Saratoga falls 49-0 to unbeaten Shaker
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY » Shaker wanted to come out and put points up early. That’s exactly what they did on Saturday afternoon against Saratoga - and there were a lot of them.
“We came into this week of practice and we really emphasized putting in the hard work every single day and not taking any breaks,” said Blue Bison running-back Porter Ninstant, who score three touchdowns on the day. “We made sure the line was where they needed to be, the fullbacks were getting their work in and that we were prepared for Saturday.”
The Blue Bison would go on the win the game 49-0, putting on both an offensive and defensive showcase.
“We wanted to score quick and get some of our backups the opportunity to get in the game so they could show off the work that they’ve been putting in the past few months,” Ninstant said.
The junior running-back scored the first touchdown on Saturday afternoon on an 18-yard run in the first quarter. Dean Hartl, a senior-back, added their second score on a four-yard run.
Ninstant began the scoring again in the second quarter
for Shaker with a 15-yard run to make the score 210. He was followed by fullback Donovan Deguire, who ran in the Bison’s fourth touchdown from eight yards out.
Saratoga almost got something going offensively with the remaining time left in the half, after QB and punter Sean Hudson faked a punt and got the first down, but the Streaks weren’t able to get in the end zone.
“We just wanted to come in, get the job done and have some fun,” Ninstant said on leading 28-0 at the half, though he knew the work wasn’t done.
“We have great leaders and we never let each other down. We’re very situational and even if it’s just coming back in from the half, we look at it as zerozero and those points have to get right back up there on the board.”
To begin the second half, Shaker scored two touchdowns on the first four plays that they ran.
Ninstant scored his third touchdown of the day to begin the third quarter on a nine-yard run after a long run by Deguire put the Bison inside the ten. After a quick defensive stand, Deguire would score his second touchdown of the game on a 43-yard run, making it 42-0.
This shutout victory is Shaker’s second this season after not allowing Shen to get on the board in their Week 1 matchup.
“The key is just to have guys playing their role and we’ve been getting the results. Defense has always been our thing and we’ll bend but not break,” Ninstant said, who also plays as a defensive back. “Those were two big statement games for us and we wanted to make sure everybody knew what we were coming for this year, especially after the ending of our last season.”
Marquis Potts added on the finishing touches for Shaker, scoring their seventh touchdown on a sevenyard run in the fourth quarter. Malcolm Robinson went seven-for-seven in PATs.
After winning their first three games of the condensed season, Shaker now that the opportunity to go 4-0 in the regular season as they take on Schenectady next week, April 9 at 7 p.m.
“It’s a blessing because we weren’t sure we were going to get a season in the first place,” Ninstant said. “I’m happy that we’ve put ourselves in a good position with a chance to to 4-0. We’re just trying to take in the blessings as they come and keep it rolling.”
Saratoga (1-2), who has faced an extremely difficult schedule for a fourgame season, with CBA and Shaker being two of the top AA teams in Section 2, will now face Colonie next week on April 10 at 2 p.m., as they look to even up their record at .500.