To hear the frustration evident in the voices of Troy High parents Friday night is to realize that after six years of nothing but winning, those same parents weren't ready for a sudden rebuilding period.
Spoiled by six straight division titles, three sectional titles, and two state titles under Bob Burns, Troy High Nation got a boot in its collective gut at the end of the last school year when Burns left for Christian Brothers Academy, where he's already 2-0. His successor, John Barber, four years removed from taking Holy Trinity within a game of a Class C state title, had some big shoes to fill, and lofty expectations.
Barber's varsity roster includes four freshmen and an 8th grader, something unheard of in Troy football. There are also six seniors, eight sophomores, and twelve juniors. Most of these young men were playing their first varsity game, with the sophomores & juniors being promoted from the junior varsity. Prior to the game, Albany Times-Union & Spectrum News analyst James Allen picked Troy to finish 4th in the Capital Division, struggling just to win, if not score.
For one night, at least, Allen may be right.
Reigning Class AA champion Guilderland came to town to initiate the Barber Era at Troy, in what should have been a marquee matchup of defending sectional champions. It turned instead into the kind of mismatch that Troy was on the other side of the last six years.
Troy won the coin toss, and took the opening kickoff, but, uncharacteristically for their fan base, they went three-&-out on each of their 1st quarter possessions. In stark, sharp contrast, the Dutchmen moved down the field, as new defensive coordinator William Headen, who came with Barber from Holy Trinity, had the same issues with the opponent's running game that Troy had experienced in spurts under Burns. Almost halfway through the 1st quarter, Devon McClaine ran it in from 9 yards out to give the Dutchmen all the points they really needed.
Five minutes later, Guilderland QB Ty Santabarbara found Mitch MacKissock wide open, and the senior receiver galloped 38 yards to the end zone. Guilderland was up 14-0 after the frame. The 2nd quarter was more of the same. Senior running back EliJiha Molchan shredded the defense before being stopped at the Troy 5, then ran it in two plays later. The Dutchmen tacked on another score right before the break, and led, 28-0, at halftime.
The final scoring play of the night came in the 3rd quarter saw Santabarbara run it in himself from 11 yards out. Troy's defense finally stiffened, and shut down the Dutchmen the rest of the way, but the offense only crossed mid-field once in the first half, hampered, predictably, by penalties borne out of the inexperience of the defensive line, which was drawn offside four times through the 3rd quarter. Guilderland begins defense of its title with a dominating 35-0 win.
Just to illustrate how bad things went for Troy, out of the 13 varsity cheerleaders on the program, two of them did not dress for the game. For the 2nd straight season, they have a male cheerleader, Jordan Bellini, who joined the squad last season. Bellini is the first male cheerleader Troy has had since the 80's, when Lead Bennett was the first male on the team in 1981-2.
Class C:
Hudson 40, Ichabod Crane 7 (The Riders are playing a Class C schedule while still a Class B school. Just like Albany plays an A schedule as a AA school).
Watervliet 28, Mechanicville 22.
Shenendehowa 30, Queensbury 6.
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