Toote has Streaks back in final
Senior draws on experience to help Saratoga Springs
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » One of the big reasons for Saratoga Springs’ success this season has been one of their biggest players — Kevin Toote.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound senior has been a rock as a lineman on both sides of the ball and is a leader for the Blue Streaks on and off the field.
The results so far have been an undefeated regular season, No. 1 seed in the Empire league, and wins over Bethlehem and Shaker in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Up next is the Section II Class AA vs. Troy at 7 p.m. Friday at UAlbany.
Toote has seen three different teams during his three-year varsity career at Saratoga and has learned different things each year he has been a starter.
He learned from team leaders as a sophomore, who taught him how to be the man in charge.
“I had great leadership as a sophomore from those other guys,” Toote said. “Every one of the guys on the team was a great leader and taught me how to lead guys by example. I give all the credit to them. You have to not just focus on improving yourself as a player, but you also have to make sure you can get guys to like each other and enjoy playing on the field together. When you play on the field together and you like being on the field together it makes things a lot easier.”
Saratoga coach Terry Jones said that Toote is looked to as a leader by the whole team.
“He is our arguably our overall team leader,” Jones said. “He is a three-year starter on both sides on the ball, he has been through all this before, he has been through
the middle of it and I think the kids kind of look to him for guidance. He is a pretty level-headed kid. He is not going to get excited, he is not going to get over emotional about anything and I think he helps keep the team on an even keel when things are going well and we are facing adversity.”
The team Toote was a part of as a sophomore beat Shaker in the 2015 Super Bowl and made it all the way to the state final at the Dome.
Toote said he sees a lot of what that squad had in this year’s team, but very little with the team that struggled last season.
“I see a lot of similarities with the team we had two years ago because of the leadership we had from guys this year. And just our line, how aggressive we are coming for the ball every play and that is the biggest similarity I see there,” Toote said. “Last year’s team I don’t see any similarities. This year we just improved entirely as a whole in every aspect.”
Getting the finals is tough. Toote said the Blue Streaks did it by working hard and knowing how to win.
“This was our goal, to get to this game and win this game, so we have done everything in our power to get here and here is our opportunity,” Toote said. “We just trust ourselves and trust in our ability because of all the work we put in, in the offseason. Just to know that, once we got to the season that there was nothing really to worry about and we put ourselves in the best position possible to be successful.”