The Guilderland football team broke into the win column for the first time in 2014 at another winless team’s expense.
Quarterback Andrew Sentz threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Dutchmen (1-1 league, 1-3 overall) to a 55-7 Empire Division victory over Albany Saturday, Sept. 27, at Bleecker Stadium.
Sentz also rushed for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Guilderland, which built a 36-0 lead by halftime and never looked back.
Cameron Long did his part for Guilderland, as well. The junior halfback caught three touchdown passes for 123 yards and carried the ball four times for 41 yards and a score in his best offensive effort of the season. Long also intercepted Albany quarterback Tysheem Morris in the second quarter.
Morris scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter to end Guilderland’s shutout bid. Morris finished with 59 passing yards for the Falcons (0-2, 0-4).
Guilderland’s victory was part of a greater theme for football teams in central and southern Albany County as Bethlehem, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk and Voorheesville all posted impressive victories.
Bethlehem (2-0, 4-0) remained undefeated with a 37-12 Liberty Division victory at Schenectady Friday, Sept. 26. The Eagles built a 12-0 halftime lead on a Ben Zonca 1-yard touchdown run and a recovery of a blocked punt in the end zone, and then they used a 19-point fourth quarter to put away the Patriots (0-2, 1-3).
Zonca rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns for Bethlehem. Quarterback Nick Crisorio completed 10 out of 17 passes for 193 yards, including a 17-yard scoring strike to John Fredette.
Ravena (3-0, 4-0) also kept its record perfect with a 42-18 victory over Hudson in Friday’s Reinfurt Division game. Tailback Steve Kross guided the Indians with 146 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including scoring runs of 24 and 11 yards in the fourth quarter to close out the game.
Voorheesville (3-0, 4-0) leveled Taconic Hills 42-0 in a Class C non-league game Saturday, Sept. 27, in Voorheesville. Quarterback Robert Denman threw for 209 yards – 90 of which came on a touchdown pass to Shane Parry – and rushed for 65 yards on seven carries. Denman also accounted for four touchdowns in the game, including two on the ground.
Tailback Matt Feller contributed 120 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown for Voorheesville on its homecoming day.
This week’s Class AA schedule is impacted by the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. Bethlehem travels to Colonie Thursday, Oct. 2, while Guilderland hosts Christian Brothers Academy Saturday, Oct. 4.
The smaller classes maintain their normal schedules, as Ravena travels to unbeaten Schalmont Friday, Oct. 3, for a Reinfurt Division clash, while Voorheesville visits Tamarac.