And, still, they fall

 When state semi-final play began on Friday, Section II had 5 teams poised to advance to Syracuse and the state finals next week. By the end of Saturday's triple-header in Middletown, only one team remains. Cambridge-Salem was hoping for some company for the final game of the year, but it isn't coming.

In the opener, O'Neill High's offense blitzed the defense of Warrensburg/Lake George/North Warren with 3 3rd quarter touchdowns, while the defense shut down the Wolverines, leading to a 41-22 win for O'Neill. The Wolverines finish 12-1.

Ravena sought to avenge last year's semi-final loss to Pleasantville, but a quirk of fate proved to be their undoing in the 2nd quarter. After a Ravena punt, everyone assumed the ball was dead, and Pleasantville would go on offense.

Lou Sdao had other ideas. He picked up the loose ball, and went 52 yards for the game winning score, as Pleasantville thwarted Ravena again, 14-6. Ravena finishes 10-3.

The most galling result came in the nightcap.

For all of his accolades as a quarterback, kick returner, and defensive back, CBA's Donald Jones is still a junior, not as polished as most hoped he was. In the 2nd quarter of CBA's game vs. Newburgh Free Academy, Jones, on defense, was called for targeting, and ejected, taking away CBA's best offensive weapon. Jones didn't use his helmet to land a shot to the head of Goldbacks receiver Jashon Thomas, but rather the shoulder pad, and that was still enough for the officials to determine targeting. Newburgh erased a 10-0 2nd quarter deficit, and upset CBA, 31-20. For Bob "The Builder" Burns, it's back to the drawing board, and Jones likely will draw detention at school for his error in judgment. It's a heat of the moment play we see on a weekly basis in the college game that almost never gets called in high school play. At least, not in Section II.

CBA finishes 12-1, having won its first state playoff game last week, and now, the goal for 2023 is to take the next step(s).

As reported yesterday, Cambridge-Salem will play Tioga next Saturday. Game time is 12 noon.

News & notes

 It's a good thing Siena's men's basketball team has today off so they can tour Disney World.

The Saints will need a break after losing to Mississippi, 74-62, on Friday. Javian McCollum had a career best 24 points, while Jackson Stormo added 13. Andrew Platek, after a career day on Thanksgiving Day, was held to 4 points.

Siena will play the 3rd place game against either Seton Hall (Big East) or Oklahoma (Big 12) Sunday night.

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

Just when you thought the Troy Turkey Trot went without incident on Thursday, it didn't.

4th place finisher Xavier Salvador was disqualified, and removed from the record book after a collision just before the finish with Delmar's Jack Huber, who moves up from 5th to 4th. Unlike in horse racing, where a disqualified horse remains in the final record, the organizers of the Trot have the right to completely expunge a DQ'd runner, such as was the case here.

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

For Section II football, Class A has always had to deal with a final boss, if you will, before reaching the state finals in Syracuse.

The Tuskers of Somers High have, more often than not, been that final boss. They eliminated Burnt Hills, for example, in consecutive years, and, on Friday, Somers reached its 2nd straight state final, ending the dream season for Niskayuna in a dominating 35-7 verdict.

The Silver Warriors finish 10-3, seeing a 9 game winning streak end in such wrenching fashion.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day at Middletown, Class D titlist Cambridge-Salem downed Moriah, 47-22, behind 8th grade QB Stephen Yakubec, who threw for 114 yards and a touchdown. Think about it. This young man is only in middle school, and will be the leader of the Cambridge-Salem offense for four more years. Next stop is Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome (formerly the Carrier Dome) next Saturday against Tioga.

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

UAlbany's women's basketball team is spending the weekend in Las Vegas, but host UNLV treated them like a common jobber in a 78-55 win on Friday. Ellen Hahne led Albany with just 10 points. No other Great Dane reached double figures. The Lady Danes will take the court vs. East Tennessee State in just a few minutes as I write.

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

In high school hoops, Duanesburg dominated Heatly 65-16, in the first round of the Waterford tournament on Friday. Heatly didn't score until the 3rd quarter after falling behind, 39-0, at the break. We'll have additional information tomorrow.

News & notes

 Well before the Buffalo Bills took the field in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, two runners from the University of Buffalo took home the top prizes in the Troy Turkey Trot.

Sean O'Brien, an Altamont native, won the 10K race, covering the distance in just over half an hour. Teammate Alex Hislop won the 5K race. Albany's Charlotte Richman won the women's race.

But the Troy race isn't the only race on Turkey Day anymore, hasn't been for a few years. Three other races were run Thursday morning.

In Schenectady, Lou Serafini (Boston College/Niskayuna) won the Cardiac Classic 5K in just over 15 minutes.

In Cohoes, Jamal Vasquez of Johnstown won the 3 1/2K Cohoes Turkey Trot in a slower pace than what was reported in the 5K races in Troy & Cohoes.

In Saratoga, at the Daley Trot, Jack Vite of Clifton Park and Saratoga's own Alyssa Connors won their respective 5K races, each clocking in around 16 minutes.

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

Siena was invited to compete in the ESPN Invitational in Florida. At least for one day, it really was the Magic Kingdom for the Saints.

Andrew Platek (Guilderland/North Carolina) led the Saints with 20 points, a collegiate career high, as Siena took down Florida State, 80-63. Javian McCollum added 18, and Jackson Stormo had 10 for Siena, which will play Mississippi this morning in the semi-finals. Tip time shortly after 11 am.

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

For some schools in Section II, basketball season has started. Only one game was reported for today's papers, as Ichabod Crane opened their season Wednesday, beating Stillwater, 64-41. Jason Mueller led all scorers with 22 points in a losing effort for Stillwater. Alex Schmidt led the Riders with 21 points.

For Section II, next stop: Middletown

 Section II teams were a perfect 5-for-5 over the weekend in state regional play, capped by a dominating performance by Warrensburg/Lake George/North Warren on Sunday.

The Wolverines set school & state records in destroying Gouveneur, 85-34 at Mechanicville. Meanwhile, Cambridge-Salem tripped up Alexander, 12-7, at Broadalbin-Perth, to secure a semi-final date.

All 5 semi-final games, spread over two days, will be played at Middletown High, just outside of Poughkeepsie. The schedule:

Friday:

Class D:

Cambridge-Salem vs. Moriah, 3 pm.

Class A:

Niskayuna vs. Somers, 6 pm. 

Saturday:

Class C:

Warrensburg/Lake George/North Warren vs. O'Neill, 12 noon.

Class B:

Ravena vs. Pleasantville, 3 pm.

Class AA:

CBA vs. Newburgh Free Academy, 6 pm. CBA coach Bob Burns has beaten Newburgh before, when he was at Troy (2016-17).

News & notes

 Football season is officially over at RPI.

The Engineers came from behind in the Scotty Whitelaw Bowl to beat SUNY-Morrisville, 10-6, Saturday atfternoon at East Campus Village Stadium. Trailing 6-3 late in the 4th quarter, RPI QB Jake Kazanowsky ran it in himself from 6 yards out with 40 seconds left, and a subsequent Morrisville rally came up short.

Check the video:

===============================
UAlbany's football season came to an end with a thud in Kingston, Rhode Island on Saturday, dropping a 35-21 decision to Rhode Island. The Great Danes actually led, 7-0, after the 1st quarter, but Rhode Island scored 3 unanswered touchdowns in the 2nd quarter, and never trailed after that.

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

Ravena advanced to the Class B semi-finals with a 35-19 win over Peru Saturday. Gary VanDerZee's club now moves on to play Pleasantville, the same team that knocked Ravena out last year, in the semis next Saturday.

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

Speaking of Ravena, they will need to change their team name, and so will several others, including Cambridge, after a state ruling decreed the complete elimination of Native American nicknames and imagery. While the focus has been on Cambridge, Ravena is one of several teams still using "Indians" as their nickname. So does Glens Falls, but because the biggest objections were raised in Cambridge, the spotlight has fallen on them.

Cambridge-Salem is playing today. Ravena has advanced, and there's one more team in the hunt that would also need a change.

Niskayuna's Silver Warriors could face scrutiny. The Class A champs from Section II moved on Friday with a win over Canadaigua. What about other "Warriors", such as Averill Park and Mohonasen? We'll soon find out.

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

UAlbany's women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, a 56-41 decision to Colgate in a Saturday matinee played at the College of St. Rose. The Lady Raiders kept Albany's leading scorer, Ellen Hahne, in check, holding her to just 8 points.

=======================================
Siena's women, however, squared their record at 2-2 with a 63-55 win over Lafayette. Ahniysha Jackson (Albany) led the Saints with 18 points.

Other college scores:

LeMoyne 75, St. Rose 70.

RPI 68, Wentworth 48.

Oneonta 71, Russell Sage 55.

Cobleskill 83, Baruch 54.

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

RPI's men's hockey team salvaged a split of their weekend series with Alaska-Fairbanks. Saturday's game ended in a 3-3 tie, but RPI picked up the win in the shootout. RPI's women picked up a rare win, shutting out Post, 9-0.

News & notes

 We would be remiss if we didn't mention that Troy High two-sport star Olivia DeCitise made it official earlier this month, signing her National Letter of Intent to attend UMass-Lowell, and will play softball there. Congratulations, Olivia.

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

The pre-season snowstorm that has dropped five feet of snow---and counting-----in Western New York resulted in two of the state football playoffs being postponed on Friday night.

Cambridge-Salem will now host Alexander in a Class D game Sunday afternoon at 3 at Broadalbin-Perth.

Warrensburg-Lake George-North Warren will play Gouveneur Sunday at 2 at Mechanicville.

Meanwhile, CBA advanced in Class AA, defeating Pittsford-Mendon, 27-6, while Niskayuna moves to the Class A semis with a 14-7 win over Canadaiqua. Ravena will play Peru this afternoon at Beekmantown.

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

UAlbany will be without sophomore star Justin Neely for the rest of the season after he tore his ACL Monday night vs. Union.

Neely's absence was definitely felt Thursday, as Albany was blown out by St. Joseph's, 99-79, dropping the Great Danes to 2-3 on the season.

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

RPI's men's hockey team fell to Alaska-Fairbanks, 3-1, on Friday, but if you were hoping to tune into the game online, it wasn't happening. WRPI's online feed was stuck on some techno-dance music, and someone forgot to switch out to game coverage.

Speaking of game coverage, RPI will no longer have their hockey games streaming online on RPI TV on YouTube due to a deal made with ESPN for the games to be streamed on ESPN+. What that means, of course, is fans will have to subscribe to ESPN+ ($10 per month isn't that bad) in order to see the Engineers' ECAC games. Same, I think, goes for the women. but not for the men's ACHA team.

News & notes

 Tonight, UAlbany men's basketball coach Dwayne Killings will be back leading his Great Danes against St. Joseph's. But, if he thought the scandal that netted him a five game suspension, which ended Monday, was over, it's not.

Former player Luke Fizulich, the player at the center of the assault allegations levied against Killings toward the end of last season, has filed a lawsuit against Killings and UAlbany, alleging racial discrimination. Killings is an African-American. Fizulich is white.

The Albany Times-Union reports today that the university had considered dumping Killings, but reversed field, opting for the suspension, after civil rights groups had intervened on the coach's behalf. And Fizulich thinks that's discrimination?

I don't know who the attorney is advising Fizulich, but the suit sounds totally frivolous. Fizulich remains in the transfer portal as, according to the T-U, teams that were interested in him have backed off due to the scandal. I get that the player wants to play, but this is going to be the athletic equivalent of a scarlett letter, if you know what I mean.

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

Meanwhile, UAlbany's women's team remains undefeated after dispatching Navy, 64-50, Wednesday. Ellen Hahne led the Lady Danes with 19 points, followed by Grace Heeps with 18. Lilly Phillips added five, and Abby Ray was held scoreless in limited action.

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

Not a good night for Siena Wednesday at MVP Arena.

First, the Lady Saints fell to 1-2 after dropping a 69-63 verdict to St. Bonaventure. Jim Jabir's club had an early lead but couldn't hold it for too long. Ahniysha Jackson had 9 points, and Valencia Fontanelle-Posson, despite a balky ankle, had just six points.

Then, the men's game vs. Army, delayed by a half hour because the women's game ran long, went to overtime before the Black Knights handed the Saints their first loss of the season, 96-94. Javian McCollum had 21 points to lead Siena, while Andrew Platek added 15. Mason Courtney (Shenendehowa) didn't score in 7 minutes of game time but recorded a steal.

The Saints hit the road to play Harvard Sunday afternoon.

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

Other scores:

Women's basketball:

RPI 83, Coast Guard 78 (OT).
Russell Sage 87, Skidmore 77.

College of St. Rose 69, St. Michael's 64 (OT).

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

Section II is hosting the men's & women's volleyball state championships this weekend.

The men will play at the Capital Center in Albany. Shenendehowa, representing Section II in Division 1 (don't ask), will begin pool play at 8:30 am.

Women's action will be at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, with four Section II teams involved (Shen, Burnt Hills, Galway, Lake George), starting at the same time.

News & notes

 Mechanicville native Chad Brown pled guilty to a charge of harassment, instead of greater chargers, in a case involving an ex-girlfriend in Saratoga over the summer. Brown likely will be given probation rather than jail time, and that's just a guess.

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

Dwayne Killings' suspension is over, and the UAlbany men's basketball coach will return Thursday when the Great Danes travel to Philadelphia to face St. Joseph's. Assistant Bobby Jordan, though, may be hearing from other teams about coaching vacancies before this season is over.

That's because Jordan, counting pre-season games, went 4-1 in filling in for Killings, the lone loss one week ago at Towson. Jordan and the Danes returned to Hudson Valley Community College on Monday, finishing the 518-centric portion of their schedule with an 87-75 win over Union in front of 1139 fans.

Gerald Drumgoole, Jr. has quickly become the Danes' leading scorer, as he led Albany with 26 points. Jonathan Beagle (Hudson Falls/St. Thomas More) added 17. Marcus Jackson (Albany Academy/Cushing Academy) had 4 points in just 12 minutes of game action.

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

RPI's football season isn't over yet.

The Engineers will host the Scotty Whitelaw Bowl vs. Morrisville State on Saturday. Kickoff is at noon.

I'd never heard of this game until today, so it must be something new.......

News & notes

 UAlbany salvaged a split of the weekend Albany Cup games vs. Siena on Sunday, winning the women's game at UHY Arena (formerly the Alumni Recreation Center), 64-57, in front of just under 1200 fans.

Grace Heeps (Columbia/UMass) had 13 points in support of leading scorer Ellen Hahne (23 points). Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) had just 4 points, and Abby Ray (Saratoga) didn't score. For Siena, Ahniysha Jackson (Albany) had 5 points, while Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) had 4.

UAlbany's men's team returns to Hudson Valley Community College for their regular season home opener vs. Union tonight at 7.

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

Other college scores:

Field hockey:

NCAA quarter-finals:

Penn St. 1, UAlbany 0.

Women's soccer:

NCAA Division II:

College of St. Rose 5, Mercy 0.

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

We now know where our Section II football champions will be playing this weekend. In fact, four of the five games are being hosted by Section II schools.

Class AA:

CBA returns to Guilderland to play Pittsford on Friday at 7.

Class A:

Niskayuna vs. Canadaigua at Shenendehowa, Friday at 7.

Class B:

Ravena vs. Peru at Beekmantown, Saturday at 1.

Class C:

Warrensburg/Lake George/North Warren vs. Gouveneur at Mechanicville, Friday at 7.

Class D:

Cambridge-Salem vs. Alexander at Broadalbin-Perth, Friday at 7.

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

Section II captured one state title on Sunday, at Waterford claimed the Class C crown, beating Sauquoit Valley, 6-3. Congratulations to the Fordians.

News & notes

 It has taken 26 years since Niskayuna last reached a Section II Super Bowl, and, on Saturday, at CBA, they finally won their first title. The Silver Warriors' defense all but shut down Averill Park's multi-threat, Jacob Phelps, who scored the Warriors' only touchdown, and crushed Averill Park, 35-6. State playoff pairings will be finalized on Monday.

Meanwhile, Section II teams are falling in soccer & field hockey.

For example, in Class B on Long Island, Garden City eliminated South Glens Falls in a shootout after the teams played to a scoreless tie. Hoosick Falls is the last Section II team still in the tournament, as the Class C champions defeated Carle Place, 3-1. Hoosick Falls plays for the state title today vs. Whitney Point.

Other scores:

Men's soccer:

Class B:

Skaneateles 5, Mechanicville 1.

Class C:

Maple Hill 1, Cooperstown 0 (OT). The Wildcats will play Haldane for the state title today.

Women's soccer:

Class AA:

Clarence 2, Shaker 1.

Class C: 

Waterford 3, Millbrook 0. Waterford will meet Sauquoit Valley today.

The rest of the scores were not reported by today's deadlines.

Women's volleyball:

Class AA:

Shenendehowa 3, Baldwinsville 0.

Class A:

Burnt Hills 3, Massena 0.

Class B:

Westhill def. Ichabod Crane. Score not reported.

Class C:

Galway 3, Canton 0.

Class D:

Lake George def. Canton. Score not reported.

Colleges:

Men's hockey:

RPI 2, Dartmouth 1.

Norwich 3, Skidmore 1 (Friday).

Men's basketball:

Siena 75, UAlbany 62. The Great Danes squandered a 16 point 2nd half lead, despite a game high 22 points from Gerald Drumgoole, Jr. Javian McCollum led Siena with 20 points, while Andrew Platek (Guilderland/North Carolina) added 15, and Jackson Stormo, in his season debut, had 12.

UAlbany (1-2) returns home to play Union Monday night.

If the Shoes fit (Union @ RPI, 11/12/22)

 The Battle For The Dutchmen's Shoes is the oldest sports rivalry in the 518. There have been disputes about the accuracy of records in the series, but it also provides some late season theatre for football fans of Union and RPI, in addition to the annual season series in hockey between the two schools.

Today marked the first time the game was played at RPI's East Campus Village Stadium since 2018, as the 2020 game was cancelled due to COVID. Union won the toss and deferred to the 2nd half. Still smarting from a narrow loss to Ithaca last week that cost the Dutchmen the Liberty League title, this turned out to be a big mistake.

RPI marched down the field, and Dylan Burnett ran it in from the 1 yard line to give the Engineers an early 7-0 lead. After RPI special teams blocked a Union punt, the Engineers struck again, this time with Jake Kazanowsky finding Deen Ninche for 22 yards. RPI led, 14-0, after the 1st quarter.

Following a Maric Aleksandar field goal, which extended the Engineer lead to 17-0 in the 2nd quarter, Union finally got on the board with just under a minute left in the half, as Donovan Pacatte hit Avery Turton for a 31 yard scoring strike. Still, RPI led, 17-7, at the break.

Union took the 2nd half kickoff, and promptly cut the lead down even further. Coach Jeff Behrman decided he liked Ike. Ike Irabor, that is, who rumbled 63 yards to the house. However, the extra point was blocked, and Union cut the lead to four at 17-13. In all, RPI special teams had three blocks on the day, two punts and the PAT.

Less than a minute into the 4th quarter, RPI put the game away as Kazanowsky & Burnett hooked up for a 32 yard touchdown. RPI keeps the Shoes for the 2nd straight year, 23-13.

Check the video:

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

Elsewhere:

UAlbany got a touchdown on the final play of the game in the home finale at Casey Stadium, coming from behind to beat Maine, 23-21. The Great Danes had dropped seven straight to the Black Bears prior to today's game.

In high school play:

Ravena clinched the Class B title with an emphatic 44-6 blowout win over Lansingburgh at Shenendehowa. The Knights lost their glass cleats on their way to Clifton Park before the game.

Cambridge-Salem won the Class D crown, battering Chatham, 36-13.

We'll have field hockey and soccer scores tomorrow. We hope.

There's other titles to be had, too

 With three more Section II Super Bowls on the docket, let's not forget that there are state titles at stake in field hockey & soccer today, too.

Field hockey:

Class B semi-final:

South Glens Falls vs. Garden City at Centereach, LI, noon.

Class C semi-final:

Hoosick Falls vs. Carle Place at Centereach, 2 pm.

Men's soccer:

Class B semi-final:

Mechanicville vs. Skanaeteles at Goshen, 8:30 am.

Class C semi-final:

Maple Hill vs. Cooperstown at Goshen, 2 pm.

Women's soccer:

Class AA semi-final:

Shaker vs. Clarence at Tompkins-Cortland Community College, 5:30 pm.

Class C semi-final:

Waterford vs. Millbrook at Cortland High, 10 am.

Women's volleyball:

Class AA regional:

Shenendehowa vs. Baldwinsville at Fayetteville-Manilus, 3 pm.

Class C regional final:

Galway vs. Canton at Massena, 1 pm.

Class D regional:

Lake George vs. Lake Placid at Beekmantown, 1 pm.

Good luck to all of the teams.

High School Fridays: Class AA Super Bowl @ Guilderland, 11/11/22

 The 2022 Class AA Super Bowl between Shenendehowa and CBA serves as the season finale for Friday Night Matchup on Spectrum News 1. Yes, it was raining, testing Guilderland's new turf field. Fortunately, the rains abated at just the right times during the game.

CBA won the toss and elected to receive to start the game. The Brothers promptly marched down the field, ending with Donald Jones finding Jack Marra all alone behind the defense for a 25 yard touchdown strike just 3 1/2 minutes into the game.

After an exchange of punts between the teams, CBA struck again just before the end of the quarter, as Jones connected with Don Brundige for 23 yards to push the lead to 14-0 heading into the 2nd quarter.

It felt like the 2nd quarter should've gotten corporate sponsorship from Pepperidge Farm, there were so many turnovers and missed opportunities. First, Jones threw an interception. Then, the teams traded fumbles. Finally, with under a minute to go before halftime, Jones ran it in from 6 yards out. CBA led, 21-0, at the break.

Defenses took over in the 2nd half. Late in the 4th quarter, Shen had a chance to avoid the shutout, as Henry Picard engaged the defense and broke three tackles, en route to what was supposed to be a 69 yard run for a touchdown. Unfortunately, there was a penalty on the play, wiping out the score, and Shen ultimately turned it over on downs. It was their best, and last, hope against a stingy CBA defense that pitched its 2nd straight shutout, 21-0. The Brothers repeat at Class AA champions. Now, they just need to take care of business in the state tournament that begins next week.

Meanwhile, in Lansingburgh, the Class C title was on the line, as defending champion Schuylerville took on upstart Warrensburg-Lake George. Most folks forget that North Warren is also part of this united squad.

The Black Horses, like Shen, sought to avenge an earlier defeat, but, like Shen, came up short. Schuylerville let a 7-6 halftime lead get away, and Warrensburg-Lake George-North Warren won the C title, 20-7.

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

Turning to local colleges, UAlbany's women's basketball team won their home opener at Hudson Valley Community College, downing Merrimack, 67-53, before 765 fans in the McDonough Field House. Ellen Hahne led the Lady Danes with 24 points. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) added 13 points, while Abby Ray (Saratoga) and Grace Heeps (Columbia via UMass) had 2 points apiece. The Lady Danes will travel to Siena's UHY Arena to play the Lady Saints on Sunday.

Across town, RPI's men's hockey team dropped its 4th straight, and 6th in its last 7, falling to Harvard, 3-2, in overtime. RPI's homestand continues vs. Dartmouth tomorrow night, and then, Alaska-Fairbanks comes to town next weekend.

Section II Super Bowl preview

 The road to Syracuse begins tomorrow night for 10 Section II football teams. Five Super Bowls in the space of a scant more than 24 hours. Both of Friday's games, though, will be hampered by afternoon rains that might still be coming down come game time.

Friday:

Class AA Super Bowl: Shenendehowa vs. CBA @ Guilderland (Spectrum News 1, cable channels 1, 9, or 200), 7 pm.

Guilderland's new turf field will get its sternest test with the rains pouring down the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole. Keep in mind that Shen coach Brian Clawson has never beaten a Bob Burns coached team, either at Troy or CBA. As we've previously noted, Burns took two undefeated Troy teams all the way to the state title (2016-17), and Burns' Brothers are undefeated going into this rematch with the Plainsmen. Expect more wrestling jokes aimed at Shen's Brett Steiner during the Spectrum telecast. This will be a tighter, more defensive game than last time. It has to be, otherwise, with Donald Jones (CBA), Henry Picard, & Ishaan Aloize (Shen) running all over the joint, they might be able to race through the raindrops and we could get a 45-44 game or something like that.

The pick: CBA. History is on Burns' side.

Class C Super Bowl: Warrensburg-Lake George vs. Schuylerville @ Lansingburgh, 7 pm.

I'd love it if Lansingburgh uses their YouTube channel to air this game online. The Knights also have a turf field, so the conditions for the teams here are the same as in the AA game. It'd be a nice story if Warrensburg-Lake George wins this, as it would be the first sectional title for Warrensburg, a small North Country town that merged its football program with Lake George in order to field a team. It's been a dream season, but dreams ultimately can be shattered. Schuylerville rediscovered its defense in beating previously unbeaten Fonda last week. Expect more of the same.

The pick: Schuylerville.

Saturday:

Class B Super Bowl: Lansingburgh vs. Ravena @ Shen, 1 pm.

No one expected the Knights to be the ones carrying the flag for the city of Troy this deep into the season, but LaSalle was eliminated last week, and Troy missed the playoffs due to quarter points. Jeff Pasinella's club has come a long way in the last five years, playing for a sectional title for the first time in over a decade, back when they were in Class A. However, Ravena will end 'Burgh's Cinderella story.

The pick: Ravena.

Class D Super Bowl: Chatham vs. Cambridge-Salem @ Mechanicville, 1 pm.

Chatham has dropped in class from C to D, but things will likely change again in a few months with the introduction of Class AAA for next season. We'll save the inevitable battery jokes for next fall. 

Cambridge, aside from its merger with Salem, is facing an identity crisis, as many of you know. There's a push to change the team nickname from "Indians", but to my knowledge, no one's pushing other schools, such as Fonda or Glens Falls, to do the same. Then again, the school board meetings have gotten newsworthy as long as the debate rages on. On the field, though, Cambridge remains a power in Class D. About the only way the debate ends is if the district agrees to a change in exchange for some lights not only for their field, but others in the North Country as well, as they're among the last holdouts in Section II for hosting games under the stars.

As you can probably tell, the teams have slipped past the radar.

The pick: Cambridge-Salem.

Class A Super Bowl: Averill Park vs. Niskayuna @ CBA, 7 pm.

They're going to have a hard time drawing fans for this game, due to a little college basketball game at MVP Arena between Siena & UAlbany going on at the same time. Nisky has won 7 in a row after a rough start. Averill Park upset defending champ Burnt Hills last week, largely on another bravura effort by Jacob Phelps. The Silver Warriors' defense will have their work cut out for them trying to slow down Phelps and QB Nick Galuski.

Worth noting: While both teams are seeking their first title, no Rensselaer County team has won in A or AA football since-----wait for it----Troy five years ago. Averill Park will be looking to end that hex. Defensive coordinator Mark Galuski, Nick's father, was on Bob Burns' staff at Troy, so that may be a difference maker.

The pick: Averill Park.

Of course, I could be wrong.

A tale of two teams on a collision course

 Siena opened its men's basketball schedule Monday, downing Holy Cross, 75-68, in Worcester. Andrew Platek (Guilderland/North Carolina) scored 13 points in 24 minutes to back up leading scorer Javian McCollum, who had 20, while newcomer Eduardo Lane added 13 of his own.

The Saints' home opener is the Albany Cup vs. UAlbany on Saturday night. It's also Homecoming weekend at Siena, so they're expecting a big crowd.

For the record, Siena has a new radio home for men's basketball at ALT 104.9 after WGDJ (1300 AM) ended their partnership earlier this year. While many games will be streaming on ESPN+ or ESPN3, there will be some games on basic cable:

December 7 at Georgetown (FS2, Spectrum Cable channel 401).

February 24 at Rider (ESPNU, Spectrum Cable channel 370).

Also, the Saints will be participating in the ESPN Events Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Thanksgiving weekend. To wit:

Thanksgiving Day vs. Florida State, 11 am (ESPN2).

Black Friday, Nov. 25, vs. Stanford or Mississippi (ESPN or ESPNews).

November 27 TBA.

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

One wonders if UAlbany may have been looking too far ahead to Siena, as the Great Danes lost on the road at Towson on Monday, 67-62. The Danes were down by as many as 10 at one point. Gerald Drumgoole, Jr. led Albany with 15 points, while Aaron Reddish and Da'Kquan Davis added 12 each. Dwayne Killings will return Saturday for the Albany Cup, then finish his suspension next Monday vs. Union College.

UAlbany continues a 3 game road trip at Immaculata today at 5. 

Considering UAlbany is playing other area schools, having played pre-season games with Skidmore and the College of St. Rose, and with Siena & Union coming up, the school is dissing not only Hudson Valley Community College, which is hosting the Danes this year, but also RPI, by not scheduling games with either Troy school. And, yeah, we'll throw Russell Sage, which has campuses in both Albany and Troy, in there, too.

The way ye scribe sees it, as Union, Skidmore, & St. Rose are getting the rub from having UAlbany on their schedules, what's wrong with the Sage, RPI, & HVCC? Maybe next year, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

News & notes

 As UAlbany begins its regular season schedule tonight, the Great Danes will make two appearances on national television next month.

First, the Danes will visit Providence on Saturday, December 10, with that game to air on FS1 (Spectrum channel 400). Then, nearly three weeks later, UAlbany visits Virginia, with that game airing on the ACC Network (Spectrum channel 388) on December 28. Most, if not all, games will be heard on WTMM-FM (104.5).

Meanwhile, the UAlbany women's soccer team has advanced to the NCAA tournament after beating Stanford, 2-1, in a shootout on Sunday. Since this was for the America East title, this isn't the same Stanford that is in the Pac-12. 

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

The College of St. Rose is heading to the NCAA Division II women's soccer tournament after claiming the Northeast 10 title with a 4-0 win over Adelphi on Sunday. The Golden Knights will learn their destination later tonight, and are hoping for a return trip to the title game, where they fell short last year, losing to Grand Valley State.

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

On the men's side, Skidmore fell short of a NCAA berth and the Liberty League title in a 3-1 loss to St. Lawrence. Not sure about an at-large bid.

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

Section II has changed the location of Friday's Class AA football Super Bowl between CBA & Shenendehowa. Shen was originally going to host the game, but now with the Plainsmen having advanced, the game will be played at Guilderland instead, and is one of two games on the Friday schedule.

The other is the Class C title game between Warrensburg-Lake George & Schuylerville, which will be played at Lansingburgh. Both games start at 7 pm.

The rest of the Super Bowls will be played on Saturday.

Class A: Averill Park vs. Niskayuna at CBA, 7 pm.

Class B: Lansingburgh vs. Ravena at Shen, 1 pm.

Class D: Cambridge-Salem vs. Chatham at Mechanicville, 1 pm.

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

Women's tennis season is over in Section II. Bethlehem was eliminated in the team semi-finals, losing to Scarsdale, 8-1, on Saturday.

Section II is now down to two teams in state play in field hockey, as Scarsdale bested Bethlehem, 1-0, on Sunday in the Class A reguinals.

Meanwhile, South Glens Falls advanced in the Class B tournament, 3-1, over Lakeland, and Hoosick Falls beat Bronxville, 4-1, in Class C, also on Sunday.

In women's volleyball, Shenendehowa claimed the Class AA sectional title with a straight set win over Bethlehem.

On the college court, Binghamton shut out UAlbany in straight sets in America East play.

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

It looks like Troy High assistant principal Ryan Meikle will no longer be coaching the school's women's basketball team. Sarah Fullmer, who has been an assistant under Meikle the last few years, appears to be promoted to head coach. The Lady Horses had a difficult time winning games last season, and it apparently will now be left to Fullmer to solve opposing teams' full court defenses and/or adopt the same strategy in order to keep up with the rest of the Suburban Council and Section II in general.

Local college scoreboard, 11/4-5

 To say UAlbany was blown out in a loss to Elon on Saturday is actually an overstatement.

Great Danes QB Reese Poffenberger was sacked nine times as Elon took down the Danes, 27-3. Albany might've been still a wee bit euphoric after a legitimate blowout over Stony Brook last week, and Elon made them pay for it.

Other local college football:

RPI 10, St. Lawrence 6.

Ithaca 31, Union 28. Ithaca clinches the Liberty League title, and now, Union will travel to East Campus Village Stadium to play RPI in the Battle For The Dutchmen's Shoes next Saturday.

RPI TV was not functioning this weekend, so there's no videos of either football or women's hockey.

Women's hockey:

RPI & Harvard played to a 3-3 tie.

Union 5, Dartmouth 4.

Women's volleyball:

Marist 3, Siena 0.

Southern New Hampshire 3, College of St. Rose 0.

Men's soccer:

America East quarter-finals:

UAlbany 2, New Jersey Institute of Technology 0.

Men's hockey (Friday):

St. Lawrence 3, RPI 2.

Union 3, Clarkson 2.

News & notes

 "In a season that has become improbable, the impossible has happened!"---Vin Scully.

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

After a raucous Friday night that saw one #1 seed fall, sectional semi-finals resumed today with three games, one each in Classes B-D. As I write, the Class D semi-final between Greenwich & Chatham is still underway, and we should have the result as early as tomorrow.

The big story today was in Class B. Undefeated Glens Falls hosted an improving Lansingburgh squad, knowing full well a rematch with Ravena was looming next week.

Would it be too much to suggest Pat Lilac's club was looking past the Knights? Apparently, the answer is yes. The Knights ran out to a big lead, and looked poised to put Glens Falls away, but the Indians came back, and forced overtime. However, a potential game-winning 2-point conversion was stopped, and Lansingburgh heads to the Super Bowl, 41-40.

Photo courtesy the Glens Falls Post-Star.

If that game ending scenario looked familiar, it was. It happened to Troy in a loss to LaSalle in September.

The rest of today's scoreboard:

Football:

Class C semi-final:

Warrensburg-Lake George 48, Stillwater 0.

Crossover:

Albany 38, Colonie 8.

Women's volleyball:

Class D final:

Lake George 3, Mekeel Christian 0.

Women's soccer state regionals:

Class AA:

Shaker 5, Fayetteville-Manilus 0.

Class A:

New Hartford 2, Columbia 0.

Class C:

Waterford 1, Northeastern Clinton 0.

Class D:

Mount Academy 5, Northville 0.

Men's soccer state regionals:

Class A:

CBA-Syracuse 6, Columbia 0.

Class B:

Mechanicville 2, Plattsburgh 0.

Class C:

Maple Hill & Northeastern Clinton played to a 1-1 tie. The Wildcats won via penalty kicks.

High School Fridays: LaSalle vs. Niskayuna @ Schenectady, 11/4/22

 Nearly 2 months ago, LaSalle defeated Niskayuna, 25-7, to start a 5 game winning streak. The Silver Warriors would begin a winning streak of their own, which continued heading into a rematch in the Class A semi-finals.

Oh, but how a lot has changed since September 16.

LaSalle lost junior running back Matt Bott three weeks ago to a torn ACL in a win over Columbia, and have not won since. Niskayuna has won six straight going into this game.

LaSalle won the toss, and deferred to the second half. However, it was a quarter dominated by the defense on both sides, as the teams traded punts like you or I would trade football cards.

Just three seconds into the 2nd quarter, Niskayuna drew first blood, as DeAngelo McLothan ran it in from 4 yards out. Cooper Harvey, the Albany Times-Union Male Athlete of The Week, added the extra point, and Niskayuna had the lead they would not relinquish. Late in the frame, sophomore QB Ethan Gilson hit Dahvion Wimberly for a 15 yard score, and the Silver Warriors went into the break, up 14-0.

Defense ruled in the second half. LaSalle QB Adam Myers, lost without his ace tailback, Bott, who could only watch on the sidelines on crutches, looked like Bristol Myers, as he threw a pair of pick-sixes, one to Chase Cappi in the 3rd quarter, and one to McLothan in the 4th. For the first time since Andre Davis starred for the Silver Warriors in the mid-90's, Niskayuna advances to the Super Bowl, 28-0, avenging the Week 2 loss to LaSalle, which finishes at 5-5.

Edit, 11/5/22: The video has been blocked due to the use of copyrighted music, per a copyright claim placed by Sony Music Entertainment.

Class AA:

CBA 10, Saratoga 0.
Shenendehowa 21, Shaker 14.

Class A:

Averill Park 42, Burnt Hills 21. Averill Park will meet Niskayuna at CBA next Saturday night.

Class C:

Schuylerville 14, Fonda-Fultonville 13 (OT). The Braves suffered their first loss of the season.

Class D:

Cambridge-Salem 52, Canajoharie-Fort Plain 6.

Crossover week football scores, 11/2-3

 While the focus of Section II will be on tonight's football playoffs, teams that failed to make the post-season have wrapped up their seasons, or will do so tonight. We'll have predictions for the Super Bowls in each class at the end of this column.

Not all of Thursday's scores have been reported as of press time, and, as such, will be updated until 7 pm tonight.

Wednesday:

Schalmont 26, Cobleskill-Richmondville 13.

Thursday:

Scotia 21, South Glens Falls 20.

Queensbury 39, Columbia 18.

Ichabod Crane 39, Green Tech 6.

Johnstown 21, Granville-Whitehall 20.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 50, Broadalbin-Perth 6.

Rensselaer-Loudonville Christian 34, Corinth-Hadley-Luzerne-Fort Edward 0.

Guilderland 44, Troy 13. The Flying Horses' 3 game winning streak is snapped in another blowout loss to the Dutchmen, who, in turn, snap a 3 game losing streak. Troy finishes 5-4.

Amsterdam 45, Bethlehem 31.

Cohoes 13, Helderberg Valley 7.

Taconic Hills 44, Catskill-Cairo-Durham 6.

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

There are two crossovers on tonight's card. Colonie & Albany will renew their rivalry, and Mohonasen will visit Schenectady. The latter game was originally set for Wednesday, but was postponed for reasons unknown.

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

Let's take a look at the playoffs:

Class AA:

Shaker @ Shenendehowa: The last time these two rivals met, it went to overtime, with Shen's Henry Picard scoring the game winning touchdown. Shen wants a Super Bowl meeting with CBA, and they'll get it. 

Pick-Shen.

Saratoga @ CBA: Bob Burns won back-to-back state titles after rolling through an unbeaten regular season with Troy in 2016-17. That is a harbinger of things to come for the Brothers, who beat Saratoga two weeks ago.

Pick: CBA.

Class A:

Burnt Hills @ Averill Park: Matt Shell's Spartans have peaked at the right time, although they lost a field goal battle with Niskayuna last week, costing them the Grasso Division title. Figure they'll be angry over the loss, and will take it out on Zach "Don't call me George" Gobel's Warriors.

Pick: Burnt Hills.

LaSalle vs. Niskayuna: This game is being played at Mulvaney Field in Schenectady. The Silver Warriors don't have a home field because, like Guilderland, they're in the process of getting a new turf field, and it was not ready in time for the season. At least Guilderland got two home games on their new field. It was a happy homecoming for LaSalle's John Audino, who spent 24 years as Union's head coach, and Union's Bailey Field had been talked up as a possible site for this game. I think Nisky wanted nothing to do with that. LaSalle shut down Nisky the first time, so expect more of the same, as both division champions will be eliminated.

Pick: LaSalle.

Class B:

Gloversville @ Ravena: This one is a no-brainer. Ravena has one goal in mind, a rematch with Glens Falls. The Dragons have no chance.

Pick: Ravena.

Lansingburgh @ Glens Falls (Saturday): Jeff Pasinella's Knights are one of the most improved teams in Section II. Unfortunately, even though the Girard era is over at Glens Falls, they're still the class of the league.

Pick: Glens Falls.

Class C:

Schuylerville @ Fonda-Fultonville: Fonda's not sneaking up on anyone any longer, and are primed for an upset. The Black Horses snapped their losing streak in emphatic fashion last week, and looking to reach the Super Bowl again.

Pick: Schuylerville.

Stillwater @ Warrensburg-Lake George (Saturday): More proof that the old order has changed in Class C would be the emergence of the united team from Warrensburg & Lake George. I see no reason why they can't reach the big dance.

Pick: Warrensburg-Lake George.

Class D:

Canajoharie-Fort Plain @ Cambridge-Salem. It's Cambridge, even with Salem tagging along, in the month of November. Enough said.

Pick: Cambridge-Salem.

Greenwich @ Chatham (Saturday): These two used to be in Class C, and this could be the best game of the weekend. 

Pick: Chatham.

Of course, I could be wrong.

News & notes

 UAlbany's sprawling campus encompasses Washington & Western Avenues in the capital city. Strangely, while the Great Danes are restarting the Albany Cup series vs. Siena, they might do well to help a neighbor.

The College of St. Rose's campus is about a mile down the road from UAlbany on the Western Avenue side, but these two teams do not play each other very often. In fact, Wednesday's pre-season game was the first time the men's teams had met in several years. For the Golden Knights, this was their pre-season opener, and while they hung tough against the Danes, UAlbany pulled away in the 2nd half to pick up a 73-66 win. UAlbany opens the regular season vs. Towson on Monday.

Keegan Zoller (Ballston Spa) had 11 points for the Knights. Shane O'Dell (Schalmont) & Alex Barnhill (Mekeel Christian, via Bridgton Academy) didn't play.

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

Wednesday's sectional scoreboard:

Men's soccer:

Class B sub-regionals:

Mechanicville 3, Salmon River 0. The Red Raiders return to LaSalle on Saturday to host Plattsburgh.

Class C sub-regionals:

Maple Hill 2, Canton 1. The Wildcats will play Northeastern Clinton Saturday at LaSalle.

Class D sub-regionals:

Greenport 4, Loudonville Christian 3.

Women's soccer:

Class C/CC final:

Waterford 7, Voorheesville 1. Waterford moves on to play the winner of Northeast Clinton-Canton, date, site, & time TBA.

Men's volleyball:

Division 1 semi-finals:

Bethlehem 3, Columbia 1. The Eagles will play either Saratoga or Shenendehowa in the finals at Rensselaer on Friday.

Women's volleyball:

Class AA semi-finals:

Shenendehowa 3, Shaker 0.

Bethlehem 3, Saratoga 0.

The finals are at Saratoga on Friday.

Class A semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 3, Holy Names 0.

Class B semi-finals:

Ichabod Crane 3, Schalmont 1.

Class C semi-finals:

Galway 3, Tamarac 0.

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

The Houston Astros' roster is still loaded with some Tri-City Valleycats alumni, some of whom were key players in Wednesday's combined no-hitter over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Starter Cristian Javier and reliever Bryan Abreu were with the 'Cats in 2016, and shortstop Jeremy Pena was part of the 2018 team. 2B Jose Altuve dates all the way back to 2009-10 with the 'Cats. Catcher Jason Castro isn't playing due to injury in his 2nd tour of duty with Houston, but he, too, has the 'Cats on his resume. Javier & Abreu combined to pitch the first six innings, and both were also instrumental in the Astros' combined no-hitter over the Yankees back in June at Yankee Stadium.

This was also the 2nd time this season that the Phillies were no-hit. The Mets used five pitchers to throw just the 2nd no-no in team history back in April. With the series even at 2 games apiece going into tonight's game 5, Houston is assured of returning home Saturday, and could possibly close out Philadelphia if Justin Verlander can get over his World Series yips tonight.

News & notes

 Football season isn't over yet for non-playoff teams in Section II.

For example, Troy High (5-3 overall, 3-2 Capital Division) will travel to Guilderland tomorrow, with the Dutchmen having lost three straight. You will recall that it was Guilderland that started Troy's downward slide in 2021. Troy, though, has won three in a row heading into this game.

Tonight sees a pair of crossovers on the docket. 

Colonial Council rivals Cobleskill-Richmondville and Schalmont will meet at 5:30 pm. Mohonasen will face Schenectady in what might as well be the Electric City Toilet Bowl, given the collective struggles of the two teams this season. 

Tuesday's high school sectional results:

Men's soccer:

Class AA final:

Shaker 4, Saratoga 3 (OT).

Class A final:

Columbia 2, Averill Park 0.

Women's soccer:

Class B sub-regional:

Saranac 2, Schalmont 0.

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

Colleges:

Field hockey:

Liberty League quarter-finals:

Vassar 2, Skidmore 0.

Women's soccer:

Liberty League quarter-finals:

Clarkson & Skidmore played to a 2-2 tie. Clarkson advances via penalty kicks.

Empire 8 quarter-finals:

Russell Sage 1, Alfred 0.

Men's soccer:

Liberty League quarter-finals:

RIT 2, RPI 1 (OT).

Skidmore 2, Hobart 0.

Women's volleyball:

Liberty League quarter-finals:

Union 3, William Smith 2.

State soccer & field hockey tournament news

 State tournament pairings have been announced for soccer and field hockey, with games to be played this weekend. There are only three classes in field hockey, as opposed to five, and sometimes, six, in other sports.

Field hockey:

Class A:

Bethlehem vs. Scarsdale.

Class B:

South Glens Falls vs. Lakeland.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls vs. Bronxville.

All three games will be played at Mahopac High in Putnam County. Times have yet to be confirmed.

Men's soccer:

Class B sub-regional:

Mechanicville vs. Salmon River, Wednesday at 6 pm at LaSalle.

Class C sub-regional:

Maple Hill vs. Canton at LaSalle. Date & time TBA.

Class D sub-regional:

Loudonville Christian vs. Greenport at Guilderland. Date & time TBA.

The men's Class AA & A titles will be decided tonight at Colonie.

Women's soccer:

Class AA:

Shaker vs. TBA, Saturday at Mechanicville. Time TBA.

Class A:

Columbia vs. Massena, Saturday at Mechanicville. Time TBA.

Class B sub-regional:

Schalmont vs. Saranac, today at 5:30 at Stillwater.

Class D:

Northville vs. Mount Academy at Newburgh Free Academy, Saturday at 1:30.

The Class C/CC title game between Voorheesville & Waterford will be played tomorrow at Mechanicville at 6 pm.