Six teams remain undefeated after f irst half
Ballston Spa, Fonda among biggest surprises thus far
Five weeks into the 2019 Section II football season, there remain a total of six squads undefeated as Shaker (Class A A), Queensbury (Class A), Glens Falls (Class B), Holy Trinity (Class B), Stillwater (Class C) and Fonda (Class C) all stand 5-0.
Before things get under way in Week 6 action starting Thursday with Troy vs. Columbia, it is time to take a look at the best players, teams and coaches from the first half of the Section II football season.
Large schools
surpris■biggeste: Ballston Spa owning a 3-2 record does not grab your attention, but seeing how the Scotties got there should. Queensbury managed to edge Ballston Spa 10-6 in Week 1 and Shaker, ranked No. 8 in the Class A A state poll, defeated the Scotties 21-7. Ranked No. 23 in the state in Class A, Ballston Spa owns a 9-7 triumph over Burnt Hills (winners of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 sectional title) and hosts Scotia Friday.
Notable: Troy ’s 34-20 win at Averill
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Park in Week 5 gives the Flying Horses the inside track on their second straight Class A Capital Division title. Averill Park takes on Amsterdam Friday, with the winner likely to be the division’s No. 2 playoff seed... Queensbury seeks a 10th straight road win Friday at South Glens Falls, coached by Queensbury gradu
ate Matt Howard. The Spartans are averaging 370 yards rushing per game. ... Christian Brothers Academy’s playoff fate — seeking one of the four Class A A berths available — rests in its hands as the Brothers play road games at Shenendehowa (Friday) and Shaker ( Week 7) before a home game vs. Guilderland ( Week 8).
■ Emerging star: Jason Rodriguez has displayed the ability to be an impact player on offense like his older brother Brett Rodrig uez did in helping Queensbury capture the 2013 Class A state title. As a sophomore, Rodrig uez started on defense. This season, he has carried the ball 60 times for 843 yards (14.1 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.
Player of the half: Troy
■ junior running back/ linebacker Xavier Leigh has rushed 83 times for 830 yards and 11 touchdowns as the Flying Horses enter Thursday ’s game against Columbia at 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the Class A Capital Division. In his team’s biggest game of the season, Leigh, who has also contributed 19 solo stops, 15 assisted tackles and a fumble return for a touchdown at linebacker, gained 317 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 34-20 triumph at Averill Park.
■ Coach of the half: Ballston Spa coach Jason Ohnsman played for the Scotties and the 29-yead-old has guided his alma mater to a 3-2 start in his first season — including a 3-1 mark in the Class A Grasso Division. The 2019 team is hard-hitting and relentess, two attributes their coach displayed during his playing career with the Scotties.
Game of the half: Through
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24 minutes, Burnt Hills and Ballston Spa were scoreless in a Week 4 Grasso Division contest. The Spartans grabbed a 7-3 edge early in the fourth quarter, but Ballston Spa quarterback Keegan Zoller connected with wide receiver Tyler Beverly on a 31-yard touchdown pass as the Scotties secured a 9-7 victory.
Small schools
■ Biggest surprise: Three years without earning a playoff berth is an eternity for a program like Fonda. The 2019 edition of the Braves produced a superlative start, highlighted by a month of September where Fonda found different ways to emerge with wins against Tamarac (28-22), Canajoharie/fort Plain (47-32), Mechanicville (18-7) and Watervliet (41-30). Fonda seeks a 6-0 start Friday vs. Johnstown.
Notable: Holy Trinity senior
■ receiver Noah Foster is finding the end zone at a prolific rate, catching 17 passes for 346 yards and eight touchdowns, carrying the ball 14 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns and returning four kicks for touchdowns.
... Chatham and Warrensburg meet Friday night and the winner likely will be the No. 1 seed for the four-team Class D playoffs. ... Cohoes owns the state’s longest losing streak at 31 games. The Tigers (0-5) entertain Helderberg Valley (0-5) Saturday. ... Corinth merged with Fort Edward in football this season and the Warhawks got off to a stellar start by beating Hoosick Falls 20-12 in Week 1. The team is 3-2.
■ Emerging star: Glens Falls sophomore running back Griffin Woodell appeared ready for a breakout as a freshman in 2018, but his season was derailed by injuries. This fall, Woodell leads the Indians with 258 yards rushing (on just 29 carries) and six touchdowns for the state’s top-ranked Class B squad. He also has four receptions for 86 yards and three touchdowns, and produced five touchdowns on returns (three punts and two fumble recoveries).
Player of the half: Holy
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Trinity senior quarterback Joe Tortello is in his fourth varsity campaign as the starter for the Pride. Holy Trinity, ranked No. 7 in Class B, is averaging 51.6 points per game as Tortello has diced up opposing defensive units by connecting on 51 of 68 passes for 1,336 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Coach of the half: In his first
■ season as head coach, Fonda’s Sean Thompson has the Braves in contention for the Class C Central Division title. A game next week at Stillwater should determine the champion. Thompson, who previously ser ved as an assistant coach, has Fonda at 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the division.
Game of the half: Although
■ the game had no bearing on either team reaching the playoffs, Hudson (Class B) and Watervliet (Class C) engaged in a wild Week 3 contest captured by Hudson 50-44 in overtime. Watervliet rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit by scoring 24 points in the third quarter and later needed a touchdown from Patrick Moore and a two-point conversion from Kareem Duncan to force overtime. Zyonn Clanton’s 3-yard TD run clinched the win for the Bluehawks.