High School Fridays: Friday sports roundup

We'll start by posting the updated Suburban Council boys' basketball standings, courtesy of the Albany Times-Union:

Conference: Suburban Council

	Conference				Overall
Team	W	L	PCT		W	L	PCT
Blue Division
Bethlehem	11	0	1.000		15	0	1.000
Saratoga Springs	9	2	0.818		13	2	0.867
Shenendehowa	9	3	0.750		10	5	0.667
CBA	7	4	0.636		8	4	0.667
Colonie	5	6	0.455		6	8	0.429
Niskayuna	4	7	0.364		6	8	0.429
Shaker	1	9	0.100		2	12	0.143
Guilderland	0	11	0.000		0	15	0.000
Gray Division
Troy	11	0	1.000		12	2	0.857
Averill Park	7	5	0.583		11	5	0.688
Columbia	7	5	0.583		8	7	0.533
Ballston Spa	5	6	0.455		6	8	0.429
Schenectady	4	7	0.364		4	8	0.333
Albany	3	7	0.300		4	9	0.308
Burnt Hills	0	11	0.000		2	12	0.143

Let's take a look first at the Gray Division. All Troy has to do is beat Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake on Tuesday, and they will clinch their second division title in four years. Last night, Latyce Faison led Troy with 22 points, Jay-Quan Moore added 15, and Nazaire Merritt had 13, as the Flying Horses took down Saratoga, 74-61. Zaveon Little was promoted from the JV's, and had 8 points for Troy. Averill Park fell to Blue division leader Bethlehem, but then, the Eagles are only truly unbeaten team in the league, and it all leads to a heavyweight showdown in two weeks at Zotto Gym. By then, it's assumed both Bethlehem and Troy will have clinched the divisions, and all they'll play for, really, will be seeding in their respective sectional tournaments, which will begin on Valentine's Day. Section II would be stupid not to make Troy a top seed in Class A. Bethlehem now leads Saratoga by two games, 2 1/2 over Shenendehowa, which has played one more league game.

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Unfortunately for the Troy women, the script was reversed, as Saratoga blew the Lady Horses out of Zotto Gym, 72-40. Jenalyse Alarcon had 16 points to lead Troy (6-9 overall), with Jakaiya Dewer adding 11 in a losing effort. Troy has five games left, four in league play, and will still have a respectable record headed into the sectionals. Assuming they take care of business and sweep Burnt Hills, Kingston, & Schenectady over the next 2 1/2 weeks, Troy will finish 9-11 overall (5-11 in the Suburban Council).

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As of press time, Thursday's bowling match between Troy & Saratoga had not been reported to local press. El Cheapo Media may be saving it for Sunday's editions.

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Moving to minor league baseball to end this report. The Tri-City Valleycats have a new manager & coaching staff for 2019. Jason Bell is one and done after leading the Valleycats to their 3rd New York-Penn League title since moving to Troy, and has been promoted to a roving fundamentals instructor for the Houston Astros, which means he will return periodically to help his successor, Ozney Guillen, son of former major league ballplayer & manager (White Sox, Marlins) Ozzie Guillen. Ironically, the White Sox's 2005 World Series win came against-----wait for it-----the Astros, who were still in the National League at the time.

Finally, congratulations to the Yankees' Mariano Rivera, who started his career with the then-Albany-Colonie Yankees (now the Trenton Thunder) in the Eastern League in the early 90's, on being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ceremonies take place July 21 in Cooperstown, and Rivera will join a class that also includes Lee Smith (going in as a Cub), Harold Baines (White Sox), Edgar Martinez (Mariners), Mike Mussina (no logo on cap), and the late Roy Halladay (no logo on cap). Baines & Smith were selected by a separate committee.

It may be the first time the Hall rocks out, if they play Metallica's "Enter Sandman" for Rivera.