rams face undefeated Cambridge tonight in the Super Bowl, but it won’t be the first meeting of the teams this season. Cambridge won, 30-0, at Rensselaer on Oct. 1.

“I kind of knew we were going to see them in the Super Bowl,” Collins said. “I wasn’t expecting a loss the first time around, especially 30-0. But we learned from that loss. We learned we can lose and we fixed a lot of things and we all came together as a team.”

The Rensselaer players and coaches know they’ll have their hands full with Cambridge’s tough five-man defensive line and offensive weapons Matt Best and Billy Pine, but half the fun for the Rams this year was simply defying the relentless string of bad luck thrown their way so far in 2010.

“This Super Bowl is kind of special because we didn’t know if we had much of a shot to get there,” Preston said. “It’s a credit to the coaches and the kids who were on the bench at the beginning of the year who have stepped up and made the adjustments. We have guys playing spots they weren’t playing at the beginning of the year because we had so many injuries.”

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

Here are some notes from Week Nine in the meantime.

Section II high school football standings, 2010

Class AA, League, Overall
Empire Division, W-L, W-L, PF, PA, QP
Ballston Spa, 5-1, 6-3, 227, 165, 30
Saratoga Springs, 4-2, 5-4, 203, 180, 31
Shenendehowa, 4-2, 7-2, 234, 116, 26
Christian Bros. Acad., 3-3, 5-4, 236, 171, 25.5
Guilderland, 3-3, 5-4, 228, 174, 21.5
Bethlehem, 2-4, 4-5, 142, 223, 13
Albany, 0-6, 0-9, 66, 287, 0
Liberty Division
Troy, 6-0, 9-0, 396, 68, 41
Shaker, 5-1, 6-3, 239, 182, 32
Niskayuna, 3-3, 5-4, 251, 244, 22
Schenectady, 3-3, 4-5, 188, 198, 22.5
Colonie, 2-4, 3-6, 88, 209, 12
Columbia, 1-5, 2-7, 133, 255, 12
La Salle, 1-5, 2-7, 133, 302, 5.5

Class A
Northwest Division
Burnt Hills, 5-0, 9-0, 406, 81, 35
Amsterdam, 4-1, 7-2, 289, 202, 23
Queensbury, 3-2, 6-3, 192, 146, 22.5
Gloversville, 2-3, 2-6, 152, 256, 13.5
Glens Falls, 1-4, 3-5, 182, 227, 9
South Glens Falls, 0-5, 2-7, 188, 301, 2
Southeast Division
Lansingburgh, 4-0, 8-1, 287, 130, 26.5
Averill Park, 3-1, 5-3, 228, 198, 20.5
Bishop Maginn, 2-2, 5-4, 244, 243, 13.5
Scotia-Glenville, 1-3, 3-6, 152, 195, 8.5
Mohonasen, 0-4, 1-7, 137, 289, 1

Class B
Reinfurt Division
Ravena, 4-0, 8-1, 259, 139, 25
Albany Academy, 3-1, 6-3, 304, 160, 21
Hudson, 1-3, 3-6, 168, 239, 11
Cairo-Durham, 1-3, 1-8, 103, 359, 0
Cohoes, 1-3, 3-6, 139, 303, 6
West Division
Schalmont, 5-0, 9-0, 332, 45, 34
Hudson Falls, 3-2, 4-5, 269, 225, 23.5
Schuylerville, 3-2, 5-4, 290, 139, 21.5
Cobleskill, 3-2, 5-4, 203, 141, 19
Broadalbin-Perth, 1-4, 1-8, 137, 415, 7
Johnstown, 0-5, 0-8, 59, 339, 0
Independent
Ichabod Crane, 0-0, 1-8, 141, 281, 0

Class C
North Division
Hoosick Falls, 6-0, 9-0, 305, 52, 34.5
Greenwich, 5-1, 6-3, 291, 161, 35.5
Tamarac, 4-2, 5-4, 200, 240, 24.5
Mechanicville, 4-2, 4-5, 125, 203, 23.5
Granville, 4-3, 5-4, 231, 213, 30.5
Lake George, 3-4, 3-4, 141, 87, 20
Stillwater, 2-4, 4-4, 181, 231, 14
Corinth, 0-6, 3-6, 174, 252, 6
Hoosic Valley, 0-6, 0-8, 39, 339, 0.5
South Division
Chatham, 5-0, 9-0, 359, 131, 34
Fonda-Fultonville, 5-1, 6-3, 239, 170, 34.5
Voorheesville, 3-2, 6-3, 226, 137, 18
Watervliet, 4-2, 4-4, 141, 134, 27.5
Canajoharie, 3-3, 5-3, 127, 119, 19.5
Coxsackie-Athens, 1-4, 4-5, 244, 177, 3
Taconic Hills, 1-5, 2-6, 109, 209, 8.5
Catholic Central, 0-5, 2-6, 130, 220, 1.5

Class D
Cambridge, 6-0, 8-0, 319, 32, 39
Rensselaer, 5-1, 6-2, 168, 103, 26
Whitehall, 4-2, 5-3, 222, 159, 28.5
Fort Edward, 3-3, 4-4, 242, 177, 20.5
Bishop Gibbons, 2-4, 2-5, 61, 173, 14.5
Warrensburg, 1-5, 1-6, 79, 251, 9
Salem, 0-6, 0-7, 54, 240, 2

*QP = quarter points

• Notes: Sabre series stats: CBA defeated La Salle in the 60th Sabre game in series history in a Week Nine crossover meeting, 49-25. CBA holds the all-time series edge, 33-21-6, although La Salle won previously every meeting since the series resumed in 2001. 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.
• Falcons winless again: Columbia defeated Albany High in a Week Nine crossover game, 21-6. For the Falcons, it was their third straight winless season under their third head coach in that span. Albany last won a football game on Oct. 19, 2007, having defeated Shaker, 13-6.
• Light schedule in week nine: 15 teams in Section II declined to play a second crossover game or could not schedule an opponent. Salem, Warrensburg, Bishop Gibbons, Catholic Central, Taconic Hills, Canajoharie, Watervliet, Hoosic Valley, Stillwater, Lake George, Johnstown, Mohonasen, Averill Park, Glens Falls and Gloversville all played eight games or fewer in 2010.

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RENSSELAER -- Their first game might be three weeks away (Rensselaer High School has a bye week on Sept. 2 since Saratoga Central Catholic dropped its program earlier this summer) but the Rams were already working hard in the fourth quarter during training camp this week.

Head coach Joel Preston has an unique drill in which all the players gather around in a circle. He rotates between a number of different exercises - sit-ups, push-ups and jumping jacks - in the football variation of Simon Says. The team "competes" through four quarters of time and Preston assigns imiginary touchdowns for or against the Rams depending on their effort. (Somehow, these games always seem to go to overtime and the Rams do just enough jumping jacks to kick the game-winning extra point...)

This team could be taking it easy with opening day still so far away, but having lost to Moriah in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D quarterfinals two years in a row, the Rams are already working for November, whether they get there or not.

"Having lost to them two years in a row, it still haunts me," said senior offensive guard and linebacker Jason Brown. "We plan to take it one game at a time, but we still have that as our ultimate goal."

Phil Sayers grimaces through Rensselaer's patented four quarters conditioning workout at the end of Wednesday's practice behind Rensselaer High School. (Photos by Will Montgomery - The Record).

"We’ve been working hard in the weight room and we have a bunch of freshman stepping up, working hard and bringing intensity to the practice," said senior running back and linebacker Phil Sayers. "It makes practice fun. It makes you want to work hard."

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

The Rams will be sort of a new-look team in 2010. Gone are the big three playmakers on offense from the last two Section II Class D Super Bowl-winning teams - Jashem Hamilton, Nate Butler and Mico De Los Santos.

Tyler Bishop will see an increased role on offense at fullback, most likely paving the way for Phil Sayers, who could see an increase in his rushing load from the tailback position.

On the offensive line, four of the five starters were set to return until Keith McElroy dislocated his foot. He is likely out for the season.

"That’s the best foundation to have, experience on the offensive line," said head coach Joel Preston. "Three true starters are back and the other two have played a ton. They’re big, strong kids and they’re mature kids and they have experience. Our system is very basic and everybody picks it up and they really enjoy it."

Kenny Mauer, Jason Brown and James McNabb will be providing the veteran experience up front for Rensselaer.

Rensselaer senior running back and linebacker Phil Sayers.

Numbers are always a concern for the small-school teams in Section II, but as a Class D team, Rensselaer is doing quite well. While the Pop Warner team in the city has always done a fine job of feeding the varsity program, Preston is a bit concerned about the future of football in Rensselaer. The Rams will only have about three seniors next year and the future beyond that remains to be seen.

"Football popularity at the high school is up, but we only have one Pop Warner team, a mighty-mite team," said Preston. "We don’t have a pee wee team or a junior pee wee team. That concners me. I think a lot of it is parental involvement. The kids might want to get out there and play, but if the parents don’t get out and pay the fee and sign them up, they’re not goiung to play."

Rensselaer junior fullback and linebacker Tyler Bishop.

It's hard to miss Tyler Bishop on the Rensselaer practice field. He's blossomed into a 5-foot-9, 210-pound fullback and linebacker by spending as much time as he can in the weight room under the watch of his lifting coach, Jason Groark.

Bishop is going to remind Class D football fans of his predecessors, Nate Butler and Jashem Hamilton, but Butler is looking to build his own legacy.

"I feel like I can do it," Bishop said. "I know I’m not going to be another Nate Butler, but I’m going to live up to my name and I’m sure that’s going to make him proud to fill up his spot."

Rensselaer senior offensive guard and linebacker Jason Brown.

Rensselaer's 2010 playbook
COACH: Joel Preston
STARTERS RETURNING: 6 offense, 6 defense
2009 RECORD: 9-2
NICKNAME: Rams
OFFENSE: Single wing
DEFENSE: 3-5
LAST PLAYOFF GAME: 2009
LAST SECTION II TITLE: 2009 (Class D)
DIVISION: Class D

Rensselaer, 2009 game-by-game results
Greenwich, W 20-7
WARRENSBURG, W 38-14
Bishop Gibbons, W 49-14
SPA CATHOLIC, W 50-3
Hoosick Falls, L 21-7
SALEM, W 67-0
LAKE GEORGE, W 49-14
MECHANICVILLE, W 44-6*
BISHOP GIBBONS, W 50-22!
GREENWICH, W 42-24@
Moriah, L 28-25#
*Crossover game
!Section II Class D semifinals
@Section II Class D Super Bowl
#NYS Class D quarterfinals
Home games in CAPS

Rensselaer, 2009 stats review
Rushing, Att, Yds., Avg., TDs
Jashem Hamilton, 117, 714, 6.1, 11
Nate Butler, 90, 703, 7.8, 11
Passing, Comp., Att., Yds., Avg., TDs
Timmy Foust, 36, 70, 593, 16.5, 5
Receiving, No., Yds., Avg., TDs
Mico De Los Santos, 25, 404, 16.2, 3
Scoring, TD, 2-pt, PAT, FG, Tot.
Mico De Los Santos, 23, 7, 17, 0, 169

Rensselaer, 2010 schedule
Friday Sept. 3, bye week
Friday Sept. 10, vs. Fort Edward, 7 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 18, at Warrensburg, 1 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 25, at Salem, 1 p.m.
Friday Oct. 1, vs. Cambridge, 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 9, at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, 1 p.m.
Friday Oct. 15, vs. Whitehall, 7 p.m.

Rensselaer’s three keys to the season
1, Stay healthy.
2, Force turnovers.
3, Protect the ball.

Rensselaer High School football players break down following their four quarters drill Wednesday at the high school.

--
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
No. 6, Christian Brothers Academy

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Rensselaer High School football head coach Joel Preston raises his arms to signal a touchdown after the Rams finished their patented four quarters conditioning drill following Wednesday's practice. (Photos by Will Montgomery - The Record).

RENSSELAER -- When Saratoga Central Catholic High School folded its football program over the summer, the remaining seven Class D teams in Section II received a bye on the week each was slated to play the Saints.

Rensselaer is first up for the bye week, as its season-opening game has been pushed back to Friday, Sept. 10, when the Rams host Fort Edward at 7 p.m.

But when Section III’s Hamilton, a Class D school, announced that it too, was dropping its program on Tuesday, a group of Syracuse-area schools also have open dates on the schedule. Bishop Grimes High School of East Syracuse, like Rensselaer, has an open date the first weekend of September.

Rensselaer hasn’t officially decided to play in week one or not, as head coach Joel Preston and his staff are reviewing their options.

"A bye could help us eligibility-wise because we would have two kids that we normally wouldn’t have," Preston said. "It might also hurt because you want to get games under your belt. You want to get kids on the field playing."

Class D has seen some reshuffling in 2010. Greenwich and Lake George made the leap up to Class C. Cambridge, which played in Class C in 2009, has moved back to Class D this season.

With a lack of depth in the classification locally, the Rams may have to turn to an oppo¬nent from out of the area if they want to be sharp enough to post a third straight Section II Class D Super Bowl title.

"I’d rather play and the kids would rather play," said Preston. "I’ll keep looking for a game."

‘Vliet has new home base
Thanks to a little bit of help from City Hall (offensive coordi¬nator Mike Manning is the city’s mayor) the Watervliet High School football team has a new home base for training camp in 2010.

Construction at the high school has forced the team off its traditional practice field and onto the small field adjacent to the Watervliet Dome on Second Avenue and Thirteenth Street.

The team uses the dome building to get out of the sun and for position-specific meetings before practice.

"You know what? We actually love it here," said head coach Erick Bernard Tuesday evening. "It’s only day two, but if it con¬tinues to go like it is, we might keep doubles here form here on out. Mr. (Michael) Reinfurt made all the signs up, which say things like ‘Welcome to Watervliet Football Camp’ and ‘This is Cannoneer Country."

Cohoes playing numbers game
Cohoes High School head coach James Ducharme esti¬mates that his varsity team will dress 18 players for each game this season and the Tigers’ junior varsity squad will have 22 players.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association requires football teams to dress at least 16 healthy players for each contest.

"This year, with 18, it’s going to be a challenge," said Ducharme. "The way we push them in camp and the way we push each other, everyone is going to be accountable. There are going to be some guys in positions they haven’t played in the past and they’re going to have to do big things."

While some schools are seeing a decline in numbers, others have seen an increase. Christian Brothers Academy has about 85 players in camp and Shaker High School saw 100 players come out for the varsity and junior varsity teams on opening day.

Rensselaer High School seniors, Phil Sayers, Jason Brown and Tyler Bishop (left to right) will be major contributors for the Rams in 2010. Look for Rensselaer's training camp report on the blog later this week.

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Former Rensselaer High School football star Kenny Plue (pictured) has been named one of 63 players named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's best interior lineman.

Plue, a junior at Purdue University, has made 18 career starts and will be the Boilermakers' most experienced lineman when the season starts in 2010.

As a sophomore, he was an honorable mention selection by the Big 10 head coaches and was named Purdue's Most Improved Offensive Player. He started all 12 games at right guard.

For the full preseason watch list, click here.

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Rensselaer High School's Chris Britt, left, was named the 2009-10 Patroon Conference Most Valuable Player.

MVP: Chris Britt, Rensselaer


First Team:

Chris Larm, Ichabod Crane

Sean Danaher, Maple Hill

Will Gauthier, Chatham

Derick Horn, Ichabod Crane

Chris Despart, Maple Hill


Second Team:

Dean Forrester, Catskill

Larell Roberts, Hudson

Brett Zimmerman, Cairo-Durham

Nathan Tailleur, Coxsackie-Athens

Jeff Crank, Hudson

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We never received this list from any coaches, but I did find it online here.

Rensselaer's Mico De Los Santos flies through the lane as Maple Hill's Sean Danaher defends during Wednesday's Patroon Conference showdown of unbeatens. Maple Hill, on the strength of 23 points and 13 rebounds from Danaher, walked away with the 63-54 victory. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

The first six minutes of the game were pretty lackluster, as neither team had played in a while because of the winter break. All five Maple Hill starters, however, made one steal in the first quarter and the Wildcats began to pick it up on the fast break just before the quarter ended.

The second quarter saw the teams trade three-point field goals, as six of the first seven buckets - three for each team - came from behind the arc. While neither team tipped the score too far one way or the other during this stretch, it allowed Maple Hill senior center Sean Danaher more space in the paint as the Rensselaer defenders slid out to guard the perimeter. Danaher heated up, the Wildcats got back into the groove of their patented selfless - and flawless - offense and began to pull away.

With Ichabod Crane (6-0, 6-0) victorious Wednesday night, Maple Hill (8-0, 8-0), the No. 7 ranked Class C team in New York State, is one of the remaining undefeated teams in the Patroon Conference.

Rensselaer's Labeeb Vasquez defends Maple Hill's Sean Danaher during Wednesday's game at Rensselaer High School.

Rensselaer, ranked No. 9 in the Class C poll released Wednesday afternoon, just lacks the inside presence that Maple Hill possesses in Danaher. Rams guards Chris Britt and Mico De Los Santos, who had been so effective for Rensselaer in its first seven games, didn't do much in the first half at all. Britt wound up with 20 points after exploding for 14 in the fourth quarter, trying his hardest to will the Rams to some sort of comeback, but it was just too little too late.

Check out the full story in Thursday's edition of The Record.

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Don't count the Rams out just yet...but Maple Hill did expose a few of their weaknesses Wednesday night. The Rams lack an inside presence, but Jarrid Wilkinson could develop into a great post player in time. Tyler Bishop, Labeeb Vasquez and Ryan Spath can also contribute and it's going to have to be a committee process for the Rams when they face talented big men if they're going to be successful.

Rensselaer is going to have a tough time if Britt or De Los Santos is getting shut down. De Los Santos didn't score until the midpoint of the third quarter and Britt did most of his damage in the fourth quarter when the game was all but over anyway. Phil Sayers provided a spark off the bench with four three-point field goals, but the Rams either need to find a foolproof system to keep Britt and De Los Santos on their games no matter the opponent or one of the reserves must emerge as a scoring threat.

Maple Hill, on the other hand, always seems to play a perfect team game. Danaher's statistics jumped out, but he didn't really appear to be dominating the game if you were watching from the bleachers. It was passes from Dominic Prinzo and Chris Despart and rebounding from David Briggs and Jake Jasiewicz that really helped Danaher shine Wednesday night. It's the same formula that carried the Wildcats to the state championship game a season ago.

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The latest girls basketball polls were also released Wednesday, and you can check them out courtesy of the New York State Sportswriters Association here sometime soon.
Here are some nuggets to hold you over:
In Class AA, Shen and Colonie slide up into the top 5.
Averill Park remains No. 1 in Class A.
Watervliet sits at No. 10 in Class B.
Maple Hill is still No. 1 in Class C, although Hoosic Valley slides down from No. 3 to No. 5 after a one-point loss to Class AA Queensbury over the break.

Mico De Los Santos (left) and Chris Britt (right) are the only returning seniors on the Rensselaer High School basketball team. They average a combined 33.6 points per game and have led the Rams to a 7-0 record to start the 2009-10 season. (Photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

De Los Santos and Britt recalled first playing together when they were about seven years old at the Rensselaer Boys & Girls Club. In that span of about 10 years, the two have grown in a great backcourt duo. As sophomores on the 2007-08 squad, their first year on the varsity, they won a Section II Class C title.

This season, the Rams are 7-0, which was a bit of a surprise to head coach Dom Pitaniello, who expected his team to really start peaking in mid-February. Many of the players missed the first three weeks of practice because they were busy with Rensselaer's Section II Class D Super Bowl-winning football team.

Britt and De Los Santos have sparked the team with their play on the court, but Pitaniello also lauded their veteran presence in the locker room, which has helped a fairly young and inexperienced team gain some early confidence.

De Los Santos (2) guards Britt (23) during Monday's practice at Rensselaer High School. The Rams host Maple Hill in a battle for first place in the Patroon Conference Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

It's going to be a fast-paced game Wednesday night, as both Maple Hill and Rensselaer love to run the court and score a lot of points. Both teams, however, are also aggressive and sharp on the defensive end, so it will be interesting to see exactly what type of game this winds up being.

The Wildcats have a great set-up, with four solid perimeter players and rock-solid senior center Sean Danaher in the middle. The Rams just don't have that kind of size, but they do match up very well on the perimeter. Will Danaher be able to have his way in the paint, or can Rensselaer find a way to be competitive in the rebounding game even with their size disadvantage?

The winner gets a clear leg up toward the Patroon Conference regular season title, but Ichabod Crane, also undefeated, is still lurking. Maple Hill travels to Valatie for a showdown with the Riders on Thursday, January 14.

Still, with two of the top 10 ranked Class C teams in New York State, Wednesday's game between Rensselaer and Maple Hill figures to be one of the most exciting regular season games near the midway point of the 2009-10 season. The Rams have a lot to prove and they are certainly not ones to back down from a challenge.

Just a quickk recap on tonight's NYS Class D quarterfinal game at Ticonderoga between Rensselaer and Moriah before I head home.
Moriah won, 28-25, but the game felt a little more lopsided than that.
Rensselaer scored on its first and last plays of the game, but Moriah's Ron Schofield ran wild in between, rushing for 200 yards on 41 attempts, leading the Vikings back to the NYS Class D semifinals, where they'll play Eldred of Section IX.

There were some controversial calls, notably Schofield's 5-yard touchdown run with 9:11 to go in the fourth quarter. It appeared as if Schofield had fumbled prior to crossing the goal line, but the referees conferred and ruled it a touchdown. One of the refs audibly confirmed it as a blown call to Rensselaer head coach Joel Preston. After the game, Preston confirmed the referee did admit the call was blown.

The play put Moriah ahead by 16 points with nine minutes to play and the Rams did score two touchdowns, but only kicked an extra point on the final TD, which came with 15 seconds to spare. Rensselaer missed an opening PAT in the first quarter, were stuffed on a 2-point run try in the third quarter and muffed a slant pass on their first TD in the fourth. If they make a few of those, perhaps this is a different ballgame.

Still, after the game, Preston was very proud of what his seniors have done the past two seasons, bringing Rensselaer back to the state playoffs twice in a row since their great run in the mid-1990s.

Could a third straight trip happen next season?

“We’re not finished yet,” Preston said. “I have a great group of juniors coming back. My whole offensive line is coming back and my quarterback is coming back. We’re not done. We’re coming back next year.”

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Check out the full story in The Record on Saturday morning. We'll be back tomorrow with notes from Section II wrestling media day and the Hoosick Falls vs. Ogdensburg Free Academy at Stillwater at 7 p.m.

Rensselaer senior two-way lineman Todd DeLuke isn't your average high school football player. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record)

Todd had a lot of guts to share his personal story with me this week after a practice and you can read about his marathon school days and ensuing responsibilities here.

He's also going to be a key part of tonight's game against Moriah in Ticonderoga. Game time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $8.

Click here to read my advance story on tonight's game.

Check www.troyrecord.com tonight for live scores and visit Off The Record later tonight for a brief recap of the game.

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Also make sure to pick up a copy of Saturday's edition of The Record to read the Rensselaer game story as well as a feature on how Thursday is the best day of the week for the Hoosick Falls football team. We'll also have a story on how the Panthers match up with the Ogdensburg Free Academy Blue Devils, their opponent in Saturday's Class C NYS quarterfinal at Stillwater. Game time Saturday is 7 p.m. Tickets are $8.

We'll also have preview stories on the Hoosick Falls field hockey team, which plays in a regional final against Pine Plains Saturday at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton. Game time is 4 p.m. and tickets for that game are also $8.

Ryan Kircher has also written a story on the local runners looking to do well in Saturday's NYS cross country meet at SUNY-Plattsburgh.

It's a busy time of the year! Good luck to all our local athletes this weekend.

New York State Class D regional final
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
Ticonderoga High School

Moriah Vikings (7-2) vs. Rensselaer Rams (9-1)

This is a rematch of the 2008 regional final, when Moriah defeated Rensselaer 19-0 at Hudson Falls High School. Click here to read that story.

Here was what Rensselaer head coach Joel Preston told our Chris Fitz Gerald after that game:

“This was a great run,” Preston said. “I’m so proud of the seniors, they said three years ago that we were going to get here and they did it. And we have a lot of young kids on this team and we’re going to be back here next year.”

Click here to read last year's story about the long postseason history between the two schools.
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Moriah Vikings 2009 game-by-game results

BELLOWS FALLS, W, 20-0
Beekmantown, L, 27-21
PERU, L, 19-18
FRANKLIN ACADEMY-MALONE, W, 34-20
Tupper Lake, W, 41-8
TICONDEROGA, W, 20-0
Seton Catholic, W, 53-0
Plattsburgh, W, 54-12
Ticonderoga, W, 42-12 *

Home games in CAPS

*= Section VII/Section X Class D Super Bowl


Moriah defeated Ticonderoga in the Section VII/X Class D Super Bowl - you can read an account of that game from the Plattsburgh newspaper, The Press Republican, by clicking here.

Moriah's Ron Schofield was a threat on the ground, rushing for two touchdowns and 165 yards in the Super Bowl victory. He also added a kick return for a score. This season, Schofield has rushed for 991 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also missed two of Moriah's games.

According to the Press Republican, the Vikings rushed for 2,024 yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season. Moriah has only played nine games because they received a postseason bye. Rensselaer also received a bye in Section II, but the Rams played Mechanicville, a Class C team in a crossover game, winning big before they hosted Bishop Gibbons in the Section II Class D semifinals.

Nick Gilbo is the Vikings' fullback (366 rushing yards in the regular season) and Nathan Gilbo is Moriah's quarterback. He's only thrown the ball 35 times during the regular season (plus five more attempts in the Super Bowl) for a grand total of 415 passing yards.

Also check out North Country Sports Net for some Moriah information.

Here are Rensselaer's offensive leaders:
RB Nate Butler (85-677-10)
WR-RB Mico De Los Santos (54-636-15)
RB Jashem Hamilton (109-628-10)
QB Timmy Foust (32-63-542-5 TDs - 3 INTs)

That adds up to 1,941 rushing yards from the Rams' top backs and that doesn't include all of the yardage guys like Paul Dominy and Phil Sayers have piled up here and there for the Rams.

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Rensselaer Rams 2009 game-by-game results

Greenwich, W, 20-7
WARRENSBURG, W, 38-14
Bishop Gibbons, W, 49-14
SPA CATHOLIC, W, 50-3
Hoosick Falls, L, 21-7
SALEM, W, 67-0
LAKE GEORGE, W, 49-14
MECHANICVILLE, W, 44-6
BISHOP GIBBONS, W, 50-22*
Greenwich, W, 42-24#

Home games in CAPS

* = Section II Class D semifinals
# = Section II Class D Super Bowl at Shenendehowa


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The factor I think about when I think about this game is how the loss to Moriah focused the Rams all through the offseason and all through the 2009 season. During the first day or two of practices when I stopped by for our preview section, the kids were using that Moriah game as motivation during end-of-practice sprints.
If we want to play Moriah again, we can't quit now...that kind of stuff.
These Rensselaer kids want nothing less than a shot at redemption at Moriah and the whole 2009 season was just a stepping stone on their route to that goal. This is their Super Bowl, essentially, and I don't think there is any way these kids are stopped Friday night because they've been dreaming about this game for a year.

Midway through the second quarter of what was a scoreless game, Rensselaer scored four times in a 6:50 span en route to a 42-24 victory over Greenwich in Saturday's Section II Class D Super Bowl at Brent T. Steuerwald Stadium at Shenendehowa Central Schools.

It was Rensselaer's second consecutive Super Bowl title and it seals the Rams (9-1) a rematch with Moriah in the New York State regional round next weekend in the North Country.

"That stretch, we really needed that in the second quarter," Mico De Los Santos said. "If we didn't come out with that it would have been a more difficult game."

De Los Santos was named Section II Class D's Most Valuable Player for his regular season exploits on offense, defense and special teams.

Tyler Pruiksma rushed for 113 yards for Greenwich (7-3).

"These guys have been here before," Rensselaer head coach Joel Preston said of his veteran players. "I just keep reminding them how it felt last year walking off the field after losing to Moriah in a game where we didn't play very well. We just want another shot at them and I keep telling them keep your eyes on the prize."

(A big thank you goes to our Ryan Kircher for covering this game).

Rensselaer players celebrate their second consecutive Section II Class D Super Bowl title Saturday afternoon at Shenendehowa. (Photos by Erica Miller - for The Record).

Greenwich's Tyler Pruiksma gives the old stiff arm to Rensselaer's Marquee James during Saturday's Super Bowl.

Rensselaer's Nate Butler is wrapped up by a Greenwich defender.

RENSSELAER 42, GREENWICH 24

Greenwich (7-3) 0 0 8 16-24
Rensselaer (9-1) 0 28 14 0-42

First Quarter

No Scoring

Second Quarter

R-De Los Santos 54 run (Foust kick)
R-Hamilton 11 run (Hamilton run)
R-De Los Santos 7 run (Foust kick)
R-Foust 1 run (kick failed)

Third Quarter

R-De Los Santos 8 run (Foust kick)
R-Wilkinson 24 yard pass from Foust (Foust kick)
G-James 8 yard pass from Giroux (Pruiksma run)

Fourth Quarter

G-Pruiksma 1 run (Pruiksma run)
G-Pruiksma 33 run (McCormick from Giroux)

Individual Statistics

Rushing
G-Pruiksma 27-113, Molisky 5-47, Giroux 4-(-23), McFee1-10. R-De Los Santos 7-87, Dominy 4-4, Hamilton 12-55, Sayers 5-8, Munguia 1-2, Foust 5015, Butler 5-34.
Passing
G-Giroux 4-10-54-2-1. R-De Los Santos 0-3-0, Foust 6-11-117.
Receiving
G-Jones 2-19, Pruiksma 1-7, McFee 1-28. R-De Los Santos 4-90, Wilkinson 1-24, Munguia 1-3.

Lansingburgh head coach Al McNall celebrates a touchdown during Friday's wild 52-35 victory over Hudson Falls. The Knights are heading to a Section II Super Bowl for the seventh time this decade. (Photos by Tom Killips - The Record).

Hudson Falls' Dakota Drake rushed for a Herculean 304 yards (37 attempts) and four touchdowns, but the Knights' offense just couldn't be stopped.

T.J. McLaughlin went 5-for-5 for 122 yards and two touchdowns and the Knights used eight different running backs to pile up 275 rushing yards on 42 attempts.

Lansingburgh (8-1) will face Schalmont (7-2) in the Section II Class B Super Bowl, to be played Saturday at Schenectady High School at 1 p.m.

It was a game featuring many injury replacements. Lansingburgh starting left tackle Mark Tracey injured his knee (likely MCL issue) in practice, so left guard Jake Luce shifted to tackle and sophomore Corey Fernet, called up to varsity from the JV squad just last week, made his first career start in Luce's stead.

Lansinguburgh's Jake Shaw, whose eye was injured in a freak badminton accident this week in gym class, is also out. (That is an insane sentence, but not a typo). The Knights certainly missed the junior placekicker and defensive end, but wound up making the five two-point conversion attempts they tried.

McLaughlin took his shot at placekicking and had two extra point attempts blocked. If the Knights want to win the field position battle against Schalmont next week they will also need to work on the kickoff team as well.

Lansingburgh's Terrance Kemp skips over outstretched defenders during Friday's game. His 80-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter sparked the Knights' second half surge.

Lansingburgh's Tyrone Nichols applies the stiff arm to Hudson Falls' Frank Savasta (7). Nichols finished with 93 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion run.

T.J. McLaughlin looks upfield during Friday's game. He finished with 58 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and four two-point conversion runs.

Hudson Falls' Aaron Dudley is spun around by Lansingburgh's Quincy Michael (11) and Marcus Little (r) during a kick return. Lansingburgh's Nate Gause (50) looks on.

"Coach said this is goal No. 2, getting to the Super Bowl," said McLaughlin. "The first one was winning the division, the second one was getting to the Super Bowl and now we have to win it."

The Knights will have their hands full with Schalmont's Vince Gallo in the big game, as he tore up the Cohoes defenders for 300 yards in a 55-14 victory for the Sabres.
But if Friday's game was any indication, no matter how much trouble the Lansingburgh defense has with an opposing running back, that offense always finds a way to put points on the board.

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Rensselaer's Jason Brown (65) drags down Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons' Justin Relyea (1) during Friday's game. Rensselaer made it interesting, but scored 29 unanswered points in the second half to escape with the 50-22 victory. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

A gang of Rams tacklers led by Kalen Judge (8) and Nate Butler (42) wrap up Bishop Gibbons' do-it-all quarterback Derrick Pitts.

Nate Butler (left) makes room for Jashem Hamilton (24), who rushed for 45 yards on four attempts and scored a pair of touchdowns.

"We have our work cut out for us," Rensselaer head coach Joel Preston told our Ryan Kircher. "Greenwich gave us a real fight the first time we played them, they’re going to ready. Tonight is something we needed. We needed to be in a tough game and we were."

In the other Class D semifinal Friday night, Greenwich ousted Spa Catholic 50-0, setting up a rematch between the Witches and the Rams. Rensselaer won 20-7 in Week 1.

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Check out the full stories in Saturday's edition of The Record. For the latest brackets, click here.

We'll be there for you Saturday as Troy High hosts Gloversville and Hoosick Falls takes on Granville in a Class C semifinal at Stillwater High School.