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
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