As the winter sports season begins, let’s take a look back at the fall season.
Football
Christian Brothers Academy couldn’t defend its Section 2 Class AA title, as Shenendehowa rallied for a 25-20 victory over the Brothers in the Super Bowl Nov. 7. The Brothers (8-2) led 20-19 until Shen tailback Matt Taft scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Zlogar was all over the field for Shen. The senior caught 10 passes for 147 yards, including a 36-yard reception that set up Taft’s go-ahead touchdown run, and he intercepted CBA quarterback Joe Kolbe twice. Shen’s defense also forced a fumble and recovered a bad snap for another turnover.
CBA did the rallying in beating Shaker 37-21 in the Sectional semifinals Oct. 31. The Blue Bison jumped out to a 21-10 halftime lead before the Brothers scored the final 27 points.
CBA’s defense stepped up in the second half. The Brothers forced one Shaker fumble that led to a short scoring drive early in the third quarter, and Ben Anthony returned another Blue Bison turnover for the go-ahead touchdown.
Shaker (7-2) won the Liberty Division title — clinching it with a 35-7 victory over Colonie in the annual Colonie Cup game Oct. 17. Tailback Andrew Bolton led Shaker with 141 yards and a touchdown.
Soccer
The Shaker boys soccer team claimed its first Suburban Council divisional title in more than 40 years by posting a 14-1-1 record, including a pair of victories over division rival Shenendehowa.
Niskayuna, though, was the one team that gave the Blue Bison trouble. The Silver Warriors tied Shaker 2-2 the first time they met in the regular season, and then they beat the Blue Bison 2-1 in another divisional game.
As fate would have it, Shaker and Niskayuna met in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals, and once again the Silver Warriors came out on top — this time with a 3-1 victory. Shaker ended its season with a 15-2-1 record — the only blemishes coming against Niskayuna.
Loudonville Christian reached the Class D Sectional semifinals before losing to eventual champion Fort Ann 5-0. The Eagles entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and knocked off No. 5 Salem 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
Cross country
It was a season of individual achievement, as Colonie’s Jake Johnson and Shaker’s Maryanna Lansing each turned in strong performances down the stretch.
Johnson fended off Guilderland’s Noah Carey to win the Suburban Council championship, and then he placed second to Saratoga’s Aidan Tooker in the Class A race at the Section 2 meet. Lansing — who earned victories at the Queensbury Invitational and the Grout Run — took third place at the Suburban Council meet and fourth place at Sectionals.
Shaker placed third in the boys Class A team standings at Sectionals, while the girls team finished fifth.
CBA tried to knock Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake out of the top spot in the boys Class B race at Sectionals, but the Spartans prevailed by 16 points over the Brothers.
Golf
History was made at the Section 2 Class A tournament, as CBA and Shaker tied for the team title with identical scores of 310. Connor Adams led CBA with an 18-hole score of 73, which helped him finish second to Albany Academy’s Sean Puleo. Madison Braman and Tanner Donovan each record scores of 76 to pace Shaker.
Braman made her own history at the state qualifier, as she became the first female golfer to qualify for the finals in recent memory with a first-day score of 82, but she missed the cut on the second day.
Two local golfers made the cut for next spring’s state tournament. Shaker’s Bobby Canniff carded a two-day total of 150 to place second, and CBA’s Jack O’Hara finished ninth with a two-day score of 158.
Girls swimming
Shaker sent two individuals to the state meet in Ithaca last weekend. Natalie Rumpelt won the 100-yard freestyle and tied for first place in the 50-yard freestyle at the Section 2 Division 1 meet, while Emma McElrath placed second in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races.
