High School Fridays: Queensbury @ Ballston Spa, 10/25/24

 For Class A, the regular season ends tonight, and Friday Night Matchup serves up a Grasso division match with playoff implications between homestanding Ballston Spa and visiting Queensbury, both having won two straight.

The Scotties won the toss, and deferred. The Spartans promptly went the distance, culminating in Zavry Ward hitting Isaiah Engel for a 37 yard touchdown. However, Finn Jordi-Donnelly's extra point doinked off the upright, and it was 6-0 after the first quarter.

In the 2nd quarter, Ballston Spa had an answer, as Kala'i Makanani ran 36 yards to paydirt. DJ Wallace added the extra point, and the Scotties had their first lead. However, on the last play of the first half, Jordi-Donnelly atoned for his earlier miscue with a 42 yard field goal, a season high, and the Spartans took a 9-7 lead into halftime.

Just three minutes into the 3rd quarter, Queensbury extended its lead, as Ward hit Kasigh Gooden with a 75 yard touchdown pass. Jordi-Donnelly's extra point made it 16-7, but not for long. A minute later, Luigi Fiorini found Bill O'Connor for a 61 yard catch & run to cut the lead to 16-14. After a Queensbury punt, Makanani struck again, this time from 50 yards, and the Scotties took the lead, 20-16, going into the 4th quarter.

A Spartan turnover set up Makanani to take it in again on the first play of the 4th quarter, this time from 5 yards. Fiorini then found Grayson Cranick for the 2 point conversion, boosting the lead to 28-16. Ward then found Gooden again, this time for 36 yards. With the extra point, the margin was at 5, at 28-23.

Out of time outs with a minute and change left, Ward's desperation heave on the last play of the game was intercepted by Cranick to seal the deal. Ballston Spa, with the 28-23 win, earns the #2 seed in the Grasso division, with Queensbury at #3. Burnt Hills clinched the division, and Mohonasen will be the 4th seed. In the Capital Division, quarter points will decide the seeds.

Other action:

Mohonasen 16, Schenectady 7.

Gloversville 20, Scotia-Glenville 7.

Averill Park 34, Troy 0. Based on the quarter points, and holding a head-to-head tiebreaker over Columbia, AP will be the top seed in the Capital Division, and will host Mohonasen next week.

Burnt Hills def. South Glens Falls.

Ravena 50, Green Tech 6.

Schalmont 28, Cohoes 14.

Bethlehem 14, LaSalle 7. The Cadets (2-6) could be on the outside looking in.

Mechanicville-Hoosic Valley 42, Hudson 12.

Shenendehowa 35, Niskayuna 12.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 41, Broadalbin-Perth 0.

Fonda-Fultonville 42, Canajoharie-Fort Plain-OESJ 28.

Glens Falls 49, Lansingburgh 7.

Columbia 47, Amsterdam 21.

CBA 69, Colonie 13.

Warrensburg-Lake George-Bolton 54, Greenwich 0.

Men's soccer sectionals:

Class AA:

Bethlehem 5, Burnt Hills 1.

Columbia 9, Troy 0.

Class A:

Schalmont 2, Broadalbin-Perh 0.

Averill Park 1, Albany Academy 0.

Ichabod Crane 10, LaSalle.2.

Class D:

Northville 8, Saratoga Catholic 0.

Argyle 2, Mekeel Christian 0.