News & notes

Troy High's women's volleyball team lost their season finale, 3-0, to Bethlehem on Monday night. Tomorrow, they'll have a sectional match on the road at South Glens Falls, with a 5 pm start. Also on Friday, the women's swimming & diving team will face a still-unnamed opponent or opponents at Emma Willard.

However, most of Troy High Nation's attention will be on Picken Field, as the football team will seek to advance to the Class A Super Bowl against Ballston Spa. The Scotties are seeking revenge for a defeat at the hands of Bob Burns' Flying Horses, also at Picken Field, two years ago, when the two schools were in Class AA, and Ballston Spa ended up as roadkill en route to the state title. The winner of this game will face the winner of Queensbury's rematch vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, taking place Saturday, in the Super Bowl, set for no later than November 9 at Shenendehowa.
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Saratoga Race Course is planning on a 5 day a week schedule for 2020. Apparently, the extra day off didn't hurt them as much in the bottom line as you'd think. Now, if only the weather would cooperate....
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Former LaSalle multi-sport star Joe Germinerio, Jr. is coming home, and bringing his Ithaca teammates with him.

Ithaca has games the next two weekends vs. Union (brother John likely will see some action) and RPI, the latter of which likely will air on RPI TV (available on YouTube as well as on RPI's website). Germinerio transferred, you'll recall, from Brockport to Ithaca after last season, and you can bet that the game at RPI will have more fans in attendance than normal, likely LaSalle alumni and family friends. Stay tuned.

An Empire's sudden fall?

More than two months after winning ArenaBowl, the Albany Empire, and the rest of the Arena Football League, for that matter, have been shut down due to a lawsuit stemming from some earlier issues that predate the Empire's existence.

Following is an official statement from the league:
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20 years ago, the Albany Firebirds moved out of town after winning ArenaBowl. This time, it's not the same, as explained above, but for local fans, it does feel like deja vu. A very bad deja vu.

A broken chain of tiebreakers

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

The late wrestler-actor's boastful quote goes back some 35 years, but it certainly applies to Section II football.

We told you how there was a four way tie for 3rd overall in Class AA after Friday's action. Instead of a traditional head-to-head tiebreaker, Section II suits opted to use the quarter points system to decide the 3rd & 4th place finishers in the league.



On Friday, CBA beat Guilderland, and leapfrogged past the Dutchmen and Bethlehem to claim third place and a date with Shenendehowa, while Guilderland will have a rematch with top seeded Shaker. That means CBA won't have its usual Battle For The Sabre with LaSalle after all. I'm pretty sure Bethlehem supporters feel the Eagles were screwed because they beat CBA earlier this season.

Common sense tells us the chain of head-to-head tiebreakers would have Guilderland playing Shen, and Bethlehem at Shaker. CBA had to have racked up enough quarter points to move up in beating the Dutchmen. But, as outlined on Saturday, Guilderland played their entire schedule inside the league, with no non-league opponents, contrary to the rest of the league.

None of that matters to the Section II football committee. By the end of business on Friday, it won't matter anyway, unless CBA upsets Shen, which would further upset the applecart. Bear in mind, though, that many of the players also play basketball, which should make for some interesting storylines in the Suburban Council come December.

News & notes

It's not a misprint this time.

Last year, an editing error on the Albany Times-Union website led folks to think Lansingburgh had won a game over Colonial Council newcomer Mohonasen, a Class A school, but the result was posted backward. Mohon won that game, and 'Burgh ended the season 0-8.

Not this time.

Lansingburgh ended the season on a winning note Friday, blowing out another Colonial Council foe, Ichabod Crane, 48-6, to go 1-7 on the season. Maybe there is hope on the north side still.
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Following are the updated Class AA standings after play last night:

Conference: Class AA

	Conference					Overall
Team	W	L	T	PCT		W	L	T	PCT
Shaker	7	0	0	1.000		8	0	0	1.000
Shenendehowa	6	1	0	0.857		7	1	0	0.875
Guilderland	5	3	0	0.625		5	3	0	0.625
Bethlehem	4	3	0	0.571		5	3	0	0.625
CBA	4	3	0	0.571		5	3	0	0.625
Schenectady	4	3	0	0.571		5	3	0	0.625
Colonie	1	6	0	0.143		1	7	0	0.125
Saratoga Springs	1	6	0	0.143		1	7	0	0.125
Niskayuna	0	7	0	0.000		0	7	0	0.000

Niskayuna closes their season today at Albany, so one of those teams will salvage their season.

The story, though, is the knot among Guilderland, Bethlehem, CBA, & Schenectady. All four teams have the same identical overall records. The difference that enables Guilderland to claim the #3 seed and a rematch with Shenendehowa is that they, unlike their brethren in the conference, didn't play a non-league game. As it is, they own the tie-breaker over Bethlehem. Likewise, Bethlehem gets the nod over CBA, and will get a rematch with Shaker next Friday.

This four way knot for 3rd overall results from Guilderland losing their finale to CBA, and Schenectady beating Bethlehem, 36-29. 

Figuring who goes to the Class AA Super Bowl in 2 weeks isn't that hard. Everyone assumes Shaker & Shen, who met earlier this season, will have their rematch, and if the rumors are true, it'll be on a field where neither has had any success lately, that being Picken Field at Troy High. 

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Speaking of Troy, former stars Dev Holmes & Joe Casale were in the house for Troy's 48-13 pasting of Scotia last night. UAlbany has the week off, but no one is sure of what Holmes' next move is after leaving the Great Danes earlier this season.

High School Fridays: Tonight's menu includes Tartan sauce (Scotia @ Troy, 10/25/19)

Last year, Troy High nearly let a first round playoff game slip through their fingers against Scotia,  but the defense came to the rescue to preserve a 14-7 win.

After blowing out Albany last week, the message was clear. That was then, this is now, and Troy wasn't taking any prisoners in the rematch.

The Tartans won the toss, and elected to receive. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Jason Carusone felt like he was on a carousel, as he fumbled, and Troy was in business. Just two plays later, Xavier Leigh raced 22 yards into the end zone. However, Jonah Griswold's extra point failed, and Troy led, 6-0, just 65 seconds into the game.

Roughly four minutes later, Leigh struck again, this time from 3 yards out. The two point conversion failed, leaving the score at 12-0 after the first quarter. Two minutes and change into the second quarter, and Leigh had the hat trick, again from 3 yards out. Again, the two point conversion failed, making it 18-0.

Scotia finally had a sustained drive on the ensuing possession, ending with David Fresoni hitting Cole Holstein with a 10 yard touchdown pass. Troy coach Bob Burns had to have had a cow over the defensive lapses on the drive. Shaun Lawrence added the extra point to trim the lead to 18-7.

Unfortunately for the Tartans, there was no time to savor the moment. Leigh saw to that on the very next play from scrimmage, going 67 yards for his fourth touchdown. Alex Wolfe finally converted a 2 point conversion with a pass to Makai Cruel.

Just over three minutes later, after Cruel picked off Fresoni, Wolfe took it in himself, and added a 2 point conversion on another keeper, giving Troy a 34-7 lead at halftime.

The third quarter began the same way the first half did, with a lightning fast Troy score. Wolfe connected with Nasir Soto for 61 yards to put the game away. Griswold added the extra point to make it 41-7.

Not long after, it began raining. Not a heavy downpour, but something light, just above drizzle. Jack Armstrong took over at quarterback for Scotia and led a touchdown drive to make it 41-13 after a failed extra point. Avvon Smith put a bow on it with a 15 yard run to make the final score 48-13.

Up next for Troy will be Ballston Spa, which eliminated Amsterdam, 35-12. Burnt Hills sent Averill Park packing, 17-7. The Warriors end the season having lost three of their last four to finish at 5-3 overall. The final semifinal berth will be decided tomorrow when LaSalle plays at Queensbury.
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Troy's soccer season is over, as the women were shut out by Queensbury, 4-0, earlier today. Justin Haviland's club finishes 3-14 overall (2-11 in the Suburban Council).

Section 2 soccer sectionals update

Courtesy of Capital Region Soccer, we are up to date on the Section 2 boys' soccer tournaments in all five classes.
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Class AA (all games set for Saturday=highest remaining seeds are the home teams):

Saratoga @ CBA, 2 pm.
Schenectady @ Bethlehem, 1 pm.
Ballston Spa @ Shenendehowa, 7 pm.
Shaker @ Albany, 6:30 pm.

Winners advance to the semi-finals at LaSalle on Halloween, with the finals at Colonie on November 4.
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Class A (all games are today):

Hudson Falls @ Queensbury, 3 pm.
Mohonasen @ Albany Academy, 5 pm.
Averill Park @ Burnt Hills, 3 pm.
South Glens Falls @ Scotia-Glenville, 6 pm.

Semi-finals will be Tuesday at LaSalle, with the title game at Colonie on November 2.
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Class B (all games are on Saturday at 3 pm):

Greenwich @ Ichabod Crane.
Tamarac @ Cobleskill-Richmondville.
Schuylerville @ Greenville.
Mechanicville @ Hudson.

Winners advance to the semi-finals at Mohonasen on Wednesday, with the finals at Colonie on November 2.
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Class C (all games on Saturday at 3 pm.):

Schoharie @ Voorheesville.
Waterford @ Galway.
Stillwater @ Maple Hill.
Lake George @ Mayfield.

Winners advance to the semi-finals at Gloversville on Wednesday, with the finals at Colonie on November 2.
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Class D ( all games take place today):

Hartford @ Fort Ann, 2 pm.
Saratoga Catholic @ Northville, 3 pm.
Germantown vs. Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville at Gloversville, 3 pm.
Loudonville Christian @ North Warren, 3pm.

Winners advance to the semi-finals at Mohonasen on Tuesday, with the finals at Colonie on November 2.
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Now, for the ladies, with schedule information courtesy of the Albany Times-Union:

Class AA (all games take place Saturday at 3 pm):

Columbia @ Bethlehem.
Guilderland @ Shaker.
Ballston Spa @ Shenendehowa.
Saratoga @ Niskayuna.
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Class A (all games take place today):

Lansingburgh @ Mohonasen, 6:30 pm.
Scotia-Glenville @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 3 pm.
South Glens Falls @ Averill Park, 3 pm.
Troy @ Queensbury, 3 pm.

Winners advance to the semi-finals at Mechanicville on Monday.
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Class B (all games are scheduled for Saturday, with times to be announced):

Broadalbin-Perth @ Schalmont.
Schuylerville @ Cohoes.
Greenville @ Holy Names.
Johnstown @ Mechanicville.
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Class C (first round games will be played today at 3 pm):

Galway @ Stillwater.
Chatham @ Duanesburg.
Waterford @ Cambridge.
Mayfield @ Lake George.
Rensselaer @ Schoharie.
Hoosic Valley @ Maple Hill.
Canajoharie @ Bolton-Warrensburg.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo @ Voorheesville.
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Class D (all games will be played on Monday at 3 pm.

Saratoga Catholic @ New Lebanon.
Germantown @ Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville.
Whitehall @ Fort Ann.
Mekeel Christian Academy @ Northville.

Section 2 football pairings & preview

Courtesy of the Albany Times-Union, here are the pairings for the football playoffs, which begin tomorrow. We've already discussed Class A.

CLASS A

4G-Scotia (4-3) at 1C-Troy (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday
3C-Amsterdam (5-2) at 2G-Ballston Spa (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday
4C-La Salle (4-3) at 1G-Queensbury (7-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday
3G-Burnt Hills (4-3) at 2C-Averill Park (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday

CLASS B

R4-Hudson (3-4) at 1N-Glens Falls (7-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday
N3-Broadalbin-Perth (4-3) at R2-Holy Trinity (6-1), 1 p.m. Saturday
N4-Hudson Falls (2-5) at 1R-Schalmont (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday
R3-Cobleskill (4-3) at N2-Schuylerville (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday

CLASS C

8-Granville (5-2) at 1-Stillwater (7-0), 7 p.m. Friday
5-Greenwich (6-1) at 4-Fonda (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday
6-Tamarac (5-2) at 3-Watervliet (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday
7-Voorheesville (5-2) at 2-Cambridge/Salem (6-1), 1:30 p.m. Saturday

CLASS D (WEEK 9)

NOV. 2
(both games at Schuylerville)
4-Helderberg Valley (2-5) vs. 1-Warrensburg (6-1), 1 p.m.
3-Whitehall (4-3) vs. 2-Chatham (5-2), 7 p.m.
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Predictions for Classes B-D:

B:

Glens Falls over Hudson.
Holy Trinity over Broadalbin-Perth.
Schalmont over Hudson Falls, setting up a rematch of last week's upset of Holy Trinity.
Schuylerville over Cobleskill-Richmondville.

Looking ahead: I see Glens Falls vs. Holy Trinity in the Super Bowl.

C:

Stillwater over Granville.
Fonda over Greenwich.
Watervliet over Tamarac.
Cambridge-Salem over Voorheesville.

Looking ahead: I see Cambridge-Salem vs. Stillwater in the Super Bowl.

D:

Warrensburg over Helderberg Valley.
Whitehall over Chatham in an upset.

Looking ahead in Class A, based on earlier predictions: Look for Troy & Queensbury to meet in the Super Bowl at Shenendehowa.

Class AA predictions next week.
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Troy High's soccer season is almost over.

Troy's men's team fell in a penalty kick shootout to Hudson Falls after a 1-1 draw in regulation and overtime on Wednesday night at Picken Field. Hudson Falls avenges a season-opening loss to the Flying Horses, who finish the season 3-12-2 (2-10-2 in the Suburban Council) overall.

We'll have an update on the soccer sectionals later.