Wolfe, Horses flew to top
Threw for 19 TDS, ran for eight more to lead Troy to Class A crown
Athlete of the Year: Alex Wolfe, Troy
Much like the team he played for, Alex Wolfe made incremental improvements as a quarterback over three years to ultimately become the latest in a string of highly successful Troy signal-callers.
Neither Wolfe nor Troy High coach Bobby Burns expected him to take over as the team’s starter early in his sophomore season. An injury to senior Mike
Fazio altered those plans in
2018. That extra year of experience proved vital to what Wolfe and the Flying Horses accomplished during the Fall Season II slate when Troy produced seven dominating wins to capture the Class A title.
“I felt it definitely played a big role for me,” Wolfe said. “Being here and playing (quarterback) as a sophomore does not happen that much. Getting thrown into the fire like that, you have to adapt and learn quickly. You have to learn from your mistakes, and I feel I got better every year. I think not knowing if we would have a season or not made me play even harder. It made me ap
proach every game like it was my last one ever.”
“I am extremely proud of the way he developed over the three years and the player that he became,” said Burns, who also credited the work from quarterback coach Josh Demoski.
Troy lost to Burnt Hills in the 2018 Class A sectional semifinals. The next year, the Flying Horses advanced to the final and dropped a painful 17-13 decision against Queensbury. Those playoff losses intensified Wolfe’s mission to elevate his game to another level.
“He hates to lose and sometimes he gets really emotionally involved where we had to pull him back in a little bit,” Burns said. “He is a kid that bought into everything we were doing and balanced that with playing other sports.”
For as much pleasure as playing golf during the fall or starring for the boys’ basketball team provided, Wolfe said watching the 2016 Troy football team win the Class AA state title made him want to become a football star at the school.
“I think that painted the picture,” Wolfe said. “They set the bar by winning back-to-back state championships. The goal at Troy High is always to win every game of the season. We were lucky enough to do that this year. It felt good to accomplish what we set our goals for.”
Troy’s two playoff games came against Queensbury and Burnt Hills. Wolfe threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 47 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-0 semifinal victory against Queensbury and combined for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in the Flying Horses’ 50-3 title triumph over Burnt Hills.
“I felt we left an exclamation point on our season. We just left no doubt in every game we played,” said Wolfe, who also started three years at safety. “It was good to see all the hard work, not even over this past year but the last four years, pay off. I am grateful for everyone that has helped me. I have to thank my coaches. They did a lot for me and helped me get where I am now.”
First team Center
■ Marquize Barmore, Sr., Schenectady: Also named to the Times Union Allarea first team as a junior, Barmore’s fine work up front and his leadership helped land the senior standout team Most Valuable Player honors. Barmore is an outstanding student and is headed to play next at St. Lawrence. He would like to coach football someday.
Guard
■ Robert Gapp, Sr., Troy: The senior proved to be a study in heart, grit and perseverance after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Flying Horses’ season-opening win against La Salle. Determined to complete his final varsity campaign, Gapp not only played every week, but he truly excelled in the middle and landed a Class A Capital Division first-team nod.
■ Ryan Stein, Jr., Shaker: One of the best wrestlers in the state, Stein utilized leverage, strength and technique on the gridiron to control his area and help the rushing attack consistently gain positive yardage. The junior played a pivotal role in the Blue Bison reaching the Class AA final. Excelling in both wrestling and football the way his dad did competing at Shenendehowa.
Tackle
■ Deandre Butler, Sr., Troy: A disruptive force on both sides of the ball, Butler once again was honored by the Class A Capital Division coaches as a first-team choice. The senior, who also garnered Times Union All-area team status as a junior, kept the pocket clean for quarterback Alex Wolfe and helped pave the way for holes that backs Xavier Leigh and Avvon Smith exploited.
■ Victor Little, Jr., Burnt Hills: Much like Deandre Butler did at Troy, Little proved to be the Spartans’ top performer on both the offensive and defensive lines. A three-year starter on defense, Little has sharpened his blocking skills and many of the team’s biggest runs featured No. 57 leading the way. Picked by the Class A Grasso Division coaches as a first-team lineman on offense.
Tight end
■ Drew Sokaris, Sr., Guilderland: Made the most of the extended time between the end of his junior season and the start of his senior campaign, adding 45 pounds of muscle in bulking up to a sturdy 270 pounds. Nimble on his feet and possessing soft hands, Sokaris averaged 13.0 yards per catch to become a viable weapon in the middle of the field for Guilderland’s spread attack and also elevated his blocking skills. Sokaris, who contributed 19 tackles and four sacks playing defensive end and linebacker, will play next at the prep level for Phillips Academy Andover.
Quarterback
■ Alex Wolfe, Sr., Troy: Named to the Times Union All-area second team as a safety in 2019, Wolfe turned in a stellar third season as the starting quarterback, when he combined passing prowess, deceptive running skills and total command of the offense in leading the Flying Horses to a dominating 7-0 season. Completed 64-of-99 passes for 1,137 yards and 19 touchdowns, plus added eight rushing touchdowns. Wolfe, who also recorded five interceptions on defense, was selected as Player of the Year by the Class A coaches.
Running back
■ Bo Catherwood, Sr., La Salle: Transitioned from playing quarterback as a junior to the lead ball carrier for the Cadets, Catherwood capped his final scholastic season in spectacular fashion by rushing for 284 yards and five touchdowns — scoring a school-record six touchdowns in all — in a 44-6 victory against Queensbury. He amassed 801 rushing yards and scored 14 touchdowns overall in six games, plus added 28 tackles from his linebacker position.
■ Xavier Leigh, Jr., Troy: Concluded his varsity career the same way it began as an eighth-grader in 2016 by winning a championship. A starter on defense when the Flying Horses captured the Class AA state title five years ago, Leigh’s dynamic exploits as a running back this season speak for themselves: 97 carries for 831 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 17 receptions for 344 yards and eight touchdowns. Named by the Class A coaches as Offensive Player of the Year, Leigh rushed for 212 yards in Troy’s 50-3 title win over Burnt Hills.
■ Connor Strand, Sr., Shaker: Broke through in his final season to become the team’s most consistent and relied upon threat in the backfield. Strand rushed for 642 yards, hauled in 352 yards receiving and scored 13 touchdowns. Strand, who also returned punts and kicks, punted for the Blue Bison.
Wide receiver
■ Nasir Dawud-soto, Sr., Troy:
Through hard work, friendship, and a shared desire to excel in their final goaround for the Flying Horses, Dawudsoto and senior quarterback Alex Wolfe forged a bond on the field that was difficult to contain. Showing versatility in running both short and deep routes effectively, Dawud-soto topped the Flying Horses’ receivers with 23 catches for 509 yards (22.1 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns. In the Class A final vs. Burnt Hills, the senior scored on a pair of touchdown passes — the second with a gorgeous post-corner move that resulted in a 24-yard TD catch.
■ Dylan Jones, Sr., CBA: Also selected to the Times Union Large School firstteam offense as a junior, Jones again showed he could get the job done no matter who was playing quarterback for the Brothers. Jones, who will play his college football at Sacred Heart University, hauled in 28 passes for 530 yards (18.9 yards) — including a 70-yard touchdown catch against Shenendehowa.
All-purpose
■ Joey Harvey, Sr., Bethlehem: Twice reached double digits with receptions in a game, featuring a season-best outing against Schenectady when Harvey caught 14 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown, and eclipsed 100 yards receiving three times over his last five games. Harvey also posted two rushing touchdowns — the second coming in the fourth quarter — as the Eagles rallied past Colonie 30-27.
Kicker
■ Michael Sbuttoni, Jr., Burnt Hills: Proved to be a proficient weapon as punter as well, Sbuttoni went 35-for-35 on extra-point boots and added a 26-yard field goal during a season-ending title loss against Troy in the Class A final.
Able to blast the ball deep or place the ball directionally on kickoffs, Sbuttoni was selected as the Grasso Division’s first-team kicker.
Second team
■ C: Hanif Jackson, Sr., Guilderland
■ G: Zach Cunningham, Sr., Queensbury; Nick Marchese, Jr., Averill Park
■ T: Emmitt Harris, Sr., Shaker; Zach Swint, Jr., Guilderland
■ TE: Antonio Ciafarini, Sr., Scotia
■ QB: Logan Broomhall, Sr., Guilderland A RB: Michael Bennett, Sr., Columbia; Chris Davis, Sr., Schenectady; Dan Mcshane, Sr., Averill Park
■ WR: Thomas Davis, Jr., Colonie; Leo O’brien, Sr., Niskayuna
■ A-P: Jacob Deguire, Sr., Mohonasen
■ K: Dillon Blanchard, Sr., Guilderland