News & notes

 While Bill Arsenault is doing his twice-weekly Campus Watch feature in the Albany Times-Union, the spotlight has yet to find Bethlehem grad Kaitlyn Robbins, a freshman forward at Bentley University.

Robbins has appeared in just 2 games so far, coming off the bench, logging a grand total of 8 minutes, as she's being gradually worked into the rotation for the Falcons. She scored 4 points in 6 minutes in a win over Georgian Court, then was held scoreless vs. Southern New Hampshire. Robbins didn't play last night vs. the College of Staten Island, where the Falcons ran their win streak to 3 in a row, 64-41. Bentley plays in the Northeast 10 league, formerly home to the now-defunct College of St. Rose.

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It's not exactly the same as the Albany Cup, but UAlbany will host RPI this afternoon at Broadview Center (2 pm) in what is being billed as an exhibition game. The Lady Engineers (4-2) are coming off a win over St. John Fisher on Sunday, while UAlbany reclaimed the women's Albany Cup from Siena last week.

RPI's men, meanwhile, defeated SUNY Cobleskill, 66-42, last night at ECAV Arena. In front of 245 fans. Kellen Driscoll (Glens Falls) had 5 points in 24 minutes for the Engineers (4-1).

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Siena's women, still looking for their first win, visit Cornell in another matinee today (2:30 pm, WVCR). Something tells me that administration may lose patience with Terry Primm if they don't have any wins before league play starts......

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High school bowling saw just 1 match reported Tuesday, again in the Suburban Council (Colonial Council play begins next week). Saratoga defeated Niskayuna, 21-7, in women's action. We'll be hearing about holiday tournaments starting on Friday in basketball.

News & notes

 LaSalle grad Cam Stodghill is reportedly planning to enter the transfer portal and leave UAlbany.

And he ain't alone.

Stodghill has played linebacker for the Great Danes the last two seasons, and, coincidentally, UAlbany has struggled overall. He played 6 games as a freshman before being redshirted, 12 as a sophomore, and appeared in 7 games this year.

CBA grads Jake Marra & Anthony Diaz, both freshmen, are also planning to leave. Diaz was on the bench the entire season, while Marra appeared in 4 games.

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Section II came out of the weekend with 0 state titles in volleyball.

Both Shenendehowa & Burnt Hills were eliminated on Sunday. That leaves the 4 football teams (Saratoga, Glens Falls, Schuylerville, & Greenwich) still in play for state titles, which will be decided December 5-6 in Syracuse.

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Monday's college & high school scoreboard:

College basketball:

Women:

Bowdoin 68, Union 56.

Rutgers 67, Siena 61. The Lady Saints are still looking for their first win of the season. Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) had 15 points in 22 minutes to lead Siena.

Men:

Siena 73, Holy Cross 69. Justice Shoats led 4 Saints in double figures with 22 points. Brendan Coyle (Niskayuna) added 10.

High schools:

Women's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 2179, Bethlehem 1868 (total pins).

Saratoga 27, Averill Park 1.

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Hockey season in Section II is set to start this weekend, but there's a dispute between Section II officals and a union representing area hockey officials.

Lawyers for the Eastern NY chapter of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association (NIHOA) are questioning the validity of an agreement between Section II and an all-section officials group forged over the summer.

Stay tuned.

Saturday's high school & college scoreboard, 11/22

 Volleyball season ends today in Section II as the semi-finals & finals will be contested to determine state champions.

On the men's side, Shenendehowa & Burnt Hills have both advanced to the semi-finals.

In Division 1, Shen will face Penfield of Section 5, starting at 9 am. Over in Division 2, Burnt Hills will play Eastport-South Manor, out of Section 11, starting at noon.

Unfortunately, there won't be any Section II teams in the women's finals. Both Shen & Mekeel Christian failed to emerge from pool play on Saturday.

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Section II will send 4 teams to the state semi-finals in football.

Saturday's results:

Class AA:

Saratoga 28, Middletown 18. The Blue Streaks will play top-seeded Mamaroneck next Saturday at 6 pm at Middletown.

Class B:

Glens Falls 40, Ogdensburg 14. Next for the Black Bears will be Sleepy Hollow at Middletown, next Saturday at 3 pm.

Class C:

Schuylerville 50, Saranac 15. The Black Horses will face Bronxville next Saturday at noon at Middletown.

Class D:

Greenwich will play Tuckahoe on Friday at 3 at Middletown, after Tuckahoe took down Burke Catholic on Saturday.

Meanwhile, in 8-man competition, Taconic Hills was eliminated by Morrisville-Eaton, 56-21.

Colleges:

Men's hockey:

Union defeated Colgate, 2-1, in a shootout after the teams played to a 4-4 draw through overtime. The game was broadcast on SNY.

Cornell 4, RPI 1.

ACHA: RPI 6, Rider 1. The ACHA Engineers are now 13-4, flying below the radar.

Women's hockey:

Colgate 3, Union 2 (OT).

Cornell 4, RPI 1.

Football:

Union ends up 1-&-done in the playoffs after losing to Muhlenberg, 34-26. Union finishes 8-3.

UAlbany closed the Jared Ambrose era by beating Monmouth, 31-24. UAlbany finishes 2-10 on the season

News & notes

 Burnt Hills may be one of the dominant teams in Section II women's volleyball, but their run of success in Glens Falls came to a crashing end Friday.

The Lady Spartans could not get out of pool play on Friday, and were eliminated from the Class A tournament. As of now, Shenendehowa (Class AAA) & Mekeel Christian (Class D) are still alive in pool play taking place today.

Burnt Hills' men, and Shenendehowa's, are currently alive in pool play as well.

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We wrote yesterday that Cornwall had already beaten two Section II teams in football this season.

Make it three.

The Dragons upset Niskayuna, 34-28, at Colonie Friday night to advance to the state semi-finals next week. Nisky had a chance to win with 4 seconds left in regulation, but a last second pass went nowhere.

Conversely, Class D champion Greenwich blew out Moriah, 51-6, to advance to the semi-finals.

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Troy sophomore Kyair Carr, despite the Flying Horses losing the Class A Super Bowl last week, was named WNYT's Athlete of The Week, the 2nd such honor this season (The Albany Times-Union similarly honored Carr last month). 

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Siena regained the Albany Cup in men's basketball Friday, routing UAlbany, 73-63. The Saints (3-2) placed four players in double figures, led by Tasman Goodrick with 19. Brendan Coyle (Nisky) added 13. Marcus Jackson, playing against his former team, was held scoreless in 4 minutes. Riley Mulvey did not play (coach's decision). Siena will hit the road to play Holy Cross on Monday. UAlbany (2-4) is now idle until Black Friday when they begin a weekend road trip in Laval, Quebec, Canada.

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The Tri-City Valleycats not only picked up the option on manager Greg Tagert for 2026, but gave him a 3 year contract extension. The extension is actually through the 2028 season.

Meanwhile, two-way player Cam Jones won't return in 2026. Jones instead is taking a job as a outfield & base running coach in the Atlanta Braves organization.

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It wasn't a good day for RPI Friday.

The women's basketball team dropped a 70-58 decision to Nazareth. Men's ECAC hockey fell to 3-10 with a 2-1 loss to Colgate. Women's hockey also lost to Colgate, 5-2. The Engineers will play Cornell today, with the women at home at Houston Field House (3 pm).

Union's men lost to Cornell, 2-1, while the women defeated the Big Red, 4-3, at M & T Bank Mohawk Harbor Arena. The Lady Chargers host Colgate today at 3.

News & notes

 Soccer season is officially over at Siena.

The Saints went 1-&-done in the NCAA's after falling to Seton Hall on penalty kicks Thursday. The Pirates & Saints went to a 1-1 draw through overtime to force the penalty kick shootout.

Now, the students can focus on tonight's Albany Cup basketball clash vs. UAlbany at MVP Arena (WTMM, WJMZ, 7 pm), as Gerry McNamara's club will try to snap a 2 game losing streak. The Great Danes have held the men's cup the last two years, but can't seem to win away from Broadview Center, a malady that also plagues the 3-2 women's team.

Too bad it ain't on TV,  but it should be.

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The state football regionals aren't on TV, either, as Spectrum News 1 ended their broadcast season for football last week. Budgets, you know. A quick look at the 5 games involving Section II schools.

Class AA: Saratoga vs. Middletown (Saturday at 3:30, Colonie High): Middletown came all the way from a 1-4 start to collect an at-large bid out of Section 9. Saratoga is hot right now, and will advance.

Class A: Niskayuna vs. Cornwall (Tonight at 7:30, Colonie High): Cornwall has beaten 2 Section 2 teams already this season (Burnt Hills, Ballston Spa). It's not going to be 3, not with Nisky on a Blues Brothers-style "mission from God".

Class B: Glens Falls vs. Ogdensburg (Saturday at noon, Colonie): Just another road block for the Black Bears to toss aside.

Class C: Schuylerville vs. Saranac (Saturday at noon, Plattsburgh): Don't bet against the Black Horses advancing.

Class D: Greenwich vs. Moriah (Today at 4, Colonie): The wind won't be calling for Moriah today. 

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The only other college result from Thursday saw Union drop a heartbreaker to Middlebury, 73-72. The records of both teams have not been updated at press time.

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The Turkey Trot in Troy, taking place next week, is now being managed by the same folks in charge of the CDPHP Workforce Challenge, which took place back in May.

ARE Event Promotions, under the direction of Josh Merlis, takes over the race this year after the city decided not to renew the contract of previous promoter George Regan. As of yesterday, nearly 5500 people have registered for the race. Mayor Carmella Mantello is expecting as many as 7500 from more than 35 states, but if there were any issues between her & Regan, leading to the latter's departure, it might end up costing her the goal.

You know what they say about fixing something that isn't broken? Someone needs to explain that to the Mayor, and, for all we know, she might suit up to run. After all, she ran in a Mayors Race at Bruno Stadium in 2024........

News & notes

Azera Gates (Albany High) made her Siena debut Wednesday night in the women's Albany Cup. However, Gates went scoreless in 5 minutes of game action. As bad as things have been for the Lady Saints so far this season, coach Terry Primm may have little choice but to put Gates, a multi-sport athlete (basketball, flag football) at Albany, into the starting lineup to put some fresh energy in at the start.

As it was, not a single Siena player cracked double figures, led by Francesca Schiro & Caydence Hadley with 8 points each, as UAlbany reclaimed the women's cut in a 67-42 rout before 1631 fans at Broadview Center. Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) had 4 points in 15 minutes. Bella Stuart (Shen/New Hampshire) had 3 in 13 minutes for the Lady Danes (3-2). Siena falls to 0-5.
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Last month, we told you about LaSalle's Moira Galuski, who was named the youngest Player of Impact by the American Cancer Society.

Earlier this week, the Society recognized Galuski's fundraising work here in the 518, and she was named as the most successful in the recent fundraising drive. Congratulations, Moira.

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Claire Hutton (Bethlehem) has been recalled for the 6th time by the US Women's National Soccer Team for an upcoming series of matches vs. Italy. Claire recently completed her 2nd season with the Kansas City Current in the pros.

News & notes

 A case can be made for Siena University looking too far ahead to Friday's Albany Cup game vs. UAlbany.

On Monday, the Saints fell to Colgate, 72-69, on a last second 3 point shot from midcourt, to drop to 2-2. Francis Folefac led Siena with 16 points. Gavin Doty added 14. Brendan Coyle (Niskayuna) was held to 6 points on a cold shooting night (2-11 from the field, including 1-8 on 3 pointers).

Friday's game can be heard on WTMM & WJMZ beginning at 7 pm.

Meanwhile, the Siena women are still looking for their first win of the year, as they visit Broadview Arena for the women's edition of the Albany Cup tonight (WVCR, 6:30 pm). The game also kicks off a 3 game road trip that also includes stops at Rutgers & Cornell. Monday's game vs. the Scarlet Knights will be streamed on Big 10+.

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UAlbany warmed up for the men's Albany Cup by beating up on another team of tomato cans, this time from Paul Smith's College, 106-57, Tuesday at Broadview Center. The Bobcats emptied their bench, as all 16 players on their roster saw time.

UAlbany placed 5 players in double figures, led by Nas Muhammad with 21 points.

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In other UAlbany news, the school has already decided Jared Ambrose will not be the full-time football coach, as it was reported in the Albany Times-Union that the school is already initiating a national search for the next coach. UAlbany finishes its season Saturday, completing a 2 year freefall after reaching the FCS semi-finals 2 years ago.

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WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, took the time while WWE was in town on Friday to check out the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, housed inside MVP Arena. The museum has been featured on the now defunct A & E series, WWE's Most Wanted Treasures. The fan within the "Cerebral Assassin" was impressed with the museum. Levesque has long wanted to build a physical location for WWE's own Hall of Fame, and one day may finally get that opportunity.

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The rest of Tuesday's college action:

Women's basketball:

RPI 73, Williams College 70.

Russell Sage 67, St. Joseph's (Connecticut) 56.

News & notes

 After getting shut out of winning state titles in men's soccer, Section II was able to collect some gold in women's soccer & field hockey on Sunday. To wit:

Women's soccer:

Stillwater defeated Tuckahoe, 1-0, to claim the Class C title.

Field hockey:

Burnt Hills won the Class B title, defeating Vestal, 1-0.

The pairings have been finalized for football state regionals, with play starting on Friday:

Class AA:

Saratoga hosts Middletown at Colonie, Saturday at 3:30 pm.

Class A:

Niskayuna hosts Cornwall at Colonie, Friday at 7:30 pm.

Class B:

Glens Falls will play Ogdensburg Free Academy at Colonie, Saturday at noon.

Class C:

Schuylerville will play Saranac at Plattsburgh, Saturday at 1 pm.

Class D:

Greenwich hosts Moriah at Colonie, Friday at 4 pm.

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Lost amidst this is the fact that Taconic Hills is representing Section 2 in 8-man regionals. Taconic Hills defeated Tupper Lake, 17-6, on Friday. They'll next play Morrisville-Eaton at SUNY-Morrisville, on Saturday at noon.

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In men's volleyball, Shenendehowa & Burnt Hills go right into pool play, starting on Saturday. Shen will be at Roberts-Wesleyan College, while the Spartans will play at Finger Lakes Community College. Play begins at 9 am at both venues.

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Sunday's college scores:

Men's basketball:

Wheaton 60, RPI 56.

Women's basketball:

Dartmouth 65, Siena 55. The Lady Saints start 0-4 again.

Men's hockey:

Oswego 3, Skidmore 1.

Men's soccer:

MAAC finals:

Siena 2, Sacred Heart 1.

The rest of Saturday's high school & college scoreboard, 11/15

 High schools:

Women's volleyball:

Class AA:

Yorktown 3, Columbia 2.

Class A:

Burnt Hills 3, Homer 0. The Spartans move into pool play vs. Islip, Williamsville South, & Southside, Saturday at 2 at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls.

Class B:

Westhill 3, Ichabod Crane 0.

Men's soccer:

Class AAA:

Fairport 4, Guilderland 0.

Class A:

Rye 4, Glens Falls 0.

Class C:

North Salem 4, Maple Hill 1.

Women's soccer:

Class A:

Rye 6, Schalmont 0.

Class C:

Stillwater 2, Burke Catholic 1. Stillwater plays for the title today vs. Tuckahoe at 12:30 pm.

Class D:

Chazy 1, Fort Ann 0.

Colleges:

Football:

Towson 36, UAlbany 19.

Women's basketball:

Rhode Island 64, UAlbany 52. Colleen Mullen was only able to use 8 players in the game due likely to injuries. Bella Stuart (Shen) had 2 points in 8 minutes.

Men's hockey:

RPI 2, UMass-Lowell 0.

Union 6, New Hampshire 0.

Women's hockey:

RPI 3, Robert Morris 2. The Lady Engineers completed a 2 game sweep.

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The state pairings for men's volleyball will be announced today, and posted tomorrow.

Blame it on the rain? (Saratoga vs. CBA, 11/15/25)

 Christian Brothers Academy was looking to reach rarefied air, driving for 5 Section II titles in a row. Mother Nature, and Saratoga, had other ideas.

10 years ago, Terry Jones led the Blue Streaks to their last sectional title. Bob Burns and Troy High were screwed in the Class A game, losing to Amsterdam by some sketchy officiating in the 2nd half. Now, Burns was finishing his 5th season at CBA, and Eric Hayden, in his 3rd year, was looking to take Saratoga back to the promised land.

However, the game was delayed by an hour due to lightning, which also delayed some state soccer regionals, which meant the teams would have to play in a driving rainstorm that showed no signs of stopping any time soon. 

The game finally started shortly after 8 pm, with Saratoga taking the opening kickoff. However, after both teams had gone 3-&-out, and both shanked punts, Saratoga drew first blood, as quarterback Bobby Morris, with Ben Coryea as his lead blocker, raced 45 yards to the house, his 2nd touchdown in as many weeks on the ground. However, Olivia Mancini missed the the extra point, and it was 6-0.

Back came CBA, but again, they were forced to punt. Not too long after, Coryea rambled for 46 yards for a score. A subsequent 2 point conversion gave the Streaks a 14-0 lead through the 1st quarter.

As the 2nd quarter began, CBA was now without star running back Thomas Tohre, knocked from the game with an undisclosed injury. Junior Madyx Jung took over, and had a coming out party, as he helped the Brothers down the field, culminating in Archie Jones running it in from a yard out. Teddy Gialanella added the extra point, and it was 14-7 Saratoga at the break.

CBA took the 2nd half kickoff, and it looked like they had a tying score, as Jung ran in from 12 yards, but it was negated by a motion penalty. Two plays and a penalty later, Jones fumbled the ball, and Saratoga recovered. However, the 3rd quarter ended without any scoring.

In the 4th quarter, Amare Cofill, pressed into service at running back with Tohre injured, scored a rare--for him, anyway---rushing touchdown, but Gialanella missed the extra point. One last CBA drive ended with a turnover on downs with under 90 seconds left, and the celebration was on. Saratoga ended a 10 year title drought in Class AA, 14-13.

Up next for the Streaks will be at large team Middletown, which lost to Monroe-Woodbury. The game will be right back at Colonie next Saturday at 3:30 pm.

Other scores:

Schuylerville repeated as Class C champ, 42-28, over Fonda-Fultonville.

Glens Falls retained the Class B title, blowing away Averill Park, 47-7. Ouch!

Union College regained the Dutchmen's Shoes from RPI, 28-21.

High School Fridays: Championship weekend begins (Troy vs. Niskayuna, 11/14/25)

 Six weeks ago, Niskayuna came to Picken Field at Troy High, and laid waste to the Flying Horses. 

Tonight brought the rematch in the Class A Super Bowl at Colonie High. Would the result be any different this time? Troy hoped not, as they'd won five in a row since losing on October 3. Job 1, of course, was shutting down Nisky's senior superstar, UAlbany commit Cameron Grasso, whose father, Mike, is the offensive coordinator for Nisky, and had that same role at Troy during the Bob Burns era, helping Troy win two state titles in 2016-7.

Troy won the opening coin toss, deferred, and put their defense on the field to start the game. A good decision, as Nisky went 3-&-out. Troy QB Kyair Carr, however, on his 2nd play from scrimmage, fumbled, and Nisky got the ball right back. However, they couldn't do anything, as Troy stopped them on downs, and the 1st quarter would end in a scoreless tie.

Troy started the 2nd quarter with the ball, but Carr committed his 2nd turnover of the night, as Chase Meisner picked him off, and took the ball back 51 yards to paydirt. Owen Sanderson added the extra point, and Nisky led, 7-0. Troy came right back, and marched down the field, with Nymiere Jenkins taking it in from 12 yards out. However, the extra point was blocked, leaving Troy down 1. 

With under a minute left to halftime, Omare Forrest extended the lead from a yard out. Another Sanderson PAT sent Nisky into the break with a 14-6 lead.

It was back to a war of attrition to start the 2nd half. Late in the 3rd quarter, Tom Boler found Grasso for a 16 yard catch. It was now 21-6 going into the final quarter.

In that 4th quarter, frustration began to set in for Troy, as the penalties piled up. Boler threw his 2nd touchdown pass, this time to Joey DiPiazza, whose namesake father was tried out as a studio analyst with Spectrum News 1 for about 15 minutes a few years ago. The 44 yard strike, it turned out, put the game away, as Troy ran out of time. Niskayuna wins its 3rd Class A title in 4 years, 28-6.

For Troy, which finishes 8-3, it was a moral victory in that they held Nisky under 30 points. For Nisky, the next game is right back at Colonie, next Friday, vs. Cornwall from Section 9, which lost the title to Minsink Valley earlier tonight.

Earlier today, Greenwich claimed the Class D title, shutting out Cambridge-Salem, 35-0. Spectrum's last game broadcast of the season is tomorrow, as Colonie hosts the Class AA title game (CBA vs. Saratoga).

Also, Burnt Hills claimed its 12th straight men's volleyball title, downing CBA in Division 2, 3-1. Shenendehowa needed 5 sets to win the Division 1 title over Shaker.

No less than James Allen believes that Troy could be a favorite to win the A title next year, if Niskyuna moves back to Class AA. What he didn't mention is the prospect of Averill Park, playing for the B title tomorrow, possibly moving back up next year. We'll see in 10 months time.

Thursday's high school & college scoreboard, 11/13

 Siena in still looking for its first win in women's basketball.

Despite the return of Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland), the Lady Saints fell to Army, 67-52. Fontanelle-Posson had just 2 points in 12 minutes in her first game back from injury. Albany's Azera Gates has yet to get into a game this season for the Saints (0-3). Siena returns home to play Dartmouth on Sunday at the UHY Center in Loudonville (WVCR, 2 pm).

In other Siena news, the men's soccer team advanced to the MAAC finals by beating Iona, 2-1, in overtime. The Saints will play Sacred Heart for the title on Sunday.

Only one high school game to report, and the news is not good for Section II.

Galway, the Class C women's volleyball champions, were eliminated by Mount Academy, 3-1, on Thursday night. Mount Academy moves into pool play at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls next Friday.

News & notes

 Wednesday's state regional scoreboard:

Women's volleyball:

Class AAA:

West Genesee 3, Saratoga 1.

Class AA:

Columbia 3, Fayetteville-Manilus 0. Next for the Blue Devils will be Yorktown, Saturday at Gloversville.

Class A: 

Burnt Hills 3, Beekmantown 0. The Lady Spartans will face Homer Saturday at Skaneateles.

Class B: 

Ichabod Crane 3, Saranac Lake 1. The Lady Riders will next play Westhill on Saturday at Skaneateles.

Class D:

Mekeel Christian 3, Tuxedo 0. The Lions enter pool play in Glens Falls, and will be idle until then (November 22).

Men's volleyball sectionals:

Shaker 3, Columbia 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Bethlehem 0.

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In a game broadcast on the YES Network, St. Bonaventure retained the Franciscan Cup in defeating Siena, 75-66. Gavin Doty led the Saints with 25 points, while Brendan Coyle added 14 in a losing effort. Siena returns to MVP Arena Monday at Colgate before the Albany Cup vs. UAlbany November 21.

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We have to close with another obituary in relation to the Albany Patroons.

Fellow blogger and Pats historian Chuck Miller reports that Kevin Mackey, who lasted about 15 minutes as head coach when the team was known as the Capital Region Pontiacs (Worst. Idea. Ever.) in the early 90's, has passed away. Mackey is better known as a college coach (Cleveland State) than his brief tenure in Albany.

Rest in peace.

News & notes

 Due to Veterans Day, Section II didn't post the results of Monday's men's volleyball quarterfinals online, though they should be there now, with the semi-finals in Division 1 set for today, and the finals, along with the Division 2 title match, scheduled for Friday.

Monday's results:

Columbia 3, Colonie 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Guilderland 0.

Shaker 3, Saratoga 0.

Bethlehem 3, Niskayuna 1.

Today @ Rensselaer:

Columbia vs. Shaker, 5 pm.

Bethlehem vs. Shen, 7 pm.

CBA & Burnt Hills will meet to decide the D2 title on Friday.

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The NBA, as well as 518 hoops fans, are mourning the passing of former Albany Patroons player, and later, coach, Micheal Ray Richardson at 70 from prostate cancer complications.

Richardson won his only title as a player with the Pats under the late Bill Musselman in 1988, then would return to coach the team nearly 20 years later after the revival of the Continental Basketball Association.

Richardson's 2nd tour of duty in Albany ended abruptly when he was suspended during the 2007 CBA finals for some ill-advised anti-semitic remarks and a anti-gay slur directed at a fan during game 1 of the series. After the season ended, Richardson was fired, and resurfaced in Oklahoma, where he led the Lawton-Fort Still Cavalry to back-to-back titles in 2008-9.

During his time in the NBA, Richardson played with the Knicks, Nets, and Warriors, and was banned from the Association after testing positive for cocaine in 1986.

Rest in peace.

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The pairings have been announced for women's volleyball state regionals. which got underway last night.

Class AAA: Saratoga opens today vs. West Genesee at Tully High. Game time is 5 pm.

Shenendehowa received an at-large bid, and a 1st round bye, and will open vs. Corning-Painted Post Saturday at Oswego at 4 pm.

Class AA: Columbia will play Fayetteville-Manilus at Tully High tonight at 7:30.

Class A: Burnt Hills travels to Beekmantown tonight at 6:30.

Class B: Ichabod Crane will play Saranac Lake at Beekmantown today at 4:30 pm.

Class C: Galway opens vs. Mount Academy at Mount St. Mary's, tomorrow at 4:30 pm.

Class D: Mekeel Christian will play Tuxedo today at Mount St. Mary's  at 4:30 pm. A win here, and the Lions advance to pool play at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls November 22.

Pool play will also be at HMA November 21 for Classes A-C, while Classes AA-AAA will also have pool play on November 22.

Good luck to all the teams.

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UAlbany's men's basketball team had their home opener Tuesday night at Broadview Center, and, simply put, the Great Danes just went off on SUNY-Delhi. 7 Great Danes finished in double figures, including leading scorer Amir Lindsey with 19, as Albany rolled, 115-52. UAlbany hits the road on Friday at Rhode Island before returning home to play Paul Smith's College next Tuesday.

News & notes

 After just 1 season in The Basketball League, the NY Phoenix have jumped, along with the Frederick Flying Cows & Reading Rebels, to the newly revived United States Basketball League (USBL). Seven other TBL teams have jumped as well to the USBL, which has signed former Continental Basketball Association commissioner Dennis Truax to the same position.

Phoenix co-owner Sam Clifford, per the Albany Times-Union, says the USBL is offering better overall competition. We'll see.

Meanwhile, the Albany Patroons face a difficult future, as while the TBL is looking to expand again, the team has lost one of last season's top draws in the Route 5 rivalry with the Phoenix.

TBL president and former Patroon David Magley, for his part, says that Clifford never contacted him about leaving the USBL. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Stay tuned.

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The Times-Union has announced their Section II all-stars for 2025. To the surprise of no one, Ichabod Crane's Tanner LaTorre was named player of the year. Troy High senior Joey Degnan joins LaTorre, Ceko Cupp (Saratoga), Bryce Gaydushek (Averill Park, & Kai Chiarenza (Shenendehowa) on the 1st team.

Siimilarly, South Glens Falls phenom Hayden Knapp was named the women's player of the year.

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Monday's college scoreboard:

Men's basketball:

RPI 72, Delhi 55.

Women's basketball:

UAlbany 65, Dartmouth 41. Amaya Stewart, named America East Rookie of the Week earlier in the day, led Albany (2-1) with 21 points. Bella Stuart (Shen) added 2. The Lady Danes are idle until Saturday, when they visit Rhode Island.

Section II Super Bowl preview

 The road to Syracuse officially kicks off Friday afternoon, as 10 teams will vie for Section II titles in football. By the end of business Saturday night, we'll know who will continue their quest for state titles.

Class AA:

Saratoga vs. CBA, Saturday at 7 pm (Spectrum News 1) at Colonie High.

Bob Burns' Brothers shrugged off two non-league losses in September, and have run off 8 in a row since. The Blue Streaks were one of those 8 victims, but, as they've shown vs. Shenendehowa, they're not to be trifled with this time around. Ben Coryea cracked the 2,000 yard mark on Friday, but can he run wild against the Brothers the 2nd time around? I don't think so.

Pick: CBA.

Class A:

Troy vs. Niskayuna, Friday at 7:30 pm (Spectrum News 1) at Colonie High.

On October 3, Nisky blew out the Flying Horses at Picken Field, en route to finishing the regular season on an 8 game winning streak. Troy has run off 5 in a row from that point, and it might not be so easy to ground the Horses the 2nd time around. Troy just has to do a better job of containing UAlbany-bound Cam Grasso, Chase Meisner, & company. It won't be a blowout this time. As much as I'm a Troy alumnus, I'm also a realist.

Pick: Niskayuna.

Class B:

Averill Park vs. Glens Falls, Saturday at 3:30 pm at Shenendehowa.

The Golden Knights avenged a September loss to Ravena, but getting one back from the defending champion Black Bears? Not happening, although Zach Gobel's club was written off before beating Burnt Hills for the A title last year. Gobel would need a superlative effort from his defense to stop Glens Falls, and it ain't happening.

Pick: Glens Falls.

Class C:

Fonda-Fultonville vs. Schuylerville, Saturday at noon at Shenendehowa.

It's a question of who's hungrier, and who wants it more? The Black Horses are the defending champions, and Fonda has to hope Schuylerville is still defensively asleep with the early starting time. Naaaaaah.

Pick: Schuylerville.

Class D:

Cambridge-Salem vs. Greenwich, Friday at 4 at Colonie.

The first half of the Friday doubleheader is a twilight game that, were it not for budget issues at Spectrum, they could be on TV, too. Two Washington county rivals hooking it up yet again. This will be a fun opener.

Pick: Greenwich.

Of course, I could be wrong.

News & notes

 Come Saturday, seven Section II teams in soccer & field hockey will be vying for state titles.

By virtue of a 2-1 win over Horace Greeley on Sunday, Burnt Hills advances to the Class B semi-finals in field hockey, where they'll play Garden City at Arlington High on Saturday at 12 noon.

As for soccer....

Men:

Class AAA:

Guilderland will play Fairport at Middletown at 3:45 pm.

Class A:

Glens Falls plays Rye at 5:45, also at Middletown.

Class C:

Maple Hill meets North Salem at Middletown at 11 am.

Women:

Class A:

Schalmont will play Rye at Cortland at 5 pm.

Class C:

Stillwater meets Burke Catholic at Homer High at 5.

Class D:

Fort Ann vs. Chazy, at Homer at noon.

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

Saratoga High, and all of Section II, is mourning the passing of former track coach Art Kranick over the weekend after a lengthy illness, more than six months after he & his wife, Linda, resigned their posts with the Blue Streaks following the revelation of some very irregular disciplinary practices in training.

Condolences to the Kranick family. Art Kranick was 74.

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

The transphobia of the Trump administration has hit RPI.

RIT transfer Sadie Schreiner is suing RPI for discrimination after the school refused to allow her to run at a meet back in April, perhaps in fear of reprisals from the Trump administration, which has banned transgender athletes such as Schreiner from competing, falsely claiming that trans athletes have an unfair advantage, which has been proven to be untrue. Seems RPI is afraid of losing federal funding, as other schools are in the same position. all because of the bigots pointing the president in different directions to cause friction.

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

Chris Envy's Dynasty Pro Wrestling returns to downtown Troy next month for the first time in 10 years. 

The event, billed as Unwrapped, is a holiday treat taking place at the Agoge, a 3rd floor venue on 3rd street, above the Waiting Room. The event takes place on December 6, the night before the Victorian Stroll, with a show time of 6 pm. Tickets start at $22 and change. There is an elevator in the building for those who may be unable to negotiate the stairs.

Saturday's high school & college scoreboard, 11/8

 High schools:

Men's cross country sectional champions:

Class A: Saratoga.

Class B: Burnt Hills.

Class C: Fonda-Fultonville.

Class D: Maple Hill.

Women's cross country sectional champions:

Class A: Shenendehowa.

Class B: Burnt Hills.

Class C: Voorheesville.

Class D: Maple Hill.

Football:

Class D semi-final:

Cambridge-Salem 36, Stillwater-Saratoga Catholic 26.

Women's swimming:

Saratoga won the Division 1 title. Troy/Averill Park finished 7th.

Ballston Spa won the Division 2 title. LaSalle placed 9th.

Men's soccer state regionals:

Class AA: 

Harrison 3, Columbia 0.

Class A:

Glens Falls 4, Franklin Academy 0.

Class C: 

Maple Hill 1, Rhinebeck 0 (OT).

Class D:

Chazy 2, Northville 0.

Women's soccer state regionals:

Class A:

Schalmont 1, Jamesville-DeWitt 0.

Class B:

Marcellus 7, Mechanicville 3.

Class C:

Stillwater 5, Ticonderoga 0.

Class D:

Fort Ann 2, Eldred 0.

Women's volleyball sectional finals:

Class AAA:

Shenendehowa 3, Saratoga 0.

Class A:

Burnt Hills 3, Mohonasen 0.

Class B:

Ichabod Crane 3, Schalmont 1.

Class C: 

Galway 3, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

Colleges:

Football:

Bryant 27, UAlbany 24.

Ithaca 24, RPI 23.

Union 14, Rochester 10.

Women's hockey:

Union 7, RPI 4.

Men's basketball:

Plattsburgh 80, Skidmore 73.

Union 81, Oswego 75.

UMass 83, UAlbany 62.

Women's basketball:

UMass 84, Siena 73.

Plattsburgh State 60, RPI 56.

Russell Sage 61, Bard 44.

Women's volleyball:

Iona 3, Siena 0.

Union 3, Buffalo State 0.

Union 3, Rochester 1.

Friday's college & high school scoreboard, 11/7

 High schools:

Women's volleyball finals:

Class AA:

Columbia 3, Bethlehem 0.

Class D: 

Mekeel Christian 3, Saratoga Catholic 0.

The rest of the championships will be decided today at Saratoga.

Women's soccer state regionals:

Class B:

Mechanicville 2, Saranac 0.

Colleges:

Men's basketball:

Siena 62, Brown 46.

Women's basketball:

Syracuse 64, UAlbany 45.

Men's hockey:

Clarkson 5, Union 1.

St. Lawrence 4, RPI 3.

Women's hockey:

RPI 2, Union 1 (OT). The Lady Engineers snap a 5 game losing streak with the win. The teams will meet today at M & T Bank Mohawk Harbor Arena at 3 pm.

High School Fridays: Reversal of fortune (Saratoga @ Shenendehowa, 11/7/25)

 Two weeks ago, Shenendehowa needed a 2nd half comeback to secure home field for their playoff game. Tonight, Saratoga returned to try to correct the mistakes that led to that comeback.

Shen won the coin toss, and deferred, just like last time. This time, it took two offensive plays for the Blue Streaks to take an early lead, riding the legs of senior running back Ben Coryea, who galloped 52 yards to the house, just 35 seconds into the game. Olivia Mancini's PAT, however, fell short, and Saratoga had a 6-0 lead.

Shenendehowa came right back. The Blue Streaks' defense keyed on running back Joey Cardinale, and had him bottled up, so quarterback Jack Clawson took matters into his own hands, and broke off a 49 yard run. With the extra point, Shen took a 7-6 lead.

Unfortunately, it didn't last.

On Saratoga's next possession, Coryea put the visitors back on top, this time for good, from 28 yards out. The 2 point conversion failed, and the Streaks led, 12-7, after the 1st quarter.

In the 2nd quarter, Saratoga quarterback Bobby Morris decided that, anything Clawson can do, he can, too, so he ran it in from 32 yards. Mancini added the extra point, and Saratoga took a 19-7 lead into halftime.

In the 2nd half two weeks ago, Shen used the running game, mostly Cardinale and Carter Toth, to take control of the game. Not so this time, as Clawson went to the air. However, nearly halfway through the 3rd quarter, Morris hit Coryea for a 15 yard touchdown pass, Coryea's 3rd touchdown of the game. Another Mancini extra point made it 26-7, as we went to the 4th quarter.

Things, however, were getting chippy. Back-to-back defensive major penalties prompted Saratoga coach Eric Hayden to call a time out to calm his squad down. Problem was, there were defensive lapses, as Clawson kept finding Jakub Tomaszewski open for big gains. In the 4th quarter, Clawson scored his 2nd touchdown of the game, to go with an interception on defense, this time going 50 yards, and Shen creeped closer, at 26-14. Another Saratoga turnover led to Toth toting the rock for 2 yards to paydirt with 3 minutes left, and, suddenly, it was 26-21.

However, Shen couldn't connect on an onside kick on two tries, and the last one sealed their fate, as Morris, Coryea, & the Blue Streaks ran out the clock. Saratoga reaches the Super Bowl for the first time in 7 years, and will face CBA, whose drive for five continues after throttling Colonie, 38-6.

Other scores:

Class A:

Niskayuna 35, Ballston Spa 0.

Troy 39, Queensbury 16. Troy has now won 5 in a row, and will seek revenge on Niskayuna in the Super Bowl next Friday night at Colonie.

Class B:

Glens Falls 27, Schalmont 6.

Averill Park 20, Ravena 14. The Golden Knights avenged a September loss to the Ravens, and now have a chance to do the same to the Black Bears. Good luck with that.

Class C:

Fonda-Fultonville 51, Granville-Whitehall 0.

Schuylerville 42, Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 28.

Class D:

Greenwich 41, Canajoharie-Fort Plain 0.

Also:

Johnstown 27, Gloversville 16.

Women's volleyball finals:

Class AA:

Columbia def. Bethlehem.

Section II men's volleyball sectionals released

 It is the last of the fall sports to have sectional pairings announced. For some strange reason, Section II waited 10 days after the women's volleyball tournament was announced to release the pairings for the men's tournament, which is structured differently in that it's two divisions, not 6 classes, as is the case for the women.

That is easily explained away with the fact that there are fewer schools that have men's volleyball.

The pairings:

Division 1:

Monday:

Guilderland @ Shenendehowa.

Niskayuna @ Bethlehem.

Colonie @ Columbia.

Saratoga @ Shaker.

Semi-finals & finals will be at Rensselaer High on November 12 & 14, respectively.

Division 2:

Only two teams in Division 2, as two more Suburban Council schools will meet, with Burnt Hills taking on CBA at Rensselaer on November 14.

If any of this sounds remotely familiar, it's because Section II has used the division format for flag football in the spring the last two seasons.

Good luck to all 10 teams.

News & notes

 The sad story of former football player and Albany Empire owner Antonio Brown reached another chapter with his arrest in Dubai in connection with a shooting at a boxing event earlier this year. Brown is being extradited back to Florida to face charges and a likely trial.

Before that trial begins, however, someone needs to give Brown a physical and psychological exam. What we could learn would explain his behavior the last few years.

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

It hasn't been advertised as much as it usually is, but WWE brings Friday Night Smackdown to MVP Arena one week from tonight. The live broadcast on USA Network begins at 8 pm. Given all the complaints online about rising ticket prices due to Endeavor/TKO Holdings' corporate greed, it would've been good public relations to have local radio stations do ticket giveaways, but, this time, this flew under the radar.

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

Troy High's Louis McColley was named a 1st team all-star on the Colonial Council's cross country men's team. If that doesn't tell you how far Troy has come in 2 years in the league, what does? Congratulations to Louis.

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

Thursday's state regional scoreboard:

Field hockey:

Class A:

Rome Free Academy 1, Bethlehem 0.

Class B:

Burnt Hills 3, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 0.

Class C:

Little Falls 2, Greenwich 1.

Burnt Hills will play Horace Greeley Sunday at 1 at Glens Falls.

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

Scotia is representing Section II this morning in women's tennis as the Tartans face Edgemont at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. The event should be getting underway as we write.

Wednesday's high school scoreboard, 11/5

 Football:

Green Tech 20, Mohonasen 17.

Broadalbin-Perth 41, Rensselaer/Loudonville Christian 20 (Tuesday).

Women's soccer state playoffs:

Class A sub-regional:

Schalmont 2, Peru 0. The Sabres will next play Jamesville-DeWitt at Nottingham High Saturday at noon.

Men's soccer state playoffs:

Columbia 3, Fayetteville-Manilus 1. Next up for the Blue Devils will be Harrison at Waterford on Saturday, time to be announced.

Women's volleyball:

Class AAA semi-finals:

Shenendehowa def. Guilderland.

Saratoga def. Shaker.

Class AA semi-finals:

Columbia def. Queensbury.

Bethlehem 3, South Glens Falls 1.

Class A semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 3, Academy of Holy Names 0.

Mohonasen def. Glens Falls.

Class B semi-finals:

Ichabod Crane 3, Broadalbin-Perth 1.

Schalmont 3, LaSalle 2. The 6th seeded Sabres scored their 2nd straight upset.

Class C semi-finals:

Galway 3, Maple Hill 0.

Fonda-Fultonville 3, Stillwater 2.

Class D semi-finals:

Mekeel Christian def. Duanesburg.

Saratoga Catholic def. Fort Edward.

News & notes

 Queensbury graduate Brigid Duffy, a senior at Army, has been named the Patriot League's Player of the Year in women's soccer. She was also named to the All-Patriot League 1st team. For the season, Duffy has 14 goals, and 15 assists, for 29 points. The Black Knights are in the league tournament, and will face Colgate on Thursday.

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

Flying under the radar as usual, Hudson Valley Community College's women's volleyball team has been seeded 7th in the National Junior College Athletic Association's national tournament. The Vikings are undefeated at 25-0, but, as usual, the strength of schedule factor works against them. HVCC will be playing 10th seeded Dallas-Brookhaven at home on Friday. Coach Therese DeCan came over from Cambridge to take over the program in 2022.

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

Tuesday's sectional scoreboard:

Women's soccer:

Class C final @ Lansingburgh:

Stillwater 1, Lake George 0 (OT).

Class D final @ Lansingburgh:

Fort Ann def. Northville via penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw through overtime.

State playoff scores:

Tennis:

Division 1 quarterfinal:

Horace Greeley 6, Saratoga 1.

Division 2 quarterfinal:

Scotia 5, Chenango Forks 0 (Monday).

Men's soccer:

Class B sub-regional:

Northeastern Clinton 1, Greenville 0.

Class D champion Northville has earned a bye, and will play Chazy on Saturday at noon at Plattsburgh.

Women's soccer:

Class AA sub-regional:

West Genesee 1, Niskayuna 0.

Class AAA sub-regional:

Cicero-North Syracuse 5, Saratoga 3.

Class C champion Stillwater has earned a bye, and will play Ticonderoga at a site to be determined on Saturday.

Class D champion Fort Ann will play Eldred at Stillwater on Saturday at 11 am.

Field hockey:

All 3 Section II champions will be in action today at Camden High:

Class A: Bethlehem vs. Rome Free Academy, 4:30 pm.

Class B: Burnt Hills vs. Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, 5 pm.

Class C: Greenwich vs. Little Falls, 6:30 pm.

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

Tuesday's college scoreboard:

Field hockey:

America East semi-final:

New Hampshire 6, UAlbany 4.

Men's soccer:

Liberty League, 1st round:

Union def. Clarkson via penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw through overtime.

Women's soccer:

Liberty League, 1st round:

RIT 1, Union 0.

Ithaca 3, Skidmore 0.

Women's basketball:

Colgate 53, Siena 43. Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) & Azera Gates (Albany) were inactive, and held out of this game.

UAlbany 74, Marist 46. Delanie Hill led the Lady Danes with 20 points. Bella Stuart (Shenendehowa) was held scoreless in her UAlbany debut in 12 minutes.

Monday's high school & college scoreboard, 11/3

 High schools:

Men's soccer:

Class D final:

Northville 7, Middleburgh 0.

Field hockey:

Sunday:

Class A final:

Bethlehem 1, Guilderland 0. The Eagles travel to Camden to play Rome Free Academy today at 4:30 pm.

Class B final:

Burnt Hills 7, Queensbury 0. The Spartans will also be at Camden today, as they'll play Vernon-Verona-Sherrill at 5 pm.

Class C final:

Greenwich 1, Hoosick Falls 0. The Witches head to Camden tomorrow to play Little Falls at 6:30 pm.

Colleges:

Men's basketball:

Siena 82, Bryant 66. Brendan Coyle (Niskayuna-Cushing Academy) finished with 13 points, one of 4 Saints in double figures. Albany Academy alums Riley Mulvey & Marcus Jackson were held scoreless in limited minutes. Siena hits the road starting Friday at Brown.

Marquette 80, UAlbany 53. Amir Lindsey led the Great Danes in a losing cause with 20 points. Albany travels to UMass-Amherst on Saturday.

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

Previewing Wednesday's volleyball semi-finals:

Class AAA @ South Glens Falls:

Guilderland vs. Shenendehowa. The final four of the Suburban Council-exclusive tournament begins here. Shen is the top seed for a reason.

Shaker vs Saratoga. Here's another oddity. The Lady Bison have 1 more win than the Blue Streaks, and have played 3 more matches. Section II's archaic system strikes again, as Shaker is seeded 6th, and shut out 3rd seeded Albany in the 1st round. To their credit, they're using that disrespect as fuel.

Picks: Shen & Shaker will meet in Saratoga on Saturday, as the Streaks will not play as a host team.

Class AA @ Stillwater:

South Glens Falls vs. Bethlehem. To get here, the Bulldogs took advantage of Section II's poor rankings, and upset Troy. That's as far as they're going to go.

Queensbury vs. Columbia. I smell an upset here, as the Spartans have gotten hot at the right time.

Picks: It'll be Bethlehem vs. Queensbury, as it should be, on Friday at Saratoga.

Class A @ Broadalbin-Perth:

Academy of Holy Names vs. Burnt Hills. The defending champs have lost two matches in a row to close the regular season. For the Panthers, that's worse news. They've been designated as tomato cans.

Glens Falls vs. Mohonasen. This could go either way, as Mohon (and Holy Names) are carrying the flag for the Colonial Council, which was screwed over by Section II in Class AA.

Picks: Death, taxes, & Burnt Hills in position to win another title. The Spartans will see the Black Bears on Saturday.

Class B @ Averill Park:

Broadalbin-Perth vs. Ichabod Crane. The Patriots are the outliers hoping to prevent the Colonial Council from claiming the B title. I don't see it happening.

Schalmont vs. LaSalle. LaSalle can count themselves thankful they avoided the Section II death penalty, and would be in an even better spot if they hadn't gotten run over by a certain runaway train from across town.

Picks: LaSalle vs. Ichabod Crane, one more time. on Saturday.

Class C @ Ballston Spa:

Maple Hill vs. Galway: Once upon a time, the Saratoga County village of Galway was a throwaway gag in a radio DJ's parody rap. Not so anymore. Maple Hill won the Patroon Conference title, and are coming off seeing their men's soccer team capture a sectional title. This bracket is loaded.

Fonda-Fultonville vs. Stillwater. These two are also seemingly evenly matched. Stillwater won the Wasaren title, while Fonda claimed the Western Athletic Conference title.

Picks: Maple Hill vs. Stillwater on Saturday.

Class D @ Hudson Falls:

Duanesburg vs. Mekeel Christian. I honestly would love to see these lower classes and conferences get more love from the press, because these teams have flown beneath the radar all season.

Saratoga Catholic vs. Fort Edward. Here we are again, another undefeated team denied a #1 seed. This time, it's the Flying Forts. Strength of schedule does not apply at all.

Picks: Fort Edward vs. Mekeel Christian in the finals on Friday.

Of course, I could be wrong.

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

Checking state regional schedules for men's & women's soccer:

Men:

Class AAA: Guilderland gets a 1st round bye, and their first game will be Saturday at Waverly High vs. Elmira. Start time is set for 6:30 pm.

Class AA: Columbia opens vs. Fayetteville-Manilus @ Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High on Wednesday at 5:30.

Class A: Glens Falls heads to Plattsburgh tonight to play Beekmantown. Game time is 7 pm.

Class B: Greenville will play Northeastern Clinton today at 5 at Plattsburgh High.

Class C: Maple Hill draws a bye, and their first game will be against an opponent to be determined on Saturday at Marlboro High.

Class D: Northville will play an opponent at a date & time 

Women:

Class AAA: Saratoga opens vs. Cicero-North Syracuse tonight at Chittenango High at 5:30 pm.

Class AA: Niskayuna will play the nightcap at Chittenango vs. West Genesee tonight at 7:30.

Class A: Schalmont travels to Beekmantown vs. play Peru tomorrow at 5.

Class B: Mechanicville will be at Beekmantown to play a nightcap vs. Saranac at 7 pm Wednesday.

Classes C &D will be determined pending the outcome of today's Section II finals at Lansingburgh.

Sectional playoff preview for 11/7

 It's semi-final week in Section II football. 10 games between Friday & Saturday, as the road to Syracuse kicks into gear.

Here we go:

Class AA:

Colonie @ CBA. Three days ago, these two teams met at Colonie, with the Brothers coming away with a 12-0 victory. The venue may change, but the result won't, and this is despite the fact that the Wolfpack have a chance to not only host the title game 8 days later, but play in it.

Pick: CBA.

Saratoga @ Shenendehowa. A rematch from October 24. Shen wants another crack at CBA, and so does Saratoga. Job 1 for the Blue Streaks, however, is avenging the more recent loss. Easier said than done.

Pick: Shen.

Class A:

Troy @ Queensbury. Being a Troy alumnus, there is a part of me that wants to see Kyair Carr and the Flying Horses beat another team of Spartans. Problem is, the winner gets fed to Niskayuna, which doesn't look like they'll stop running up the score any time soon, and Queensbury hasn't played them yet.

Pick: Queensbury.

Ballston Spa @ Niskayuna. This game might as well be sponsored by Purina and a certain brand of facial tissues. Unless Cam Grasso gets injured, the Scotties have little to no chance.

Pick: Niskayuna.

Class B:

Averill Park @ Ravena. James Allen picked the Golden Knights to win the regular season title. Nope. Instead, Averill Park is ranked 3rd, and has to go on the road. A win means a rematch vs. Glens Falls at Shenendehowa on November 15. The Ravens won the last meeting, but no one gave Averill Park a puncher's chance last year in Class A. Something tells me the same thing is happening here.

Pick: Averill Park.

Class C:

Granville-Whitehall @ Fonda-Fultonville. Granville-Whitehall dismissed Johnstown on Saturday to get to this spot. Fonda is on one of those "mission from God" runs, like Nisky. Enough said.

Pick: Fonda-Fultonville.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac @ Schuylerville. I wouldn't bet against the Black Horses here.

Pick: Schuylerville.

Class D:

Friday:

Canajoharie-Fort Plain @ Greenwich. It's going to be a week after Halloween by kickoff, but it won't matter to the Witches. 

Pick: Greenwich:

Saturday:

Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater @ Cambridge-Salem. After winning the title 2 years ago, Stillwater has run into some roster issues, forcing a merger with Saratoga Catholic. Cambridge-Salem is used to the merger thing. This, though, is the time of year where Stillwater thrives.

Pick: Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater.

Of course, I could be wrong.

News & notes

 As the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees three-peated 25 years ago, downing Toronto, 5-4, in 11 innings, some of the blame for Toronto's demise, sadly, falls at the feet of Shaker grad Jeff Hoffman.

Brought in to pitch the top of the 9th inning, with Toronto up, 4-3, Hoffman blew the save when he gave up a home run to reserve infielder Miguel Rojas to tie the game. Two innings later, Will Smith took Shane Bieber out of the yard to put LA on top. Yoshinobu Yamamoto picked up his 3rd win of the series, and also won Series MVP honors, going 2 2/3 innings in relief to secure the title.

Now, the onus is on the other teams to try to dethrone the Dodgers next year.

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

Checking in on the 518's college teams.

RPI:

Engineer football moved a step closer to a possible Liberty League showdown with Union in 2 weeks by blowing out St. Lawrence, 48-0. Anthony DeMatteo threw two touchdown passes, one to Gage Swanger, who also took a punt return to the house from 78 yards out, to lead RPI.

Union, however, evened their hockey season series with RPI by shutting out the Engineers, 3-0, at Houston Field House in a twilight game. The regular season in men's soccer ended for RPI with a 6-2 loss to Hobart. Back in Troy, the RPI women's soccer team played to a scoreless overtime tie with William Smith's College to close their regular season.

Union:

The Garnet Chargers defeated winless Hilbert, 34-13, to go to 6-2 in football with 2 games left. Their clash with RPI will be their Senior Day on November 15. Union men's soccer goes into the Liberty League playoffs with momentum after beating St. Lawrence, 1-0. At home, the Union women defeated the Lady Saints, 2-0.

UAlbany:

Football's season of misery continued with a 37-7 loss to William & Mary. The Great Danes gave up three safeties in the course of the game, which nearly tied a record. The end of the season can't come soon enough for Jared Ambrose.

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

Section II decided some soccer titles on Saturday.

Men:

Class AA:

Columbia 1, Bethlehem 0.

Class A:

Glens Falls 4, Cohoes 3.

Class B: 

Greenville 4, Mechanicville 0.

Class C:

Maple Hill 1, Berne-Knox-Westerlo-Duanesburg 0.

Women:

Class AAA:

Saratoga 1, Shenendehowa 0 (2 OT).

Class AA:

Niskayuna 2, Columbia 1.

Class A:

Schalmont 1, Broadalbin-Perth 0.

Class B:

Mechanicville 3, Schuylerville 2.

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

We will have the pairings for football classes AA, B, & D tomorrow. The brackets have not been filled as of press time.