Let's get right to it.
Class AA
(9) Henninger @ (8) Central Square - Henninger's traded wins & losses over the last 6 games, which is an improvement from the beginning of the season. Central Square is at home, coming off a win that broke a 4 game losing streak. They've played each other once - Henninger won 3-0 over a month ago. Although one of Central Square's losses was a promising 1-0 tilt to 12-2-2 C-NS, I think a 3 goal difference in a head-to-head matchup speaks. Closer, but I'll give an edge to the road team.
(10) RFA @ (7) West Genesee - After a 4-1-2 start, West Genny has fallen and fallen quickly, losing 7 of their last 9, including 5 of the last 6. Watched RFA once - wasn't impressed, although it was the opener, a 2-0 L to Class B Cazenovia. They share a common opponent: West Genny tied Clinton 1-1, and RFA lost to Clinton 2-1. No big difference. I think home field will make a difference in this one; giving the Wildcats a slight edge.
Class A
(10) Whitesboro @ (7) Fulton - The Warriors are coming in losers of 3 straight, including a 3-0 L to this same Fulton squad. This time, they get to travel out there on a cold day where the wind will be whipping right off the lake. Trust me, I've covered games there. Trust me, it matters. Fulton's coming in hot, winners of 5 of their last 6, with their 1 loss being a 1-0 game against Fowler. Everyone should be very wary of this Fulton group. They take this one.
(9) Oneida @ (8) Indian River - Saw Oneida once. It was against Camden though, so it didn't count. They have a couple kids who are tough players, but it appears that they haven't been able to string runs of good play together as the season has went on. Indian River drew the #8, but they're 12-3-1 and can put the ball in the back of the net. Their schedule wasn't exactly the most challenging, but my money's on them.
(11) CVA @ (6) Cortland - CVA was below .500 with a schedule that featured Camden as the only Class A competition - and Camden got one of its 3 wins against CVA. They got better as the season went on, showcased by a 1-0 L to Clinton over the last couple weeks. Cortland cooled off after a 5-1 start to the season, but look for them to take this one pretty easily.
Class B
(9) General Brown @ (8) Sherburne-Earlville - Hell of a drive for General Brown. 120 miles, 2+ hours. Neither team has an impressive W to speak of, but both are coming in with recent success. General Brown has won its last 4 and hasn't lost since October 2. Sherburne was 6-2 in the 2nd half of this regular season, with a 2 goal loss to Clinton and a 1 goal loss to Holland Patent. Tough to figure out games like this because you never really know what the Frontier League has to offer against Utica/Syracuse league squads. This guess is nothing more than that - a guess. I think the long trip will be an early factor, and S-E will hold on.
(12) South Jefferson @ (5) Holland Patent - South Jeff only won 3 games. Holland Patent only lost 3. This one shouldn't be close. There's an outside chance I'll swing by for a part of this one.
(11) Adirondack @ (6) Marcellus - Watched Adirondack play a hapless Canastota squad early. Unless they get into Marcellus players' heads with their brash style of play, I don't see this one being close. Marcellus is sitting at 11-5, with a recent loss being a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulton, an aforementioned dangerous A. They've beat a AA school (Auburn) and handed Class C #1 seed Fabius-Pompey its only defeat. Marcellus big.
(10) Lowville @ (7) Skaneateles - Again, gotta give the edge to the home team. Skaneateles is coming in losers of 2 straight, but the 2-1 losses to Marcellus & Cazenovia should add fuel to the fire. Challenged themselves early by playing CBA and RFA, and they handed Clinton something they're not used to: a loss. Fun stat of the day: if it's a 2-1 game, vote Lowville. Skaneateles is 0-6 in 2-1 games. However, they put the ball in the back of the net often in the other games, scoring 5+ goals 6 times.
Class C
(9) Thousand Islands @ (8) Herkimer - Herkimer really turned their season around in the 2nd half. I did predict 2 wins for them, and no more. They're at 6-9-1, a relative success. This is a rematch of a sectional matchup last season, where TI beat Herk up north 4-0. Thinking that the Vikings will continue their win streak over the Magicians.
(11) Mt. Markham @ (6) Bishop Ludden - Charlie Engle isn't used to just limping into sectionals - but not having Tyler Plows around anymore doesn't help. They've shown flashes of toughness at times, and they've sort of turned it around after going through a 4 game losing streak 2-3 weeks back. Ludden has also been up and down, but their ups have been much higher, including playing Fabius-Pompey to a 1-1 draw 3 weeks ago. It's tough to beat the Gaelic Knights on their home field. This shouldn't be much different.
(10) Waterville @ (7) Cooperstown - The aforementioned Mt. Markham's last 2 games have been against these teams. They played Cooperstown to a scoreless draw, then beat Waterville 3-0. They've played twice already, Coop has won 3-0 and 1-0. Advantage, Redskins turned Hawkeyes.
Class D
(9) Old Forge @ (8) Lyme - Tossup here. The CSC is a very tough league for Ds, so Old Forge is battle-tested, playing Poland & WCV twice. However, Lyme is coming in at 12-4, losing just 2-1 to undefeated Copenhagen in its last decision. Plus it's at Lyme. You could make good cases either way, but my brain leans toward Lyme.
(12) Otselic Valley @ (5) Cincinnatus - They've played twice, and Cincy hasn't had much trouble. It's "tough" to beat a team 3 times, but not when you're considerably better. Look for Cincy to take the next step.
(13) Tyburn Academy @ (4) Owen D. Young - The most athletic group of ODY kids seen in a very long time, and they're leading boys sports to a place they haven't seen in just as long. 2 losses, 1 to tough Sect 4 Cherry Valley. The Van Hornesville boys shouldn't have trouble.
(14) Madison @ (3) Copenhagen - Not going to say much about this besides Madison is a 14 and Copenhagen is undefeated. Shave my head if Madison wins.
(11) Alexandria Bay @ (6) Blessed Virgin Mary - I know they're the 6 seed, but BVM just beat Proctor this year. That's all I need to know. The Purple Ghosts won't whisk their way through. Vote 1 for the boarding school.
(10) Sackets Harbor @ (7) Brookfield - Sackets & Brookfield tend to meet a lot. A 2 loss Brookfield has been a big surprise, and they've demolished some teams. Their last couple of weeks haven't been as impressive, though, including a disappointing 3-3 draw with McGraw, who's way down at the 15 seed this year. I did see Sackets once, a disappointing 1-0 W over a Belleville-Henderson team that was winless at the time. They dropped to #10 because they haven't won since that game, nearly 3 weeks ago. Losers of 3 straight, they're desperately looking to get back on the right track. In the battle of 2 teams looking for that spark, I'll give the slightest edge to the Beavers of Brookfield.
(15) McGraw @ (2) Watertown IHC - IHC is sitting at 11-3-1, while playing undoubtedly the most challenging of D schedules, matched up with As and Bs throughout. They've had 8 shutouts, including not allowing a single goal for 3 weeks. Cavaliers roll.
Score Predictions
Henninger 4, Central Square 2
West Genesee 3, RFA 1
Fulton 4, Whitesboro 1
Indian River 5, Oneida 2
Cortland 6, CVA 1
Sherburne-Earlville 1, General Brown 0
Holland Patent 4, South Jefferson 0
Marcellus 7, Adirondack 1
Skaneateles 4, Lowville 2
Thousand Islands 3, Herkimer 1
Bishop Ludden 3, Mt. Markham 2
Cooperstown 2, Waterville 0
Lyme 3, Old Forge 2
Cincinnatus 5, Otselic Valley 1
Owen D. Young 6, Tyburn 1
Copenhagen 4, Madison 0
Blessed Virgin Mary 5, Alexandria Bay 0
Brookfield 2, Sackets Harbor 1
Watertown IHC 7, McGraw 0
Monday, October 21, 2013
Pick 'Em - Section III Girls Soccer
We've obviously followed as much of Sect III as possible in every sport. It's a tough task, with over 100 member schools, but we do our best. Let's see how good of a guesser I am. Prediction of Tuesday & Wednesday's 1st round and quarterfinal games, going by class. Once Wednesday finishes up, we'll add Thursday-Saturday. I think you see a pattern... Let's try this out.
Class AA
(9) Proctor @ (8) West Genesee - Haven't watched Proctor, but I've seen some teams they've played. Caught West Genny once a month ago. West Genny is strong defensively (only given up more than 2 goals twice), and they do have a common opponent - West Genny beat Camden 1-0, and Camden beat Proctor twice. Look for the Wildcats to roll Tuesday.
(6) Auburn @ (3) Baldwinsville - Auburn's a tough team to grasp. They can play with anyone in AA sometimes, and other times, they have trouble with teams they should handle. 10-6, but have lost 4 of their last 6 games - one of them on Friday to Baldwinsville, a 6-2 decision. The Bees have challenged themselves in their non-league schedule, playing Mercy (Rochester), Arlington (Poughkeepsie), and John Jay (East Fishkill). They're 5-0 in October. I've got my money on the Bees.
(7) RFA @ (2) CBA - Although the Black Knights are coming in with only 1 loss in their last 5 decisions (3-1-1), wins were over 2 win D Notre Dame, 1 win A Oneida, and Proctor in OT. Their last game was a 7-0 defeat at the hands of #1 seed in AA, C-NS. CBA may have a slightly inflated seeding here, though. Thanks to the CNYCL not wanting them in, they play A's all year. Their only game against AA competition was a 3-0 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius. That being said, I still think this is the Lady Brothers' game to lose.
Class A
(10) Homer @ (7) East Syracuse-Minoa - Homer's been another team that's shown some flashes, but haven't kept it going consistently. Teams like that are scary come sectional time - if you get hot at the right time, look out. They've taken a hit the last 2 games, dropping a 5-0 decision to J-D and losing 3-1 to Fulton, a team they tied earlier in the season. .However, they've split with ES-M this season, the most recent being a 4-3 comeback W 2 weeks ago. The Spartans are coming in a little worse than they hoped, I'm sure, dropping 3 of their last 5, including the one to Homer along with a 3-1 L to Class C2 Grimes. Could be interesting, but home field might make a big difference - and it's at ES-M.
(11) Chittenango @ (6) New Hartford - Chittenango hasn't won in their last 6 games (0-4-2); the last W was on October 1. They have a young squad, including 3 sophomores & a junior among its 4 leading goal scorers. Watched them play Homer a couple weeks ago - what I did take away is their sweeper is solid, for what it's worth. New Hartford has went 1-3-1 in its last 5, including a 2-1 L to #1 seed in C1 Sauquoit Valley, but also including a 4-1 W over #2 seed in A CVA. Sparty likes home field. I'll roll with Sparty.
(9) Fulton @ (8) Carthage - Fulton is yet another streaky team that's went up and down like the stock market. They appear to be on an upswing heading into the October classic, going 3-0-1 over the last 4. After giving up 2+ goals in 5 straight games, they've given up 3 in those last 4. Carthage has shut out their last 2 opponents, and hopes to do the same Tuesday. Their only OHSL opponents have been a pair of B's - they beat Ludden 4-1 and lost to Marcellus 6-0. This one is a toss-up, but I'll take the hot team. Fulton gets my vote.
Class B
(9) VVS @ (8) Sherburne-Earlville - Another tough one. Watched both teams, including VVS twice. Tess Lohr puts that work in. You'll need half a team to contain her, and sometimes that doesn't work. The Red Devils have went on a mini-slump, dropping 4 of their last 6, but a W over Oneida may have them on the right track. Plus they beat Sherburne 4-1 in their only meeting this season - granted, in August. Saw Sherburne once, but it was a beatdown they took from Clinton. They can be tough, and I don't think it will be so convincing as a 4-1 game this time. However, I'm thinking it'll be a little too much Lohr, and the Devils will make it hell.
(10) Solvay @ (7) Cazenovia - Solvay's coming in winning 3 of its last 4, thanks in large part to the play of Chelsie Delperuto. Last year's leading scorer turned this season's goalie turned this season's leading scorer has seen the back of the net at a high rate, considering she was trying to protect it for half of the season. Cazenovia beat Solvay 4-1 in their one meeting this season, the last game Delperuto was a GK until their last game. Caz is a 7 seed that every B takes very seriously and could make a deep run. Coming in winners of 5 straight, including 14 goals scored in their last 2 and a nice 1-0 W over tough A Camden, it might be a little worrisome to see them in your lineup. Advantage, Lakers.
(12) Holland Patent @ (5) Westhill - Holland Patent has a younger squad this year with an experienced keeper. Ashley Stanley & Morgan Roller lead the way for them, and Nikki Lupia-Eannace did a nice job in goal most of the way in the game I saw against Remsen, albeit a 4-1 L. However, they're no match for Westhill, a team that's faster, much more physical, and better. Plus I still haven't seen a better keeper than Sam Peebles. Westhill could truly challenge with Marcellus, Clinton, & Skaneateles for the B crown. At 12-1-3, the only actual loss they suffered was the game I watched. I'm sure this one won't make 2. Warriors big.
(11) APW @ (6) Lowville - APW only has 1 win that I know of, which makes me wonder why they're in. However, they have some of the closest games against alright competition that I've seen out of a 1 win team. However, I just can't see them beating Lowville, a team that's only lost 3 tilts this season. They've won 5 straight. Look for it to be 6 on Tuesday.
(13) Frankfort-Schuyler @ (4) Skaneateles - Frankfort limped its way into sectionals barely. Skaneateles had a mid-season bump in the road, but won their league. They beat MARCELLUS at one point. Frankfort has to go out there. This could get ugly. Like Andre 3000, I'm.. just being honest.
Class C1
(9) IHC @ (8) Cato-Meridian - IHC is 4-9-2 and a 9 seed, but I feel as if they'll be a pretty tough out for anyone. They've kept it competitive with Frontier As, along with splitting matches with South Jefferson, one of the top seeds in B. Cato-Meridian has been a nice story, and their girls soccer program hasn't really been known for sniffing the postseason. However, they've tailed off in the last couple weeks, and IHC should be able to move on to play Sauquoit.
(10) Pulaski @ (7) Mt. Markham - The Blue Devils just kinda snuck into sectionals. However, they've shown they can compete. So has Mt. Markham. They might be .500, but they were under 2 minutes away from forcing Sauquoit into a scoreless draw over the last couple weeks. The Mustangs have made leaps & bounds over the course of the season. Add that to them playing on their home field, and I give Mt. Markham an edge here.
Class C2
(9) Waterville @ (8) Onondaga - Yet to see Onondaga, and I've seen Waterville once. I have seen a lot of these 'Daga girls as a lower seed before, taking on a high-seeded CSC squad... a year ago. They gave #2 seed WCV a hell of a scare. Now they get a home game, looking for the "right" to play Grimes. Hannah Gray is a potent offensive option for Waterville, but the question: Is Waterville's back line fast enough to handle an attacking Onondaga? Answer: not likely. Advantage Tigers.
Class D
(11) McGraw @ (6) Brookfield - CCL opponents will meet again. The Beavers have been much tougher than expected, behind Jill Hughes & Abby Reilly, who's still a youngin. They've played McGraw twice. They've won twice. The last one was 8-0. Brookfield will go 3 for 3.
(9) Stockbridge Valley @ (8) Old Forge - Advantage to the home team here. Although the Eskimos have faltered of late, there's something about playing in Old Forge that brings out the worst in teams. Get someone going up front to give Shelby Egnaczyk a break in goal, and they could be off to the races.
(12) Madison @ (5) Lyme - Lyme has given undefeated #1 seed Copenhagen quite a run for their money a couple times. As a matter of fact, take out the Copenhagen games, they're 10-2-1. Madison's had its share of trouble this season. The trip to Lyme won't help. Big advantage for the home team.
(13) Sackets Harbor @ (4) Remsen - I won't consult stats. I've seen both teams. Remsen is a little better than I expected than them to be, and a lot better than Sackets. Joleen Marfone & Elisha Hamilton are too much firepower. Ewes (Lady Rams) win big.
(14) Faith Heritage @ (3) Cincinnatus - Cincy has went 14-2 this regular season, scoring 95 times along the way. They've scored 20 in the last 2. Although they've had a couple moments where they haven't performed nearly up to snuff, it's tough to not roar in favor of the Lions. Faith Heritage won't play the role of Florida-Gulf Coast next year.
(10) Hamilton @ (7) Oriskany - Oriskany is a nice story; the Cooperstown of 2013. They started off winning only 1 of their first 6 contests (1-4-1), but have won 7 of their last 8. Talk about a change! This includes a 2-0 W over Hamilton. Cooperstown (Redskins last year) pulled a Drake a year ago, started from the bottom. Got really hot and went into sectionals on a tear. However, they took a 1st round L to a Waterville team they had recently beat. Hamilton looks to play the role of Waterville on the road Tuesday afternoon. As much as I love the story of this year's Redskins, I'll vote for history.
Score Predictions
West Genesee 5, Proctor 1
Baldwinsville 4, Auburn 2
CBA 3, RFA 1
ES-M 2, Homer 1
New Hartford 3, Chittenango 0
Fulton 3, Carthage 2 (OT)
VVS 3, Sherburne 1
Cazenovia 5, Solvay 2
Westhill 7, Holland Patent 0
Lowville 2, APW 1
Skaneateles 8, Frankfort 1
IHC 4, Cato-Meridian 2
Mt. Markham 2, Pulaski 0
Onondaga 3, Waterville 0
Brookfield 7, McGraw 2
Old Forge 2, Stockbridge 1 (OT)
Lyme 5, Madison 1
Remsen 8, Sackets Harbor 0
Cincinnatus 6, Faith Heritage 2
Hamilton 1, Oriskany 0
Class AA
(9) Proctor @ (8) West Genesee - Haven't watched Proctor, but I've seen some teams they've played. Caught West Genny once a month ago. West Genny is strong defensively (only given up more than 2 goals twice), and they do have a common opponent - West Genny beat Camden 1-0, and Camden beat Proctor twice. Look for the Wildcats to roll Tuesday.
(6) Auburn @ (3) Baldwinsville - Auburn's a tough team to grasp. They can play with anyone in AA sometimes, and other times, they have trouble with teams they should handle. 10-6, but have lost 4 of their last 6 games - one of them on Friday to Baldwinsville, a 6-2 decision. The Bees have challenged themselves in their non-league schedule, playing Mercy (Rochester), Arlington (Poughkeepsie), and John Jay (East Fishkill). They're 5-0 in October. I've got my money on the Bees.
(7) RFA @ (2) CBA - Although the Black Knights are coming in with only 1 loss in their last 5 decisions (3-1-1), wins were over 2 win D Notre Dame, 1 win A Oneida, and Proctor in OT. Their last game was a 7-0 defeat at the hands of #1 seed in AA, C-NS. CBA may have a slightly inflated seeding here, though. Thanks to the CNYCL not wanting them in, they play A's all year. Their only game against AA competition was a 3-0 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius. That being said, I still think this is the Lady Brothers' game to lose.
Class A
(10) Homer @ (7) East Syracuse-Minoa - Homer's been another team that's shown some flashes, but haven't kept it going consistently. Teams like that are scary come sectional time - if you get hot at the right time, look out. They've taken a hit the last 2 games, dropping a 5-0 decision to J-D and losing 3-1 to Fulton, a team they tied earlier in the season. .However, they've split with ES-M this season, the most recent being a 4-3 comeback W 2 weeks ago. The Spartans are coming in a little worse than they hoped, I'm sure, dropping 3 of their last 5, including the one to Homer along with a 3-1 L to Class C2 Grimes. Could be interesting, but home field might make a big difference - and it's at ES-M.
(11) Chittenango @ (6) New Hartford - Chittenango hasn't won in their last 6 games (0-4-2); the last W was on October 1. They have a young squad, including 3 sophomores & a junior among its 4 leading goal scorers. Watched them play Homer a couple weeks ago - what I did take away is their sweeper is solid, for what it's worth. New Hartford has went 1-3-1 in its last 5, including a 2-1 L to #1 seed in C1 Sauquoit Valley, but also including a 4-1 W over #2 seed in A CVA. Sparty likes home field. I'll roll with Sparty.
(9) Fulton @ (8) Carthage - Fulton is yet another streaky team that's went up and down like the stock market. They appear to be on an upswing heading into the October classic, going 3-0-1 over the last 4. After giving up 2+ goals in 5 straight games, they've given up 3 in those last 4. Carthage has shut out their last 2 opponents, and hopes to do the same Tuesday. Their only OHSL opponents have been a pair of B's - they beat Ludden 4-1 and lost to Marcellus 6-0. This one is a toss-up, but I'll take the hot team. Fulton gets my vote.
Class B
(9) VVS @ (8) Sherburne-Earlville - Another tough one. Watched both teams, including VVS twice. Tess Lohr puts that work in. You'll need half a team to contain her, and sometimes that doesn't work. The Red Devils have went on a mini-slump, dropping 4 of their last 6, but a W over Oneida may have them on the right track. Plus they beat Sherburne 4-1 in their only meeting this season - granted, in August. Saw Sherburne once, but it was a beatdown they took from Clinton. They can be tough, and I don't think it will be so convincing as a 4-1 game this time. However, I'm thinking it'll be a little too much Lohr, and the Devils will make it hell.
(10) Solvay @ (7) Cazenovia - Solvay's coming in winning 3 of its last 4, thanks in large part to the play of Chelsie Delperuto. Last year's leading scorer turned this season's goalie turned this season's leading scorer has seen the back of the net at a high rate, considering she was trying to protect it for half of the season. Cazenovia beat Solvay 4-1 in their one meeting this season, the last game Delperuto was a GK until their last game. Caz is a 7 seed that every B takes very seriously and could make a deep run. Coming in winners of 5 straight, including 14 goals scored in their last 2 and a nice 1-0 W over tough A Camden, it might be a little worrisome to see them in your lineup. Advantage, Lakers.
(12) Holland Patent @ (5) Westhill - Holland Patent has a younger squad this year with an experienced keeper. Ashley Stanley & Morgan Roller lead the way for them, and Nikki Lupia-Eannace did a nice job in goal most of the way in the game I saw against Remsen, albeit a 4-1 L. However, they're no match for Westhill, a team that's faster, much more physical, and better. Plus I still haven't seen a better keeper than Sam Peebles. Westhill could truly challenge with Marcellus, Clinton, & Skaneateles for the B crown. At 12-1-3, the only actual loss they suffered was the game I watched. I'm sure this one won't make 2. Warriors big.
(11) APW @ (6) Lowville - APW only has 1 win that I know of, which makes me wonder why they're in. However, they have some of the closest games against alright competition that I've seen out of a 1 win team. However, I just can't see them beating Lowville, a team that's only lost 3 tilts this season. They've won 5 straight. Look for it to be 6 on Tuesday.
(13) Frankfort-Schuyler @ (4) Skaneateles - Frankfort limped its way into sectionals barely. Skaneateles had a mid-season bump in the road, but won their league. They beat MARCELLUS at one point. Frankfort has to go out there. This could get ugly. Like Andre 3000, I'm.. just being honest.
Class C1
(9) IHC @ (8) Cato-Meridian - IHC is 4-9-2 and a 9 seed, but I feel as if they'll be a pretty tough out for anyone. They've kept it competitive with Frontier As, along with splitting matches with South Jefferson, one of the top seeds in B. Cato-Meridian has been a nice story, and their girls soccer program hasn't really been known for sniffing the postseason. However, they've tailed off in the last couple weeks, and IHC should be able to move on to play Sauquoit.
(10) Pulaski @ (7) Mt. Markham - The Blue Devils just kinda snuck into sectionals. However, they've shown they can compete. So has Mt. Markham. They might be .500, but they were under 2 minutes away from forcing Sauquoit into a scoreless draw over the last couple weeks. The Mustangs have made leaps & bounds over the course of the season. Add that to them playing on their home field, and I give Mt. Markham an edge here.
Class C2
(9) Waterville @ (8) Onondaga - Yet to see Onondaga, and I've seen Waterville once. I have seen a lot of these 'Daga girls as a lower seed before, taking on a high-seeded CSC squad... a year ago. They gave #2 seed WCV a hell of a scare. Now they get a home game, looking for the "right" to play Grimes. Hannah Gray is a potent offensive option for Waterville, but the question: Is Waterville's back line fast enough to handle an attacking Onondaga? Answer: not likely. Advantage Tigers.
Class D
(11) McGraw @ (6) Brookfield - CCL opponents will meet again. The Beavers have been much tougher than expected, behind Jill Hughes & Abby Reilly, who's still a youngin. They've played McGraw twice. They've won twice. The last one was 8-0. Brookfield will go 3 for 3.
(9) Stockbridge Valley @ (8) Old Forge - Advantage to the home team here. Although the Eskimos have faltered of late, there's something about playing in Old Forge that brings out the worst in teams. Get someone going up front to give Shelby Egnaczyk a break in goal, and they could be off to the races.
(12) Madison @ (5) Lyme - Lyme has given undefeated #1 seed Copenhagen quite a run for their money a couple times. As a matter of fact, take out the Copenhagen games, they're 10-2-1. Madison's had its share of trouble this season. The trip to Lyme won't help. Big advantage for the home team.
(13) Sackets Harbor @ (4) Remsen - I won't consult stats. I've seen both teams. Remsen is a little better than I expected than them to be, and a lot better than Sackets. Joleen Marfone & Elisha Hamilton are too much firepower. Ewes (Lady Rams) win big.
(14) Faith Heritage @ (3) Cincinnatus - Cincy has went 14-2 this regular season, scoring 95 times along the way. They've scored 20 in the last 2. Although they've had a couple moments where they haven't performed nearly up to snuff, it's tough to not roar in favor of the Lions. Faith Heritage won't play the role of Florida-Gulf Coast next year.
(10) Hamilton @ (7) Oriskany - Oriskany is a nice story; the Cooperstown of 2013. They started off winning only 1 of their first 6 contests (1-4-1), but have won 7 of their last 8. Talk about a change! This includes a 2-0 W over Hamilton. Cooperstown (Redskins last year) pulled a Drake a year ago, started from the bottom. Got really hot and went into sectionals on a tear. However, they took a 1st round L to a Waterville team they had recently beat. Hamilton looks to play the role of Waterville on the road Tuesday afternoon. As much as I love the story of this year's Redskins, I'll vote for history.
Score Predictions
West Genesee 5, Proctor 1
Baldwinsville 4, Auburn 2
CBA 3, RFA 1
ES-M 2, Homer 1
New Hartford 3, Chittenango 0
Fulton 3, Carthage 2 (OT)
VVS 3, Sherburne 1
Cazenovia 5, Solvay 2
Westhill 7, Holland Patent 0
Lowville 2, APW 1
Skaneateles 8, Frankfort 1
IHC 4, Cato-Meridian 2
Mt. Markham 2, Pulaski 0
Onondaga 3, Waterville 0
Brookfield 7, McGraw 2
Old Forge 2, Stockbridge 1 (OT)
Lyme 5, Madison 1
Remsen 8, Sackets Harbor 0
Cincinnatus 6, Faith Heritage 2
Hamilton 1, Oriskany 0
Thursday, October 10, 2013
You Played Yourself
If you're a long-time MVT follower, you've seen this before. However, most of you aren't. Therefore, time to teach. We do more than simply tweet about you if you scored 2 goals or 3 touchdowns. Our basis of MVT "Most Valuable Table" was speaking our minds, whether or not it was a popular thought, or politically correct, or pretty much anything that "fits the mold". We worked at Herkimer during a winless basketball season, and we had to make our own fun. With more jobs that we picked up pertaining to athletics, we built on this, and it ballooned into what it is now. However, we stay true to our roots, and I'm sure you'll see some of Rob's Rants in the future. I'm not afraid to share my opinion, and this is what YPY is about. "You Played Yourself" is another way of saying "you let yourself down", "you screwed up", etc... #WhiteBoyDefinition. We give praise wherever praise is due, and I think everyone can catch onto this. However, if you screw up... we're independent. No one fires us from MVT. We'll call you out. Over the last few days, a story has passed up that is the PERFECT start to 2013 YPY...
Notre Dame, what do you have to say for yourself?
Let's catch up on the story, at least what has been released to the public. Mind you, everything I'm saying about the actual story has been put to print in newspapers. I'm not talking out of my ass. 4 Juggler players missed a week's worth of practices due to an ROTC function. Due to missing an entire week's worth of practice, head coach Byron Abraham made the decision to not play said kids in Saturday afternoon's game, a romp of Clinton. These players were supposedly given sufficient notification of this. However, because of this decision, bloody hell was risen, one thing led to another, and Coach Abraham has been suspended for this week's game - which isn't just an ordinary game to them. It's a showdown with Sherburne-Earlville, who is undefeated and sitting at #15 in the NYSSWA Class C state rankings. Offense vs. defense. And now the Notre Dame head coach will be anywhere but the sidelines or the press box.
Is this what society has come to? A sport is a COMMITMENT. It's not something that you do when you have nothing else to do. If you keep yourself busy and have multiple commitments, good for you. I work a couple jobs, go to school, and do this MVT stuff. I have a girlfriend. That's a commitment in itself... but needless to say, I balance a lot. If commitments cross paths, which they occasionally do, I have to do my best to work it all out, and I may have to take a little punishment over it. I understand this. It's part of the deal. ROTC is a commitment, just like football. You have to realize they might cross paths. If you do one and neglect the other, don't expect everything to be all hunky-dory at the COMMITMENT you neglected. You may be punished. It could be 1,000 yards. It could be a half. It could be a game. It was a game. Again, it's part of the deal. If you can't deal with it, then maybe multiple obligations just isn't the thing for you. And I wouldn't even call this punishment... more like standard procedure. If anyone expects to play directly after missing a whole week of practice, you're crazy. Nuts. More berzerk than the Eminem single. That doesn't happen, and it shouldn't happen.
I dealt with parents like this before. I coached modified basketball at one point. I'll dodge details, names, all of that garbage, but a group of parents were out for my ass since the early portions of the season. Was it because their kids weren't starting? Was it because I'd actually coach, be stern, and expect their best effort? Was it because I was a 21 year old whipper-snapper? I don't know. Probably all of them. After a particular game (a win over a larger school, mind you, in a very successful 11-2 season), I dealt with what I would call a "vocal demonstration" and a particular parent who almost tried to turn it physical. As someone who is very thick-skinned and truly doesn't care what people have to think of me, I felt attacked. I'm here to coach. I have a great time coaching these kids. Why do these parents have to ruin everything? I still ask myself that. I'm not coaching this year - and a lot of that has to do with them. I'm too young for that, man. I'm a fan of my hair, and I don't want it gone or gray for quite some time. Society has changed for the worse, because parents like these actually have say. I was put on administrative leave for a short time because a parent who had clout called a board member. When the facts were brought forth, it was realized that these parents didn't have a leg to stand on, and my name was absolved from wrongdoing in that scenario. Whatever happened to letting a coach do his or her job? As I tweeted, if I complained to my dad about a tough practice or a coach yelling at me, he'd basically say "You probably deserved it. It's making you tougher. Now get your ass up and get ready to be better tomorrow". Tough love, but love. It shaped me into what I am now. Tough. These parents are raising a generation of softness. What's gonna happen when these kids get turned down after a job interview - mommy & daddy going to hit the phone lines to complain to the board of directors? Another Dad quote: "Welcome to life and its disappointments." Happens to the best of us. Get tough. Parents like this who blame everyone but themselves and their children aren't doing them a favor at all. I could say it a million times - I don't like the direction society as a whole is headed, especially when it comes to particular people who feel they can run the show due to their position, last name, etc.
Byron Abraham did the right thing. Everyone knows it. The parents of a few kids got their way in a small, parochial school - but it woke up an entire section with 108 member schools, at last count. I saw John Moriello, Mr. New York Sportswriters Association, and out of Rochester, tweet '#FreeByronAbraham'. You really think you made the right decision? If the story is correct, this coach did everything he should have done. Didn't play them, but gave them proper notification well in advance (even though it's really a no-brainer). Abraham had some quotes in the Observer-Dispatch that some would consider harsh, and I would use the word "risky" towards them normally. However, what's he got to lose at this point? Gene and Sister Anna Mae showed they'd bench him for nothing, so you might as well spout off. And everything he said was spot on. I haven't come across a SINGLE PERSON THAT AGREES. Not one. I've talked to dozens about it. Not one agrees. So...
Notre Dame, you played yourself.
Notre Dame, what do you have to say for yourself?
Let's catch up on the story, at least what has been released to the public. Mind you, everything I'm saying about the actual story has been put to print in newspapers. I'm not talking out of my ass. 4 Juggler players missed a week's worth of practices due to an ROTC function. Due to missing an entire week's worth of practice, head coach Byron Abraham made the decision to not play said kids in Saturday afternoon's game, a romp of Clinton. These players were supposedly given sufficient notification of this. However, because of this decision, bloody hell was risen, one thing led to another, and Coach Abraham has been suspended for this week's game - which isn't just an ordinary game to them. It's a showdown with Sherburne-Earlville, who is undefeated and sitting at #15 in the NYSSWA Class C state rankings. Offense vs. defense. And now the Notre Dame head coach will be anywhere but the sidelines or the press box.
Is this what society has come to? A sport is a COMMITMENT. It's not something that you do when you have nothing else to do. If you keep yourself busy and have multiple commitments, good for you. I work a couple jobs, go to school, and do this MVT stuff. I have a girlfriend. That's a commitment in itself... but needless to say, I balance a lot. If commitments cross paths, which they occasionally do, I have to do my best to work it all out, and I may have to take a little punishment over it. I understand this. It's part of the deal. ROTC is a commitment, just like football. You have to realize they might cross paths. If you do one and neglect the other, don't expect everything to be all hunky-dory at the COMMITMENT you neglected. You may be punished. It could be 1,000 yards. It could be a half. It could be a game. It was a game. Again, it's part of the deal. If you can't deal with it, then maybe multiple obligations just isn't the thing for you. And I wouldn't even call this punishment... more like standard procedure. If anyone expects to play directly after missing a whole week of practice, you're crazy. Nuts. More berzerk than the Eminem single. That doesn't happen, and it shouldn't happen.
I dealt with parents like this before. I coached modified basketball at one point. I'll dodge details, names, all of that garbage, but a group of parents were out for my ass since the early portions of the season. Was it because their kids weren't starting? Was it because I'd actually coach, be stern, and expect their best effort? Was it because I was a 21 year old whipper-snapper? I don't know. Probably all of them. After a particular game (a win over a larger school, mind you, in a very successful 11-2 season), I dealt with what I would call a "vocal demonstration" and a particular parent who almost tried to turn it physical. As someone who is very thick-skinned and truly doesn't care what people have to think of me, I felt attacked. I'm here to coach. I have a great time coaching these kids. Why do these parents have to ruin everything? I still ask myself that. I'm not coaching this year - and a lot of that has to do with them. I'm too young for that, man. I'm a fan of my hair, and I don't want it gone or gray for quite some time. Society has changed for the worse, because parents like these actually have say. I was put on administrative leave for a short time because a parent who had clout called a board member. When the facts were brought forth, it was realized that these parents didn't have a leg to stand on, and my name was absolved from wrongdoing in that scenario. Whatever happened to letting a coach do his or her job? As I tweeted, if I complained to my dad about a tough practice or a coach yelling at me, he'd basically say "You probably deserved it. It's making you tougher. Now get your ass up and get ready to be better tomorrow". Tough love, but love. It shaped me into what I am now. Tough. These parents are raising a generation of softness. What's gonna happen when these kids get turned down after a job interview - mommy & daddy going to hit the phone lines to complain to the board of directors? Another Dad quote: "Welcome to life and its disappointments." Happens to the best of us. Get tough. Parents like this who blame everyone but themselves and their children aren't doing them a favor at all. I could say it a million times - I don't like the direction society as a whole is headed, especially when it comes to particular people who feel they can run the show due to their position, last name, etc.
Byron Abraham did the right thing. Everyone knows it. The parents of a few kids got their way in a small, parochial school - but it woke up an entire section with 108 member schools, at last count. I saw John Moriello, Mr. New York Sportswriters Association, and out of Rochester, tweet '#FreeByronAbraham'. You really think you made the right decision? If the story is correct, this coach did everything he should have done. Didn't play them, but gave them proper notification well in advance (even though it's really a no-brainer). Abraham had some quotes in the Observer-Dispatch that some would consider harsh, and I would use the word "risky" towards them normally. However, what's he got to lose at this point? Gene and Sister Anna Mae showed they'd bench him for nothing, so you might as well spout off. And everything he said was spot on. I haven't come across a SINGLE PERSON THAT AGREES. Not one. I've talked to dozens about it. Not one agrees. So...
Notre Dame, you played yourself.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Ballin' Out - Section 3 Football Athlete of the Week, Week 5
We had some viable options this week. A lot of guys put up some big-time numbers in their games. Unfortunately for most of them, we don't deal in the business of co-athletes of the week. We choose one. I can, however, deal in the business of honorable mentions - so I give a shoutout to Kyle Steiner of Beaver River, who straight killed it. His Class D Beavers took down Lowville, a tough C North squad who's got a lot of guys back from last year's team that made it to the C-2 final, by a score of 35-33. He finished with over 300 total yards on the day, between passing and rushing. He went 10/18 in the air, throwing for over 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Erik Lyndaker, and also carried the ball 19 times for 141 rushing yards and a pair of TDs of that fashion. That would normally be deserving of the athlete of the week...
But Jake Wittig isn't gonna be denied. And that's why he's the MVT Ballin' Out Athlete of the Week for Week 5 of the Section 3 football season. He handled his business... and everyone else's too. His Fayetteville-Manlius squad dismantled RFA in what looked like more of a blowout on the basketball court when you look at the score - 70-39. 56-19 at the half. That was a whole lot of the kid under center. Jake went off. He went 15/22 in the air for 494 yards and 5 passing touchdowns. Wittig didn't run much, but did score once on the ground - 4 carries, 34 yards. All of those TDs came in the 1st half - he threw for 2 in the 1st quarter, then threw for 3 more and ran for 1 in the 2nd. Started off with a 48 yard hookup with Luke Krizman, then added a 44 yard TD pass to Jack Wilson. He did it again to start the 2nd in that order - 17 yards to Krizman and the one that took the cake, a 95 yard connection with Wilson. He then added a 1 yard TD run, and finished the high-scoring half with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Paddy Quinlan. Mind you, he also went 10/10 kicking the extra points. And most of the fireworks came in just 24 minutes of action. Holy hell, try and beat that one. Some QBs in this section won't even throw for that much in a season. The Hornets are 5-0 so far, and that's got a lot to do with his 1,250 passing yards, 17 TDs, and solid completion percentage under center. The best thing? He's a junior, kids. Room to grow. Gotta love it. Congrats to Mr. Jake Wittig, who we decided was the cream of the crop in Section III over last Friday & Saturday!
But Jake Wittig isn't gonna be denied. And that's why he's the MVT Ballin' Out Athlete of the Week for Week 5 of the Section 3 football season. He handled his business... and everyone else's too. His Fayetteville-Manlius squad dismantled RFA in what looked like more of a blowout on the basketball court when you look at the score - 70-39. 56-19 at the half. That was a whole lot of the kid under center. Jake went off. He went 15/22 in the air for 494 yards and 5 passing touchdowns. Wittig didn't run much, but did score once on the ground - 4 carries, 34 yards. All of those TDs came in the 1st half - he threw for 2 in the 1st quarter, then threw for 3 more and ran for 1 in the 2nd. Started off with a 48 yard hookup with Luke Krizman, then added a 44 yard TD pass to Jack Wilson. He did it again to start the 2nd in that order - 17 yards to Krizman and the one that took the cake, a 95 yard connection with Wilson. He then added a 1 yard TD run, and finished the high-scoring half with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Paddy Quinlan. Mind you, he also went 10/10 kicking the extra points. And most of the fireworks came in just 24 minutes of action. Holy hell, try and beat that one. Some QBs in this section won't even throw for that much in a season. The Hornets are 5-0 so far, and that's got a lot to do with his 1,250 passing yards, 17 TDs, and solid completion percentage under center. The best thing? He's a junior, kids. Room to grow. Gotta love it. Congrats to Mr. Jake Wittig, who we decided was the cream of the crop in Section III over last Friday & Saturday!
10/5 Special Edition Most Valuable Thoughts: Cobleskill-Richmondville/Schalmont Football
Schalmont 27, Cobleskill-Richmondville 0
Well hello there. This was probably the most fun game I've been at all year. Even though it was raining early, and even though I had to park over a quarter of a mile away, it was worth it. The atmosphere was great, the electricity was great, the band was great, and a great team made a good team look bad.
Cobleskill, a team just on the outside looking in when it comes to the NYSPHSAA state rankings in Class B, started off with the ball, and their power running game helped them pick up a first down... but that was the only first down they'd get until late in the 3rd quarter. Schalmont, ranked #3 in the state in Class B, shut them right down. After a stalled drive by Schalmont & a Cobleskill 3 & out, Devon Willis returned a punt to Cobleskill's 15. On the 4th play of the drive, he punched it in from 3 yards out to give Schalmont a 7-0 lead with 4:20 left in the 1st quarter. It took a little while before they got back on the scoreboard - they had a couple sustained drives, but QB Dalton Cooke threw a pick to Matt Davenport, ending one drive, and they turned the ball over on downs on the next one, both in Cobleskill territory. After turning Cobleskill back over on downs at midfield, they turned it around in 2 plays. Willis broke free for a 30 yard gain, and on the next play, Trevon Perez-Tucker bolted the remaining 20 yards, putting the Sabres up 14-0 with just under 3 to go in the first half. They forced a 3 & out again and had another chance to put points on the board late in the half, but a holding penalty early in the drive derailed those hopes. Schalmont held Cobleskill to just 14 1st half yards and gained 168 of their own, but the game was still in the balance by the scoreboard.
However, Schalmont got their breathing room early in the 2nd half. After a 64 yard kick return from Devon Willis was called back on a hold, the offense went to work, with a few different players getting touches on the drive before Cooke hit Nick Gallo with a 30 yard TD strike, putting Schalmont up 21-0 3 minutes into the half. At this point, Schalmont started throwing some guys off the bench in, including Anthony Yezzo taking Cooke's place at QB. A couple completions thrown by him on the next drive brought the ball into the red zone, but they turned the ball over on downs at the Cobleskill 10. Cobleskill answered with their longest sustained drive of the night, but got nothing from it. Seth Billington threw a pick deep in Schalmont territory, taking away the scoring threat. Willis burst out for 54 yards on the first play of that drive, and 2 minutes later, he punched it in from the 4 to put Schalmont up 27-0 with 7:11 to go. Neither team got anything going from there - Schalmont fumbled it away & turned it over on downs their last two drives, and Cobleskill threw 2 picks and punted it away on their last 3. Cobleskill is now 3-2 on the season; Schalmont has tasted sweet victory every week.
#NumbersDontLie - Schalmont dominated. Very tough squad on both ends of the ball. Devon Willis was the guy for the Sabres, carrying the ball 32 times for 238 yards & 2 TDs, along with some electrifying stuff in the return game. Quarterback Dalton Cooke went 10/15 in the air for 76 yards, throwing a TD and a pick. The line did their job, and he got the ball out quickly; he was only sacked once. Another running back and occasional slot guy, Nick Gallo picked up 19 yards rushing on 6 carries, while having 44 receiving yards on 2 catches and a TD. They held Cobleskill QB Seth Billington to just 2/11, 19 passing yards, and 2 picks, along with 20 rushing yards on 18 carries. Running back Matt Davenport was also held to not much, rushing for just 11 yards on 16 carries. He had 23 receiving yards on 2 catches; Davenport also threw once, getting picked off on Cobleskill's last play from scrimmage. Schalmont outgained Cobleskill 412-55. Damn.
Well hello there. This was probably the most fun game I've been at all year. Even though it was raining early, and even though I had to park over a quarter of a mile away, it was worth it. The atmosphere was great, the electricity was great, the band was great, and a great team made a good team look bad.
Cobleskill, a team just on the outside looking in when it comes to the NYSPHSAA state rankings in Class B, started off with the ball, and their power running game helped them pick up a first down... but that was the only first down they'd get until late in the 3rd quarter. Schalmont, ranked #3 in the state in Class B, shut them right down. After a stalled drive by Schalmont & a Cobleskill 3 & out, Devon Willis returned a punt to Cobleskill's 15. On the 4th play of the drive, he punched it in from 3 yards out to give Schalmont a 7-0 lead with 4:20 left in the 1st quarter. It took a little while before they got back on the scoreboard - they had a couple sustained drives, but QB Dalton Cooke threw a pick to Matt Davenport, ending one drive, and they turned the ball over on downs on the next one, both in Cobleskill territory. After turning Cobleskill back over on downs at midfield, they turned it around in 2 plays. Willis broke free for a 30 yard gain, and on the next play, Trevon Perez-Tucker bolted the remaining 20 yards, putting the Sabres up 14-0 with just under 3 to go in the first half. They forced a 3 & out again and had another chance to put points on the board late in the half, but a holding penalty early in the drive derailed those hopes. Schalmont held Cobleskill to just 14 1st half yards and gained 168 of their own, but the game was still in the balance by the scoreboard.
However, Schalmont got their breathing room early in the 2nd half. After a 64 yard kick return from Devon Willis was called back on a hold, the offense went to work, with a few different players getting touches on the drive before Cooke hit Nick Gallo with a 30 yard TD strike, putting Schalmont up 21-0 3 minutes into the half. At this point, Schalmont started throwing some guys off the bench in, including Anthony Yezzo taking Cooke's place at QB. A couple completions thrown by him on the next drive brought the ball into the red zone, but they turned the ball over on downs at the Cobleskill 10. Cobleskill answered with their longest sustained drive of the night, but got nothing from it. Seth Billington threw a pick deep in Schalmont territory, taking away the scoring threat. Willis burst out for 54 yards on the first play of that drive, and 2 minutes later, he punched it in from the 4 to put Schalmont up 27-0 with 7:11 to go. Neither team got anything going from there - Schalmont fumbled it away & turned it over on downs their last two drives, and Cobleskill threw 2 picks and punted it away on their last 3. Cobleskill is now 3-2 on the season; Schalmont has tasted sweet victory every week.
#NumbersDontLie - Schalmont dominated. Very tough squad on both ends of the ball. Devon Willis was the guy for the Sabres, carrying the ball 32 times for 238 yards & 2 TDs, along with some electrifying stuff in the return game. Quarterback Dalton Cooke went 10/15 in the air for 76 yards, throwing a TD and a pick. The line did their job, and he got the ball out quickly; he was only sacked once. Another running back and occasional slot guy, Nick Gallo picked up 19 yards rushing on 6 carries, while having 44 receiving yards on 2 catches and a TD. They held Cobleskill QB Seth Billington to just 2/11, 19 passing yards, and 2 picks, along with 20 rushing yards on 18 carries. Running back Matt Davenport was also held to not much, rushing for just 11 yards on 16 carries. He had 23 receiving yards on 2 catches; Davenport also threw once, getting picked off on Cobleskill's last play from scrimmage. Schalmont outgained Cobleskill 412-55. Damn.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
10/5 Special Edition Most Valuable Thoughts: Schuylerville/Scotia-Glenville Football
Scotia-Glenville 34, Schuylerville 6
I love Section II. The atmosphere, the sense of community, the marching bands. Every time I'm out here, it's just a good time. Don't get that everywhere in Section III. Good thing I might be moving out to Section II land next year...
Showed up right after Scotia got on the board - Marty McCollum made the first of numerous big plays on his end, a 70 yard punt return to the house, putting Scotia up 7-0 midway through the 1st quarter. This game was a contrast of styles - the 2-2 Scotia had its power side, but liked to get RB McCollum & QB Dan Zeglen to the perimeter, move the ball in the air sometimes, and even their bigger RB Ramir Brown was more of an off-tackle, cutback guy. Schuylerville was ground & pound, ground & pound, ground & pound. The teams traded long drives that didn't end up with anything - a 13 play, 56 yard Schuylerville drive that lasted 5 & a half minutes and was halted after an 11 yard loss in the red zone on 4th and goal, followed by a 19 play, 54 yard drive from Scotia that took 7:11 off the clock. Would have taken much longer, but both teams were particularly quick in between plays. Scotia converted its first three 3rd downs, and when they didn't go 4 for 4, they converted on a 4th down. However, a 1 yard loss on 4th & 13 nullified the work leading up to it. They needed a big play to get momentum going - and Dan Zeglen provided it, intercepting his opposing QB William Griffen and giving Scotia great field position, starting their drive at the Schuylerville 31. After a pair of Zeglen runs brought them to the 6, Ramir Brown finished it off with a 6 yard TD run, making the score 14-0 in favor of S-G with 3 to go in the half. After a 3 & out, McCollum hit em with another big play, giving the Tartans some real breathing room. On the 1st play of the drive, he broke one 73 yards to the house, giving Scotia a 21-0 lead. As a matter of fact, it was nearly more, thanks to McCollum again - the Black Horses made the mistake of punting to him in the last 30 seconds. He fielded it at his own 36, cut to the right while evading a pair of tackles, but looked like he was going to be corralled for no real return. However, he stopped quickly, so quickly that he almost slipped with the sloppy field conditions, cut back hard left, zig-zagged his way through 3 more tacklers, and broke diagonally to the left, beating everyone on a 64 yard punt return to the house... ohhh, but it was called back. A stupid block in the back penalty, which was committed at the 3 yard line, negated the score and brought it back to the Schuylerville 13. An illegal substitution penalty brought it back 5 more yards, and Zeglen's completion to Ire Pinney on the last play of the half fell 3 yards short of adding to the scoreboard.
The score remained the same through the 3rd quarter, as the field was getting a bit more sloppy due to the rain falling. I ended up putting the camera away and not really getting any 2nd half shots. Scotia had a shot in the middle of the 3rd, having the ball as deep as the Schuylerville 14 after a punt return was fumbled, but Griffen returned the favor from the 1st half, picking off a Zeglen pass and returning it to his own 43. By the end of the 3rd, Scotia-Glenville had the ball back deep in Black Horse territory, at the 3 to be exact. On 3rd & goal, McCollum punched it in from 1 yard out to make the score 27-0, and I was out to catch Cobleskill-Richmondville/Schalmont. After I left, Griffen put Schuylerville on the scoreboard with a 65 yard TD pass, and Zeglen ran one in from 40 yards out for Scotia. With the win, Scotia is now 3-2 after starting the season losing 2 straight. Schuylerville drops to 1-4.
#ByTheNumbers - It was a run-first game, decided by big plays. Scotia looks a bit more apt to throw the football, but with the weather conditions the way they were, the ground game is naturally going to be more potent. That being said, they were able to beat a ground & pound team soundly with their running game. While I was there (from mid Q1 to early Q4), Marty McCollum racked up 77 rushing yards on 7 carries with 2 TDs; he added 11 yards on 2 receptions, though losing a fumble. He also picked up a boatload of return yards, and would've had a TD if not for the penalty. QB Dan Zeglen went 5/11 in the air for 36 yards and an INT. He has a nice spiral on the ball, and it looks like the passing game would be more potent when it was dry. He ran for 51 yards on 14 carries while I was there - however, I was gone by the time he ran one in from 40 yards out. Ramir Brown had 34 yards on 7 carries through those middle quarters, and I was surprised he didn't get the ball more. He looked like their toughest runner. He also had a TD in the 1st half. On Schuylerville's end, QB William Griffen was held to 3/10 in the air over that time, throwing for 47 yards and a pick. He also was held to 11 yards on 6 carries while losing a fumble. Looks like a playmaker, but the Tartan defense did a good job keeping him in check. Fullback Joshua Thomas, who's their 2nd leading rusher behind Griffen, was held to just 9 yards on 4 carries. He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards. Over the time I was there, Scotia-Glenville outgained Schuylerville 220-46 (neglecting all the return & penalty yards).
I love Section II. The atmosphere, the sense of community, the marching bands. Every time I'm out here, it's just a good time. Don't get that everywhere in Section III. Good thing I might be moving out to Section II land next year...
Showed up right after Scotia got on the board - Marty McCollum made the first of numerous big plays on his end, a 70 yard punt return to the house, putting Scotia up 7-0 midway through the 1st quarter. This game was a contrast of styles - the 2-2 Scotia had its power side, but liked to get RB McCollum & QB Dan Zeglen to the perimeter, move the ball in the air sometimes, and even their bigger RB Ramir Brown was more of an off-tackle, cutback guy. Schuylerville was ground & pound, ground & pound, ground & pound. The teams traded long drives that didn't end up with anything - a 13 play, 56 yard Schuylerville drive that lasted 5 & a half minutes and was halted after an 11 yard loss in the red zone on 4th and goal, followed by a 19 play, 54 yard drive from Scotia that took 7:11 off the clock. Would have taken much longer, but both teams were particularly quick in between plays. Scotia converted its first three 3rd downs, and when they didn't go 4 for 4, they converted on a 4th down. However, a 1 yard loss on 4th & 13 nullified the work leading up to it. They needed a big play to get momentum going - and Dan Zeglen provided it, intercepting his opposing QB William Griffen and giving Scotia great field position, starting their drive at the Schuylerville 31. After a pair of Zeglen runs brought them to the 6, Ramir Brown finished it off with a 6 yard TD run, making the score 14-0 in favor of S-G with 3 to go in the half. After a 3 & out, McCollum hit em with another big play, giving the Tartans some real breathing room. On the 1st play of the drive, he broke one 73 yards to the house, giving Scotia a 21-0 lead. As a matter of fact, it was nearly more, thanks to McCollum again - the Black Horses made the mistake of punting to him in the last 30 seconds. He fielded it at his own 36, cut to the right while evading a pair of tackles, but looked like he was going to be corralled for no real return. However, he stopped quickly, so quickly that he almost slipped with the sloppy field conditions, cut back hard left, zig-zagged his way through 3 more tacklers, and broke diagonally to the left, beating everyone on a 64 yard punt return to the house... ohhh, but it was called back. A stupid block in the back penalty, which was committed at the 3 yard line, negated the score and brought it back to the Schuylerville 13. An illegal substitution penalty brought it back 5 more yards, and Zeglen's completion to Ire Pinney on the last play of the half fell 3 yards short of adding to the scoreboard.
The score remained the same through the 3rd quarter, as the field was getting a bit more sloppy due to the rain falling. I ended up putting the camera away and not really getting any 2nd half shots. Scotia had a shot in the middle of the 3rd, having the ball as deep as the Schuylerville 14 after a punt return was fumbled, but Griffen returned the favor from the 1st half, picking off a Zeglen pass and returning it to his own 43. By the end of the 3rd, Scotia-Glenville had the ball back deep in Black Horse territory, at the 3 to be exact. On 3rd & goal, McCollum punched it in from 1 yard out to make the score 27-0, and I was out to catch Cobleskill-Richmondville/Schalmont. After I left, Griffen put Schuylerville on the scoreboard with a 65 yard TD pass, and Zeglen ran one in from 40 yards out for Scotia. With the win, Scotia is now 3-2 after starting the season losing 2 straight. Schuylerville drops to 1-4.
#ByTheNumbers - It was a run-first game, decided by big plays. Scotia looks a bit more apt to throw the football, but with the weather conditions the way they were, the ground game is naturally going to be more potent. That being said, they were able to beat a ground & pound team soundly with their running game. While I was there (from mid Q1 to early Q4), Marty McCollum racked up 77 rushing yards on 7 carries with 2 TDs; he added 11 yards on 2 receptions, though losing a fumble. He also picked up a boatload of return yards, and would've had a TD if not for the penalty. QB Dan Zeglen went 5/11 in the air for 36 yards and an INT. He has a nice spiral on the ball, and it looks like the passing game would be more potent when it was dry. He ran for 51 yards on 14 carries while I was there - however, I was gone by the time he ran one in from 40 yards out. Ramir Brown had 34 yards on 7 carries through those middle quarters, and I was surprised he didn't get the ball more. He looked like their toughest runner. He also had a TD in the 1st half. On Schuylerville's end, QB William Griffen was held to 3/10 in the air over that time, throwing for 47 yards and a pick. He also was held to 11 yards on 6 carries while losing a fumble. Looks like a playmaker, but the Tartan defense did a good job keeping him in check. Fullback Joshua Thomas, who's their 2nd leading rusher behind Griffen, was held to just 9 yards on 4 carries. He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards. Over the time I was there, Scotia-Glenville outgained Schuylerville 220-46 (neglecting all the return & penalty yards).
10/5 Special Edition Most Valuable Thoughts: CCHS/Canajoharie Girls Soccer
CCHS 4, Canajoharie 1
A tale of two halves. The first half showed numbers well in favor of CCHS, but the scoreboard in favor of Canjo; the second half showed numbers in favor of CCHS, and the scoreboard way in favor of them.
The whole game - or at least the 1st half - was overshadowed by an injury. Hate when that happens, but it's a part of the game. Canajoharie's Morgan Koelbl, already with some noticeable past knee problems, thanks to the hardware covering this knee, went down with a nasty one very early in the game. Saw it right through my camera lens... good thing I didn't eat before, or it would've been all up in front of me. That ish was nasty. Dislocated kneecap. Wish her the best. In the flow of the game, this caused some changes. Normal goalie Lauren Balfe moved to midfield, and Andrea Dingman moved into goal. She did a nice job in replacement, and it took quite a while for the undefeated Crusaders, ranked #10 in the state in Class B, to put one on her. As a matter of fact, the Cougars struck first. About midway through the half, they got some breathing room up top, and the quickness Canjo's strikers display took over. Jordan Hammons played a ball through to Jordyn Logan, who got one past CCHS GK Lauren Paravella to give Canjo a 1-0 lead with about 21 to go in the half. CCHS outshot Canjo 14-3 in the half, forcing Balfe to make 2 saves and Dingman to make 6, but Canajoharie still held the 1-0 lead at halftime.
Canjo did continue to challenge to put #2 through, but it never happened. With around 29 minutes to go (no scoreboard), CCHS' 2 studs up front started to impose their will. Alexis Riffelbach attempted a shot, which was saved by Dingman. However, the rebound went right to a charging Madison Purcell, who tapped it through to tie it up. A few minutes later, Riffelbach put one through herself on a header to give the Crusaders the 2-1 lead. At this point, Canjo looked deflated, and I figured it was all said and done. Jenelle Dillenbeck gave them a couple decent attempts, and Dainara Veeder made a few nice runs from the back line, but nothing could connect for an equalizer. Riffelbach gave CCHS an insurance goal with around 15 minutes to play, and if they needed more insurance, Purcell did the honors with just over 6 to play, making the score 4-1. Canajoharie is a very nice team, especially in Section 2 Class C. They're not state-ranked at the moment, but they're definitely a team that's knocking on the door. The loss dropped them to 9-3 - their 3 losses came to CCHS twice, who's #10 in B, and Schoharie once, who's #6 in C. It also snapped a 7 match winning streak, in which they outscored their opponents 51-4. However, CCHS is very strong. Of course - they're in the top 10 in Class B. The win boosted them to 11-0 - as a matter off fact, this game was only the 3rd time they've scored less than 5 goals. 2 goals apiece from Riffelbach and Purcell gave Riffelbach 17 goals on the season, and moved Purcell's goal total up to 16. It was a good game between two good teams. Wouldn't mind watching either squad again.
#ByTheNumbers - CCHS was stronger. Didn't totally dominate, but the numbers definitely were in favor of the Crusaders. They outshot the Cougars by a large margin, forced Canjo goalies to make 10 saves and handle 9 other non-save situations, and forced Canjo to take a much higher number of goal kicks - all showing they were putting the added pressure on Canajoharie. Canjo just was able to hold them off for the majority of the game.
Shots - 23-7 CCHS
Corners - 1-1
Saves - 10-1 Canajoharie
GK Touches - 9-3 Canajoharie
Goal Kicks - 10-3 Canajoharie
A tale of two halves. The first half showed numbers well in favor of CCHS, but the scoreboard in favor of Canjo; the second half showed numbers in favor of CCHS, and the scoreboard way in favor of them.
The whole game - or at least the 1st half - was overshadowed by an injury. Hate when that happens, but it's a part of the game. Canajoharie's Morgan Koelbl, already with some noticeable past knee problems, thanks to the hardware covering this knee, went down with a nasty one very early in the game. Saw it right through my camera lens... good thing I didn't eat before, or it would've been all up in front of me. That ish was nasty. Dislocated kneecap. Wish her the best. In the flow of the game, this caused some changes. Normal goalie Lauren Balfe moved to midfield, and Andrea Dingman moved into goal. She did a nice job in replacement, and it took quite a while for the undefeated Crusaders, ranked #10 in the state in Class B, to put one on her. As a matter of fact, the Cougars struck first. About midway through the half, they got some breathing room up top, and the quickness Canjo's strikers display took over. Jordan Hammons played a ball through to Jordyn Logan, who got one past CCHS GK Lauren Paravella to give Canjo a 1-0 lead with about 21 to go in the half. CCHS outshot Canjo 14-3 in the half, forcing Balfe to make 2 saves and Dingman to make 6, but Canajoharie still held the 1-0 lead at halftime.
Canjo did continue to challenge to put #2 through, but it never happened. With around 29 minutes to go (no scoreboard), CCHS' 2 studs up front started to impose their will. Alexis Riffelbach attempted a shot, which was saved by Dingman. However, the rebound went right to a charging Madison Purcell, who tapped it through to tie it up. A few minutes later, Riffelbach put one through herself on a header to give the Crusaders the 2-1 lead. At this point, Canjo looked deflated, and I figured it was all said and done. Jenelle Dillenbeck gave them a couple decent attempts, and Dainara Veeder made a few nice runs from the back line, but nothing could connect for an equalizer. Riffelbach gave CCHS an insurance goal with around 15 minutes to play, and if they needed more insurance, Purcell did the honors with just over 6 to play, making the score 4-1. Canajoharie is a very nice team, especially in Section 2 Class C. They're not state-ranked at the moment, but they're definitely a team that's knocking on the door. The loss dropped them to 9-3 - their 3 losses came to CCHS twice, who's #10 in B, and Schoharie once, who's #6 in C. It also snapped a 7 match winning streak, in which they outscored their opponents 51-4. However, CCHS is very strong. Of course - they're in the top 10 in Class B. The win boosted them to 11-0 - as a matter off fact, this game was only the 3rd time they've scored less than 5 goals. 2 goals apiece from Riffelbach and Purcell gave Riffelbach 17 goals on the season, and moved Purcell's goal total up to 16. It was a good game between two good teams. Wouldn't mind watching either squad again.
#ByTheNumbers - CCHS was stronger. Didn't totally dominate, but the numbers definitely were in favor of the Crusaders. They outshot the Cougars by a large margin, forced Canjo goalies to make 10 saves and handle 9 other non-save situations, and forced Canjo to take a much higher number of goal kicks - all showing they were putting the added pressure on Canajoharie. Canjo just was able to hold them off for the majority of the game.
Shots - 23-7 CCHS
Corners - 1-1
Saves - 10-1 Canajoharie
GK Touches - 9-3 Canajoharie
Goal Kicks - 10-3 Canajoharie
10/5 Most Valuable Thoughts: Dolgeville/Remsen Girls Soccer
Remsen 5, Dolgeville 0
Missed the 1st half of this one. It was already 3-0 by the time I got there - Joleen Marfone scored both of her goals in those 1st 40 minutes. Caught some decent action and got some good shots while I was there, though, so that works.
As expected, Remsen dominated. They put an insane amount of shots up, and had the ball within 35 yards of where they wanted it almost the whole time. The 2 goals they scored in the 2nd half came from the same player, 69 seconds apart. Elisha Hamilton did the honors. The first one was scored off a Brittany Waterbury corner kick with 32:15 remaining when she bodied it into the goal, making it 4-0. They were able to get a runout a minute later, and Hamilton finished a Taylor Childers cross by poking it through with 31:06 to go.
#NumbersDontLie - This couldn't get much more lopsided. In the 2nd half alone, Remsen nearly averaged a shot every 2 minutes, and they kept the pressure on the whole way. 2nd half stats below:
Shots - 19-2 Remsen
Corners - 2-1 Remsen
Saves - 6-1 Dolgeville
GK Touches - 8-2 Dolgeville
Goal Kicks - 13-1 Dolgeville
Like I stated in a tweet, the ball was in jail - the jail was Remsen's attacking third. It kept trying to escape, and it was set free a couple times.... just to be brought back to its home very quickly.
Missed the 1st half of this one. It was already 3-0 by the time I got there - Joleen Marfone scored both of her goals in those 1st 40 minutes. Caught some decent action and got some good shots while I was there, though, so that works.
As expected, Remsen dominated. They put an insane amount of shots up, and had the ball within 35 yards of where they wanted it almost the whole time. The 2 goals they scored in the 2nd half came from the same player, 69 seconds apart. Elisha Hamilton did the honors. The first one was scored off a Brittany Waterbury corner kick with 32:15 remaining when she bodied it into the goal, making it 4-0. They were able to get a runout a minute later, and Hamilton finished a Taylor Childers cross by poking it through with 31:06 to go.
#NumbersDontLie - This couldn't get much more lopsided. In the 2nd half alone, Remsen nearly averaged a shot every 2 minutes, and they kept the pressure on the whole way. 2nd half stats below:
Shots - 19-2 Remsen
Corners - 2-1 Remsen
Saves - 6-1 Dolgeville
GK Touches - 8-2 Dolgeville
Goal Kicks - 13-1 Dolgeville
Like I stated in a tweet, the ball was in jail - the jail was Remsen's attacking third. It kept trying to escape, and it was set free a couple times.... just to be brought back to its home very quickly.
10/4 Most Valuable Thoughts: Oriskany/Sandy Creek Football
Sandy Creek 60, Oriskany 0
God, this was bad. I told myself to not even do an article, not even total stats, not even do a thing with this one. However, I will. Sandy Creek is a tough, pretty classy bunch, and I liked their coaches, so I'll do a little bit.
The line crew and I had a friendly bet going: over/under how many plays it would take Sandy Creek to score on their first drive. Line was set at 3, I picked that exact number. It was over - 7 plays, to be exact. A 37 yard hookup from Tyler Swarthout to Zach Halsey set up a 3 yard TD run from Cameron Hall, which gave the Comets a 6-0 lead with 6:30 left in the 1st. After forcing a 3 & out (one of 4 they forced in the 1st half), they moved 70 yards in 2 plays in a quick scoring drive. Kyle Fayette started it with a 26 yard run, and John Shirley put them up 12-0 on the next play, a 44 yard dash into the end zone with 4:30 left in the 1st. Sandy Creek scored on the next drive as well, which was triggered by a pair of 13 yard runs & a 20 yard reception by Cameron Hall, and finished by the person everyone's talking about.
Grace Wallace. The story's up everywhere now. 1st girl to score in Section III in 3 years, and just a great story. She plunged in from 1 yard out to give the Comets a 20-0 lead on the 2nd play of the 2nd quarter.
It got no better for the Redskins. Another 3 & out gave Sandy Creek nice field position for the 2nd straight time, this one at midfield. 5 plays later, Hall ran one in from 23 yards out to give Sandy Creek a 27-0 lead, this time with just under 8 to go in the half. An offsides penalty on 3rd & 3 gave Oriskany its first 1st down, and their only one of the half, but on the next play, an Ethan Juarez pass was deflected and picked off by 6'1", 380 pound Shane Rowell at the Oriskany 25. Sophomore Jared Baird proceeded to run it in from 25 yards out, pushing the score up to 33-0 at the 5:36 mark. That marked 5 straight drives that Sandy Creek finished in the end zone. They had another chance - punting the ball away from the Redskin 44 in the last 7 seconds of the half, the Redskin returner had it bounce off his chest to the ground, where a Comet recovered it at the 12. There was 0.1 second left on the clock. Instead of giving 40-0 a shot, Sandy Creek took a knee, although they were only 12 yards out. That was an almost-odd bit of class that didn't go unnoticed. Not like they needed the extra points.
Sandy Creek got the ball to start the 2nd half and kept it up. Hall actually returned the kickoff for a TD, but a holding penalty brought it back to Oriskany's 31. A 24 yard run by Shirley set up a 1 yard plunge by Bobby Cornell to give the Comets a 39-0 lead 2 minutes into the 2nd half. A couple drives later, Oriskany was pinned back at their own 6. A false start brought it back to the 3, and Shamis Lasher was tackled 3 yards into the end zone on the next play to make the score 41-0 off a safety. Another big return, to the 21 this time, set up a 4 yard Zach Brown TD run. The quarter ended with that same 47-0 score. Another big punt return set up another scoring drive. The ball was returned to Oriskany's 33, and a 28 yard run on the 1st play of the drive from Brad Clark set up a 2 yard score from Luke Elliot. That 54-0 score wasn't the end - after Oriskany's longest drive, an 11 play, 31 yard drive that saw them get to Sandy Creek's 25, which was the closest they got - Kyle Fayette hit Tyler Swarthout with a pass that turned into a 67 yard TD. From then on, it was all over but the cryin'. Oriskany picked it up in the 2nd half, albeit against some 2nd string players for the most part, but there was no saving this one.
#NumbersDontLie - 60-0. Need any other numbers?...
I'll give you a few. The Comets reallllly spread the love. Kyle Fayette only threw 1 pass, the 67 yard TD. He had 3 carries for 37 yards. Cameron Hall ran for 75 yards and 2 TDs in 8 carries; he also caught 1 pass from Tyler Swarthout for 20 yards. John Shirley only carried the ball 3 times, but picked up 70 yards and a TD. Sandy Creek outgained Oriskany 455-68 in all... and it could've been much worse.
Neat-o Stat of the Night - Cameron Hall was the only Sandy Creek Comet to be a part of more than 1 TD - he ran for 2. Besides that, a total of 8 players were in the end zone for their 9 TDs. Told you they spread the love.
God, this was bad. I told myself to not even do an article, not even total stats, not even do a thing with this one. However, I will. Sandy Creek is a tough, pretty classy bunch, and I liked their coaches, so I'll do a little bit.
The line crew and I had a friendly bet going: over/under how many plays it would take Sandy Creek to score on their first drive. Line was set at 3, I picked that exact number. It was over - 7 plays, to be exact. A 37 yard hookup from Tyler Swarthout to Zach Halsey set up a 3 yard TD run from Cameron Hall, which gave the Comets a 6-0 lead with 6:30 left in the 1st. After forcing a 3 & out (one of 4 they forced in the 1st half), they moved 70 yards in 2 plays in a quick scoring drive. Kyle Fayette started it with a 26 yard run, and John Shirley put them up 12-0 on the next play, a 44 yard dash into the end zone with 4:30 left in the 1st. Sandy Creek scored on the next drive as well, which was triggered by a pair of 13 yard runs & a 20 yard reception by Cameron Hall, and finished by the person everyone's talking about.
Grace Wallace. The story's up everywhere now. 1st girl to score in Section III in 3 years, and just a great story. She plunged in from 1 yard out to give the Comets a 20-0 lead on the 2nd play of the 2nd quarter.
It got no better for the Redskins. Another 3 & out gave Sandy Creek nice field position for the 2nd straight time, this one at midfield. 5 plays later, Hall ran one in from 23 yards out to give Sandy Creek a 27-0 lead, this time with just under 8 to go in the half. An offsides penalty on 3rd & 3 gave Oriskany its first 1st down, and their only one of the half, but on the next play, an Ethan Juarez pass was deflected and picked off by 6'1", 380 pound Shane Rowell at the Oriskany 25. Sophomore Jared Baird proceeded to run it in from 25 yards out, pushing the score up to 33-0 at the 5:36 mark. That marked 5 straight drives that Sandy Creek finished in the end zone. They had another chance - punting the ball away from the Redskin 44 in the last 7 seconds of the half, the Redskin returner had it bounce off his chest to the ground, where a Comet recovered it at the 12. There was 0.1 second left on the clock. Instead of giving 40-0 a shot, Sandy Creek took a knee, although they were only 12 yards out. That was an almost-odd bit of class that didn't go unnoticed. Not like they needed the extra points.
Sandy Creek got the ball to start the 2nd half and kept it up. Hall actually returned the kickoff for a TD, but a holding penalty brought it back to Oriskany's 31. A 24 yard run by Shirley set up a 1 yard plunge by Bobby Cornell to give the Comets a 39-0 lead 2 minutes into the 2nd half. A couple drives later, Oriskany was pinned back at their own 6. A false start brought it back to the 3, and Shamis Lasher was tackled 3 yards into the end zone on the next play to make the score 41-0 off a safety. Another big return, to the 21 this time, set up a 4 yard Zach Brown TD run. The quarter ended with that same 47-0 score. Another big punt return set up another scoring drive. The ball was returned to Oriskany's 33, and a 28 yard run on the 1st play of the drive from Brad Clark set up a 2 yard score from Luke Elliot. That 54-0 score wasn't the end - after Oriskany's longest drive, an 11 play, 31 yard drive that saw them get to Sandy Creek's 25, which was the closest they got - Kyle Fayette hit Tyler Swarthout with a pass that turned into a 67 yard TD. From then on, it was all over but the cryin'. Oriskany picked it up in the 2nd half, albeit against some 2nd string players for the most part, but there was no saving this one.
#NumbersDontLie - 60-0. Need any other numbers?...
I'll give you a few. The Comets reallllly spread the love. Kyle Fayette only threw 1 pass, the 67 yard TD. He had 3 carries for 37 yards. Cameron Hall ran for 75 yards and 2 TDs in 8 carries; he also caught 1 pass from Tyler Swarthout for 20 yards. John Shirley only carried the ball 3 times, but picked up 70 yards and a TD. Sandy Creek outgained Oriskany 455-68 in all... and it could've been much worse.
Neat-o Stat of the Night - Cameron Hall was the only Sandy Creek Comet to be a part of more than 1 TD - he ran for 2. Besides that, a total of 8 players were in the end zone for their 9 TDs. Told you they spread the love.
Monday, October 7, 2013
10/4 Most Valuable Thoughts: Belleville-Henderson/Sackets Harbor Boys Soccer
Sackets Harbor 1, Belleville-Henderson 0
This one was a shocker. Entering the game, Sackets was 8-2; Belleville 0-9. Everyone was crushing Belleville, including Sackets the first time they played (11-0 to be exact). Thought this was going to be a laugher, just an easy game to go to while up north before Oriskany/Sandy Creek. I was wrong.
Got there midway through the 1st half. Thought it was probably 3-0 or 4-0 (didn't know because there's no scoreboard). It was actually scoreless. Sackets certainly looked like the better team, and they had it in their attacking half almost exclusively, but not much was going on. The one goal was put through with about 14 minutes remaining in the 1st half. Ryan Allen played a cross to Shea Lynch, who put it past keeper Eli Merced with a pretty play. However, that was that. Sackets' overall numbers were staggering compared to Belleville-Henderson. In the 2nd half, they outshot their opponents 13-0, had 3 corner kicks, and the Sackets GK only touched the ball 3 times, none of them being saves. They forced Merced to make 7 2nd half saves, and he grabbed the ball in non-save opportunities 4 more times. Belleville-Henderson did get away with a call that I thought was iffy - Merced dove for the ball, looked as if he was about to secure it, but bobbled it just a bit. While the ball was right next to him, but not under control, a Sackets player jarred it toward the goal. The official near the play blew it dead, saying the GK had full control. Did he? Not at that moment - but it was still a great effort, nonetheless. It could've been 4 or 5-0, but Merced sprawled out to make a few diving stops in the 2nd half, including a pair of would-be own goals. He was credited with 10 saves for the game, and I was there for 8 of them.
#NumbersDontLie - Sackets dominated the stats in the 2nd half. Already mentioned the numbers above.
MVT MVP - Gotta give it to Eli Merced. His team may have lost 1-0, but he did a hell of a job in goal making sure it stayed at 1 and didn't balloon to much more. Belleville-Henderson didn't look like a winless team out there on Friday afternoon, and that's a whole lot to do with the goalkeeping of Merced.
This one was a shocker. Entering the game, Sackets was 8-2; Belleville 0-9. Everyone was crushing Belleville, including Sackets the first time they played (11-0 to be exact). Thought this was going to be a laugher, just an easy game to go to while up north before Oriskany/Sandy Creek. I was wrong.
Got there midway through the 1st half. Thought it was probably 3-0 or 4-0 (didn't know because there's no scoreboard). It was actually scoreless. Sackets certainly looked like the better team, and they had it in their attacking half almost exclusively, but not much was going on. The one goal was put through with about 14 minutes remaining in the 1st half. Ryan Allen played a cross to Shea Lynch, who put it past keeper Eli Merced with a pretty play. However, that was that. Sackets' overall numbers were staggering compared to Belleville-Henderson. In the 2nd half, they outshot their opponents 13-0, had 3 corner kicks, and the Sackets GK only touched the ball 3 times, none of them being saves. They forced Merced to make 7 2nd half saves, and he grabbed the ball in non-save opportunities 4 more times. Belleville-Henderson did get away with a call that I thought was iffy - Merced dove for the ball, looked as if he was about to secure it, but bobbled it just a bit. While the ball was right next to him, but not under control, a Sackets player jarred it toward the goal. The official near the play blew it dead, saying the GK had full control. Did he? Not at that moment - but it was still a great effort, nonetheless. It could've been 4 or 5-0, but Merced sprawled out to make a few diving stops in the 2nd half, including a pair of would-be own goals. He was credited with 10 saves for the game, and I was there for 8 of them.
#NumbersDontLie - Sackets dominated the stats in the 2nd half. Already mentioned the numbers above.
MVT MVP - Gotta give it to Eli Merced. His team may have lost 1-0, but he did a hell of a job in goal making sure it stayed at 1 and didn't balloon to much more. Belleville-Henderson didn't look like a winless team out there on Friday afternoon, and that's a whole lot to do with the goalkeeping of Merced.
10/3 Most Valuable Thoughts: Waterville @ Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton Football
Waterville 26, Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton 14
Quick thoughts. This one was a little interesting. Not sure whether I learned more about M-E/H or Waterville in this game. I'm leaning towards the side of Waterville - as in they're not as good as their record indicates. Nothing against them, they've won the games they're supposed to win. However, their 4-1 record is a little inflated because they've yet to step on the field against Herkimer & Dolgeville. Both of those teams had their bench in by the 3rd quarter. Waterville needed all 48 minutes to get this win. On to the game.
After the squads traded punts, the Vipers got on the board first with a drive that was spearheaded by EJ Hackney. He had 41 yards on 4 carries during the drive, including a 4 yard TD run to put Morrisville, the home team, up 6-0 about 7 minutes into the game. They had a chance to add to it - went for an onside kick and recovered - but the drive stalled in the red zone, where M-E/H turned it over on downs at the Waterville 10. The Indians responded with their best drive of the night. Pinned at the 3 after QB Jon Piersma was taken down for a loss, they proceeded to move 97 yards in the next 9 plays. An offsides penalty also helped Waterville. They got out of enemy territory with a 35 yard connection from Piersma to Zach Sawyer. They had another connection of 18 yards to get near the red zone, and Piersma finished it off 4 plays later with a 3 yard TD run on 3rd & goal to give Waterville a 7-6 lead early in the 2nd. Morrisville wasn't done yet, though. After picking up 4 yards on a big 4th & 1 near their own 40, EJ Hackney turned the next play into a 55 yard TD run, putting M-E/H back up 14-7 with 7:30 left in the half. Waterville had a shot late in the half, using a hurry-up offense to get inside Morrisville's 30, but a 15 yard loss on a high shotgun snap proved to be the drive killer.
It was just a delay of the inevitable. Waterville got the ball to start the 2nd half and turned it up from the start. A 51 yard run by Casey Jones was the big play that set up a 12 yard TD pass from Piersma to Sawyer, tying it at 14 with just under 8 to go in the 3rd. This was no longer a back-and-forth game, though. Isaiah Spooner picked off a Bryce Belanger pass and returned it to Morrisville's 19 to set up an easy drive for Waterville - in my opinion, this was the play of the game. After Jones rushed for no gain, Connor Jipson got the ball and took it those 19 yards to the house, giving Waterville a 20-14 lead with just over 5 to play in the 3rd. 3 plays into the next Morrisville drive, Casey Jones picked off another Belanger pass, and Waterville was back in business in the red zone, this time at the 20. On 3rd & 1 at the 11, Piersma hit Sawyer for an 11 yard score. This put Waterville up 26-14 with around 2:15 to go in the 3rd, and proved to be the last points put up in the game.
Morrisville had its opportunities. The ensuing drive of theirs lasted 8 minutes and spanned 63 yards at one point, before Hackney lost 4 yards on a 4th & 4 at the Waterville 7. After forcing the Indians into a 3 & out, Morrisville picked up a big 43 yard punt return to set up 1st & goal at the 7 with 4:24 to go. However, they got nothing going, and a Belanger pass fell incomplete on 4th & goal at the 5, nullifying that opportunity. They pinned Waterville at the 1 on 4th down, but a 60 yard punt with no return knocked the Vipers back to their own 39 with 1:27 left. Belanger completed a 36 yard pass on the 1st play, but they went no further, throwing a pick to Piersma 3 plays later. Waterville improved to 4-1, Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton now 1-4.
For Waterville, Jon Piersma went 8/17 in the air for 122 passing yards and 2 TDs; he also ran for 14 yards on 11 carries and another TD. Zach Sawyer was his main target, catching 6 passes for 101 yards and was on the receiving end of both TD passes. Connor Jipson had 7 carries for 36 yards and a TD, and Casey Jones ran for 54 yards on 5 carries, all in the 2nd half. On Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton's end, Bryce Belanger had a rough day under center. He went 3/15, throwing for 47 yards and 3 picks. He lost 11 yards on 2 carries in the option game. EJ Hackney picked up 162 yards on the ground off of 25 carries and 2 TDs, and Nick Christman had 13 carries for 67 yards.
Neat-o Stat of the Night: Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton outgained Waterville overall: 269-217. However, yards don't always equal wins. Ask the Cowboys. The Vipers came up short on some great oportunities, and it cost them what would've been a huge W.
Quick thoughts. This one was a little interesting. Not sure whether I learned more about M-E/H or Waterville in this game. I'm leaning towards the side of Waterville - as in they're not as good as their record indicates. Nothing against them, they've won the games they're supposed to win. However, their 4-1 record is a little inflated because they've yet to step on the field against Herkimer & Dolgeville. Both of those teams had their bench in by the 3rd quarter. Waterville needed all 48 minutes to get this win. On to the game.
After the squads traded punts, the Vipers got on the board first with a drive that was spearheaded by EJ Hackney. He had 41 yards on 4 carries during the drive, including a 4 yard TD run to put Morrisville, the home team, up 6-0 about 7 minutes into the game. They had a chance to add to it - went for an onside kick and recovered - but the drive stalled in the red zone, where M-E/H turned it over on downs at the Waterville 10. The Indians responded with their best drive of the night. Pinned at the 3 after QB Jon Piersma was taken down for a loss, they proceeded to move 97 yards in the next 9 plays. An offsides penalty also helped Waterville. They got out of enemy territory with a 35 yard connection from Piersma to Zach Sawyer. They had another connection of 18 yards to get near the red zone, and Piersma finished it off 4 plays later with a 3 yard TD run on 3rd & goal to give Waterville a 7-6 lead early in the 2nd. Morrisville wasn't done yet, though. After picking up 4 yards on a big 4th & 1 near their own 40, EJ Hackney turned the next play into a 55 yard TD run, putting M-E/H back up 14-7 with 7:30 left in the half. Waterville had a shot late in the half, using a hurry-up offense to get inside Morrisville's 30, but a 15 yard loss on a high shotgun snap proved to be the drive killer.
It was just a delay of the inevitable. Waterville got the ball to start the 2nd half and turned it up from the start. A 51 yard run by Casey Jones was the big play that set up a 12 yard TD pass from Piersma to Sawyer, tying it at 14 with just under 8 to go in the 3rd. This was no longer a back-and-forth game, though. Isaiah Spooner picked off a Bryce Belanger pass and returned it to Morrisville's 19 to set up an easy drive for Waterville - in my opinion, this was the play of the game. After Jones rushed for no gain, Connor Jipson got the ball and took it those 19 yards to the house, giving Waterville a 20-14 lead with just over 5 to play in the 3rd. 3 plays into the next Morrisville drive, Casey Jones picked off another Belanger pass, and Waterville was back in business in the red zone, this time at the 20. On 3rd & 1 at the 11, Piersma hit Sawyer for an 11 yard score. This put Waterville up 26-14 with around 2:15 to go in the 3rd, and proved to be the last points put up in the game.
Morrisville had its opportunities. The ensuing drive of theirs lasted 8 minutes and spanned 63 yards at one point, before Hackney lost 4 yards on a 4th & 4 at the Waterville 7. After forcing the Indians into a 3 & out, Morrisville picked up a big 43 yard punt return to set up 1st & goal at the 7 with 4:24 to go. However, they got nothing going, and a Belanger pass fell incomplete on 4th & goal at the 5, nullifying that opportunity. They pinned Waterville at the 1 on 4th down, but a 60 yard punt with no return knocked the Vipers back to their own 39 with 1:27 left. Belanger completed a 36 yard pass on the 1st play, but they went no further, throwing a pick to Piersma 3 plays later. Waterville improved to 4-1, Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton now 1-4.
For Waterville, Jon Piersma went 8/17 in the air for 122 passing yards and 2 TDs; he also ran for 14 yards on 11 carries and another TD. Zach Sawyer was his main target, catching 6 passes for 101 yards and was on the receiving end of both TD passes. Connor Jipson had 7 carries for 36 yards and a TD, and Casey Jones ran for 54 yards on 5 carries, all in the 2nd half. On Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton's end, Bryce Belanger had a rough day under center. He went 3/15, throwing for 47 yards and 3 picks. He lost 11 yards on 2 carries in the option game. EJ Hackney picked up 162 yards on the ground off of 25 carries and 2 TDs, and Nick Christman had 13 carries for 67 yards.
Neat-o Stat of the Night: Morrisville-Eaton/Hamilton outgained Waterville overall: 269-217. However, yards don't always equal wins. Ask the Cowboys. The Vipers came up short on some great oportunities, and it cost them what would've been a huge W.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
The Roundup - Week 5, Section 3 Football
They waitin' on us like the 1st & the 15th... so let's get to it.
3 teams hit 60 or passed it (Westmoreland, Fayetteville-Manlius, Sandy Creek), and I witnessed the largest margin of victory that I've ever been present for - a 60-0 Sandy Creek W over Oriskany, just surpassing the 57-0 shalacking I witnessed Sauquoit take against Herkimer back in 2011. A couple could have been worse than that - IHC was up 49-0 on Grimes at half, CBA had Central Square 42-0 at half. Whitesboro, Mexico, and Little Falls finally got going, New Hartford kept it going, ES-M & ITC picked up wins in arguably the games of the week, and CVA again let one slip away late. Let's run them all down - by class, as usual.
AA
CBA 55, Central Square 6 - No surprise. The undefeated over the winless. CBA scored 3 straight TDs on returns - 2 punts & a pick-6. Deshawn Salter caught a TD pass, ran one in, and returned a punt for one. JR Zazzara threw for two. Just another day at the office for the Brothers.
Henninger 34, C-NS 6 - Former Athlete of the Week Romero Collier went 14/21, throwing for 228 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran ones in from 4 and 57 yards out. Keisean Scott caught 8 of those passes for 152 of those yards and a TD - and he also ran one in.
West Genesee 38, Corcoran 18 - The Wildcats gradually pulled away from the Cougars in a battle between two teams stuck at .500. Naesean Howard hit the end zone from 10 & 22 yards out, and Dashon Turner threw for 1 and ran for 1.
Liverpool 41, Proctor 7 - The winners used a big 2nd quarter to get separation in this one. Jadakis Scott ran for a pair of TDs, and Ben Terzini caught a pair of touchdown passes from different QBs. Proctor still #GoneFishin for a win.
Fayetteville-Manlius 63, RFA 19 - Ridiculous as it may seem, nearly all the scoring was done in the 1st half - it was 56-19 headed into the break. Jake Wittig threw for 5 TDs and ran for 1. The 5 TDs alone totaled 214 yards. The Hornets are also undefeated - and scoring at will.
Baldwinsville 35, Auburn 15 - Balanced attack for the Bees, no one impacted more than 2 TDs. Gage Blasi threw for one and ran for one: Cameron Skipworth ran for one and caught one. They've shown that the loss of Rouse hasn't slowed them down one bit, now at 4-1.
A
East Syracuse-Minoa 14, Jamesville-Dewitt 7 - The Red Rams were blanked after the 1st quarter in this battle between squads 3-1 entering the game. Sean Richardson had a hand in both TDs scored for the winners - a 4 yd run in the 2nd & a 12 yd pass to Patrick Bryant in the 3rd. He also finished with 133 yards passing and 65 rushing.
Albany 34, Fowler 12 - The Falcons got blasted 26-0 in the middle quarters and dropped to 0-5 in this one. Dalton Cooley scored both times for Fowler on runs of 44 and 13 yards.
New Hartford 53, Fulton 25 - The Spartans scored the first 26, and they went from big losing streak to 4-1 in the blink of an eye. Stephen Tomaino ran the first 3 TDs in from 69, 7, and 5 yards out.
Whitesboro 25, Fulton 7 - Using a big 2nd half, the Warriors finally got their 1st W. They've been in every game so far. Andy DiVaccaro ran for a pair of TDs, and Bodhi Forbes threw for one and ran for one.
Carthage 41, Nottingham 20 - The Comets improve to 5-0 after slowly pulling away from a Nottingham that's having a down year. Josh Capers was the guy for Carthage on this evening, picking up 3 rushing TDs from 4, 17, and 53 yards out.
Indian River 43, Watertown 6 - Told myself I'd hit this one if Oriskany/Sandy Creek got too bad. It got too bad, but I stayed. Glad I did. Would've driven an hour to go from bad to bad. IR scored 27 in the 2nd quarter. Connor Brown threw for 2 TDs and ran for 1. Both TD passes were to Elijah Franklin, who also returned a punt for a score.
B
Westhill 10, Cortland 6 - Offense optional in this one. Westhill now 3-2, Cortland 2-3. All but a Westhill FG scored in the 4th quarter - a Ja'Shai Jameson 5 yard TD run was the game winner for the Warriors.
Homer 42, Solvay 2 - The Bearcats did not pull a New Hartford. After breaking their years-long losing streak last week, Homer made sure the winning streak stopped at 1, while boosting their record to 5-0. Alec Bush ran for a pair of TDs, Drew Cottrell threw for 1 and ran for 1. The pass was to Jayden Gavidia, who also returned a kick to the house.
Chittenango 49, Marcellus 21 - Marcellus might have been the favorite by record, but the 1-3 Bears picked up a big W Friday night. 3 Chittenango players rushed for over 100 yards; Andrew Flack 165 on 20 carries & 2 TDs, Connor Mills 139 on 14 and a TD, and Cory Benn 120 on 7 and 2 scores.
V-V-S 21, CVA 20 - The Thunder let another one slip away from them - 2-3 on the year, but could easily be 4-1, which is what the Red Devils are now. A 37 yard field goal off the foot of Zack Durant gave them the win. The final score was the only lead VVS had the whole way.
Cazenovia 26, Oneida 0 - Caz basically told everyone that said this should be a good game to shut up in 48 minutes of beatdown. Andrew Vogl ran the first 3 TDs in from 27, 2, and 1 yards out. The team ranked #4 in Class B made sure people don't put other teams close to them yet... even the previously undefeated Indians, ranked #12 themselves.
Mexico 44, Phoenix 21 - Someone's gotta win, right? Both teams 0-4 entering this one. Mexico scored 25 straight in the 1st through 3rd quarters, and outscored the Firebirds 30-8 in the middle quarters. Collin Haynes ran to the promised land 3 times and caught 2 passes for scores.
Camden 41, South Jefferson 27 - Camden must just be inconsistent and turn it on and off. Watched them do that against VVS and turn it off at the wrong time - and this looks more of the on/off scheme. They got up 21-0, then SJ cut it to 21-19, and Camden scored the next 20 to put it away. Ryan McCarthy threw for 1 TD & ran for 2, Jeremy Zeitchel ran for a pair, and Kevin Jones caught the TD pass, along with returning a pick to the house.
C
General Brown 40, Adirondack 0 - This one was over at the kickoff. Lions got up 33-0 in the 1st quarter, and the highest ranked team in Section 3 (#14 in C polls) walked to a win. A whole bunch of guys got in on this one, including Evan Will, who threw for 2 TDs and ran for 1, and Jared Christopher, who ran for 2. Evan Will dominate you.
Bishop Ludden 22, Hannibal 18 - You can tell it isn't a normal Ludden season when they had to come back from down double-digits to stop a winless team from beating them, but that's what they had to do in this one. Down 18-7 in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Pecoriello finished it off with TD runs of 42 and 65 yards to get the Gaelic Knights the W.
Institute of Technology 28, Canastota 7 - Dubbed by many as the game of the week, Tech showed why they're more than deserving of getting in those state rankings this week, shutting Canastota out until the 4th quarter. Josh Thomas started it off with a 48 yard TD run, and they poured it on from there.
Jordan-Elbridge 33, Onondaga 6 - The C handles their business against the D. Lamatt Chisholm scored a pair of TDs in the middle quarters with 2 & 5 yard runs, and Austin Barrigar accounted for the other 2, running for one in the 1st & throwing for the other in the 4th.
Skaneateles 28, Port Byron 14 - Skaneateles used a balanced attack to slowly pull away from the Panthers and improve to 4-1. No Skaneateles player accounted for more than one TD.
Watertown IHC 51, Bishop Grimes 0 - The C handles the D. Michael Marra scored on half of his carries - 6 rushes for 106 yards and 3 TDs. Cole Carpenter went 6/7 and threw for a pair of TDs. The Cavaliers were up 49-0 at half.
Thousand Islands 13, APW 12 - The Rebels almost picked up their first W, but two 2nd half TD runs from Tavis Anderson ensured that wouldn't happen. He had a 3rd quarter score from 24 yards out, and the eventual game-winner in the 4th, which was punched in from the 6.
Beaver River 35, Lowville 33 - The C did not handle the D - but this one seems like it was a fun one to watch. Lowville got 249 passing yards on 13/20 and 3 TDs from Brian O'Connor to go with 159 yards on 22 carries from Robert Campany, but that was in the loss, thanks to big numbers and plays from the Beavers, whose only W before knocking off the team that lost to Herkimer in the C-2 final last year was to winless Oriskany. It was the Kyle Steiner and Erik Lyndaker show: Steiner went 10/18 for over 160 yards and 2 passing TDs, along with 141 yards on the ground and 2 TDs off 19 carries, and Lyndaker ran for 177 on 20 carries and 1 rushing TD to go with 6 receptions for 123 receiving yards and 2 TDs in that fashion. The winning TD in the 4th was a 62 yard hookup from Steiner to Lyndaker.
Little Falls 14, Mt. Markham 13 - This one a bit surprising since Sherburne whacked LF 59-0, while only beating Mt. Markham 24-6, but the Mounties pick up the W in the 1st annual Mohawk Valley Toilet Bowl. Both teams winless heading into this one. Travis Dawley ran for both Mountie TDs, a 31 yarder and a 1 yarder - he also ran in the conversion after the 2nd one.
Notre Dame 45, Clinton 14 - Clinton was actually listed as honorable mention in the Class C rankings. That's how you can tell how much these guys watch. Nothing against Clinton, but the competition in their 3 W's hasn't been stellar. Notre Dame handled business Saturday afternoon, jumping out to a 39-0 lead by the 3rd quarter. Mr. Kid n Play Kevin Warmack made his case for MVT Athlete of the Week, throwing for 3 TDs and running for 3 more.
Dolgeville 30, Frankfort-Schuyler 14 - Another one where the C didn't handle the D. Blue Devils made a statement in this one by slowing down high-powered Frankfort offense. Jason Nastovski and Devin Coonradt each saw the end zone twice for Dolgeville.
Sherburne-Earlville 25, Holland Patent 12 - Someone actually scored more than once on Sherburne - but still, they're undefeated. Cody Marango threw for 3 TD passes in the win, all 3 of them to Austin Jasper. As a matter of fact, all touchdowns were off of passes until the last one, an insurance one for S-E.
Herkimer 47, Cooperstown 0 - The Magicians broke this one up early and the bench was cleared by the 3rd quarter. Austin Mills threw for 4 TDs and ran for 1 in the W, 2 of those passes going to Zach Steele.
Cato-Meridian 37, LaFayette/Fabius-Pompey 6 - Colin Richards had a part in the first 3 scores, catching 2 TD passes from fellow Colin, Colin Weller, and then booting a 38 yard FG. After a L/F-P score, Phil Schroeder handled it from there, running in the next 3 TDs. Schroeder ran for 134 yards on 18 carries in all.
Sandy Creek 60, Oriskany 0 - Everything you need to know about this will be on section3mvt.blogspot.com soon.
Weedsport 45, Tully 24 - Tully kept it interesting into the 3rd, where a 26 yard Nick Edinger TD run made it 27-18, but Weedsport scored the next 18 to turn it into a rout. Ryan Quigley ran for the 1st TD and caught a TD pass, thrown to him by Hunter Bowden, who also ran for one.
West Canada Valley 26, Sauquoit Valley 0 - The battle of the Indians. Also, the battle of the schools where "Valley" is included, but no one uses it while describing them - so, West Canada beat down Sauquoit. Cole Smith finished with 2 rushing TDs on the night from 48 and 16 yards out.
Westmoreland 66, South Lewis 20 - They just keep putting on the points. This one was still surprisingly a game after 1 quarter, with Westmo up 16-12, but they poured 29 on in the 2nd quarter. Tyler Deveans had TD runs of 34, 14, and 13 yards; Tim Harrison added TD runs of 17 and 14, and added a punt return of 50 yards that he took to the house.
Pulaski 55, New York Mills 8 - Pulaski poured it on, putting up 42 in the 1st half to smack a Marauder team that's taken a couple shalackings the last two weeks. Tom Taplin threw for a pair of TD passes, and returned a recovered fumble 29 yards to the land of 6 points. Joe Gamble rushed for TDs of 28 & 5 yards, and Mike Haskins also did it on both ends, catching a 24 yd TD pass from Taplin and returning a pick 29 yards to the house.
3 teams hit 60 or passed it (Westmoreland, Fayetteville-Manlius, Sandy Creek), and I witnessed the largest margin of victory that I've ever been present for - a 60-0 Sandy Creek W over Oriskany, just surpassing the 57-0 shalacking I witnessed Sauquoit take against Herkimer back in 2011. A couple could have been worse than that - IHC was up 49-0 on Grimes at half, CBA had Central Square 42-0 at half. Whitesboro, Mexico, and Little Falls finally got going, New Hartford kept it going, ES-M & ITC picked up wins in arguably the games of the week, and CVA again let one slip away late. Let's run them all down - by class, as usual.
AA
CBA 55, Central Square 6 - No surprise. The undefeated over the winless. CBA scored 3 straight TDs on returns - 2 punts & a pick-6. Deshawn Salter caught a TD pass, ran one in, and returned a punt for one. JR Zazzara threw for two. Just another day at the office for the Brothers.
Henninger 34, C-NS 6 - Former Athlete of the Week Romero Collier went 14/21, throwing for 228 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran ones in from 4 and 57 yards out. Keisean Scott caught 8 of those passes for 152 of those yards and a TD - and he also ran one in.
West Genesee 38, Corcoran 18 - The Wildcats gradually pulled away from the Cougars in a battle between two teams stuck at .500. Naesean Howard hit the end zone from 10 & 22 yards out, and Dashon Turner threw for 1 and ran for 1.
Liverpool 41, Proctor 7 - The winners used a big 2nd quarter to get separation in this one. Jadakis Scott ran for a pair of TDs, and Ben Terzini caught a pair of touchdown passes from different QBs. Proctor still #GoneFishin for a win.
Fayetteville-Manlius 63, RFA 19 - Ridiculous as it may seem, nearly all the scoring was done in the 1st half - it was 56-19 headed into the break. Jake Wittig threw for 5 TDs and ran for 1. The 5 TDs alone totaled 214 yards. The Hornets are also undefeated - and scoring at will.
Baldwinsville 35, Auburn 15 - Balanced attack for the Bees, no one impacted more than 2 TDs. Gage Blasi threw for one and ran for one: Cameron Skipworth ran for one and caught one. They've shown that the loss of Rouse hasn't slowed them down one bit, now at 4-1.
A
East Syracuse-Minoa 14, Jamesville-Dewitt 7 - The Red Rams were blanked after the 1st quarter in this battle between squads 3-1 entering the game. Sean Richardson had a hand in both TDs scored for the winners - a 4 yd run in the 2nd & a 12 yd pass to Patrick Bryant in the 3rd. He also finished with 133 yards passing and 65 rushing.
Albany 34, Fowler 12 - The Falcons got blasted 26-0 in the middle quarters and dropped to 0-5 in this one. Dalton Cooley scored both times for Fowler on runs of 44 and 13 yards.
New Hartford 53, Fulton 25 - The Spartans scored the first 26, and they went from big losing streak to 4-1 in the blink of an eye. Stephen Tomaino ran the first 3 TDs in from 69, 7, and 5 yards out.
Whitesboro 25, Fulton 7 - Using a big 2nd half, the Warriors finally got their 1st W. They've been in every game so far. Andy DiVaccaro ran for a pair of TDs, and Bodhi Forbes threw for one and ran for one.
Carthage 41, Nottingham 20 - The Comets improve to 5-0 after slowly pulling away from a Nottingham that's having a down year. Josh Capers was the guy for Carthage on this evening, picking up 3 rushing TDs from 4, 17, and 53 yards out.
Indian River 43, Watertown 6 - Told myself I'd hit this one if Oriskany/Sandy Creek got too bad. It got too bad, but I stayed. Glad I did. Would've driven an hour to go from bad to bad. IR scored 27 in the 2nd quarter. Connor Brown threw for 2 TDs and ran for 1. Both TD passes were to Elijah Franklin, who also returned a punt for a score.
B
Westhill 10, Cortland 6 - Offense optional in this one. Westhill now 3-2, Cortland 2-3. All but a Westhill FG scored in the 4th quarter - a Ja'Shai Jameson 5 yard TD run was the game winner for the Warriors.
Homer 42, Solvay 2 - The Bearcats did not pull a New Hartford. After breaking their years-long losing streak last week, Homer made sure the winning streak stopped at 1, while boosting their record to 5-0. Alec Bush ran for a pair of TDs, Drew Cottrell threw for 1 and ran for 1. The pass was to Jayden Gavidia, who also returned a kick to the house.
Chittenango 49, Marcellus 21 - Marcellus might have been the favorite by record, but the 1-3 Bears picked up a big W Friday night. 3 Chittenango players rushed for over 100 yards; Andrew Flack 165 on 20 carries & 2 TDs, Connor Mills 139 on 14 and a TD, and Cory Benn 120 on 7 and 2 scores.
V-V-S 21, CVA 20 - The Thunder let another one slip away from them - 2-3 on the year, but could easily be 4-1, which is what the Red Devils are now. A 37 yard field goal off the foot of Zack Durant gave them the win. The final score was the only lead VVS had the whole way.
Cazenovia 26, Oneida 0 - Caz basically told everyone that said this should be a good game to shut up in 48 minutes of beatdown. Andrew Vogl ran the first 3 TDs in from 27, 2, and 1 yards out. The team ranked #4 in Class B made sure people don't put other teams close to them yet... even the previously undefeated Indians, ranked #12 themselves.
Mexico 44, Phoenix 21 - Someone's gotta win, right? Both teams 0-4 entering this one. Mexico scored 25 straight in the 1st through 3rd quarters, and outscored the Firebirds 30-8 in the middle quarters. Collin Haynes ran to the promised land 3 times and caught 2 passes for scores.
Camden 41, South Jefferson 27 - Camden must just be inconsistent and turn it on and off. Watched them do that against VVS and turn it off at the wrong time - and this looks more of the on/off scheme. They got up 21-0, then SJ cut it to 21-19, and Camden scored the next 20 to put it away. Ryan McCarthy threw for 1 TD & ran for 2, Jeremy Zeitchel ran for a pair, and Kevin Jones caught the TD pass, along with returning a pick to the house.
C
General Brown 40, Adirondack 0 - This one was over at the kickoff. Lions got up 33-0 in the 1st quarter, and the highest ranked team in Section 3 (#14 in C polls) walked to a win. A whole bunch of guys got in on this one, including Evan Will, who threw for 2 TDs and ran for 1, and Jared Christopher, who ran for 2. Evan Will dominate you.
Bishop Ludden 22, Hannibal 18 - You can tell it isn't a normal Ludden season when they had to come back from down double-digits to stop a winless team from beating them, but that's what they had to do in this one. Down 18-7 in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Pecoriello finished it off with TD runs of 42 and 65 yards to get the Gaelic Knights the W.
Institute of Technology 28, Canastota 7 - Dubbed by many as the game of the week, Tech showed why they're more than deserving of getting in those state rankings this week, shutting Canastota out until the 4th quarter. Josh Thomas started it off with a 48 yard TD run, and they poured it on from there.
Jordan-Elbridge 33, Onondaga 6 - The C handles their business against the D. Lamatt Chisholm scored a pair of TDs in the middle quarters with 2 & 5 yard runs, and Austin Barrigar accounted for the other 2, running for one in the 1st & throwing for the other in the 4th.
Skaneateles 28, Port Byron 14 - Skaneateles used a balanced attack to slowly pull away from the Panthers and improve to 4-1. No Skaneateles player accounted for more than one TD.
Watertown IHC 51, Bishop Grimes 0 - The C handles the D. Michael Marra scored on half of his carries - 6 rushes for 106 yards and 3 TDs. Cole Carpenter went 6/7 and threw for a pair of TDs. The Cavaliers were up 49-0 at half.
Thousand Islands 13, APW 12 - The Rebels almost picked up their first W, but two 2nd half TD runs from Tavis Anderson ensured that wouldn't happen. He had a 3rd quarter score from 24 yards out, and the eventual game-winner in the 4th, which was punched in from the 6.
Beaver River 35, Lowville 33 - The C did not handle the D - but this one seems like it was a fun one to watch. Lowville got 249 passing yards on 13/20 and 3 TDs from Brian O'Connor to go with 159 yards on 22 carries from Robert Campany, but that was in the loss, thanks to big numbers and plays from the Beavers, whose only W before knocking off the team that lost to Herkimer in the C-2 final last year was to winless Oriskany. It was the Kyle Steiner and Erik Lyndaker show: Steiner went 10/18 for over 160 yards and 2 passing TDs, along with 141 yards on the ground and 2 TDs off 19 carries, and Lyndaker ran for 177 on 20 carries and 1 rushing TD to go with 6 receptions for 123 receiving yards and 2 TDs in that fashion. The winning TD in the 4th was a 62 yard hookup from Steiner to Lyndaker.
Little Falls 14, Mt. Markham 13 - This one a bit surprising since Sherburne whacked LF 59-0, while only beating Mt. Markham 24-6, but the Mounties pick up the W in the 1st annual Mohawk Valley Toilet Bowl. Both teams winless heading into this one. Travis Dawley ran for both Mountie TDs, a 31 yarder and a 1 yarder - he also ran in the conversion after the 2nd one.
Notre Dame 45, Clinton 14 - Clinton was actually listed as honorable mention in the Class C rankings. That's how you can tell how much these guys watch. Nothing against Clinton, but the competition in their 3 W's hasn't been stellar. Notre Dame handled business Saturday afternoon, jumping out to a 39-0 lead by the 3rd quarter. Mr. Kid n Play Kevin Warmack made his case for MVT Athlete of the Week, throwing for 3 TDs and running for 3 more.
Dolgeville 30, Frankfort-Schuyler 14 - Another one where the C didn't handle the D. Blue Devils made a statement in this one by slowing down high-powered Frankfort offense. Jason Nastovski and Devin Coonradt each saw the end zone twice for Dolgeville.
Sherburne-Earlville 25, Holland Patent 12 - Someone actually scored more than once on Sherburne - but still, they're undefeated. Cody Marango threw for 3 TD passes in the win, all 3 of them to Austin Jasper. As a matter of fact, all touchdowns were off of passes until the last one, an insurance one for S-E.
Herkimer 47, Cooperstown 0 - The Magicians broke this one up early and the bench was cleared by the 3rd quarter. Austin Mills threw for 4 TDs and ran for 1 in the W, 2 of those passes going to Zach Steele.
Cato-Meridian 37, LaFayette/Fabius-Pompey 6 - Colin Richards had a part in the first 3 scores, catching 2 TD passes from fellow Colin, Colin Weller, and then booting a 38 yard FG. After a L/F-P score, Phil Schroeder handled it from there, running in the next 3 TDs. Schroeder ran for 134 yards on 18 carries in all.
Sandy Creek 60, Oriskany 0 - Everything you need to know about this will be on section3mvt.blogspot.com soon.
Weedsport 45, Tully 24 - Tully kept it interesting into the 3rd, where a 26 yard Nick Edinger TD run made it 27-18, but Weedsport scored the next 18 to turn it into a rout. Ryan Quigley ran for the 1st TD and caught a TD pass, thrown to him by Hunter Bowden, who also ran for one.
West Canada Valley 26, Sauquoit Valley 0 - The battle of the Indians. Also, the battle of the schools where "Valley" is included, but no one uses it while describing them - so, West Canada beat down Sauquoit. Cole Smith finished with 2 rushing TDs on the night from 48 and 16 yards out.
Westmoreland 66, South Lewis 20 - They just keep putting on the points. This one was still surprisingly a game after 1 quarter, with Westmo up 16-12, but they poured 29 on in the 2nd quarter. Tyler Deveans had TD runs of 34, 14, and 13 yards; Tim Harrison added TD runs of 17 and 14, and added a punt return of 50 yards that he took to the house.
Pulaski 55, New York Mills 8 - Pulaski poured it on, putting up 42 in the 1st half to smack a Marauder team that's taken a couple shalackings the last two weeks. Tom Taplin threw for a pair of TD passes, and returned a recovered fumble 29 yards to the land of 6 points. Joe Gamble rushed for TDs of 28 & 5 yards, and Mike Haskins also did it on both ends, catching a 24 yd TD pass from Taplin and returning a pick 29 yards to the house.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
10/3 Most Valuable Thoughts: Sherburne-Earlville/Clinton Girls Soccer
Clinton 6, Sherburne-Earlville 0
You wouldn't realize that Sherburne had a 7-3 record coming into today by looking at that score. Clinton is just as tough as I've said all along. The only CSC school that even gives them a game is CVA, another team I'm extremely high on. However, that's for another discussion. Time to talk about today, because we all took a ride on the Hannah Shankman train today.
Walked in just a few seconds after the first goal. It was Shankman about 7 minutes in. It took just a little while for Clinton to get another goal of cushion in the 1st half - and it was from an 8th grader. Jenna Devine has put through impressive goals in both Clinton games I've attended. This time, she made a couple nifty moves to get separation from a pair of defenders, and then struck a left-footed shot over the outstretched arms of S-E GK Maddy Fetzko with 21:20 left in the 1st half. It was easy to see that Sherburne wasn't a bad team - they did have some opportunities in the 1st, but it remained 2-0 at the break. It only got worse for the Marauders, or Wolves, or whatever they are now. They got Shanked.
Hannah scored a couple of her goals today off of hustle. This was the first of them - she scored her 2nd of the day on a putback off a Fetzko save. Maureen Lewis put a shot on goal that Fetzko deflected, but unfortunately toward Shank just a few yards away. That gave Clinton a 3-0 lead with 29:41 to go, and just over 7 minutes later, it became 4-0. Hannah got her hat trick by using her head. Sounds fitting, right? Another Maureen Lewis connection - she put up a cross that was headed through. And if that wasn't enough Hannah Shankman for ya, here's more. MVT drops Hannah Shankman's name more than TNT plays Shawshank Redemption. For good reason, though. I said it in the tweet and shall repeat it - her 4th goal was my favorite one I saw this season. She outhustled a defender who had a beat on the ball to make the ball loose again, then proceeded to do the same thing again.. and a 3rd time, progressively working towards goal each time. After the 3rd defender was outhustled, she got a foot on it and it went through the pipes. That made it 5-0 with 7:08 to go, which was when she was taken out for the day. They weren't done scoring though. With under 5 minutes left, youngin Nora Arancio scored as well to make it 6-0. Clinton is good. Maddy Fetzko was credited with 10 saves for Sherburne; Marissa Cornelius 5 for Clinton. I missed 7 minutes, but had less for both.
#ByTheNumbers - Sherburne didn't suck, but Clinton was really good. They were considerably better in every aspect, stat sheet and not stat sheet. They had 18 shots - scoring once in every 3 shots you take is a great percentage. They also got through 80 minutes without giving Marissa Cornelius much work - I had her for a couple saves, and she touched the ball 4 other times on top of that.
Shots - Clinton 18-6
Corners - Clinton 3-0
Saves - Sherburne 4-2
GK Touches - Sherburne 10-4
Goal Kicks - Sherburne 7-1
You wouldn't realize that Sherburne had a 7-3 record coming into today by looking at that score. Clinton is just as tough as I've said all along. The only CSC school that even gives them a game is CVA, another team I'm extremely high on. However, that's for another discussion. Time to talk about today, because we all took a ride on the Hannah Shankman train today.
Walked in just a few seconds after the first goal. It was Shankman about 7 minutes in. It took just a little while for Clinton to get another goal of cushion in the 1st half - and it was from an 8th grader. Jenna Devine has put through impressive goals in both Clinton games I've attended. This time, she made a couple nifty moves to get separation from a pair of defenders, and then struck a left-footed shot over the outstretched arms of S-E GK Maddy Fetzko with 21:20 left in the 1st half. It was easy to see that Sherburne wasn't a bad team - they did have some opportunities in the 1st, but it remained 2-0 at the break. It only got worse for the Marauders, or Wolves, or whatever they are now. They got Shanked.
Hannah scored a couple of her goals today off of hustle. This was the first of them - she scored her 2nd of the day on a putback off a Fetzko save. Maureen Lewis put a shot on goal that Fetzko deflected, but unfortunately toward Shank just a few yards away. That gave Clinton a 3-0 lead with 29:41 to go, and just over 7 minutes later, it became 4-0. Hannah got her hat trick by using her head. Sounds fitting, right? Another Maureen Lewis connection - she put up a cross that was headed through. And if that wasn't enough Hannah Shankman for ya, here's more. MVT drops Hannah Shankman's name more than TNT plays Shawshank Redemption. For good reason, though. I said it in the tweet and shall repeat it - her 4th goal was my favorite one I saw this season. She outhustled a defender who had a beat on the ball to make the ball loose again, then proceeded to do the same thing again.. and a 3rd time, progressively working towards goal each time. After the 3rd defender was outhustled, she got a foot on it and it went through the pipes. That made it 5-0 with 7:08 to go, which was when she was taken out for the day. They weren't done scoring though. With under 5 minutes left, youngin Nora Arancio scored as well to make it 6-0. Clinton is good. Maddy Fetzko was credited with 10 saves for Sherburne; Marissa Cornelius 5 for Clinton. I missed 7 minutes, but had less for both.
#ByTheNumbers - Sherburne didn't suck, but Clinton was really good. They were considerably better in every aspect, stat sheet and not stat sheet. They had 18 shots - scoring once in every 3 shots you take is a great percentage. They also got through 80 minutes without giving Marissa Cornelius much work - I had her for a couple saves, and she touched the ball 4 other times on top of that.
Shots - Clinton 18-6
Corners - Clinton 3-0
Saves - Sherburne 4-2
GK Touches - Sherburne 10-4
Goal Kicks - Sherburne 7-1
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
10/1 Most Valuable Thoughts: Frankfort/Herkimer Girls Soccer
Herkimer 1, Frankfort-Schuyler 0 (OT)
Damn, it's October already. Second half of the season underway - as a matter of fact, less than 3 weeks until sectional seeding. Frankfort is a team with some talent, but they haven't been able to put it together - and at 2-6-1, they needed this one badly. Herkimer, on the other hand, has turned it up over the last couple weeks, entering the game at 4-3-1, but only one loss in the league to 11-0 Little Falls in a 1-0 decision. This one hung in the balance for a very long time...
Not much to talk about until OT. Most of the game was played between the 18s, but each team did give themselves a few golden opportunities. However, there were no ball-attracting magnets in the back of the net on this night. The closest opportunity for either side in the first 90 minutes was pretty late in the 1st OT, when Frankfort's Alexis Bianchi was able to get a whole lot of daylight. She let one go from just outside the 18 with a Magician defender closing. The ball sailed past Herkimer GK Chelsea Jory, but just barely didn't drop in time, bouncing off the top post back onto the field. Frankfort's Simone Palumbo got her foot on the long rebound straight out, but her shot went right into Jory's hands. Palumbo also had another opportunity earlier in the game - a header off a nice cross that got by Jory went just wide right of goal in the 1st half. Herkimer had a couple strong opportunities as well - Caitlyn Roorda had near-misses a couple times, one off a corner that almost looked like a surefire goal but just got hung up in a crowd right in front of the goal line, and another shot to the right post that Frankfort GK Cassandra Grippe had to make a sprawling stop for. However, in the 96th minute, Herkimer ended the game's scoring drought. Senior striker McKenzie Pine, known more for her strength than speed, beat the crowd to a ball played by freshman midfielder Maddie Renshaw, and was able to get it past the keeper with 4:18 left in the game. From there, the Maroon Knights weren't able to put a legitimate challenge on Jory until the buzzer. Herkimer is now 5-3-1, 4-1 in their division. For Frankfort, Cassandra Grippe played well in goal - bobbled a couple, but didn't let one through on a lot of opportunities until very late. She finished with 8 saves. On Herkimer's end, Chelsea Jory didn't see as much action, but she got her share and was able to stand tall against the pressure to get another shutout to add to her career total. She finished with 5 saves.
Damn, it's October already. Second half of the season underway - as a matter of fact, less than 3 weeks until sectional seeding. Frankfort is a team with some talent, but they haven't been able to put it together - and at 2-6-1, they needed this one badly. Herkimer, on the other hand, has turned it up over the last couple weeks, entering the game at 4-3-1, but only one loss in the league to 11-0 Little Falls in a 1-0 decision. This one hung in the balance for a very long time...
Not much to talk about until OT. Most of the game was played between the 18s, but each team did give themselves a few golden opportunities. However, there were no ball-attracting magnets in the back of the net on this night. The closest opportunity for either side in the first 90 minutes was pretty late in the 1st OT, when Frankfort's Alexis Bianchi was able to get a whole lot of daylight. She let one go from just outside the 18 with a Magician defender closing. The ball sailed past Herkimer GK Chelsea Jory, but just barely didn't drop in time, bouncing off the top post back onto the field. Frankfort's Simone Palumbo got her foot on the long rebound straight out, but her shot went right into Jory's hands. Palumbo also had another opportunity earlier in the game - a header off a nice cross that got by Jory went just wide right of goal in the 1st half. Herkimer had a couple strong opportunities as well - Caitlyn Roorda had near-misses a couple times, one off a corner that almost looked like a surefire goal but just got hung up in a crowd right in front of the goal line, and another shot to the right post that Frankfort GK Cassandra Grippe had to make a sprawling stop for. However, in the 96th minute, Herkimer ended the game's scoring drought. Senior striker McKenzie Pine, known more for her strength than speed, beat the crowd to a ball played by freshman midfielder Maddie Renshaw, and was able to get it past the keeper with 4:18 left in the game. From there, the Maroon Knights weren't able to put a legitimate challenge on Jory until the buzzer. Herkimer is now 5-3-1, 4-1 in their division. For Frankfort, Cassandra Grippe played well in goal - bobbled a couple, but didn't let one through on a lot of opportunities until very late. She finished with 8 saves. On Herkimer's end, Chelsea Jory didn't see as much action, but she got her share and was able to stand tall against the pressure to get another shutout to add to her career total. She finished with 5 saves.
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