The Class AA football field is a little more crowded this season.
After spending the previous two years in Class A, Niskayuna and Troy move back into the largest of Section II’s five football classifications. And both teams are looking forward to renewing some old rivalries.
It’s great to be back playing against teams we’ve played in the past, said Niskayuna coach John Furey. `We know we have our work cut out for us.`
`It’s very competitive from top to bottom,` said Troy coach Jack Burger. `One of the things about being out of the double As is that you haven’t seen some of these teams for a couple of years, so you don’t know what they might have.`
What Niskayuna and Troy bring to Class AA is talented, veteran-laden squads that will automatically challenge the rest of the league ` specifically the Liberty Division.
`Troy is always going to be a factor, and Niskayuna has always played us tough,` said Colonie coach Mike Ambrosio.
`There’s a bunch of teams that have the potential to win the double A title,` said Schenectady coach Jim Kramer. `It will come down to who stays healthy and who plays the most disciplined.`
The Empire Division is likely to see some change, too, as defending Sectional champion Saratoga Springs deals with the graduation of most of its starters from last year’s team. Shenendehowa, Ballston Spa and Guilderland are among the teams looking to knock the Blue Streaks from their perch.
`I think you’ll see Guilderland out of our division push everybody’s limits,` said Ballston Spa coach John Bowen.
`I think we’re going to be right in the mix,` said Guilderland coach Dan Penna. `The division is wide open.`
Here is a closer look at both Class AA divisions.
Liberty Division
Colonie Garnet Raiders
Head coach: Mike Ambrosio
Key players: Mike Fitzgibbon (WR/DB), Davion Brink (RB/LB), Ryan Nolte (RB/LB), Matt McCarty (OL/LB)
Outlook: Though the Garnet Raiders have 22 seniors on the roster this season ` nearly half of which are linemen ` Ambrosio said that there isn’t a lot of varsity experience in this group.
`On the other hand, we have a lot of youthful enthusiasm,` said Ambrosio.
Starting its season Thursday against crosstown rival Shaker isn’t what Ambrosio wanted to do.
`The big difference is we won’t have all the hype built up going into the game,` said Ambrosio. `School won’t have started yet, so there won’t be an opportunity to build up the usual excitement in the halls.`
Columbia Blue Devils
Head coach: Drew Romanowski
Key players: Corey Gibson (TE/DL), Jake Wronoski (RB/DB), Jonas Godell (RB/LB), Cameron Wynn (RB/DB), Chad DeJohn (OG/LB), Andrew Cleveland (OG/DL)
Outlook: Like Albany, Columbia has nowhere to go but up after finishing last in the Liberty Division last season. And with a large group of juniors, the Blue Devils will be looking to develop as a team.
`It’s a solid group,` said assistant coach Joseph DeNisio. `We bring forth a positive attitude and a desire to play the game of football.`
LaSalle Cadets
Head coach: Al Rapp
Key players: Garrett Delory (QB/DB), Kevin Koberger (RB/LB), Frank Seitz (OL/DL)
Outlook: This season could test LaSalle’s ability to reload. Not only do the Cadets only have three returning starters from last year’s team, but they’re also in a division that became more competitive with the additions of Troy and Niskayuna.
`I like our young guys’ talent, but it’s quite a jump to go from JV to varsity,` said Rapp. `We have our work cut out for us.`
Niskayuna Silver Warriors
Head coach: John Furey
Key players: Mike Chambers (WR/DB), Kyle Bayly (QB/DB), Chris Henry (RB/DE), Alex Melius (RB/DB), Rob Hilweh (RB/DB), Nick Schuler (RB/LB), Peter Kozakiewicz (WR/DB), Mitchell Russell (OL/DT), James Roche (OL/LB), John-Michael Fragnoli (WR/DE)
Outlook: Do-everything running back Ryan Alden may have graduated, but the Silver Warriors have several weapons back this season including Bayly, Hilweh and Fragnoli.
`I think this team is very well set,` said Furey. `We don’t have Ryan Alden, but we have several players who can make an impact at any time.`
Niskayuna will need a balanced attack to compete with a strong Liberty Division field.
`There’s no easy games, that’s for sure,` said Furey.
Schenectady Patriots
Head coach: Jim Kramer
Key players: Tim Cox (QB/DB), D’Metri Gilbert (RB/LB), Mister Taylor (RB/LB), Isaiah Earing (RB/LB), Shaquille Parker (OL/DL)
Outlook: The Patriots are loaded at running back once again with Gilbert, Taylor and Earing. Whether they can lead Schenectady deep into the playoffs again is another matter.
`We have some experienced kids who have been involved in some big games that will help the younger kids along,` said Kramer.
Now that Troy and Niskayuna are in the Liberty Division field, Kramer said nothing is certain for his team.
`I think we have an incredibly challenging schedule this year,` said Kramer.
Shaker Blue Bison
Head coach: Greg Sheeler
Key players: Sam Hyatt (RB/DB), Ben Capeless (QB/DB), Carlos Mendez (TE/DL), Conor Alund (RB/LB), Derek Gardella (OL/LB), Chris Sherwin (TE/DL)
Outlook: Alund was a revelation for the Blue Bison last year, rushing for more than 100 yards several times. In order for him to repeat that success, though, Sheeler said that Alund will need help.
`He’s a big key, and he can’t do it by himself,` said Sheeler, who replaces Dennis Bender as Shaker’s head coach this season. `He needs the offensive line and the receivers [to block] in order for him to do his job.`
Sheeler said he’s also hoping for a big season out of Capeless, who is entering his second season as Shaker’s signal caller.
`We’ll be balanced [between the pass and the run], and he’s a big part of that along with the receivers,` said Sheeler of Capeless. `He needs to make good decisions with the ball.`
Troy Flying Horses
Head coach: Jack Burger
Key players: Brian Marsh (QB/DB), Ian Blair (WR/DB), Jordan Canzeri (RB/DB), Kyle Geraci (RB/LB), Jay Yaskanich (OL/DL)
Outlook: The Flying Horses have several starters back from a team that reached the 2009 Section II Class A Super Bowl, but Burger said he isn’t taking success at the Class AA level for granted.
`We’re going to take it one week at a time,` said Burger. `You always hope to be there at the end of the season, but we’re going to take it one game at a time.`
Empire Division
Albany Falcons
Head coach: Jon McClement
Key players: not available
Outlook: A win would be a great place to begin for the Falcons. They haven’t won a game since the 2008 season, which has been their only victory in the last four seasons.
McClement is the fourth head coach at Albany in the last four years, and he’s the only one in Class AA that has that position in two varsity sports. The former Voorheesville High School girls basketball coach will be entering his third season as the head coach of Albany’s boys basketball team.
Ballston Spa Scotties
Head coach: John Bowen
Key players: Chris Ohnsman (OL/DL), Troy Gargiulo (QB/DB), Bill Cook (RB/LB), Kyle Warmt (RB/LB), Jeremy Defibaugh (RB/LB), Alex Laurenza (OL.DL), Matt Beighey (RB/LB), Chris Heckman (OL/DL)
Outlook: The Scotties love to run the football, and they do it well. They had one of the top rushing attacks in Section II last year, which helped them reach the Class AA final against Saratoga Springs.
Though Ballston Spa graduated several key components of its offense including quarterback Mark Seager and running backs Matt Clark and Nick Tubolino, Bowen said the returning group of players are ready to carry on the tradition.
`We were successful last year, but this is a new group,` said Bowen. `However, we have a group of guys who know what it was like last year.`
Bethlehem Eagles
Head coach: Rick Leach
Key players: Kyle Bossung (WR/LB), Cody Nolan (QB), Jordan Scheid (C/G), Mike Strohecker (RB/LB), Jon Martin (K/P), Jeff Bettinger (S), Jon Reynolds (LB), Colton Vickery (LB), Eric Herman (DE), Dan Thompson (G), Mike Williams (OT/DT), Joe Cronin (WR/DB), Mike McLeer (RB/DB), Tyler Vadney (OT/DT)
Outlook: The Eagles graduated their top two running backs, Casiem Maxwell and Devin Stampley, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve lost all of their speed.
`It’s tough to replace athletes like Casiem and Devin, but I think our speed overall has improved, especially on defense,` said Leach.
Strohecker and McLeer will likely handle most of the rushing duties for Bethlehem, while second-year quarterback Nolan will look to establish a solid working relationship with Bossung and Cronin in the passing game.
`We have a good core of guys who are back from last year,` said Leach. `They have a good chemistry.`
CBA Brothers
Head coach: Joe Burke
Key players: Max Weaver (WR/DB), Ras-I Grady (NG/OL), Logan Frese (OL), Trey Williams (RB/LB), Elijah Dukes (WR), Bob Macari (LB), Casey Crotty (QB)
Outlook: Burke replaces Matt Gormley as the Brothers’ head coach, and he likes what he’s seeing from his new team in practice.
`I believe there’s some very talented football players here,` said Burke, who previously coached at Albany. `They’ve been a fun group to work with the last couple of months. They work very hard.`
Burke said that he’s hoping to utilize the experience his team has in the passing game to make CBA’s offense more potent.
`The passing game will certainly be a big piece of our offense whether Crotty is throwing to Weaver, to Dukes or to one of our tight ends,` said Burke.
Guilderland Dutchmen
Head coach: Dan Penna
Key players: Jack Walsh (WR/DB), Nick Mastrianni (RB/LB), Ryan Smith (QB/DB), Conor Hurley (RB/DB), Andrew Genovese (RB/LB), Tony Stanish (RB/DB), Matt Callanan (OL/DL), Dustin Maguire (OL/DL), Nate Boehm (OL/DL), Adam Gersowitz (OL/DL), Noah Poskanzer (WR/DB)
Outlook: Penna said that if the Dutchmen are to live up to their preseason hype, they must become more consistent defensively to help their offense.
`We have some returning talent on both sides of the ball,` said Penna. `We know our quarterback [Smith] is going to make some plays, but we need our supporting cast to step up.`
Saratoga Blue Streaks
Head coach: Terry Jones
Key players: Luke Fauler (QB), Jesse Spencer (RB), Jaime Perez (RB), Dan Rittenhouse (RB)
Outlook: The Blue Streaks graduated most of their starters from last year’s Sectional championship squad, but Jones said the cupboard isn’t bare, especially at running back.
`I think there’s some talent there. I think there’s some pretty good speed there,` said Jones. `Two of those guys were varsity players last year [Spencer and Perez].
`We certainly feel confident in our kids. We don’t look at it as a rebuilding year but as a reloading year,` he added.
Shenendehowa Plainsmen
Head coach: Brent Steuerwald
Key players: Teddy Van Galen Jr. (QB), Vince Menneto (QB), Kevin Hulbert (CB), Bronson Greene (RB/S), Tony Fusco (RB/DB), Johnny Craig (FB/LB), Mark Thomas (OL/DL), Aaron Ivanauskas (OG/DE), Eddie Denar (OG/DE), Brandon Miller (TE/LB), David Boyle (TE)
Outlook: The Plainsmen’s tradition of strong running backs continues in 2010 with Greene’s return and Fusco’s arrival from Queensbury. The duo should form the core of a formidable running game.
`We have very good backs, but the biggest issue we’ll have is bringing along a young offensive line,` said Steuerwald.“
