As the winter sports season begins, let’s take a look back at the fall season.
Soccer
The Bethlehem girls soccer team finished third in the Suburban Council South Division standings, but the Lady Eagles came on in the playoffs. They upset No. 3 Columbia, No. 2 Shenendehowa and No. 1 Saratoga Springs to win their first Section 2 Class AA title in three years. Then, they beat Section 3 champion Liverpool in the regionals to reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Section 1 champ North Rockland.
The Voorheesville girls team staged its own monumental upset when it knocked off Schalmont — the state’s No. 1 ranked team — in the Section 2 Class B semifinals. Goaltender Jordan Pettograsso made 17 saves to keep the high-scoring Sabres off the scoreboard. The Blackbirds lost to Catholic Central in overtime in the Sectional final.
On the boys’ side, defending Sectional champion Guilderland surprised outside observers by winning the Suburban Council South Division title, despite graduating nearly every starter from its 2013 squad. The Dutchmen got as far as the Class AA semifinals before losing to Shenendehowa. Bethlehem made it as far as the quarterfinals, where it lost to Niskayuna.
Football
Experience mattered for the Voorheesville football team. The veteran-laden Blackbirds posted a 7-0 regular season record on their way to claiming the Class C Central Division title. They reached the Sectional semifinals before losing to Fonda-Fultonville.
Voorheesville had several standout individual performances throughout the season. Wide receiver Shane Parry caught five passes — all of them for touchdowns — for 193 yards in the Blackbirds’ 42-16 victory over Mechanicville in the Sectional quarterfinals. Tailback Matt Feller rushed for more than 150 yards four times, including a 210-yard effort in a victory over Ichabod Crane and a 198-yard, three-touchdown performance the following week against Stillwater. And quarterback Robert Denman threw for 209 yards and rushed for 65 more in a victory over Taconic Hills.
Bethlehem won its first four games before bowing out of the Class AA Sectionals in the quarterfinals. The Eagles had the top tailback in the Liberty Division, though, in senior Ben Zonca, who rushed for 1,240 yards and 18 touchdowns. Zonca’s best game was a 249-yard, two-touchdown effort in a 28-27 overtime loss to Colonie.
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk’s season had a similar trajectory to Bethlehem’s season. The Indians won their first four games before stumbling to a 5-4 finish and a Class B Sectional quarterfinal appearance. Guilderland struggled to a 2-7 record.
Volleyball
The Bethlehem boys team remained at the top of the Section 2 Division 1 heap, despite graduating seven seniors from last year’s team. After posting the second-best record in the Suburban Council during the regular season, the Eagles navigated their way to the Sectional and regional titles for the fifth straight season. Bethlehem couldn’t keep the momentum going at states, though, as it lost all four of its pool play sets.
Bethlehem’s girls team also had a successful season. Led by veterans such as Gabby and Jenna Giacone, the Lady Eagles won the Suburban Council South Division title and reached the Class AA Sectional final, where they lost to defending champion Shenendehowa. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk got to the Class B Sectional final before falling to Broadalbin-Perth.
Cross country
Guilderland added to the legacy of its “Long Red Line” with a strong showing at the Section 2 Class A championships. The boys team placed second to Shenendehowa, while the girls team placed third behind Saratoga Springs and Shen, which tied for first place.
Sophomore Noah Carey and eighth grader Noah Tindale made headlines for the Guilderland boys team. Both runners finished in the top 10 at Sectionals, with Carey placing third and Tindale finishing sixth. Carey qualified for the state meet, where he posted a ninth-place finish in a time of 16:00.2.
Senior Emily Burns was Guilderland’s top female runner, as she won two invitational titles and finished seventh at Sectionals. The future looks bright for the Lady Dutch, thanks to Emily Bini. The seventh grader came on late in the season to place ninth at Sectionals and 11th at the Federation meet.
Girls swimming
Guilderland-Voorheesville placed fourth at the Section 2 Division 1 meet. Caroline Conforti qualified for the state meet with a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, while Guilderville’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Kelly Gao, Stephanie Erickson, Olivia Bigge and Belen Marriaga earned a state meet berth with a fourth-place finish. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Bigge, Conforti, Marriaga and Sarah Webber also qualified for states.
Bethlehem sent its 200-yard freestyle relay team to states after the team of Leigha Kosakowski, Lauren Wildermuth, Ally Federman and Kathryn Sancilio placed third at Sectionals. Diver Annie Burdick qualified for states following a second-place finish.
Field hockey
Bethlehem reached the Section 2 Class A semifinals following a 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Niskayuna, which had played in last year’s Sectional final. The Lady Eagles lost to eventual Sectional champion Shenendehowa 3-0 in the semifinal round.
Golf
Bethlehem’s Tyler Hull and Guilderland’s Will Burger qualified for the Section 2 championships by posting top-20 scores at the Class A tournament. Hull was part of a four-way tie for fifth place with an 18-hole score of 77, while Burger was part of a three-way tie for 10th place with a score of 80.