The seedings for this year’s Section 2 football playoffs came out Sunday, Oct. 19. And for two area teams, their seasons will continue on the road.
Bethlehem (5-2) and Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (5-2) begin Sectional play with road games after coming in third place in their respective divisions. Bethlehem travels to Colonie to face Christian Brothers Academy (6-1) in the Class AA quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 24, while Ravena goes to Broadalbin-Perth (5-2) for a Class B playoff contest.
Voorheesville (7-0) is the lone area team with a home playoff game in the first round, and it promises to be a good one as the Blackbirds host Mechanicville (6-1) in a Class C quarterfinal Saturday, Oct. 25. Voorheesville needed a last-minute touchdown to beat its Central Division rival 10-7 in their regular season meeting Sept. 20.
Bethlehem, Ravena and Voorheesville all earned No. 3 seeds for the playoffs. Bethlehem gained the No. 3 seed out of the Liberty Division after finishing in a three-way tie for second place with LaSalle and Colonie. LaSalle received the No. 2 seed based on quarter points, with Bethlehem earning the No. 3 seed and Colonie the No. 4 seed.
Voorheesville’s No. 3 seed wasn’t cut and dry, either. Despite being one of two undefeated Class C teams, the Blackbirds were passed by Class C South Division champion Fonda-Fultonville (6-1) for the No. 2 seed. Defending Sectional champion Hoosick Falls (7-0) received the No. 1 seed after winning the North Division title.
Ravena had a chance to earn the No. 2 seed out of Class B’s Reinfurt Division, but Cohoes (4-3) snatched the game and the seed out of the Indians’ hands by rallying for a 27-16 victory in the final game of the regular season Friday, Oct. 17. Shelton Alston ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for Cohoes, which scored 20 points over the final 12 minutes.
Quarterback Dave Warnken rushed for one touchdown, threw for another and added a two-point conversion pass for Ravena, which lost two of its last three games.
Bethlehem and Voorheesville enter their respective playoff games off impressive wins. Bethlehem knocked off Columbia 33-12 Friday, Oct. 17, while Voorheesville cruised past Stillwater 48-7 Saturday, Oct. 18.
Ben Zonca rushed for more than 130 yards and a touchdown, and Bethlehem’s defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the Eagles’ win against Columbia (1-6). Jared Barends took a second-quarter interception 28 yards for six points, and Tommy Ganle sealed the victory by returning a fourth-quarter pick 31 yards to the end zone.
Matt Feller and Robert Denman were Voorheesville’s stars in Saturday’s win against Stillwater (0-7). Feller gained nearly 200 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns, while Denman passed for 112 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the 41-point win.
The lone area team not involved with Sectionals this year is Guilderland (1-6) following a 44-14 loss to Empire Division champion Shenendehowa Friday, Oct. 17. The Dutchmen finished one game behind fourth-place Ballston Spa (2-5) for the final Class AA playoff berth from their division.
Shen quarterback Ryan Van Galen threw three touchdown passes, and tailback Matt Taft rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Andrew Sentz and tailback Ryan Gallup recorded Guilderland’s touchdowns.
The Dutchmen have two crossover games to conclude their season. Their first is Friday, Oct. 24, at Schenectady (3-4).
