News & notes

The Troy Fighting Irish's season ended on September 21 with a 22-12 loss to Syracuse in the finals of the Northeastern Football Alliance playoffs. Troy finishes 10-4 on the season, with three of those losses at the hands of Syracuse. Once again, we had to locate the information from sources other than the Irish's own web page, since they haven't updated it in over three weeks.
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Hats off to Amsterdam's Peyton Ausfeld, who, despite a broken left wrist, rushed for over 300 yards to lead the Rams past Albany on Saturday. The cast Ausfeld wore was bigger than the ones that college & pro players wear. The Falcons, now 0-4, will have an 8 game schedule, as if they were still in Class AA instead of Class A. They'll play Troy October 18. Expect another slaughter.
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Speaking of Troy, and, to tell you the truth, I didn't know about this until recently, but star RB/KR/DB Xavier Leigh can trace his talent back to his family tree.

You see, Leigh is the great-grandson of the late Charlie Leigh, who was a RB/KR for the Miami Dolphins in the early 70's, winning back-to-back titles after the 1972 and 1973 seasons. Charlie Leigh relocated to Albany after his playing career was over, and, among other things, was an assistant coach at Albany High for several years before his passing in 2006.

Could Xavier follow his great-grandfather to the NFL? Maybe. Just maybe.

News & notes

Lansingburgh's football struggles continued last night on the road, but it wasn't quite so bad this time, as the Knights fell to Mechanicville, 17-7. The Knights return home next Friday to host Schuylerville, but, as we've noted, until the school district finds it within itself to reinstate the JV program, along with the band & cheerleaders, 'Burgh football remains in rather rough shape.
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RPI is honoring recently retired baseball coach Karl Steffen by naming their baseball stadium after him. Beginning with the 2020 season, the venue will now be Robison Field at Karl Steffen Ballpark. Steffen retired after 34 years as head coach of the baseball Engineers, but his accomplishments won't soon be forgotten.
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It's also Homecoming for RPI football this week, as they'll host little known Anna Maria College today at East Campus Village Stadium. After what went down a few clicks down the road at Troy High last night, you have to believe police will be on high alert at RPI today. If you're bored by the major college action on the tube, this game will be on RPI's YouTube channel.
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Averill Park remains atop the Class A Capital division standings after beating LaSalle, 35-13, last night at Sutton Field. The Warriors will return home to play Troy next week, as noted last night, with first place on the line. Last year, the Warriors came to Picken Field with the division on the line, and saw their undefeated season end, so they'll have revenge on their minds.

Meanwhile, Queensbury leads the Grasso division, but Ballston Spa has jumped into a second place tie with Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake after upsetting Matt Shell's club, 9-7.
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CBA, perhaps still sky high after beating Troy last week, fell to Bethlehem last night. Parity, folks. You've gotta love it.

High School Fridays: All over but the shouting (Green Tech @ Troy, 9/27/19)

In boxing, an overmatched opponent is referred to as a tomato can when facing a title contender. The same thing applies in college football and basketball as the elite teams pad their stats to impress pollsters.

In high school football lately, there are plenty of tomato cans, but for all the wrong reasons. For example, as has been documented, Lansingburgh is operating without a band, cheerleaders, and a junior varsity team in football. Hence, one blowout loss after another since last season.

Green Tech started the season with a 16-6 win over Albany, a Class AA team playing a Class A schedule, and playing, it seems, like a Class C team. However, the Eagles have been blown out in each of their last two games heading into tonight's game vs. Troy High, scoring just 12 points in the two losses. Troy, meanwhile, was coming off a heartbreaking loss to CBA last week. And with Green Tech coming in for Homecoming, they were eyeing the Eagles as if they were something else altogether.

Sacrificial lambs.

As has been the case the last two weeks, Troy won the toss, and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Alex Wolfe, back after missing last week's game with a wrist injury, put the hosts on the board with a 27 yard scoring strike to Tyrell Penalba. However, a 2 point conversion attempt failed when Makai Cruel, on an option pass, was picked off in the end zone.

Three-plus minutes later, after a Green Tech fumble, Troy struck again, as Xavier Ward punched it in from 5 yards out. This time, Xavier Leigh scored on the 2 point conversion, and Troy led, 14-0.

For the second consecutive possession, Green Tech coughed up the football, as Pharoah Clark fumbled, Leigh scooped up the loose ball, and raced in from 31 yards out. Jonah Griswold kicked the extra point, and Troy led, 21-0, after the first quarter.

After Troy had a touchdown taken away by offsetting fouls on a punt, they forced Green Tech to rekick. One play later, Wolfe hit Nasir Dawud-Soto in stride for a 60 yard catch & run. Less than two minutes later, Green Tech punter Na'zaire Turner had his second punt blocked on the evening. Connor Dwyer corraled the loose ball in the end zone, and Troy went into the break with a comfortable 35-0 lead.

With roughly 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, coach Bob Burns began lifting his starters, and inserted Austin Francis at quarterback, giving Wolfe the rest of the night off. The sophomore wasn't quite the deer in the headlights he was last week vs. CBA, but then, he was given a cushion to work with. In the fourth quarter, after a scoreless third frame, Troy's newest offensive weapon had his coming out party. Imagine the headline:

Avvon calling!

Avvon Smith, that is. The junior tailback replaced Leigh and closed the scoring with a 5 yard scamper, and for the third straight week, Green Tech's defense gave up more than 40 points, as Troy pitched a shutout, 42-0.

Troy travels to Averill Park, which beat Green Tech last week, to open a two game road trip next week. Just like last year, this game could decide the Capital Division. Green Tech, meanwhile, plays Amsterdam next week.
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At halftime, the Homecoming Court was introduced to the raucous crowd, as all six candidates got equal cheers from the partisans. Grace Collins, one of four members of the women's soccer team nominated, was crowned Homecoming Queen.

The shouting I was referring to in the headline refers to some escalating tensions near the gate as some of the students were preparing to leave for the evening, right at the start of the third quarter. Resource officers had to repeatedly send students back to their seats as they lingered along the fence in the bleacher seats. After the game, as ye scribe was heading home, three police vehicles were en route to Troy High, as things apparently escalated yet again. Once I reached downtown, a fourth cruiser was apparently either headed there or on another call. We'll see if the local press picks up any of this.
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In fairness to the women's soccer team, having the Homecoming Queen and three Princesses puts some sparkle back into a season that has quickly gone downhill. The Lady Horses dropped a 2-1 decision to Columbia on Thursday night after being shut out by Niskayuna on Tuesday. The boys' soccer team played to a 1-1 draw at Columbia after absorbing a 2-0 loss to the Silver Warriors.

News & notes

After being suspended for a violation of unspecified team rules last week, Dev Holmes has chosen to leave the UAlbany football team, barely a month into his sophomore season.

According to the Albany Times-Union in today's editions, Holmes has not been as productive this season as he was at this time last year, as opposing defenses have made adjustments to him, but Holmes, apparently, has become frustrated with the lack of touches as QB Jeff Undercuffler has found his own go-to receivers. UAlbany is 2-2 after beating Lafayette, 36-7, on Saturday

It is possible, per the Times-Union, that Holmes, since he's only played three games, could redshirt the rest of this season, and have three years of college eligibility left, depending on where he goes next. He had backed out of a verbal agreement with Villanova to come to UAlbany last year, so the Wildcats may yet be a landing spot. Stay tuned.
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It was a bad weekend at Troy High.

A shade more than 12 hours after the football team dropped a 19-13 heartbreaker to CBA, the soccer teams were shut out by Shaker. The boys dropped a 4-0 decision at Picken Field, while the girls were shut down, 2-0, at Shaker.

But, let's look on the bright side. The two teams have combined for four wins in the first month of the season, which is a big improvement on last year.
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As was demonstrated when they hosted the Class AA high school title game three years ago, RPI does have lights at East Campus Village Stadium.

RPI hosted a twilight game vs. Utica on Saturday night, and won, 35-33. If you missed any or all of the game, RPI has a YouTube channel where they'll live-stream football, and, I'd imagine, men's & women's hockey games.

Since Union is hosting this year's Battle For The Dutchmen's Shoes, we'll see if they have a YouTube channel, too.

News & notes

At the rate things are going for Lansingburgh, their football team might need an extended hiatus.

The Knights have scored a grand total of 19 points in three games, all blowout losses, the latest a 57-7 shellacking at the hands of Schalmont on Friday night. The Sabres led, 44-0, at the break. Until the school district reinstates the school's band, cheerleaders, and junior varsity football, the Knights will remain the dregs of Class B.
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Troy High's boys' soccer team snapped a four game winless string Thursday afternoon, beating Ballston Spa, 2-1. Mike Murnane's club will entertain Shaker this morning. The women, though, will be at Shaker after dropping a 3-0 decision to the Lady Scotties on Thursday night at Picken Field. B-Spa also registered shutouts in tennis & volleyball, though the tennis match was not reported to the usual outlets.
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Former LaSalle quarterback Joe Germinerio transferred from Brockport to Ithaca for his senior season. This is significant because Germinerio will have a sort of homecoming when Ithaca comes to town to play RPI on November 9.

High School Fridays: The unkindest cut (CBA @ Troy, 9/20/19)

In four-plus seasons as varsity football coach at Troy High, Bob Burns had only lost one home game, and that was the Class A semi-final vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 11 months ago. Dating back to last season, there were indications the home winning streak would've ended sooner than it did.

Then came tonight, and a reality check.

The resurgent Brothers of CBA were in town, looking to be players in Class AA again, as the balance of power has been shifting since Troy moved back to Class A last year. Troy could not afford to make the same kind of mistakes they made the last time they played a non-league opponent last year.

Then again, Troy played at a manpower disadvantage. Quarterback Alex Wolfe was ruled out with a wrist injury reportedly sustained in the win over Amsterdam last week. Sophomore Austin Francis got the call after finishing last week's game.

Troy, for the 2nd straight week, won the toss, and elected to receive. It didn't work this time, as CBA's defense forced a three-&-out. Troy promptly returned the favor on CBA's first possession, but Elias Daniels muffed Dylan Jones' punt, and CBA had new life at midfield. Troy's defense nearly forced another three-&-out, but a defensive holding penalty extended the drive. Two plays later, Mike Barber, no relation to the former NFL player, made the Flying Horses pay with a 29 yard touchdown run. With the extra point, CBA had a 7-0 lead after the first quarter.

Roughly three and a half minutes into the second quarter, Troy evened the score, as Xavier Leigh punched it in from two yards out, followed by a Jonah Griswold extra point. The score remained tied at halftime, but CBA lost starting quarterback Tyler Fort to a head injury, as he was seen with an ice pack on his head as the teams left for the locker rooms at the break. Figure Fort spent the second half in the concussion protocol.

In the third quarter, Francis was facing near relentless pressure from the CBA defense. He was tentative, hesitant, moving in the pocket like he was Arlene Francis. As the old saying goes, he who hesitates is lost, and Francis, who'd thrown an interception in the first quarter, threw a second pick, this one to Fred Smith, who was rewarded by taking over at quarterback for an ineffective Andrew Pemrick, who'd taken over for Fort at the end of the first half. Smith led the Brothers down the field, and Barber finished it with his second touchdown, a 52 yard dash to paydirt. However, the extra point failed, and CBA had a six point lead at 13-7, and were driving to begin the fourth quarter.

Just five seconds into the final frame, Barber completed his hat trick from two yards out, but the two point conversion failed.

That gave Troy hope. Two touchdowns and at least one extra point would win the game. With just under six and a half minutes left in regulation, Leigh scored his second touchdown, this one from five yards out, but Griswold missed the extra point, leaving Troy down by six at 19-13.

Now, Coach Burns had a decision to make. Should he try an onside kick, and get the ball back, or kick it away, and pray the defense would hold. He chose the latter, and Troy got the ball back.

Unfortunately, the Horses couldn't make any late magic. With under ninety seconds left, Leigh fumbled, and CBA recovered. The fans began streaming for the exits at that point, and CBA leaves with a 19-13 win. Hard fought from start to finish.

In all, Troy had four turnovers, Francis was sacked twice, and you have to believe that Burns will be second guessed for not even thinking of inserting Elias Daniels, despite his special teams error in the first quarter, as he's the only other quarterback, aside from Wolfe & Francis, on the roster. Francis was nervous in his first start, and it showed. There's no guarantee Daniels would've fared any better, but it wouldn't have hurt to try.

Next week, Troy concludes its homestand on Homecoming, as Green Tech comes to town. The Eagles will be seeking some payback after getting blown off their home field last year. Meanwhile, Troy High is facing something they'd never expected. A quarterback controversy.

News & notes

You read about it so often. A player on a college or pro team is suspended for at least one game for violating unspecified team rules. It's "unspecified" because the team wants to keep it in house as much as possible, and what the team rules are is on a need to know basis, and in their eyes, the public doesn't need to know.

It hits close to home because UAlbany sophomore receiver Dev Holmes will sit out Saturday's game vs. Lafayette for doing exactly that, violating "team rules". Defenses have adjusted and apparently have been double-teaming the speedy Holmes, shutting him out and leaving him off the box scores. UAlbany is 1-2 heading into the Lafayette game, so here's hoping they can win without Holmes.
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Another Troy alum, John Germinerio, is finally seeing some action for Union. Curiously, he's listed as a sophomore, so figure he was redshirted as a freshman, when rightfully, he's in his junior season academically.
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As of press time, there's been no word on whether or not the Troy Fighting Irish have advanced to the Northeastern Football Alliance title game, set for Saturday. The team's web page has not been updated in a week. Stay tuned.
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Troy High's volleyball team is playing a string of four matches in five days.

The Lady Horses dropped a straight set decision to Guilderland on Monday, then came back and won in straight sets over Albany Tuesday night at home. Their record now stands at 3-2 heading into a match tomorrow vs. Ballston Spa.

The women's soccer team beat Albany, 5-1, at Picken Field Tuesday night. Abby Burns had a hat trick to lead Troy, which snapped a four game losing streak. The boys, on the other hand, also playing under the lights in Albany, fell, 3-2, to the Falcons. Coach Mike Murnane's club has now dropped four in a row, and will be at Ballston Spa tomorrow (the girls are at home) before returning home for a Saturday matinee vs. Shaker..

While the boys won their road opener at Hudson Falls on August 29, they have not won a game in the Suburban Council since 2017, earning three ties, including two against Schenectady, over that span.

Albany also won in women's tennis, keeping Troy winless on the court.

High School Fridays: Amsterdam @ Troy (football), 9/13/19

On Friday the 13th, strange things are supposed to happen. Especially with a full moon over the stadium.

And so it was that Troy High opened a three game homestand at Picken Memorial Field tonight with Amsterdam providing the opposition in the Flying Horses' home opener. The first sign of trouble? Troy won the opening coin toss, and elected to receive. Usually, coach Bob Burns defers to the second half, but with his club sloppier than Messy Marvin at a chocolate convention last week at LaSalle, he felt he needed his offense to make a statement early.

After an exchange of punts, they did.

On their second possession, Troy drew first blood as Xavier Leigh broke through the Rams' defense and raced 45 yards to paydirt. An offside penalty on the PAT attempt by Amsterdam prompted Troy to go for a 2 point conversion, and fullback Cody Williams bulled his way into the end zone to give Troy an 8-0 lead roughly 3 1/2 minutes into the game.

Amsterdam tried to answer. After Troy's Jonah Griswold's kickoff rolled out of bounds, the Rams set up shop at their 35 yard line. One pass from Tom Ziskin to Josiah Newborn had the Rams in prime position with first and goal at the Troy 5. On 4th & goal, Ziskin was intercepted by Darius Holmes in the end zone, ending the threat. Soon after, Leigh broke off another big run, this one for 65 yards. Griswold, who missed his only PAT attempt last week, converted this time, upping the lead to 15-0. Right at the end of the quarter, Alex Wolfe found Makai Cruel in the end zone, and Troy had a 22-0 lead after the first 12 minutes.

Unfortunately, complacency took over, and for a while, so did the Rams.

Amsterdam's Peyton Ausfeld broke off a 74 yard run just 21 seconds into the second quarter. Unfortunately, a two point conversion attempt came up short, and the lead was trimmed to 22-6. Troy muffed the onside kick, and Amsterdam recovered, and less than two minutes later, Cam Chrzanowski caught a 13 yard pass from Ziskin. Ausfeld caught a pass for the 2 point conversion, and we had a game again at 22-14.

Just before the half, Ziskin flipped a 6 yard pass to Rein Desbiens, but the 2 point conversion failed, and the teams went into the half with Troy clinging to a 22-20 lead.

The other downer for Troy, besides the defense going missing in the second quarter, and this shouldn't be a surprise, was another wave of penalties, usually at inopportune times. With only a dozen seniors on his roster, coach Burns is lacking veteran leadership when he needs it the most.

But whatever he told his team at halftime worked. A shade over five minutes into the third quarter, Wolfe punched in from 2 yards out. Griswold converted the extra point, and the lead was back to nine at 29-20. Four minutes later, Leigh broke loose again, this time for 46 yards. Wolfe flipped a pass to Connor Dwyer for the 2 point conversion, and the lead was extended to 37-20, as Troy started to pull away.

Ziskin's night was over, and punter Yandeel Vasquez took over at quarterback. His first pass was picked off by Cruel, and Troy cashed in as Xavier Ward, on an end around, scored from 5 yards out. Jaylen Riggins caught the 2 pointer, and now it was 45-20 as we entered the final frame. Sophomore Austin Francis took over at QB for the 2 pointer, as Wolfe finished with a TD run and, on defense, an interception and some key defensive plays. Wolfe was not much of a contributor on defense last season as a sophomore, but now he's become more of a two-way player, much like his predecessors, Joe Casale and John Germinerio.

With under two minutes left in the game, Amsterdam's Destin Ferrell ran one in from 29 yards out, but the two point conversion failed. Troy's offense got a first down on the ensuing possession before going into victory formation to lock down a 45-26 win.

Next week, CBA, also 2-0, comes to town.
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Other Troy High news: The cheerleaders have a new coach, as Amanda Myers takes over for Katelyn Waters. There are only 17 varsity cheerleaders this season, down from 20+ the last couple of years. Curious.

Troy's struggles in other sports continue, as the Flying Horses fell to Guilderland in women's soccer & tennis, volleyball, golf, & men's soccer on Thursday. The volleyball squad is at .500 (2-2), so things might not be so bad this year.

News & notes

Shenendehowa grad Ian Anderson was named the organizational pitcher of the year by the Atlanta Braves on Monday. Something tells me Anderson will start 2020 with Triple-A Gwinnett or jump right into the major league pool. Congratulations to Ian.
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UAlbany won its football home opener Saturday night, 45-3, over Bryant. However, Bryant's defense kept sophomore receiver Dev Holmes off the scoreboard, though QB Jeff Undercuffler threw 2 TD passes in the rout. The Great Danes are in Monmouth, New Jersey this week.

Here's a thought. Why not substitute the usual Great Danes logo for America's most famous fictional Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, who marks 50 years this year?
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Troy High's soccer teams continue to struggle in the young season.

The Troy women have now lost three in a row after being shut out, 4-0, by Colonie Tuesday night. Troy (1-4 overall, 1-2 Suburban Council) has been shut out in three of their four losses, having scored just one goal in Sunday's loss to Schoharie. The Lady Horses stay home tomorrow night to entertain Guilderland.

The Troy men, however, are now 1-2-1 overall (0-2-1 league) after dropping a 2-1 decision at Colonie.

Colonie also bested Troy in golf. The men's team is now 0-5 on the season, while the women achieved a tie with Ballston Spa on Monday.

Troy salvaged what otherwise was a bad day by shutting out Colonie in straight sets in volleyball. Have to assume the Garnet Raiders won in tennis.
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The Troy Fighting Irish earned bye into the Northeastern Football Alliance semi-finals, and that means a rematch with the Monroe County Sting, whom the Irish beat, 38-9, on August 24. The team has finally updated their webpage, 2 1/2 weeks after the regular season finale. Troy finished the regular season 7-3, and are hoping for fan support on Saturday night when the Sting return, seeking revenge.

News & notes

What we neglected to mention in Friday's game summary of Troy High's win over LaSalle is that head coach Bob Burns now doubles as offensive coordinator. Mike Grasso left after last season to become the men's varsity basketball coach at Niskayuna, which will make things interesting when Troy & Nisky play this winter.

But of course, a certain newspaper will ignore the game, just like they ignored the Collar City Cup game. Again. Stay tuned.
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Due to the ongoing embargo against El Cheapo Media, sports editor Joe Boyle covered the Averill Park-Columbia game on Friday. At least the Blue Devils scored this time. 11 months after being shut out by the Warriors, Columbia actually put some points on the board, but Averill Park won again, 40-6. Troy will visit AP & Columbia in weeks 5-6.
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Lansingburgh has not solved its woes after going winless last year. The Knights traveled to the North Country Saturday, and were blown off the field by defending Class B champion Glens Falls, 67-6. Ouch! Noah Girard, cousin of Joseph Girard III, directed the offense, which scored 8 touchdowns in the first half alone against a still-undermanned 'Burgh defense.

Apparently, they still haven't reinstated the JV program, if not also the cheerleaders & band, at Lansingburgh. For coach Jeff Pasinella, the lean times will continue until those factors go back in the budget.
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Troy High's women's soccer team is playing a Hall of Fame tournament in Niskayuna this weekend, and are off to a bad start, getting shut out by Holland-Patent, 4-0, Saturday morning, to fall to 1-2 overall (1-1 Suburban Council). They'll play Schoharie this afternoon before returning home to play Colonie Tuesday night.

What about a collegiate Collar City Cup?

Last night's Collar City Cup game between Troy High & LaSalle, while exciting, was a slog, crawling to the finish after more than three hours due to penalties and injuries. However, it got me thinking.

Troy has two colleges that are located in the same general areas as their high school counterparts. Despite the fact that Hudson Valley Community College, a 2 year school that plays in a junior college league, is virtually next door to LaSalle, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) practically encircles the Dudley Van Arnam Campus that is home to the Troy Middle & High Schools, their sports teams have never played each other.

I say, screw the disparity between HVCC & RPI. Never mind that RPI plays Union for the Dutchmen's shoes every year. There has to be some sort of incentive that would bring two of the city's three colleges (Russell Sage, now a co-ed school, is the other, and has been linked to RPI) together on the playing field. RPI's rarely, if ever, played UAlbany or Siena, either, but that's beside the point in this case, too. The Saints & Great Danes won't be playing basketball this year because of their own issues over home court, but what's stopping RPI from showing HVCC some respect? A fair number of HVCC graduates move on to RPI to finish their education.

Consider the football venues. East Campus Village Stadium is situated behind the Houston Field House. HVCC's home field is just a short distance in back of Bruno Stadium on the Vikings' campus. In basketball, HVCC has the Ed McDonough Field House, and probably can seat more than RPI can in their gym. The only way that changes is if RPI, which has hosted the Harlem Globetrotters in the past, can convert Houston Field House from hockey to basketball. Baseball? Don't ya think RPI players would jump at the chance to play at The Joe? Enough said.

It's up to the college presidents (i.e. Dr. Shirley Jackson) and the mayor's office to make it happen. If it happens, who wins? Everyone.

High School Fridays: X Marks The Spot (Troy @ LaSalle, 9/6/19)

Rare is the time when a high school football game, even on opening night, spills out over three hours.

Yes, you read that right. Three. Hours.

The Collar City Cup was on the line as Troy High sought to retain the Cup in their season opener at LaSalle Institute. After a narrow escape last year at home, the Flying Horses, beginning their fifth season with Bob Burns as head coach, wanted no part of starting the season 0-1, as they did last year. John Audino, in his 2nd season at LaSalle, wanted to get his Cadets off to a fast start.

Well, at least someone's wish was granted.

LaSalle won the coin toss, and took the opening kickoff. After an offsides penalty on Troy, LaSalle QB Bo Catherwood, a transfer from Tamarac, sliced through the defense, and raced 76 yards untouched into the end zone. Mike Tobin added the extra point, and less than 30 seconds into the game, LaSalle led, 7-0.

Back came Troy. On their opening possession, QB Alex (Hungry Like The) Wolfe hit Nasir Dawud-Soto with a 14 yard touchdown catch. Thanks to an ill-timed LaSalle penalty, Troy opted for the 2 point conversion, and Xavier Leigh cashed in to give Troy a brief 8-7 lead.

Brief because on LaSalle's next offensive play, Traydon Lawrence, another transfer, this one from Green Tech, took advantage of his offensive line blowing open the door, and scampered 68 yards to paydirt. However, the 2 point conversion failed, and LaSalle led, 13-8, at the end of the frame. Troy was on the march at the end of the quarter, and just six seconds into the second quarter, took the lead for good, as Leigh scored from 11 yards out. New Troy kicker Jonah Griswold's PAT was low, and wide left, leaving the score at 14-13 in favor of Troy.

Seven minutes later, Leigh found the end zone again, this time from 25 yards after back to back penalties took Troy from first & goal to fourth and goal from the 25. Again, the 2 point conversion failed, and Troy took a 20-13 lead into the break.

There was so much dirty laundry on the carpet in the first half with all the penalties, you'd swear LaSalle had planned on hiring Don Henley for post-game entertainment. That it took them nearly 90 minutes to play the first half had to be galling to both teams.

Troy received the second half kickoff, and marched down the field, ending with Wolfe finding Makai (Don't Be) Cruel in the corner of the end zone from 13 yards out. Leigh scored his 2nd 2 point conversion of the game, and the lead stretched to 28-13.

However, instead of penalties, injuries ruled the second half. Players on both sides, including Leigh, Lawrence, and, at the end of the game, Wolfe, had issues with cramps. Leigh, in fact, might've had hamstring issues, and missed most of the second half.

LaSalle tried to make it interesting in the fourth quarter. Eddie Yamin, a freshman quarterback who alternated with Catherwood, got the Cadets back within shouting distance with a 49 yard strike to Brady Fenton. Unfortunately, the 2 point conversion failed again. Now, it was 28-19, and Audino had a decision to make with just over 8 minutes left. Should the Cadets kick off, or try an onside kick.

They kicked off. Big mistake.

Troy ate up some clock, and then, it was Wolfe to Cruel, again, this time for 18 yards. Again, the 2 point conversion failed. The lead was back to 15 at 34-19.

However, LaSalle's next possession was a disaster. Catherwood lost the handle, and Jayden Riggins recovered the fumble, LaSalle's second turnover of the night, as Catherwood had thrown a pick earlier to Austin Francis to kill a drive. Wolfe cramped on the first play, and came out of the game. Two plays later, Xavier Ward, in the Wildcat formation, slammed the door shut on the game with a 15 yard run with 1:24 left in the game.

LaSalle had one last chance, but simply ran out of time. Troy retains the Cup, 40-19, in a marathon that took 3 hours and 8 minutes. In other words, it was your average NFL game played by high schoolers.

Both teams have to clean things up heading into next week. Troy has to hope that two of their key playmakers, Wolfe & Leigh, can return for the home opener vs. Amsterdam.
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Other Troy High news:

Thursday was a productive day for the Flying Horses as well. The boys' soccer team played to a scoreless draw with Schenectady for the second straight season, moving their record to 1-1-1 (0-1-1 in the Suburban Council). The women bounced back from a loss to Shenendehowa by blanking the Lady Patriots, 4-0. Troy also beat Schenectady in volleyball, three sets to one, as both the volleyball & women's soccer teams even their records at 1-1.

The tennis meet between Troy & Schenectady was not reported to the press.

News & notes

The Albany Patroons are taking the first steps toward improving the team's overall look heading into the 2020 season, where the Pats, champions of The Basketball League, will be opening defense of their title.

Under league ownership last season, the team was purchased by Dr. Timothy Maggs, 65, of Schenectady, and a press conference was held on Wednesday.

 

The last time the team tried out a "new look", it was after they'd moved into the then-Knickerbocker Arena, and ultimately changed their name to the Capital Region Pontiacs, which led to them being forced to leave town due to poor attendance at the arena.

Attendance is still a problem at the ancient Washington Avenue Armory, though more than 2,000 fans turned out for the championship clincher. However, it's been tough trying to recapture the magic of the team's glory years, and it was like that a decade ago during the rebirth of the Continental Basketball Association.

The next step? Moving out of the Armory is a must, and going back downhill, this time to the Capital Center, may be the key to the team's overall survival.
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Troy High's golf match with Ballston Spa was a victim of early afternoon rain on Wednesday. They'll try again on Monday. Meanwhile, the school's soccer, tennis, & volleyball teams play Schenectady today.

Troy High update, 9/3

Momentum is a fickle thing.

Troy High's boys' soccer team found that out on Tuesday night in their home opener, also their Suburban Council opener, in dropping a 3-0 decision to Shenendehowa. Five days removed from beating Hudson Falls was perhaps too much time in between games for Mike Murnane's club, which will go back on the road Thursday to visit Schenectady.

One problem Troy had last year was scoring goals, both on the boys & girls' teams, and that proved to be a problem again for the Troy women in their league opener, as the Lady Plainsmen routed the Lady Horses, 9-0. Ouch! The home opener will be tomorrow against Schenectady.

Shen, in fact, also bested Troy in golf, volleyball, & tennis, leaving Troy winless in all three.

By the way, Monday's non-league volleyball match vs. Catholic Central was cancelled, likely because it was scheduled on Labor Day, perhaps by mistake. No make-up date has been set.

Troy's records as of 9/4:

Golf: 0-4. Troy is scheduled to travel to Ballston Spa this afternoon, weather permitting.
Volleyball: 0-1.
Boys' soccer: 1-1 overall, 0-1 league.
Girls' soccer: 0-1.
Girls' tennis: 0-4.
Cross country track: 0-1.

If you feel you can't make it to LaSalle's Sutton Field for Friday's Collar City Cup game, don't despair. The game will be seen as the season premiere of Spectrum Sports' Friday Night Matchup, with kickoff shortly after 7 pm.

News & notes

The Tri-City Valleycats' 2019 season ended Monday, but the season finale vs. Vermont was washed out by rain, and the threat of late afternoon thunderstorms that threatened to add to the precipitation that had already hit the city. The 'Cats close out on a three game winning streak, so they can say that they went out on a high note.

Catcher-first baseman Nate Perry, who was a member of last year's championship team, has a chance for a second ring. Perry was lifted from Sunday's game after popping out in the home 6th, and was notified by manager Ozney Guillen that he was being promoted to Class A-advanced Fayetteville (North Carolina), which has qualified for the Carolina League playoffs. Perry led the 'Cats with 12 homers, the last of which he hit on Saturday.
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Troy High's men's soccer team figures to have momentum on their side heading into tonight's home opener vs. Shenendehowa. On the other hand, Troy is 0-4 vs. Shen since entering the Suburban Council. Something has to give in a twilight game that gets underway at 6:30 pm at Picken Field.

Meanwhile, the Lady Plainsmen, who lost out on a sectional title last season to Bethlehem, open at home vs. Troy in the season opener for both clubs. The Lady Horses will have their home opener Thursday night vs. Schenectady.
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The Troy Fighting Irish have not updated their web page in over a month, so we have no way of knowing who they'll face or where in the first round of the Northeastern Football Alliance playoffs on Saturday. That does not sound good.

Youth will be served (Valleycats 3, Vermont 1, 8/31/19)

They've always said baseball was a young man's game.

The Tri-City Valleycats sent 18 year old Jairo Lopez to the hill Saturday night against Vermont, and Lopez saved his best performance of the season for his last, going five innings, giving up one hit while striking out eight, matching a season & career high, and walking one. Lopez was perfect through three innings before issuing the walk to Marty Bechina to start the fourth.

Meanwhile, the 'Cats got to Lake Monsters starter Michael Murray in the home third. Matthew Barefoot singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Luis Guerrero. Two outs and a stolen base later, Guerrero came home on a single by Luis Santana to give the hosts a 2-0 lead through three. Nate Perry homered in the fourth, a blast into the berm behind the visiting bullpen, to close the scoring.

Vermont tried to make a game of it in the seventh against Derek West. With one out, West walked Dustin Harris. A single by Jordan Diaz brought up Kevin Richards, who brought Harris home with a single. Richards, however, was erased on a double play to end the frame. Maybe if this baseball thing doesn't work out, Richards can find another career in radio.

Daniel Cody got five outs for his first pro save, as the Valleycats have now won three of their last four, beating Vermont, 3-1. The teams will meet again this afternoon, followed by a first-ever Labor Day matinee, with a 3 pm first pitch, on Monday.