Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake isn’t the flashiest football team in Section II, but it certainly is one of the best.
The Spartans remained undefeated by knocking off Mohonasen 34-14 last Thursday in Burnt Hills behind a combined 235 rushing yards and two touchdowns from tailbacks Kyle Holmes and D.J. Moore.
There’s always room for improvement, and I think the kids realize that, said Burnt Hills coach Matt Shell. `But I’m happy because from week to week, we’ve beaten our opponents.`
Holmes and Moore not only provided offense for the Spartans (2-0 division, 4-0 overall) against Mohonasen, but they also aided their defense by keeping Mohonasen’s aerial attack on the sidelines for several minutes at a time while they ran through the Mighty Warriors’ defense.
`They’ve worked extremely hard during the off-season to get to where they are now,` Shell said of his two senior tailbacks. `They’re not doing anything flashy out there. They’re just naturally talented.`
When Mohonasen had the ball, it turned to quarterback Pat Barnes. The senior completed 18 of 29 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, but Burnt Hills’ bend-but-don’t-break defense prevented the Mighty Warriors from getting more points through the air.
`There were a few times we made mistakes, but a good quarterback will do that to you,` said Shell. `I thought we did a good job, though.`
Burnt Hills quarterback Paul Layton didn’t pass the ball nearly as much as Barnes, but he got the most out of his throws. Two of his three completions went for touchdowns as the Spartans built a 34-6 lead.
`Paul’s been playing well for us all year,` said Shell. `He’s very coachable, but again, he’s got a lot of natural ability.`
Holmes gave Burnt Hills a 7-0 lead by capping a long first quarter drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Mohonasen got close when Barnes connected with Josh Provost on a 57-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter, but the Mighty Warriors missed the two-point conversion, which left the Spartans a 7-6 lead.
That was as close as Mohonasen got. Moore scored on a 9-yard run on the Spartans’ ensuing drive and then caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Layton late in the second quarter to put Burnt Hills ahead 21-6. Layton threw his second scoring strike of the game midway through the third quarter when he connected with Chris Pena on a 19-yard touchdown pass to make the score 27-6.
Fullback Ben Batty, who contributed 22 yards, capped Burnt Hills’ scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans have three games left in the regular season, including divisional games against Scotia-Glenville and Averill Park. But before they can worry about their class A rivals, they have a road trip to Queensbury Saturday in a continuation of their old Foothills Council rivalry. This time, though, the game won’t affect the league standings, as Queensbury is now a class AA school. But Shell said it will be a good test for his team.
`They’re a typical Queensbury team. They’re very physical, and they’re well coached,` he said.
Playing Queensbury will help Burnt Hills in one area ` defending the double wing offense. The Spartans will see the unusually-tight formation again Oct. 7 when they host Scotia-Glenville, and they could see it a third time if they meet class A newcomer Lansingburgh in the Section II playoffs.
`It’s good because we’ll get to see it two weeks in a row, rather than see it one week and then see it again three or four weeks later,` said Shell. `It’s easier to come up with a game plan if you’ve just seen it the week before.`
Queensbury enters Saturday’s game off its first loss of the season, a 21-19 setback against Saratoga last Thursday in a class AA Division I game.
The Blue Streaks (1-0 division, 3-1 overall) built a 21-6 lead on third quarter touchdown runs by quarterback Dan McLaughlin and tailback Zorry Williams.
The Spartans (0-1, 3-1) responded with two scoring drives in the fourth quarter, but a failed two-point conversion after Dom Marino’s 6-yard touchdown run prevented Queensbury from tying the game.
Williams rushed for 106 yards, and Vonzel Legall added 42 yards and a touchdown for Saratoga, which plays Guilderland Friday. “