Class A football playoff preview

Week 8 of the high school football season means the start of the playoff tournament in Classes A, B, & C. Today, we're taking a look at Class A.

Defending champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake will have to open defense of their sectional crown on the road, seeded third in the Grasso Division, and traveling to Averill Park to play the Warriors, the second seed out of the Capital Division. This will not be an easy game for either team.

There are two rematches from last year. Capital Division champion Troy hosts Scotia-Glenville, the fourth seed from the Grasso Division, for the second straight year. Last year, the Tartans nearly pulled the upset, but exposed Troy's flaws, such that Burnt Hills took advantage, beating Troy the very next week in the semi-finals, handing Troy coach Bob Burns his first home loss. Grasso Division champion Queensbury, the only undefeated team in the conference, will host LaSalle for the second year in a row. The Cadets dropped a heartbreaker on Senior Night, 21-19, to Amsterdam on Friday. Speaking of the Rams, they'll visit Ballston Spa in the other quarter-final.

Because Queensbury doesn't have lights at their field, their game is on Saturday, and by then, they will know who their next opponent will be, assuming they beat LaSalle.

The schedule:

Friday:

Scotia @ Troy: The Flying Horses go into this game knowing that this time, they won't see Burnt Hills until the Super Bowl, if that. They won't take Scotia lightly again after last year, and sent a pretty strong message to the Tartans by demolishing Albany, 42-8, on Senior Day. If they use last year's game as motivation, Scotia is in trouble. Deep trouble.

Amsterdam @ Ballston Spa: The Rams missed the party last year, but their star running back, Peyton Ausfeld, is the real deal. Winner gets Troy in the semi-finals, and Amsterdam would love a rematch. Ballston Spa will have something to say about that.

Burnt Hills @ Averill Park: Last year, the Spartans defeated Columbia and Troy to reach the Super Bowl. The road is different this year. Averill Park ended Ballston Spa's season last year, but the Scotties & Spartans have switched seedings this year. The winner has to travel to Queensbury on an extra day's rest. That is, if LaSalle doesn't pull an upset.

Saturday:

LaSalle @ Queensbury: Can Traydon Lawrence, the senior tailback transfer from Green Tech, be a difference maker against the North Country's Spartans? John Audino hopes so. The assumption within Section II would be Queensbury vs. Troy in the Super Bowl, but nothing is guaranteed.

Queensbury would love to see Averill Park eliminate Burnt Hills, and get a fresh opponent, since there are no inter-divisional games in the regular season. However, Burnt Hills kicks it into another gear come playoff time, as Troy knows all too well.

Predictions (though I could be wrong):

Troy over Scotia.
Burnt Hills over Averill Park.
Amsterdam over Ballston Spa.
Queensbury over LaSalle.