TROY — Brian Marsh, Troy High’s senior quarterback, dropped back to throw his first pass of the game and watched as it sailed into the hands of Schenectady’s Jallah Tarver, who returned the interception 67 yards to the Troy three-yard line before a sprinting Marsh caught and tripped Tarver out of bounds.

The Patriots were three yards away from snapping Troy’s streak of eight scoreless quarters to open the season, but the Flying Horses defense once again rose to the challenge.

Troy’s Stephaun Grinage led a group of tacklers in wrapping up Schenectady’s D’Metri Gilbert for a two-yard loss on the first play of that drive and an incomplete pass and a run for no gain forced the Patriots to attempt a 23-yard field goal. It missed wide right.

Troy's Stephaun Grinage forces a fumble out of the hands of Schenectady quarterback Tim Cox during Saturday's game at Troy High. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

“It was real good. I pumped them up and got them together and we did what we needed to do,” Grinage said. “That’s Troy defense. We did what we needed to do and we stopped them right there.”

Grinage capped the ensuing 11-play drive with a seven-yard touchdown run on which he recovered his own fumble and went into the end zone untouched and Shatiek Lewis added 150 rushing yards and Jordan Canzeri ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-0 Class AA Liberty Division victory on Edward C. Picken Field.

“We got the quick turnover right away, which was what we talked about,” said Schenectady head coach Jim Kramer. “Getting momentum and getting the first score. Jallah made a nice play. First-and-goal inside the ten, we have to put the ball inside the end zone, which we didn’t do. We miss the field goal as well, so we came away with no points.”

Troy (3-0, 3-0), ranked No. 5 in the initial New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA poll, has outscored its opponents 135-0 through three games.

Kyle Geraci, a senior fullback and linebacker at Troy High School, runs with the ball Saturday afternoon against Schenectady.

Shutout streaks are nothing new for the Flying Horses. A season ago, Troy posted five straight shutouts in the regular season, which included 24 consecutive quarters of not allowing a single point.

“As a coach you hate to see that, but on the other hand, it worked out as a blessing in disguise because we haven’t had our backs to the wall,” said Troy head coach Jack Burger. “We responded great. That’s why I’m probably more proud of them this game than anything in the first three games.”

Schenectady (0-3, 0-3) could never sustain any momentum following Tarver’s interception. The Patriots were limited to a net loss of 20 yards on offense and senior quarterback Tim Cox completed just one pass for a loss of one yard and was also intercepted three times.

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

“We stress it every day,” Grinage said. “We have coach Burns here stressing every day that we have to keep going and keep going. We have keys and we have to keep punishing them and keep on doing what you have to do.”

Troy High defensive backs Evan Vadney, Ian Blair and Daquan Holmes intercepted passes. Grinage finished the game with three solo tackles, four assisted tackles and also forced a fumble while sacking Cox in the second quarter.

Luis Lind, a senior defensive end at Troy High, chases Schenectady quarterback Tim Cox during Saturday's game.

“Coach Burns, coach Galuski and the defensive guys have done a phenomenal job not just this week, but all year,” Burger said. “Bobby and Mark take great pride in it. He takes care of that side of the ball, coach Marro takes care of the special teams and coach Canfield and I do the offense.”

Offensively, Troy was led by Lewis, a senior running back, who gained 150 yards on 14 attempts. Canzeri, a fellow senior, gained 90 yards on 16 attempts. Grinage, Marsh and Kyle Geraci added rushing touchdowns and contributed to Troy’s rushing attack, which piled up 313 yards on 45 attempts.

Troy High played a Class A schedule in 2009 and 2008, meaning the last game between these teams happened during Week Three of the 2007 season. Troy High won that game, a 28-20 decision at Schenectady High School, on Sept. 14, 2007.

The Patriots had lost each of their first two games in the fourth quarter, doing so by a combined 11 points. Schenectady committed six turnovers in a 28-21 loss to Shaker in Week Two.

Schenectady’s longest gain of the game came on the final play, when Cox, attempting to punt, corralled a bad snap and scampered 12 yards. Following the play, a brawl broke out between the teams. Two players from each team were ejected and will be forced to sit out their respective Week Four games.

“It’s just unfortunate,” said Burger. “It was a hard-played football game on both sides for 47 minutes and 50 seconds.”

“I’ll tell you exactly what I told the kids,” said Schenectady head coach Jim Kramer. “Both teams are passionate about playing football, but there is a way to handle yourself and neither team handled it the way that we need to handle it to represent Section II football. I know coach Burger will talk to his kids and I talked to mine. We’re disappointed in what happened and it’s a lesson learned.”

Friday night, Schenectady plays host to Shenendehowa (3-0, 3-0) and Troy will travel to East Greenbush to meet Rensselaer County rival Columbia (0-2, 0-3). Kickoffs are set for 7 p.m.

TROY 40, SCHENECTADY 0

Schenectady (0-3, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Troy (3-0, 3-0) 7 21 12 0 — 40
First Quarter
T — Stephaun Grinage 7 run (Badro Talbi kick) 1:31
Second Quarter
T — Jordan Canzeri 4 run (Brian Marsh run) 8:49
T — Canzeri 4 run (Talbi kick) 5:35
T — Marsh 1 run (kick failed) 0:39
Third Quarter
T — Canzeri 11 run (kick blocked) 6:48
T — Kyle Geraci 1 run (kick failed) 3:11
Fourth Quarter
No scoring
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Schenectady (26-(-19)): Taylor 8-7, Gilbert 5-3, Pitts 1-2, Earing 2-1, Tarver 2-(-6), Cox 8-(-26). Troy (45-313): Lewis 14-150, Canzeri 16-90, Marsh 3-25, Geraci 3-20, Felder 3-13, Grinage 2-10, Pastore 1-3, Pirela 2-2, Valenti 1-0.
Passing: Schenectady: Cox 1-6-(-1)-0-3. Troy: Marsh 4-10-35-0-1.
Receiving: Schenectady (1-(-1)): Gilbert 1-(-1). Troy (4-35): Blair 2-16, Vadney 1-11, Geraci 1-8.

Watervliet High School quarterback Brandon Legault looks for senior running back Ryan Manning (32) as a Canajoharie player rushes the passer during Saturday's game at Watervliet. The Cannoneers won, improving to 3-0.

Section II scoreboard

Class AA

Liberty Division

Troy 40, Schenectady 0

Class A

Northwest Division

Burnt Hills 48, Queensbury 0
Gloversville 34, Glens Falls 33

Non-division

Lansingburgh 58, Cohoes 6

A Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake player looks for running room as a would-be Queensbury tackler looks on during Saturday's Class A football game in the North Country. (Photo courtsey The Saratogian).

Class B

West Division
Hudson Falls 44, Johnstown 6

Class C

North Division
Tamarac 24, Granville 22

South Division

Watervliet 28, Canajoharie 6

Voorheesville 27, Coxsackie-Athens 24
Catholic Central 15, Hoosic Valley 0

Class D

Rensselaer 27, Warrensburg 7

Fort Edward 44, Salem 13
Whitehall 30, Bishop Gibbons 12

Watervliet's Tom Sczepanski (28) and Eric Clemons (70) wrap up a Canajoharie ballcarrier during Saturday's game in the Arsenal City. Watervliet has allowed just 19 points through three games this season.

Section II high school football standings, 2010

Class AA, League, Overall
Empire Division, W-L, W-L, PF, PA, QP*
Shenendehowa, 3-0, 3-0, 82, 10, 21
Ballston Spa, 2-1, 2-1, 71, 34, 11.5
Saratoga Springs, 2-1, 2-1, 68, 33, 16.5
Bethlehem, 1-1, 1-2, 42, 86, 4.5
Christian Bros. Acad., 1-1, 2-1, 83, 53, 9
Guilderland, 0-2, 1-2, 61, 74, 0.5
Albany, 0-3, 0-3, 7, 107, 0
Liberty Division
Troy, 3-0, 3-0, 135, 0, 21
Shaker, 2-0, 3-0, 97, 35, 12
Niskayuna, 2-1, 2-1, 88, 81, 13.5
La Salle, 1-1, 1-2, 28, 105, 4
Colonie, 1-2, 1-2, 21, 88, 5.5
Columbia, 0-2, 0-3, 56, 92, 4
Schenectady, 0-3, 0-3, 49, 100, 3

Class A
Northwest Division
Amsterdam, 1-0, 3-0, 105, 24, 6
Burnt Hills, 1-0, 3-0, 115, 15, 7
Gloversville, 1-0, 1-2, 95, 106, 5.5
Glens Falls, 0-1, 2-1, 106, 71, 1.5
Queensbury, 0-1, 2-1, 71, 67, 0
South Glens Falls, 0-1, 1-2, 59, 63, 1
Southeast Division
Averill Park, 1-0, 2-1, 72, 81, 7
Bishop Maginn, 1-0, 2-1, 91, 73, 6
Lansingburgh, 0-0, 2-1, 108, 59, 0
Mohonasen, 0-1, 0-3, 38, 102, 1
Scotia-Glenville, 0-1, 0-3, 6, 84, 0

Class B
Reinfurt Division
Albany Academy, 1-0, 3-0, 157, 51, 7
Ravena, 1-0, 3-0, 115, 52, 7
Cohoes, 0-0, 0-3, 19, 146, 0
Cairo-Durham, 0-1, 0-3, 26, 132, 0
Hudson, 0-1, 1-2, 49, 71, 0
West Division
Hudson Falls, 1-0, 1-2, 82, 88, 7
Schalmont, 1-0, 3-0, 143, 26, 7
Schuylerville, 1-0, 3-0, 117, 20, 7
Broadalbin-Perth, 0-1, 0-3, 25, 177, 0
Cobleskill, 0-1, 1-2, 67, 55, 0
Johnstown, 0-1, 0-3, 20, 123, 0
Independent
Ichabod Crane, 0-0, 1-2, 72, 81, 0

Class C
North Division
Hoosick Falls, 3-0, 3-0, 110, 20, 14
Tamarac, 3-0, 3-0, 98, 40, 17.5
Greenwich, 2-1, 2-1, 97, 35, 14
Lake George, 2-1, 2-1, 74, 48, 11
Mechanicville, 1-1, 1-2, 35, 75, 7
Granville, 1-2, 1-2, 80, 80, 10
Hoosic Valley, 0-2, 0-3, 0, 115, 0.5
Stillwater, 0-2, 1-2, 47, 103, 0
Corinth, 0-3, 0-3, 45, 97, 3
South Division
Chatham, 3-0, 3-0, 105, 48, 20
Watervliet, 3-0, 3-0, 113, 19, 20.5
Fonda-Fultonville, 2-1, 2-1, 100, 71, 15
Voorheesville, 1-1, 2-1, 62, 57, 0
Coxsackie-Athens, 1-2, 1-2, 82, 86, 0
Canajoharie, 0-2, 1-2, 48, 74, 0
Catholic Central, 0-2, 1-2, 42, 82, 0.5
Taconic Hills, 0-2, 0-3, 38, 117, 0

Class D
Cambridge, 2-0, 2-0, 61, 15, 11.5
Rensselaer, 2-0, 2-0, 61, 29, 12
Fort Edward, 2-1, 2-1, 120, 62, 13
Whitehall, 2-1, 2-1, 73, 61, 14.5
Warrensburg, 1-2, 1-2, 40, 95, 8.5
Bishop Gibbons, 0-2, 0-2, 19, 50, 1.5
Salem, 0-3, 0-3, 35, 97, 1.5

* QP = quarter points

Watervliet senior running back Ryan Manning looks for room against the Canajoharie defense Saturday afternoon.

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Casper Wells connects on a base hit against the Oakland Athletics during his brief stint with the Detroit Tigers last week. After being sent down to AAA Toldeo, Wells, a former Schenectady High and South Troy Dodgers player, made a stop in Syracuse Monday night against No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg. (Photo - Associated Press)

Our Chris Fitz Gerald made the ride west on I-90 to talk with Wells and filed this story.

SYRACUSE -- Casper Wells is taking a philosophical approach to this season.

After spending a week with the Detroit Tigers and making his major league debut, the center fielder is back down with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens again and taking this in stride.

"That's the way it goes," said Wells, who grew up in Schenectady. "That's life --- you've got to roll with the punches sometimes if you want to make it to the top."

The soft-spoken Wells, in his sixth year in the Detroit organization, is humble about his first experience in the major leagues.

"I'm pretty optimistic that I did some good things and that I'll be back up there sometime soon," the 25-year-old Wells said after batting practice before Toledo's game at Syracuse's Alliance Bank Stadium on Monday night. "I'll keep doing what I'm doing and good things will happen."

Appearing in four games with the Tigers, Wells collected his first major-league hit as well as a two-run double.Wells was optioned to Toledo on Saturday as Detroit called up utility outfielder/infielder Ryan Raburn.

"It was a great experience," said Wells, who starred for Schenectady High and the South Troy Dodgers before attending Towson University. "This is what I've been working for and I really enjoyed it. Now I have to keep working hard so I'll get another chance."

Wells had an eventual Monday evening as he singled in a run in the fourth inning --- the first earned run yielded in 21-plus innings by highly-touted pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg, who entered the night with a 0.00 ERA in four starts for the Syracuse Chiefs.

After striking out swinging in the second inning, Wells connected on a 95-mph fastball, swinging on a first pitch to single to left field between shortstop and third base to drive in veteran Carlos Guillen to tie the game at 2-2.

"We knew we had to be aggressive with his fastball early in the count," Wells said. "When we were aggressive on some of his first pitches we had some success."

Wells finished 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI in the 6-3 loss to Syracuse before a crowd of 13,288 --- the second largest in franchise history (478 shy of the record set in Strasburg's first start here this spring).

"We had some situations where we hit the ball later on, but we just couldn't capitalize on those chances," Wells said. "But that's baseball --- it seems to happen that way sometimes and they got it done."Strasburg experienced his worst start of the season with Syracuse, allowing five hits and one earned run in five innings of work in a no decision in which he struck out five and walked none.

"They're an aggressive team, but you just have to stick with the game plan," said Strasburg, who left after 52 pitches (36 for strikes) and is rumored to be a possible callup to make his major-league debut against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. " ... I think I definitely learned a bit here --- my curveball wasn't really working like it usually has, my changeup was cutting on me a little bit. My fastball, especially on the inside, was a lot better than it has been. So I'm definitely going to build on that."

Wells already had a history of success against Strasburg --- the No. 1 selection overall by the Washington Senators in the 2009 draft --- as he belted a grand slam against the high-powered right-hander in an Arizona Fall League game last October.

"He's a good pitcher, he's not going to make too many mistakes," Wells said of the 21-year-old Strasburg before the game.
"Hopefully I'll get a good pitch to hit and hopefully we can draw some good counts to get some pitches to hit off him."

Nearly two weeks ago, Wells was recalled by the Tigers on Friday, May 14 just in time for a series with the Boston Red Sox.

"It felt good, because I wasn't doing incredibly well down here," said Wells, "and maybe struggling a little bit. But for them to still give me a shot makes me feel good."

Wells made his major-league debut that night and went 0-for-4 at the plate, but was sensational in left field. With two one and two out in the fourth inning, Wells tracked down a single by David Ortiz and gunned down second baseman Dustin Pedroia with a laser throw to home plate.

"Being a former pitcher, I want to make my presence known out there," Wells said. "I like to make some throws out there and not have runners advance and not have them score, that's what I try and do out there."

After serving as a defensive replacement the next night in Detroit's 7-6 victory in 12 innings, Wells returned to action last Wednesday in Oakland and recorded his first major-league hit with a solid single to left field off Dallas Braden, who in his last start pitched a perfect game on the same field against Tampa Bay.

"t was a huge weight off my shoulders," Wells said of his first hit. "I thought, 'I got that, now it's time to play baseball.'"Wells followed with a two-run double to the left-center field gap to provide Justin Verlander with a four-run lead as the Tigers won 5-1.

"It's a good balance," Wells said of Detroit's roster. "The position guys talk to the younger guys and help them with developing and getting used to the major leagues. With a balanced group of guys like that you're going to have a winning team and they do have a good team this year whether I'm up there or not."

Although he'll always remember his first major league hit, Wells is more impressed by his double.

"They walked (Johnny) Damon and I just went out there and tried not to do too much and be relaxed," Wells said. "He left a slider over the plate and I just put it in play --- it went in the gap and a couple runs scored. It's great to help the team out."

Although his West Coast trip was cut short, Wells enjoyed his time there, checking out San Francisco with fellow rookie Danny Worth, who went 3-for-3 in Wednesday's victory.

"San Francisco was fun, it's a great city," he said. "And I went to Dodger Stadium for the first time, so I was pretty excited about that. It was a pretty good experience."

Wells received some positive feedback from the Detroit coaching staff before he was sent down.

"They said I did a good job while I was up there," Wells said. "And they had Raburn come back up because he did a good job for them last year and they're comfortable with him. But they gave me a taste and I'm still pursuing my dream."

"Casper did very well and accounted for himself very well," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told the Detroit Free Press.Wells went 2-for-9 in four games with Detroit, including a double and two RBI.

"It's always nice when you can go in there and help the team out right away," Wells said. "I think that bodes well for the whole Detroit Tigers organization, we've got so many good young players throughout the minors who can step in and help the team."

Wells is one of several young stars in Detroit's system, which includes power-hitting outfielder Brennan Boesch, who has thrived in his rookie campaign up with the Tigers.

"It sees like when the younger guys are doing well, it bodes well for me because I'm a younger guy," Wells said. "They give younger guys a chance and that's all you can really ask for."

Wells is now hitting .216, with six doubles, a triple, five home runs and 13 RBI in 33 games with Toledo this season.

He hopes he won't have to wait long for another chance with Detroit.

"I just have to keep things in perspective so I'll get another chance up there," Wells said. "I'll continue to do what I can to help the team out."

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Troy High's Javion Ogunyemmi leaps for a layup as Schenectady's Shadell Millinghaus (right) attempts to defend during Tuesday's Big 10 Conference game at Troy High. The Flying Horses posted another significant victory, beating the Patriots, 57-46. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Defense was the story Tuesday night, as the Flying Horses held Section II's leading scorer, Derrick Millinghaus, who averaged over 23 points per game heading into the Troy game, to a season-low four points. He had not scored fewer than 15 prior to Tuesday's action.

Sophomore guard Raheem Felder split the defensive duties mostly with Kevin Phillips and they helped keep the ball out of Derrick Millinghaus' hands. He made just one field goal, attempted three foul shots and assisted on just one other Schenectady bucket in the defeat.

"The whole day of school, I was just listening to music thinking about stopping this kid," Felder said. "He’s one of the best guards in the section. For me to be a sophomore - and I have time - I want to prove that I can stop him at a young age so that when I get there, I know how to handle kids that are trying to stop me."

"We believe in defense," Phillips said. "We as a team aren’t scared to guard anyone, whether or not it be a D-I, D-II, D-III player. Our defense makes us score. We felt if we kept them below their average in points we had a good chance of winning."

The big fellas provided the scoring, as 6-foot-7 freshman Javion Ogunyemmi scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Kareem Brown snared 10 boards in the first half en route to 11 total rebounds and eight points for the Horses (6-6, 8-6).

Greg Williams played an inspired second half, adding seven points and five rebounds, while John Pompey heated up late in the second quarter on his way to 10 points, four steals and a pair of nice assists.

In their first meeting of the season, Millinghaus dropped 31 points on the Horses and they were determined not to let that happen again.

"The first time, we were young and I wasn’t expecting him to be as fast," Felder said. "We let him get a lot of shots. Against Maginn I scored 19 points, but in this game, I just wanted to make sure we got this win, so I really focused on defense. I really was just looking forward to stopping him."

Troy High's Josh Blaauboer fights for a loose ball with Schenectady's Derrick Millinghaus during Tuesday's Big 10 Conference battle.

The Flying Horses made their mark last Friday by defeating Bishop Maginn by 13 points. The Golden Griffins turned around Sunday afternoon to beat No. 2 ranked Newburgh Free Academy, the defending New York State Class AA champion.

With one freshman, three sophomores and one junior in the starting lineup - a not a single senior on the team - the Flying Horses have been biding their time, believing next year would be their year. That was until head coach Jeff Sitterly said, "Why wait for next year?"

The secret to their recent success?

It's chemistry. The players have adapted to one another and know their strengths and weaknesses. The upperclassmen stuck on the bench during games have also matured and now help the youngsters get better in practice every day.

"We understand what we are," Ogunyemmi said. "Everyone understands what his role is. In the beginning of the season, we didn’t do that when we faced a lot of the good teams and now when we play them the second time, we’re alright."

"We want to be a real good team next year, but we said, ‘Why wait?’ Let’s start doing it now," said Sitterly. "The kids are buying into the hard work and the team chemistry is outstanding. It's some of the best chemistry we’ve had here in a while and they love to play. I think you can tell. They love to play the game."

"It’s all chemistry. In the beginning we didn’t have any," said Phillips, who provided five second half points off the bench and contributed in defending Millinghaus. "It was just a young group trying to come in and play hard. But we knew once the second half of the season came, and our Athletic Director Paul Reinisch said, we wanted to turn it on come sectionals and we would be a scary team. That’s what we did. We have the chemistry, we have the plays, we have the players and now it’s all about getting wins."

Javion Ogunyemmi leaps through a sea of Schenectady defenders during Tuesday's game. Ogunyemmi, a freshman, finished with a game-high 15 points and added nine rebounds for the surging Flying Horses.

Troy High is entering the stretch run of the regular season, with a game at Albany Friday before playing Collar City rivals Catholic Central and La Salle Institute next week. They are not likely to catch Christian Brothers Academy or Bishop Maginn in the Big 10 Conference standings, but they can certainly make themselves a threat for the Section II Class AA tournament by posting a few more convincing wins down the stretch.

"This is a tough league, every night," Sitterly said. "We’re not going to overlook anybody. Every night is going to be a battle and we’re going to get ready for the next one."

But to knock of Maginn Friday night and validate that by shutting down the unstoppable Millinghaus on Tuesday? The Flying Horses are flying high with the postseason right around the corner.

"Everyone is pretty much sore because everyone put their hearts on the floor," Felder said. "But we came back and we went hard in practice and we came out and played our hearts out tonight."

Christian Brothers Academy junior Galal Cancer slashes his way to the rim as Schenectady defenders Jallah Tarver and Shadell Millinghaus (23) cling to him during Tuesday's Big 10 Conference game at CBA. The Brothers won, 79-57. (Photos by Tom Killips - The Record).

Cancer scored 20 points and connected on a pair of crucial three-point plays in the fourth quarter that finished the Patriots' long-shot hopes of a comeback. CBA senior Kameron Ritter added 21 points and slammed home an emphatic dunk along the baseline with just under two minutes to play to seal the victory.

CBA head coach Dave Doemel can't believe his eyes during early action in Tuesday's game. Schenectady's fast-paced offense, run by a trio of Millinghaus brothers, jumped out to a 20-11 lead after one quarter.

The Brothers' defense finally began to clamp down on the Patriots' perimeter game in the second quarter as CBA flipped the momentum and outscored Schenectady 27-10 in the period.

Everyone on the CBA offense contributed as Ritter and Cancer drove to the rim, opening up shots on the outside for Josh Dennis, Max Weaver and Joe Krong, who all hit three-point field goals.

Senior center Jack Reilly made his mark in the second half, grabbing seven of his eight rebounds after halftime. Reilly scored 10 points and along with Weaver (12), Cancer (20) and Ritter (21) was one of four CBA players to crack double digits.

Kameron Ritter (33) negotiates the baseline as Schenectady's Shadell Millinghaus defends during Tuesday's game.

Fouls were a major part of the game. Schenectady was called for 17 infractions to CBA's 12. Shadell Millinghaus picked up his third foul with 4:51 to play in the second quarter and was stuck to the bench for a while. He picked up his fourth 1:09 to play in the third quarter and his absence from the floor meant the Patriots could never find a second option to Derrick Millinghaus' scoring, allowing the Brothers to focus their energies mostly on the Schenectady senior.

Josh Williams was also in foul trouble and the Patriots never found much help off the bench late in the game.

Siena College head coach Fran McCaffery was among the many local basketball luminaries in the Ned McGraw Gymnasium and he is rumored to be taking looks at Derrick Millinghaus when he gets the chance. The Saints host Rider Wednesday night in a key MAAC contest.

CBA's Max Weaver drives to the basket. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Don't count out Schenectady just yet. The Patriots can run up and down the floor with such speed that Doemel used six players in practice to simulate it, but even he felt his players underestimated Schenectady's skill in the first quarter.

CBA did a good job of finding the other players on the floor for points here and there. Reilly, Weaver and Dennis weren't often holding on to the ball, but they helped score the points that kept the CBA rallies going.

If anyone on the Schenectady team can emerge as a consistent dual threat alongside Derrick Millinghaus on the offensive end, the Patriots will be hard to beat in a sectional playoff atmosphere, even if they essentially play a five-guard game. If and when Reece Jackson returns from his injury, the Patriots will be much improved underneath.

Christian Brothers Academy hosts Schenectady Tuesday night in a battle for the top spot in the Big 10 Conference.
Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. and tickets will go on sale to the general public around 5:45 p.m. Seating is limited in the CBA gym, so tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis.

More on the matchup later in the post...

CBA junior Max Weaver (left) and Josh Dennis (right) pose for a picture in the school's Ned McGraw Gymnasium after Monday's practice. (Photos by Tom Killips - The Record).

Dennis has been an invaluable part of the CBA offense the last few years, even if he isn't the one scoring all the points. He plays shooting guard in the Brothers' guard-heavy scheme, but is often setting up players like senior forward Kameron Ritter and junior point guard Galal Cancer for shots.

Weaver has become the team's three-point specialist and also benefits from teams focusing on Ritter and Cancer.

Max Weaver shows off his dribbling skills on top of the CBA logo after Monday's practice.

The Brothers return many players from their 2008-09 Section II Class AA championship team, but they miss Andrew Stire, who at 6-foot-8, was the anchor of the Brothers defense. Now, without a true center, the Brothers have had to adapt to a more focused and responsible defensive scheme.

A year ago, the CBA guards could afford to play more aggressive around the perimeter, knowing Stire was behind them to make a stop or grab a rebound. This year, the Brothers have had to play more cleanly on the defensive end.

"The good thing about our team is that nobody cares who the leader is," Weaver said. "Nobody has to be the high scorer. If there is a weak link on the other team, everybody can take advantage of that. It doesn’t have to be one person."

Josh Dennis practices his jump shot during Monday's practice. He's only scored 15 points through five games but is a vital key to the Brothers offense, setting up shots for other players.

"I was talking to him after last game," said CBA head coach Dave Doemel. "I said, with Galal and Kameron going to the basket like they do, if you just are patient and put yourself in the right position, you can cash in on teams trying to defend them. Because both of those guys are unselfish, they’ll find JD."

CBA (5-0, 5-0) plays host to Schenectady (4-0, 4-0) tonight in what promises to be a run-and-gun offensive battle both ways. Derrick, Shadell and Devonte Millinghaus - Schenectady's brother trio - love to run the floor like crazy, as does anyone Schenectady head coach Mark Sausville puts on the floor.

"I think it’s going to be a fun game," Dennis said. "It will be a quick game, very fast-paced."

It will definitely be loud in the cozy McGraw gymnasium and however it plays out, will likely go a long way in determining the 2009-10 Big 10 Conference champion. At least it will give us an idea of who is the best team at this stage in the season.

La Salle's R.J. Williams returns an interception out of the end zone in the fourth quarter of Friday's game against Schenectady. The Cadets won, 12-0, clinching the Liberty Division title. Read the story here. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

A gang of Rensselaer tacklers wrap up a Lake George ballcarrier during Friday's Class D victory. The Rams earned a No. 1 and a first round bye in the C lass D playoffs. Read Ryan Kircher's story on the game here.

Section II playoff scenarios

The Section II playoff committee meets Sunday and they will release the official bracket sometime tomorrow, so these are just best-guess predictions until we hear final word on the pairings sometime Sunday.

Class AA

Liberty Division
La Salle 5-0, 7-0
Schenectady 4-1, 5-2
Colonie 2-2 , 3-3
Bethlehem 1-3, 2-4
Columbia 1-4, 1-6
Shaker 1-4 , 2-5

What we know:
No. 1 La Salle
No. 2 Schenectady
No. 3 and No. 4 still up in the air.
Colonie No. 3 if it beats Bethlehem, setting up a three-way tie for the fourth seed. Here are quarter point standings heading into Saturday's game: Columbia 8.5, Bethlehem 8.0, Shaker 7.5.

If Bethlehem wins, Eagles are No. 3, Colonie No. 4

Empire Division
Saratoga Springs 5-0, 6-1
Ballston Spa 4-1, 6-1
Shen 3-2, 5-2
Guilderland 2-3, 3-4
Albany 0-4, 0-6
CBA 0-4, 0-6

What we know:
The Empire wrapped up nicely Friday night as the top four seeds finished in order by record.

Section II Class AA quarterfinal matchups
E1 Saratoga Springs vs. L4 TBD
L2 Schenectady vs. E3 Shenendehowa
(winners meet in semis)

L1 La Salle vs. E4 Guilderland
L3 TBD vs. E2 Ballston Spa
(winners meet in semis)

Class A

Division I
Niskayuna 4-0, 5-1
Troy 4-0, 6-0
Averill Park 2-3, 3-4
Bishop Maginn 2-3, 3-4
Scotia-Glenville 2-3, 2-5
Mohonasen 0-5, 0-7

What we know:
The winner of today's Nisky-Troy game is No. 1 and the loser is No. 2
Averill Park. Bishop Maginn and Scotia finished in a three-way tie with no discernible head-to-head tiebreaker because each of the teams defeated one of the remaining pair.
Therefore, I believe we would turn to quarter points. Averill Park and Bishop Maginn each posted 14.5 quarter points, while Scotia finished with 13 quarter points. Since Maginn beat Averill Park head-to-head, I think the Griffins will get the No. 3, Averill Park the No. 4 and Scotia would miss the postseason.

Division II
Burnt Hills 5-0, 7-0
Gloversville 4-1, 6-1
Queensbury 3-2, 4-3
Glens Falls 2-3, 3-4
Amsterdam 0-4, 0-6
South Glens Falls 0-4, 1-5

What we know:
This division wrapped up nicely, with the top four teams finishing in order.

Section II Class A quarterfinal matchups:
DI No. 1 Nisky/Troy vs. DII No. 4 Glens Falls
DI No. 3 Bishop Maginn vs. DII No. 2 Gloversville
(winners meet in semis)

DII No. 1 Burnt Hills vs. DI No. 4 Averill Park
DII No. 3 Queensbury vs. DI No. 2 Nisky/Troy
(winners meet in semis)

Class B

Reinfurt Division
Lansingburgh 4-0, 6-1
Cohoes 3-1, 5-1
Hudson 2-2, 5-2
Alb. Acad. 1-3, 4-3
Ravena 0-4, 1-6
Ichabod Crane 0-0, 0-7

What we know:
The Reinfurt worked out in order thanks to team records.

West Division
Schalmont 3-0, 4-2
Hudson Falls 3-1, 3-3
Cobleskill 2-2, 2-5
Broadalbin-Perth 1-2, 3-3
Johnstown 0-4, 0-7

What we know:
This division is all set thanks to Schalmont's head-to-head tiebreak over Hudson Falls and Cobleskill's head-to-head over Broadalbin.

Section II Class B quarterfinals
R1 Lansingburgh vs. W4 Broadalbin-Perth (nice rematch!)
R3 Hudson vs. W2 Hudson Falls
(winners meet in semis)

W1 Schalmont vs. R4 Alb. Acad.
R2 Cohoes vs. W3 Cobleskill
(winners meet in semis)

Class C

North Division
Hoosick Falls 6-0, 7-0
Granville 5-0, 6-0
Cambridge 4-1, 5-1
Corinth 4-2, 5-2
Mechanicville 4-2, 4-2
Tamarac 2-4, 2-5
Schuylerville 2-5, 2-5
Hoosic Valley 0-6, 1-6
Stillwater 0-7, 0-7

What we know:
Hoosick Falls and Granville will be 1-2 in some order, depending on what happens today when Granville plays Cambridge.
Cambridge and Corinth are in over Mechanicville by quarter points, but how they will be seeded depends on today's Cambridge game.

South Division
Chatham 6-0, 7-0
Voorheesville 5-1, 5-1
Fonda 4-1, 5-1
Canajoharie 4-2, 5-2
Taconic Hills 3-3, 3-3
Watervliet 2-3, 3-3
CCHS 1-5, 2-5
Cairo-Durham 0-5, 1-5
Coxsackie 0-5, 1-5

What we know:
We know the top four teams are in and we know Chatham will be the No. 1. Aside from that, a lot still hinges on today's Fonda and Voorheesville games, so check back for the first round pairing sometime tonight when we get some results from these games.

Class D

Rensselaer 6-0, 6-1
Greenwich 5-1, 5-2
Lake George 5-1, 5-2
Bishop Gibbons 3-2, 4-2
Warrensburg 2-3, 2-4
Fort Edward 2-4, 2-4
Spa Catholic 2-5, 2-5
Salem 1-4, 1-5
Whitehall 0-6, 0-6

What we know:

Rensselaer wrapped up the No. 1 seed with a victory over Lake George and Greenwich, which topped Lake George in Class D quarter points, 35.5-24, will also earn a first round bye.
Bishop Gibbons is in the playoffs, but four teams are still alive for the final two seeds entering play Saturday.

Section II Class D quarterfinals
No. 1 Rensselaer and No. 2 Greenwich, byes (play Class C team in crossover)
No. 3 Lake George vs. No. 6 TBD
No. 4 Gibbons (most likely) vs. No. 5 TBD

Catholic Central's Taliah Pounds played well off the bench, contributing seven points and six rebounds for the Lady Crusaders. It was too little too late as Catholic High fell behind by as many as 15 in the third quarter and could not muster enough of a fourth quarter rally to knock off Big 10 leading Schenectady on Friday night. Antonia Williams scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 56-49 victory for the Lady Patriots (8-0, 15-1). (All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

CCHS' Olivia DeMarco was limited to nine points and four boards as the Patriots' 2-3 zone did not allow the Lady Crusaders to force it into the low post. Schenectady outrebounded CCHS 39-31.

Carly LaBombard (shooting, above) finished with 10 points, as did teammates Colleen Dignum and Maria Foglia. CCHS and Schenectady have played three times so far this season with Schenectady winning all three. It is still possible that the teams may meet again in the Section II Class AA tournament.

Check out the full game story along with all of Friday's highlights in Saturday's edition of The Record.

La Salle's Alex Verchereau (19) scored a shorthanded goal and assisted on Vinny Planz's goal in the first but sophomore goaltender Brett Bernardo shone the brightest for La Salle on Thursday night. Bernardo began the season as the Cadets main goaltender but was relegated to the bench in recent weeks as Caleb Crowley began to heat up. La Salle head coach Tim Flanigan decided to start Bernardo against Saratoga Springs, the No. 8 team in New York, and, boy, did it pay off. Bernardo stopped all 39 shots he faced en route to a 2-0 shutout victory for the Cadets at Conway Ice Arena. (All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Verchereau takes a spill in front of Saratoga's Luke Fauler (right). The Cadets killed all seven Saratoga Springs power plays, including a 6-on-4 advantage for the last 2:05 of the game.

La Salle senior captain Will Kiley (12) fights for the puck with a Saratoga defender in Thursday's victory. The Cadets host CDHSHL Division II leader Glens Falls this Saturday at Conway Ice Rink. The puck drops at 7:20 p.m.

Mitch Wacholder (left) fights Saratoga's Justin Wormley (right) down the ice in Thursday's contest. The Cadets now have 10.5 points in CDHSHL play, one and a half points behind Shaker-Colonie and two behind Saratoga.

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Catholic Central's Colleen Dignum (above) and Maria Foglia play the role of the lockdown defenders for the Lady Crusaders. Coming off a weekend in which they knocked off NYS No. 6 Lourdes, CCHS hosts Schenectady tonight in a crucial Big 10 matchup. The Lady Crusaders are mired in a four-way tie for second place while the Lady Patriots (14-1) are ranked No. 12 in the state. Schenectady has defeated CCHS twice already this season, once in a non-league game and 10 days ago in a 53-50 Big 10 game in the Electric City.

Maria Foglia (above) said that she and Dignum sometimes feel like the class clowns on the team because they tend to dish out the jokes in practice. That's just fine with them because they aren't kidding around on the defensive end. They'll have their hands full Friday night trying to defend Schenectady's Shelia Dixon and Antonia Williams.

Check out the full scoop on the CCHS girls basketball team and the game story from the La Salle-Saratoga Springs hockey game in Friday's edition of The Record, along with basketball standings through Wednesday night's games.

Troy senior forward Dan McLaren (44) reaches for a rebound in Tuesday's loss to Schenectady. Derrick Millinghaus (1) lit up the court, scoring 22 points, snaring nine rebounds and making a number of steals to lead the Patriots to a 61-42 victory. (JS Carras - The Record).

Not much positive news to relay in terms of the Troy High hoops team. They fell into foul trouble early in the first quarter and allowed the Patriots' pressing defense to generate turnovers and build an insurmountable lead.
The Flying Horses are a defense-first type of team and if they can't control the tempo of the game, they will struggle. If they can find a durable offensive option, Troy might be in business.
McLaren scored 14 points and Zack Dolan played well on the boards, however.

Schenectady's Reece Jackson goes up and over Troy's Lashawn Chapman (42) in Tuesday's Big 10 game at Troy High School. (JS Carras - The Record).

"We’re struggling right now," Troy head coach Jeff Sitterly said. "We’re not scoring points, but we’ll keep at it. Our hope is to be a decent team at the end of the season."

Look for the full story and a comprehensive high school roundup in Wednesday's edition of The Record.

SCHENECTADY 61, TROY 42

Schenectady: DerMillinghaus 9-4-22, Fennicks 5-1-11, Miner 2-0-6, SMillinghaus 2-1-5, Jackson 3-4-11, Long 1-0-2, Blair 1-0-2, Farmer 1-0-2. Totals: 24-10-61.
Troy: Danahy 0-4-4, Chapman 2-1-5, Dolan 2-0-4, McLaren 5-4-14, Seebald 3-0-7, Banks 1-0-2, Colon 0-3-3, Ashburn 1-0-3. Totals: 14-12-42.
Schenectady (1-1, 2-2) 17 13 18 13 – 61
Troy (0-2, 0-4) 6 8 15 13 – 42
3-point goals: Schenectady 3 (Miner 2, Jackson). Troy 2 (Seebald, Ashburn). JV: Troy 55, Schenectady 51.