FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
A look ahead at the week seven matchups with high stakes around Section II
Class AA has one more game remaining after this week’s slate of games while the rest of Section II finishes up with the final game of the regular season this week.
Several games have implications. Some clinch division leads, others decide playoff spots, but whatever game you find yourself at this week, it will most certainly be an exciting one.
Here are the five games to watch this week.
BURNT HILLSBALLSTON LAKE 4-2 (4-1) VS. QUEENSBURY 6-0 (5-0)
Queensbury looks to cap off a historic season with a road win. A win would make ten road wins in a row for the Spartans and complete an undefeated season where they faced little adversity on the scoreboard (other than their week one 10-6 win over Ballston Spa).
A win for Burnt Hills will shake up the top of the Grasso Division in Class A. If Burnt Hills wins, they become 5-1
against conference opponents, just as Queensbury would. Ballston Spa would also be 5-1 if they beat South Glens Falls (1-4), creating a three-way tie on top of the Grasso. In this hypothetical, Burnt Hills would have the head to head matchup with Queensbury, Ballston Spa would have the head to head matchup with Burnt Hills, and Queensbury would have the head to head matchup with Ballston Spa.
FONDA 6-0 (4-0) VS. STILLWATER 6-0 (5-0)
A Class C Central Division decider will also be a battle between the only unbeaten’s in Class C this season.
Fonda is coming off of a 26-13 win over Johnstown last week while Stillwater is cruising after a 34-7 win over Mechanicville.
Stillwater is outscoring opponents 233-53 this season thanks to Mason Seymour’s 15 touchdown season out of the backfield. Stillwater’s biggest margin this season was a 40 point differential back on September 13 in a 46-6 win over Tamarac
Fonda is outscoring opponents 194-104 after missing the Class C playoffs the last three seasons.
Quite simply, the winner takes the first seed in the Central division, the loser takes second. Brass tax.
LA SALLE INSTITUTE 4-2 (3-2) VS. AMSTERDAM 4-2 (3-2)
Another game that concludes the Class A regular season, the La Salle Cadets host the Amsterdam Rams in Troy Friday night. Both teams will be battling it out for the third-place spot in the Capital Division.
Amsterdam is 2-1 on the road this season. They have lost to Capital Division opponents Averill Park and Troy this season. Both of La Salle’s losses have also been to Troy and Averill Park while the Cadets are 1-2 at home.
Both Troy and Averill Park have clinched the first and second spots in the Capital division, respectively, so this contest will decide three and four.
SHAKER 6-0 (50) VS. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY 4-2 (3-2)
The Class AA season isn’t over just yet, but a CBA upset of the undefeated Shaker Blue Bison would set them up beautifully entering the final week and with the playoffs ensuing.
CBA is currently tied for fourth place with Bethlehem in Class AA. Both at 3-2, Bethlehem owns the head to head contest with a 33-6 win dating back on September 27. Behind the two is Schenectady, who is currently 2-3.
CBA has Shaker and Guilderland (4-2, 4-2) to end the season. Less than ideal for the Brothers who are battling for a playoff spot. Assuming all higher-ranked teams win their games this week, Bethlehem becomes 4-2 (they play winless Niskayuna), Schenectady becomes 3-3 (they play 1-4 Saratoga), and CBA becomes 3-3.
If CBA wants to keep playoff hopes alive, they will need to dismount the Class AA giant that is Shaker.
AVERILL PARK 5-1 (51) VS. SHEN 5-1 (5-1)
The implications in this non-league matchup are not as severe as those of Schenectady vs. Saratoga, but that matchup was touched on in the Shaker vs. CBA section.
There is zero implication with this matchup. Averill Park has solidified the second spot in the Class A Capital Division, Shen is second in Class AA, but the momentum from this game could carry over and affect next week’s games for the two.
Sportswriter Stan Hudy called this a “trap game” for Shen. They go on the road to Averill Park, a Class A school that is having a good season before finishing there year up with rival Saratoga next week.
Shen could very easily discount this game and look ahead to Saratoga. If the Plainsmen win, it is expected of a second-seeded Class AA school, but if they lose, can be a momentum drainer.
For Averill Park, they see a top tier program right before going into playoffs. That is not by accident. Head Coach Zach Gobel discussed earlier in the year about the perk of seeing a higher class, successful school before the playoffs. It’s almost like seeing playoff football for Averill Park, without the pressure.
If Averill Park wins, they carry a lot of confidence and momentum into next week’s playoff matchup. If they lose, it does not affect their seeding and they got to get some work in against a different defense that has allowed the least amount of points in all of Class AA (69).