News & notes

 Section II was originally going to have a marathon of men's soccer finals Saturday, but, at mid-week, decided to have just one game.

Averill Park won the Class A title, shutting out LaSalle, 2-0, which adds to the Warriors' bragging rights between the territorial rivals.

Now, the Class AA & B title games will be played on Monday, while Classes C & D will have their title games on Tuesday. I think the reports of rain in the forecast---and it did rain on and off Saturday afternoon----forced the changes.

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They've claimed the Skates, but can they win the Shoes?

RPI's men's hockey team completed a sweep of Union Saturday night, claiming the Capital Skates trophy with a 3-0 shutout. Check it:

Unfortunately, it was a lost weekend for the Lady Engineers on the ice, as they dropped a 1-0 decision to Clarkson.

We told you how RPI was finally opening the gates to a limited number of family members and fans for Senior Day. 

The Engineers took full advantage outdoors, sweeping a soccer-football doubleheader. The nightcap saw the women's soccer team dispatch Clarkson, 1-0.

And, the football Engineers clipped Ithaca, 14-11. The Bombers come home to play Union next week.

Speaking of Union football, they needed overtime to beat Hobart, 27-20, to remain unbeaten. They can't look past Ithaca, with the Dutchmen's Shoes game at home vs. RPI in two weeks.

=========================================

The rest of Saturday's high school scoreboard:

Football:

Class A:

Amsterdam 33, Albany 26. The Rams clinch the Capital Division, and it looks like Averill Park could get the 2 slot, shutting out LaSalle.

Queensbury 27, Niskayuna 7. The Spartans finish 2nd in the Grasso division, and will travel to Amsterdam next week, while Burnt Hills hosts either Averill Park or LaSalle (that will be finalized by the end of the day).

Update, 7:19 pm: Burnt Hills hosts LaSalle instead of Averill Park, as the Cadets get the nod on quarter points, a la the old Continental Basketball Association.

Class B:

Glens Falls 42, Ravena 0.

Class C quarter-final:

Voorheesville 21, Cobleskill-Richmondville 0. The Blackbirds will advance to play Schuylerville next week.

Class D:

Stillwater 20, Cambridge-Salem 0.

Women's soccer:

Class AA title:

Shenendehowa 1, Columbia 0.

Class C semi-finals:

Schoharie 2, Maple Hill 0.

Waterford 6, Bolton-Warrensburg 1.

News & notes

 In this era of starting pitchers being pampered by their managers & coaches to prevent long-term arm injuries, it surprises no one that Atlanta manager Brian Snitker lifted Ian Anderson after 5 no-hit innings Friday night, as the Braves took a 2-1 lead in the World Series with a 2-0 win over Houston. Anderson wasn't entirely sharp, having walked three and hit a batter while striking out three, but the Shenendehowa grad has put Atlanta one step closer to their first World Series title since 1995.

If the series goes back to Houston, Anderson could pitch a possible game 7 on Wednesday.

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RPI's women's hockey team saw their four game winning streak end Friday night with a loss to St. Lawrence, 3-0. The Lady Engineers host Clarkson in the first half of a men's & women's hockey double-header at Houston Field House today at 3 pm. St. Lawrence visits Union, which lost to Clarkson, 4-1.

It was not a good night for Union at all, as RPI's men took the first game of the home & home Capital Skates series, 4-2, and will look for the sweep tonight in the nightcap at the Field House.

It is Senior Day for the women's soccer & men's football teams at East Campus Village Stadium, so parents and a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend today's football-soccer doubleheader, which begins at noon.

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Amsterdam High should have no problem clinching the Class A Capital Division today, as they're playing Albany in a matinee starting at 1 pm. Averill Park did their part, shutting out Columbia, 41-0. The Warriors, in turn, may have effectively shut LaSalle out of the playoffs, as they own a key tiebreaker after beating the Cadets two weeks ago. LaSalle blew away Troy, 42-0, to reclaim the Collar City Cup, but no stats were provided to the press as of press time.

The rest of Friday's action:

Football:

Class AA:

Colonie 20, Bethlehem 7.

Shaker 29, Saratoga 7.

Guilderland 64, Schenectady 6.

Class A:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 55, South Glens Falls 14. The Spartans have righted the ship, having won seven straight.

Class B:

Gloversville 47, Scotia-Glenville 12.

Lansingburgh 25, Green Tech 18. The Eagles led, 12-0, at halftime, but wasted a standout performance by receiver Isaac Sylvain, who had 9 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown, as the Knights scored all their points in the 2nd half.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 47, Hudson 12.

Class D:

Greenwich 41, Granville 0.

Warrensburg-North Warren 26, Chatham 20.

Women's soccer:

Class A championship:

Queensbury 2, Averill Park 1.

Class B championship:

Schalmont 4, Mechanicville 1.

Women's volleyball:

Class AA quarter-final:

Colonie 3, Bethlehem 2.

Class C quarter-finals:

Saratoga Catholic 3, Albany Academy 0.

Hartford 3, Waterford 0.

Argyle def. Mekeel Christian.

Lake George def. Loudonville Christian.

High School Fridays: Fonda-Fultonville @ Watervliet (football), 10/29/21

 "When you think you've got all the answers, I change the questions!"---Roddy Piper.

The Braves of Fonda-Fultonville came to Watervliet for a Class C 1st round playoff tonight, facing a Cannoneer team riding a 7 game winning streak. Fonda-Fultonville hadn't won a road game going in, carrying a 5-3 record into the contest.

Just to show how studying the game films of prospective opponents can come into play, the Braves were prepared for virtually anything Ryan Job's club threw at them. Special teams was a problem for Watervliet, as P-WR Amel Conway was victimized by one bad snap after another. As a result, the Braves spent most of the night camped on the Watervliet side of the field.

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Fonda-Fultonville QB Jackson Cusack got the scoring started in the first quarter for the visitors, as he ran it in himself from 14 yards out. Connor Weaver added the extra point, and the Braves led, 7-0, after the quarter.

Fonda-Fultonville put the game away in the second quarter. Giovani DiCaprio finished a drive that started at the end of the first quarter, running it in from 2 yards out. A couple of minutes later, after a muffed punt, Cusack scored for the second time, again from 14 yards. On the ensuing Watervliet possession, Owen Hicks picked off QB Jamel Ward, and returned it to the house, 32 yards on the pick 6. And so it went.

With Watervliet's special teams continuing to make things easy for their offense, Fonda took advantage of the charity. Jonathan Cranker punched one in from a yard. On the next Watervliet possession, Hicks recovered a muffed punt, and effectively ended any chance the Cannoneers had of recovering. DiCaprio added a 2 point conversion to make up for two failed PAT's. As if that wasn't enough, Cusack hooked up with DiCaprio with under 2 minutes to go, and DiCaprio pulled away from the defense for a 57 yard catch & run. 

Fonda had this one already wrapped up at the break, leading 47-0. Job's had this sickening feeling before, coaching the Troy Fighting Irish in blowout losses.

The second half was played mostly with a running clock because of the lopsided score. Fonda's defense, though, continued to apply the pressure, even though Watervliet was trying to make things interesting. Cranker scored again from a yard in, two plays after he nearly scored on a breakaway run. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Cusack, in his last series of the night, connected with DiCaprio again, this one going 83 yards. Fonda coach Sean Thompson pulled his starters after that. Job opted to use the game as a teaching tool for his players, leaving his starters in the game to the end.

Conway made up for his punting woes late in the fourth quarter, with a 6 yard TD toss from Ward. After a 2 point conversion, it was 61-8. Fonda, however, had the last word, as reserve running back Jose Vargas scored from 5 yards out.

Watervliet sees its winning streak snapped in the 68-8 loss. Fonda (6-3) moves on to play Hoosick Falls-Tamarac, which eliminated Hudson, next week.

Other scores:

CBA 33, Shenendehowa 27.

Colonie 28, Bethlehem 7.

Schalmont 17, Mohonasen 8.

LaSalle 42, Troy 0. LaSalle reclaims the Collar City Cup. Troy falls to 1-6.

News & notes

 Watervliet High coach Ryan Job is finally getting some TV time.

Job and the Cannoneers will be featured on Spectrum News 1's Friday Night Matchup tonight in a 1st round Class C playoff vs. Fonda-Fultonville. Kickoff will be closer to 7:10 pm. This is the sort of coverage Job never got with the Troy Fighting Irish, but maybe that changes after tonight.

===================================

Viewers will be flipping back & forth between Watervliet-Fonda and game 3 of the World Series between Atlanta & Houston (Fox 23), as Shenendehowa alum Ian Anderson will be back on the hill at Truist Park for the Braves with the series tied at a game apiece. Aside from pre-season, the Astros have never seen Anderson pitch live, and that could be a difference maker.

====================================

Pro wrestling returns to the 518 tomorrow night, as Immortal Championship Wrestling, a NY-based independent, makes its first appearance in Troy (that we know of). The live card will be at the McBride-Dags Sports Hall on 4th Avenue in Lansingburgh, with a 6:45 start. Headliners include Impact World Champion Moose and former Impact superstar Acey Romero:

Moose & Romero will also be doing a meet & greet at Heroes Hideout at Colonie Center at 2 pm on Saturday. Moose (former NFL lineman Quinn Ojinnaka) also wrote his theme song when he was with Ring of Honor, which might've been amended when he moved to Impact.

As fellow blogger Chuck Miller has noted, the IInspiration (formerly the IIconics in WWE) will be at the Washington Avenue Armory for an autograph session as part of a larger event next month. Now, all we need is Impact returning to the 518 for a live event for the first time in several years......!

=====================================

Troy High's volleyball season came to a crashing end Thursday with a 3-0 loss to Queensbury in the Class A sectionals. The Spartans will face South Glens Falls in the next round after South High similarly swept Scotia-Glenville. 

In the only other A quarterfinal on the card, Averill Park swept Mohonasen, 3-0. The Warriors will face defending champion Burnt Hills in the semi-finals on Wednesday. The upside for Averill Park, and the only upside, is that they're the home team.

=======================================

The rest of Thursday's sectional scoreboard:

Football:

Class C quarter-final:

Schuylerville 54, Taconic Hills 19.

Men's soccer:

Class AA semi-finals:

CBA 1, Guilderland 0 (OT).

Shenendehowa 3, Niskayuna 1.

Women's soccer:

Class D semi-finals:

OESJ 2, Northville 1.

Women's volleyball:

Class AA quarter-finals:

Columbia 3, Guilderland 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Shaker 0.

Ballston Spa 3, Saratoga 1.

Class B quarter-finals:

Broadalbin-Perth 3, Lansingburgh 0.

Academy of Holy Names 3, Emma Willard 0.

Ichabod Crane 3, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 1.

Hudson Falls 3, Catholic Central 0.

News & notes

 LaSalle quarterback Eddie Yamin was named the Albany Times-Union's Male Athlete of The Week for his late game heroics last Friday on Senior Night vs. Amsterdam. Scotia-Glenville's Olivia Geniti, a field hockey standout, was named Female Athlete of The Week.

Yamin becomes the 2nd LaSalle athlete to win Male Athlete honors. Track star Getachew "Gitch" Hayes won back-to-back plaudits earlier this month.

=========================================

Earlier this month, RPI's women's hockey team began their current winning streak by sweeping Union. This weekend, the men have a chance to do the same.

The hockey equivalent of the Dutchmen's Shoes, which will be on the line on November 13, is the Capital Skates, which will be up for grabs in the annual home & home between the Engineers & Dutchmen this weekend. As was the case with the women, game 1 will be at Union on Friday, and the action shifts over to Houston Field House on Saturday. Saturday's game will be seen on RPI TV.

=======================================

As the field hockey & soccer tournaments are winding down in Section II, the volleyball sectionals begin today for the women.

The lineups:

Class AA:

Today:

Shaker at Shenendehowa.

Ballston Spa at Saratoga.

Guilderland at Columbia.

Friday:

Bethlehem at Colonie.

Class A:

Today:

Mohonasen at Averill Park.

Scotia-Glenville at South Glens Falls.

Troy at Queensbury.

Class B:

Lansingburgh at Broadalbin-Perth.

Hudson Falls at Catholic Central.

Ichabod Crane at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.

Emma Willard at Academy of Holy Names.

Class C:

Friday:

Schuylerville at Fonda-Fultonville.

Albany Academy at Saratoga Catholic.

Voorheesville at Chatham.

Johnstown at Mayfield.

Class D:

Friday:

Maple Hill at Galway.

Waterford at Hartford.

Mekeel Christian at Argyle.

Loudonville Christian at Lake George.

==========================================

Wednesday's sectional scoreboard:

Field hockey:

Class B semi-finals:

South Glens Falls 2, Scotia-Glenville 0.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 6, Queensbury 0.

The finals are Sunday morning at Schuylerville.

Class C semi-finals:

Johnstown 3, Schuylerville 0.

Hoosick Falls 2, Granville 0.

The finals are Sunday at Schuylerville.

Men's soccer:

Class B semi-finals:

Greenville 1, Cohoes 0.

Mechanicville 2, Broadalbin-Perth 1.

The finals are Saturday at Colonie.

Class C semi-finals:

Mayfield 4, Middleburgh 1.

Maple Hill 2, Waterford 0.

The finals are at Colonie on Saturday.

Women's soccer:

Class AA semi-finals:

Columbia 2, Shaker 1.

Shenendehowa 1, Bethlehem 0.

The finals are at Stillwater on Saturday.

Women's volleyball preliminaries:

Class B:

Lansingburgh 3, Schalmont, 2.

Class C:

Saratoga Catholic 3, Rensselaer 1.

Albany Academy 3, Tamarac 0.

Schuylerville def. Greenville.

Voorheesville def. Catskill.

Chatham def. Taconic Hills.

Johnstown def. Stillwater.

Class D:

Maple Hill 3, Warrensburg 0.

Mekeel Christian 3, Germantown 0.

Loudonville Christian 3, Middleburgh 2.

News & notes

 The Albany Patroons didn't have to look very far for their next coach.

Former UAlbany men's coach Will Brown will be introduced today as the team's new coach & general manager, succeeding Derrick Rowland, who had both roles before leaving for an expansion team in Oklahoma a few weeks back.

For Brown, it will be his first professional coaching gig, but he also stays in the conversation for any possible college jobs that could open up. If he stays long enough, son Jackson, who joined him at UAlbany last season, could join him with the Patroons.

=======================================

Current UAlbany women's assistant coach and former Siena women's coach Gina Castelli was recently inducted into the Upstate NY Basketball Hall of Fame, and also honored with the Barry Kramer Lifetime Achievement Award for her work at Siena.

Castelli was hired as an assistant at UAlbany, added to Colleen Mullen's staff in August.

=======================================

The Albany FireWolves indoor lacrosse team has a local TV home.

Like their fellow Times Union Center tenant Siena, the 'Wolves will have their games broadcast, both home and away, on WNYA (Spectrum channel 1215), with WNYT reporter Ashley Miller as part of the broadcast team. WNYA only airs a select handful of Siena men's home games, produced by ESPN, and some of the FireWolves games, up to 10 per season, will also air on one of the ESPN over-the-air networks.

========================================

Tuesday's high school scoreboard:

Men's soccer sectionals:

Class A semi-finals:

Averill Park 2, Albany Academy 1.

LaSalle 1, Queensbury 0 (OT).

The finals are set for Saturday at 11 am at Colonie.

Class D semi-finals:

OESJ 4, Loudonville Christian 2.

Argyle 1, Northville 0 (OT).

The finals are Saturday at Colonie, following the A title game.

Women's soccer sectionals:

Class B semi-finals:

Schalmont 2, Academy of Holy Names 1.

Mechanicville 2, Broadalbin-Perth 0.

The finals are on Friday at Stillwater at 5 pm.

Class C quarter-finals:

Waterford 4, Lake George 1.

Maple Hill 3, Hoosick Falls 1.

Schoharie 9, Stillwater 1.

Bolton-Warrensburg 2, Greenwich 1.

Class D:

Northville 7, North Warren 0.

News & notes

 It's the last week in October, and they're already playing basketball at Times-Union Center.

In what could be the start of a series, Siena invited the College of St. Rose to their downtown home Monday night, and the Golden Knights nearly pulled an upset. St. Rose led by as much as 8 points in the 2nd half before Siena took the lead for good, and pulled away for a 77-70 victory. This game wasn't promoted as much as most Siena games are, even with the angle of playing a local rival. It wasn't the same as, say for example, Siena-UAlbany, and thus they drew less than 5,000 fans for the first game at TUC since the pandemic.

Nick Hopkins led Siena with 20 points, while Aidan Carpenter added 15. Former Section II stars Adam Anderson (Saratoga) & Shane O'Dell (Schalmont) led St. Rose with 16 & 15 points, respectively. 

===========================================

Monday's high school scoreboard:

Women's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Columbia 3, Schenectady 0.

Burnt Hills 3, Shenendehowa 1.

Colonie 3, Albany 1.

Averill Park 3, Niskayuna 1.

Bethlehem at Troy was not reported.

Western Athletic Conference:

Duanesburg 3, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 0.

Men's volleyball:

Columbia 3, Burnt Hills 1.

Women's soccer sectionals:

Class A:

Averill Park 1, Mohonasen 0.

Queensbury 4, Burnt Hills 3.

Averill Park will play Queensbury for the A title Friday at Stillwater.

Class D:

Fort Ann 9, Loudonville Christian 0.

OESJ 4, Salem 1.

News & notes

 As reported over at The Land of Whatever on Sunday, Shenendehowa alum Ian Anderson is heading to the World Series in just his 2nd MLB season. Anderson started, and pitched 4 innings Saturday, giving up just a run, at Atlanta eliminated the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2. Next stop is Houston, where the Fall Classic begins tomorrow, with all games airing locally on WXXA.

============================================

When Section II basketball begins with pre-season tournaments around Thanksgiving, there'll be some new faces on the sidelines at some schools.

While we're waiting on who takes over for Rich Hurley at Troy----they've kept this under wraps so far----, over in Schenectady County, three schools have changed coaches for women's basketball.

Former Mekeel Christian star Macie Howard will be the new women's coach at Scotia-Glenville, just a few clicks down the road from her alma mater. Over at Mekeel, Doug Holden is the new women's varsity coach, succeeding AD Kelsey Collins, who moves up to guide the men's junior varsity team

Finally, a familiar name known to local high school & college fans is back in the news.

Curt Bailey, whose resume includes a 12 year run at the College of St. Rose, and high school stops at Tamarac and Hoosic Valley, is the new varsity coach at Mohonasen, and, at a weekend presser, Bailey acknowledges that the Lady Warriors are in rebuilding mode, which means they've got some tough sledding ahead in the Colonial Council. Mohonasen fans should rest easy, knowing the program is in some very capable hands.

=====================================

While most of Section II wraps up the regular season in football this week, the Class C playoffs will kick off on Friday night.

The pairings:

Fonda-Fultonville at Watervliet. Ryan Job's Cannoneers are one of the hottest teams in the area, and a likely favorite to win the Class C Super Bowl.

Cobleskill-Richmondville at Voorheesville.

Hudson at Hoosick Falls-Tamarac.

Taconic Hills at Schuylerville. The Black Horses may be the only thing separating Watervliet from the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Hoosick Falls-Tamarac vs. Watervliet in the Super Bowl on November 12.

Saturday's high school & college scoreboard, 10/23

 RPI's women's hockey team made it four in a row, shutting out Providence, 2-0, on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Engineers (4-4) handed the Friars their first loss of the season (3-1-2). This is the sort of thing that has fans clamoring for RPI President Shirley Jackson to lift her COVID restrictions.

Check the video:

RPI's football team had the day off.

==============================

With the Battle For The Dutchmen's Shoes now less than three weeks away, Union remained perfect with a 35-9 thumping of Rochester. On the other hand, either RPI or Union could probably have their way with UAlbany, which dropped to 0-7 with a 19-16 loss to Maine. Who can figure this out?

===============================

High school football:

Class D:

Warrensburg-North Warren 52, Lake George 32.

Cambridge-Salem 37, Chatham 35.

Non-league:

Schuylerville 54, Susquehanna Valley 20.

Soccer sectionals:

Men's class AA:

CBA 2, Shaker 0.

Class A:

Queensbury & South Glens Falls played to a 2-2 tie through overtime. Queensbury advances via penalty kicks.

Averill Park 2, Scotia-Glenville 1.

LaSalle 2, Gloversville 0.

Class B:

Mechanicville 6, Coxsackie-Athens 0.

Class C:

Mayfield 3, Canajoharie 1.

Middleburgh 2, Lake George 1.

Maple Hill 4, Stillwater 0.

Class D:

Argyle 1, Fort Ann 0.

Northville 7, Germantown 0.

Loudonville Christian 2, Hartford 1.

Women's soccer:

Class AA:

Bethlehem 1, Colonie 0.

Shaker 3, Saratoga 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Ballston Spa 0.

Columbia 1, Niskayuna 0.

Class B:

Academy of Holy Names 3, Greenville 1.

Schalmont 6, Tamarac 0.

Mechanicville & Voorheesville played to a 2-2 tie. Mechanicville advances via penalty kicks.

Broadalbin-Perth 2, Ichabod Crane 0.

Men's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 3, Saratoga 2.

Non-league:

Burnt Hills 3, Cornwall 0. Spartans coach Gary Bynom earns win #800.

News & notes

 Shenendehowa grad Ian Anderson will try to lock down the National League title and a spot in the World Series for the Atlanta Braves vs. the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers tonight. Atlanta leads the NLCS, 3-2, but keep in mind, they also choked away a 3-1 lead in games a year ago to the Dodgers, and the winner of this series will face the Houston Astros, who eliminated Boston in six games last night.

========================================

RPI's women's hockey team won its 3rd straight Friday night, beating Boston University, 4-2. The Lady Engineers (3-4) host Providence this afternoon, while Union will entertain the Lady Terriers. Providence defeated Union, 2-1, on Friday.

Here's the BU-RPI video:

========================================

For the 2nd straight week, LaSalle went into overtime at home, this time against Class A Capital Division leader Amsterdam. This time, there was no question about the ending, as the Kardiac Kadets (4-3) rode Eddie Yamin's legs to a 27-26 win in the extra session. Liana Bonavita & Griffin Haas (WTEN) offer the highlights and an interview with Yamin:

=====================================

More football:

Class AA:

Schenectady 50, Colonie 30.

Shaker 42, Bethlehem 0. 

Shenendehowa 36, Saratoga 7.

Class A:

Averill Park 48, Albany 0. The Falcons are again locked in the Capital Division basement.

Columbia 24, Troy 6. It was the David Romer show in East Greenbush, as he scored all four Blue Devils touchdowns. They couldn't convert the PAT's. Troy (1-5) hosts LaSalle next week.

Queensbury 41, Ballston Spa 32. The Scotties have fallen out of contention after a 2-0 start.

Class B:

Gloversville 27, Hudson Falls 21.

Ravena 31, Lansingburgh 8. Ravena led, 31-0, at halftime, but didn't score again.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 42, Corinth-Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Voorheesville 27, Taconic Hills 6.

Fonda-Fultonville 47, Mechanicville 0.

Class D:

Helderberg Valley 20, Cohoes 0.

=======================================

Men's soccer:

Class AA:

Niskayuna 3, Saratoga 0.

Guilderland 2, Bethlehem 1.

Shenendehowa 2, Albany 1.

Class A:

Albany Academy 2, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 1.

Class B:

Broadalbin-Perth 3, Schalmont 0.

Greenville 2, Ichabod Crane 1.

Cohoes 1, Schuylerville 0.

Class D:

OESJ 4, North Warren 0.

Women's soccer:

Class A:

Queensbury 8, Amsterdam 2.

Averill Park 4, Lansingburgh 0.

Burnt Hills 2, Scotia-Glenville 1.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls 2, Rensselaer 0.

Stillwater 2, Galway 0.

Bolton-Warrensburg 1, Chatham 0.

Maple Hill 3, Cambridge 1.

Schoharie 8, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Waterford 4, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 0.

Swimming:

Ravena 96, Albany 83.

Men's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Shenendehowa 3, Columbia 2.

Burnt Hills 3, Colonie 0.

Women's volleyball:

Wasaren League:

Stillwater 3, Hoosic Valley 0.

Mechanicville 3, Saratoga Catholic 2.

Waterford 3, Cambridge 0.

High School Fridays: CBA @ Guilderland (football), 10/22/21

 Two weeks ago, CBA's hopes for a perfect season were dashed with a last minute loss to Shaker. Tonight, the Brothers returned to Spectrum News 1's Friday Night Matchup, this time on the road at Guilderland, in a game with playoff implications.

The Dutchmen, in turn, were coming off a close loss to Shaker, and needed the win to avoid being the #4 seed in Class AA, which would mean a rematch with Shaker in two weeks. CBA took the opening kickoff, but couldn't do anything on their first possession. Guilderland, after a punt, was driving until Brendan Simek recovered a fumble for CBA. The Brothers then marched down the field, and Simek cashed in the turnover himself, barreling in from a yard out to give CBA a 7-0 lead.

Unfortunately, that was the extent of CBA's offensive output. 

Guilderland QB Ty Santabarbara, the victim of mistaken identity six weeks ago at Troy, coughed up the football for another fumble, but this time, CBA couldn't do anything with it. In the second quarter, the Dutchmen got on the board with a shade more than three minutes to go in the half, as Santabarbara found Aiden Chrysler in the end zone. Chrysler made sure the ball didn't fall to the ground, treating it like it was made of rich, Corinthian leather. Dillon Blanchard converted the extra point, and we were even at 7 at the break.

In the third quarter, Blanchard and Mitch MacKissick made more of an impact not only on offense or defense, but on special teams as well. Pinned deep in their own end, Guilderland set up a punt, but MacKissick muffed the snap, and ran it out for a key first down. Late in the quarter, Blanchard caught a pass from Santabarbara, and nearly went the distance before being tackled at the CBA 5 on the last play of the quarter. Two plays into the fourth quarter, Santabarbara ran it in himself, and Guilderland took the lead for good at 14-7.

Blanchard, MacKissick, and the Dutchmen defense shut down CBA after that, and after Chrysler intercepted a pass from Donald Jones, Blanchard put the game away with a 28 yard field goal. Chrysler made sure of it with another pick, this one off starting QB Jack Gregory, on CBA's final possession, and Guilderland moves into 3rd with a 17-7 win. CBA, due to the tiebreakers, falls to 4th, and will close the regular season next week against second place Shenendehowa, knowing they could see either Guilderland or Shaker again, pending the results of next week's games.

Going back to week 1 at Troy, Santabarbara was repeatedly misidentified by Troy's PA announcer as junior Michael Scuzzarella, whom we credited that night, though both players' names were on the program.

So what did in CBA? The same bugaboos that hurt coach Bob Burns at Troy over six seasons. Penalties. Defensive & offensive lapses. Turnovers, even though the Brothers had created three of their own on defense. The two interceptions by Chrysler in the fourth quarter made all the difference in the world. Unlike Troy, CBA couldn't recover due to Guilderland's swarming, smothering defense.

Earlier this week, election mailers in Troy revealed that Burns is not running for re-election to the Rensselaer County Legislature, and his schedule at CBA is likely the reason why.

Update, 10/21/21: Burns is running for re-election, but as an independent this time, having left the Democratic party, per the Albany Times-Union.

Thursday's sectional scoreboard, 10/21

 Field hockey:

Class A:

Guilderland 4, Niskayuna 0.

Saratoga 5, Columbia 0.

Shaker 3, Bethlehem 2.

Men's soccer:

Class C:

Lake George 4, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 1.

Maple Hill 2, Fort Plain 0.

Middleburgh 4, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Chatham 3, Berlin-New Lebanon 1.

Mayfield 5, Bolton-Warrensburg 0.

Stillwater 1, Doane Stuart 0.

Waterford 2, Greenwich 1.

Canajoharie 3, Hoosic Valley 2.

Class D:

Germantown 4, Saratoga Catholic 3.

Women's soccer:

Academy of Holy Names 3, Albany Academy 0.

Ichabod Crane 3, Cohoes 2.

Voorheesville 1, Ravena 0.

Greenville 4, Catholic Central 0.

Broadalbin-Perth 8, Catskill 0.

Mechanicville 4, Johnstown 0.

Schalmont 8, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

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Swimming:

Burnt Hills 95, Ballston Spa 80.

Women's volleyball:

Academy of Holy Names 3, Mohonasen 0. Holy Names wins the Colonial Council title.

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills 3, Schenectady 0.

Saratoga 3, Averill Park 0.

Colonie 3, Niskayuna 1.

Shenendehowa 3, Columbia 2.

Shaker 3, Albany 2.

Ballston Spa 3, Bethlehem 0.

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway 3, Fonda-Fultonville 0. Galway wins the league title.

Non-league:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 3, Schoharie 0.

Duanesburg 3, OESJ 0.

Schalmont 3, Ichabod Crane 0.

Wednesday's sectional scoreboard, 10/20

 Field hockey sectionals:

Class C:

Schuylerville 7, Greenwich 0.

Hoosick Falls 5, Corinth 1.

Men's soccer:

Class AA:

Guilderland 1, Ballston Spa 0.

CBA 5, Columbia 2.

Albany 3, Colonie 2.

Class A:

Albany Academy 8, Mohonasen 1.

Queensbury 3, Troy 0. Troy ends the season 1-15-1.

Scotia-Glenville 10, Lansingburgh 1.

South Glens Falls 3, Hudson Falls 0.

Gloversville & Amsterdam played to a 2-2 tie. Gloversville advances on penalty kicks.

Class B:

Schalmont 4, Vooheesville 0.

Cohoes 3, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2.

Broadalbin-Perth 6, Ravena 0.

Greenville 2, Glens Falls 0.

Ichabod Crane 1, Catskill 0.

Mechanicville 12, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

Schuylerville 3, Hudson 1.

Coxsackie-Athens & Tamarac played to a scoreless tie. Coxsackie-Athens advances on penalty kicks.

Women's soccer:

Class AA:

Ballston Spa 2, Guilderland 0.

Saratoga 17, Schenectady 0.

Class C:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 1, Hoosic Valley 0.

Chatham 4, Middleburgh 0.

Corinth 1, Duanesburg 0.

Cambridge 4, Whitehall 0.

Hadley-Luzerne 3, Cairo-Durham 0.

Tuesday's high school scoreboard

 Men's soccer sectionals:

Class B:

Fonda-Fultonville 2, Watervliet 1.

Glens Falls 8, Johnstown 1.

Class C:

Berlin-New Lebanon 2, Hoosick Falls 1.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 4, Cambridge 0.

Bolton-Warrensburg 2, Schoharie 1.

Fort Plain 2, Mekeel Christian 1.

Greenwich 7, Catholic Central 0.

Hadley-Luzerne 4, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 0.

Women's soccer sectionals:

Class A: 

Amsterdam 4, Troy 1. The Lady Horses end the season at 2-14.

Lansingburgh & Emma Willard played to a 1-1 tie. The Lady Knights advanced via penalty kicks.

Class B:

Fonda-Fultonville 1, Glens Falls 0.

Women's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Academy of Holy Names 3, Catholic Central 0.

Mohonasen 3, Ichabod Crane 2.

Foothills Council:

Gloversville 3, Amsterdam 1.

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills 3, Averill Park 0.

Ballston Spa 3, Schenectady 0.

Guilderland 3, Troy 0.

Saratoga 3, Niskayuna 1.

Columbia 3, Shaker 0.

Bethlehem 3, Albany 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway 3, OESJ 0.

Mekeel Christian 3, Duanesburg 1.

Swimming:

From Monday:

Ballston Spa 104, Albany 76.

Niskayuna 99, Bethlehem 87.

Saratoga 97, Guilderland-Voorheesville 77. 

Shenendehowa 97, Shaker 74.

Tuesday:

Burnt Hills-Scotia-Glenville 52, Troy-Averill Park-Tamarac 42. The Flying Bengal Warriors finish at 4-4.

Schenectady-Colonie 94 1/2, Emma Willard 82 1/2.

2021 soccer sectional pairings

 As expected, the pairings for the Section II men's & women's soccer sectionals were announced Monday. 1st round action begins in some classifications today.

Ladies first:

Class AA:

Wednesday:

Guilderland at Ballston Spa.

Schenectady at Saratoga.

Saturday (quarter-finals):

Bethlehem at Colonie.

Saratoga-Schenectady winner at Shaker.

B-Spa-Guilderland winner at Shenendehowa.

Niskayuna at Columbia.

The semi-finals will be at Mechanicville High on October 27, with the finals at Stillwater on October 30.

Class A:

Today:

Emma Willard at Lansingburgh.

Troy at Amsterdam.

Friday:

Troy-Amsterdam winner at Queensbury.

Lansingburgh-Emma Willard winner at Averill Park.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at Scotia-Glenville.

South Glens Falls at Mohonasen.

Semi-finals are October 25 at Mechanicville, with the finals at Stillwater on October 29.

Class B:

Today:

Glens Falls at Fonda-Fultonville.

Thursday:

Albany Academy at Academy of Holy Names.

Catholic Central at Greenville.

Ichabod Crane at Cohoes.

Ravena at Voorheesville.

Catskill at Broadalbin-Perth.

Fonda-Glens Falls winner at Schalmont.

Tamarac at Schuylerville.

Johnstown at Mechanicville.

The quarter-finals will be contested at the higher seeds on Saturday, with the semi-finals one week from today and the finals on October 29, both at Stillwater.

Class C:

Wednesday:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo at Hoosic Valley. Winner plays at Waterford on Friday.

Middleburgh at Chatham. Winner plays at Bolton-Warrensburg on Friday.

Duanesburg at Corinth. Winner to play at Greenwich.

Whitehall at Cambridge. Winner to play at Maple Hill.

Hadley-Luzerne at Cairo-Durham. Winner to play at Schoharie.

Quarter-finals are next Tuesday, with the semi-finals at Mechanicville on October 30, and the finals, also at Mechanicville, on November 2.

Class D:

Thursday:

Saratoga Catholic at Loudonville Christian. Winner plays at Fort Ann.

Heatly at North Warren. Winner plays at Northville.

Quarter-finals, Monday:

Doane Stuart at Germantown.

Salem at OESJ.

Semi-finals at Gloversville on October 28. The title game is November 1, at a site to be determined.

Men:

Class AA:

Wednesday:

Colonie at Albany. Winner will play at Shenendehowa, date to be announced.

Ballston Spa at Guilderland. Winner plays at Bethlehem Friday.

Columbia at CBA. Winner plays at Shaker Saturday.

Friday:

Niskayuna at Saratoga.

Semi-finals at Mechanicville on October 28, with the finals at Colonie on November 1.

Class A:

Wednesday: 

Troy at Queensbury. 

Lansingburgh at Scotia-Glenville. Winner plays at Averill Park on Saturday.

Mohonasen at Albany Academy. Winner plays at Burnt Hills on Friday.

Hudson Falls at South Glens Falls.

Amsterdam at Gloversville. Winner plays at LaSalle on Saturday.

The winners of Troy-Queensbury and Hudson Falls-South High meet either Friday or Saturday.

Semi-finals at Mohonasen next Tuesday, with the finals at Colonie on October 30.

Class B:

Today:

Johnstown at Glens Falls. Winner plays at Greenville on Wednesday.

Watervliet at Fonda-Fultonville. Winner plays at Mechanicville.

Wednesday:

Schalmont at Voorheesville.

Cobleskill-Richmondville at Cohoes.

Hudson at Schuylerville.

Ravena at Broadalbin-Perth.

Catskill at Ichabod Crane.

Tamarac at Coxsackie-Athens.

Quarter-finals are Friday or Saturday at higher seeds. Semi-finals are October 27 at Gloversville, with the finals at Colonie on October 30.

Class C:

Today:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons at Hadley-Luzerne. Winner plays at Middleburgh Thursday.

Catholic Central at Greenwich. Winner plays at Waterford.

Cambridge at Berne-Knox-Westerlo. Winner plays at Lake George.

Schoharie at Bolton-Warrensburg. Winner plays at Mayfield.

Mekeel Christian at Fort Plain. Winner plays at Maple Hill.

Hoosick Falls at Berlin-New Lebanon. Winner plays at Chatham.

Quarter-finals are on Saturday at the higher seeds. Semi-finals are October 27 at LaSalle, with the finals at Colonie October 30.

Class D:

Wednesday:

Germantown at Saratoga Catholic. Winner plays at Northville on Saturday.

Friday at Gloversville:

North Warren at OESJ.

Saturday:

Argyle at Fort Ann.

Hartford at Loudonville Christian.

Semi-finals are next Tuesday at Gloversville, with the finals at Colonie on October 30.

================================

Monday's scoreboard:

Women's soccer:

Maple Hill 3, Cairo-Durham 0.

Men's volleyball:

Burnt Hills 3, CBA 0.

Women's volleyball:

Tamarac 3, Berlin-New Lebanon 1.

Mechanicville 3, Hoosic Valley 0.

News & notes

 Sectional pairings should be announced today for men's & women's soccer in Section II. If I were Troy High AD Paul Reinisch, I'd decline the bids.

The men's team limped to the finish line Saturday night, losing 5-0 to Bethlehem in a game that was originally set to be played at Bethlehem, but because the Eagles have a grass field, which was unusable after the rains of Friday night, the game was switched at the last minute to Picken Memorial Field at Troy, creating a doubleheader. The result of the women's game has not been reported at press time.

Update, 10/19/21: Per Schedule Galaxy, Bethlehem shut out the Troy women, 8-0, extending the Lady Horses' current losing streak to 5 games.

The men had been shut out in five of their last six games, the lone score coming in a 6-1 loss to CBA on Thursday night. Leading into a soggy Senior Day on Saturday, the women had only scored goals in their two wins (over Albany & Schenectady), and all of their losses were by shutout. Ye scribe has not attended any of the games, but the trends tell us this:

Aside from Albany & Schenectady, the other two second division clubs in the Suburban Council's Grey division, the Troy women have had issues cracking opposing defenses. Troy's defense has been routinely shredded. Burnt Hills & Shenendehowa each racked up 11 goals against Troy this season. The men, who have just one non-league win (Sept. 7 over Chatham) and a tie (Schenectady) this season, have come physically to play, but mentally? That's questionable.

I get that they want to use the sectionals as one last teaching tool for the season, but I'm more concerned about what this does to the morale for the teams.

===================================

Speaking of Bethlehem, the school introduced an updated set of logos on Friday:

I think this could start a trend in Section II in each school's marketing departments, if it hasn't already.

=====================================

Shen grad Ian Anderson didn't figure in the decision Sunday night, as Atlanta walked off the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2nd straight night, 5-4, to take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.

Anderson was lifted after three innings, walking three, with two strikeouts and two earned runs, courtesy of a 1st inning homer by LA's Corey Seager. The bullpen and the Braves' offense bailed out Anderson, who will likely get a second start if the Braves don't sweep the series, which moves west to LA on Tuesday.

===================================

Overtime is not a friend to RPI hockey.

The Engineers dropped a 3-2 decision in the extra frame on Saturday to Canisius, as the Golden Griffins gained a split of the two game series. Meanwhile, Union & Colorado College skated to a 3-3 tie in OT

===================================

Field hockey doesn't get the same kind of attention across Section II as other sports do, largely because not every school plays. 

Section II announced the pairings for this year's tournament, which begins Thursday:

Class A:

Niskayuna @ Guilderland.

Columbia @ Saratoga.

Bethlehem @ Shaker.

Suburban Council champion Shenendehowa gets a first round bye, and will play the Shaker-Bethlehem winner a week later. The finals will be at Schuylerville on Halloween. There is no Class AA in field hockey.

Class B:

Glens Falls @ Scotia-Glenville.

Emma Willard @ Queensbury.

South Glens Falls & Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake are the top two seeds. The Emma Willard-Queensbury winner travels to Burnt Hills on October 28, while the Glens Falls-Scotia winner visits South High the same night. Finals are also at Schuylerville on Halloween.

Class C (no Class D):

Corinth @ Hoosick Falls.

Salem-Cambridge @ Granville.

Greenwich @ Schuylerville. Winner plays top-seeded Johnstown on October 27.

Schuylerville hosts the finals on Halloween.

News & notes

 Former Union College goaltender Kris Mayotte returned to the 518 Friday night as a visiting coach, leading Colorado College into Messa Rink for a game against the Dutchmen. Unfortunately, it was not a perfect homecoming for Mayotte, as Union defeated Colorado, 2-1.

The two teams meet again tonight.

==================================

Meanwhile, across the river at RPI, the Engineers picked up their first win of the season, beating Canisius, 6-2. Former coach Dan Fridgen is in the booth as a color analyst for WRPI/RPI TV:

The series concludes tonight as well.

================================

Just when you thought Averill Park had earned a hard fought overtime victory over LaSalle, James Allen, who called the game on Spectrum News 1, reports today in the Albany Times-Union that Luke Hempel's game winning PAT was apparently a gift from the officials.

As Allen writes, Hempel himself assumed he'd missed the final kick, which would've sent the game into double overtime. However, the officials, tired and wet from a driving rainstorm for most of the game, ruled Hempel's kick cleared the uprights, just to send everyone home.

Then again, the head referee for this game looked like he could pass for the late actor Wilford Brimley:

"It's late. I gotta make sure I've got oatmeal for breakfast in the morning."

Play-by-play announcer Chris Watson has read the promo all season, as Section II is looking for new, preferably younger, I'd think, officials for all sports. I feel sorry for these guys who are out there every week, especially in conditions such as last night.

======================================

It looks as though Troy High changed quarterbacks last night in the 24-0 loss to Amsterdam. Donovan Haffner got the nod, as apparently sophomore Azari Johnson was either injured or benched. We'll know for sure when we're back at Picken Field on October 29 for the Collar City Cup game. Oh, by the way, they also had a lightning delay, but at the end of the first quarter.

======================================

The rest of Friday's football action:

Class AA:

Shenendehowa 56, Colonie 7.

Shaker 13, Guilderland 12.

Class A:

Columbia 42, Albany 14.

Burnt Hills 41, Ballston Spa 7.

Class B:

Glens Falls 32, Gloversville 6. The game was stopped before halftime due to weather.

Schalmont 22, Green Tech 0.

Class C:

Schuylerville 16, Cobleskill 0.

Hudson 68, Taconic Hills 6.

Watervliet 34, Ichabod Crane 7. Ryan Job's Cannoneers have won 6 in a row.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 30, Mechanicville 0.

Class D:

Greenwich 71, Lake George 16.

Stillwater 47, Warrensburg-North Warren 26.

High School Fridays: Rumbling in the rain (Averill Park @ LaSalle, 10/15/21)

 Ever since moving into Class A, the football Cadets of LaSalle Institute added a territorial rivalry with Averill Park, which, going into tonight, has been in favor of the Warriors in recent times.

For the 2nd time this season, John Audino's Cadets were featured on Spectrum's Friday Night Matchup, seeking revenge after losing a tight one at Averill Park six months ago.

LaSalle won the opening coin toss, and took the kickoff all the way down the field, culminating in JJ Thompson running it in from 4 yards out. Matt Carberg converted the extra point, and the Cadets had an early 7-0 lead. 

Unfortunately, it wouldn't last, although Averill Park coach Zach Gobel was coaching as if he was George Gobel.

"Well, I'll be......."

Zach used all three first half timeouts in the first quarter, the last setting up Gavin Giordano's touchdown toss to Jake Rizzo from 12 yards out. Luke Hempel added the extra point, and we were tied at 7 after the first quarter.

Late in the 2nd quarter, Giordano found Nick Galuski, son of former Troy assistant Mark Galuski (who's now one of Gobel's assistants), all alone after Thompson lost his footing on the wet turf. Galuski jogged in from 34 yards.

11 seconds later, Thompson atoned for his mistake, and took the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to paydirt. We were tied at 14 at the break.

Averill Park played ball control in the 2nd half, taking up most of the 4th quarter, but could not get the winning points. Back to back penalties against LaSalle forced the game into overtime after a 45 minute weather delay forced the teams off the field with under 3 minutes left in the quarter.

In the extra session, Thompson scored his 3rd TD of the night, another 4 yard scamper, but a muffed snap on the extra point gave Averill Park a chance to win it, and they made the most of the opportunity. Giordano connected with Galuski for the 2nd time, this time from 18 yards, and Hempel clinched it with the extra point, giving the Warriors a hard fought 21-20 victory.

LaSalle falls to 3-3 overall, and will play Amsterdam next week. The Rams were the latest to cash in a receipt on Troy High, shutting out the Flying Horses, 24-0. Troy (1-4) is officially eliminated from playoff contention. John Barber's club visits Columbia next week before returning home for the Collar City Cup and LaSalle on October 29.