Ron Moshier - Sports

Moshier: Westmoreland, Whitesboro football times changed

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:03:00 +0000

The schedule for this weekend’s state quarterfinal football games between Section III and Section IV champions has been changed, and those changes affect both Whitesboro and Westmoreland.

Westmoreland (10-0) plays Groton (9-1) at 6 p.m. in the only Friday night regional game being played at Union-Endicott High School. That game had originally been scheduled for 5 p.m.

Three Central Region finals will be played at Union-Endicott High School on Saturday, with Whitesboro (9-1) facing Corning East (8-2) at noon in the Class A opener. General Brown plays Chenango Forks in Class C at 3 p.m. and Westhill plays Johnson City in Class B at 6 p.m.

The Class AA game between Baldwinsville and Union-Endicott is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at Johnson City.

According to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Web site and football handbook, the Section III-IV Class D and Class A games were to be played at Union-Endicott at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, respectively. Section IV officials, however, made the schedule change and announced the new dates and times late Monday morning.

Tickets are $7 and will be available only at the door.

Moshier: Semifinal football scheduling no treat

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

For the average fan, high school sports writer, or both, this should have been the best Section III football weekend of the season.

It would have been if the average fan or sports writer had anything to say about it.

It’s up to Section III’s football committee, though, to determine where and when this weekend’s 10 semifinal games in five classes were to be played. And their choices left much for the average fan and sports writer (and to some extent, the players and the schools and the communities involved) to be desired.

Using only five sites to play five Friday night doubleheaders, with games kicking off at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., may have saved the section some money. But it’s hardly fan-friendly – 5 p.m. games at a neutral site on a work day are tough to make – and for the print media, covering 8 p.m. games the way they deserve to be covered becomes next to impossible because of deadline concerns.

If the average fan and print media coverage of high school football were taken more into consideration, Section III wouldn’t have scheduled all 10 semifinal games on a Friday night. Money, no doubt, is an issue, but there are many fans out there who would choose a Saturday afternoon over a Friday night, and some who would pay to go to both Friday’s and Saturday’s games. Play those games over two days, like we’ve done for years, and you might even see an increase at the gate.

Another reason given for no Saturday afternoon semifinal games this year was because Saturday is Halloween, but just last year we played Friday playoff games on Halloween night – without incident.

What the average fan was forced to do this year, unfortunately, was skip out of work early if at all possible or miss a 5 p.m. kickoff, choose one great matchup over another, and hope a quote from the kid who scores the game-winning touchdown in Friday night’s late game makes their edition of the local newspaper.

Unfortunately, for the average fan and a high school sports writer trying to do his or her job, that’s more of a trick than a treat.

Moshier: More C-D playoff teams, more ugliness?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Brace yourselves, high school football fans.

That vast, not-so-great divide between Section III's haves and the have-nots is almost certain to get even uglier this weekend. Subtracting a week of the regular season and adding another round of the playoffs for Section III's smallest, Class C and Class D schools (now 16 of the 22 teams in each class qualify) could be a recipe for disaster.

A six-game regular season is bad enough. Now, don't be surprised if Week 7's first-round playoff games include some downright woeful mismatches. Unfortunately, it's the price Section III will have to pay for giving more teams a playoff chance, no matter how slim that playoff chance might be.

For instance (with their names withheld to protect the innocent): What we end up with this weekend is a 1-5 "playoff" team that has been outscored 210-24 (97-0 the last two weeks) playing a 6-0 team ranked No. 5 in the state. That can't be good for either team.

Sure, expanding the Class C and Class D playoff picture from eight to 16 teams gives twice as many a chance to win a Section III title. But how many of the Not-so-Elite 8 really stand a chance to win a championship? And doesn't a seventh week of regular-season games, in essence, give those teams a chance to play their way into the playoff picture, not limp into the tournament without a hope or a prayer?

Let's hope no star players from the Elite 8 are injured this week, in a game that is decided in the first quarter or half. Oh, and let's hope the section puts all 10 of our Class B teams in one league, not split them into two five-team divisions. Four games to decide a league title? That's not nearly enough.

Moshier: Section III Football Power Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:05:00 +0000

Section III Football

Power Rankings – Week 6

CLASS AA

1. Baldwinsville (5-0): Bees trailed Cicero-North Syracuse 7-6 at the half, but they held the Northstars to 99 total yards and got 223 yards and two touchdowns from star running back Malik Burks in a 21-7 win.

2. Liverpool (4-1): Shutting out winless Central Square 21-0 is no big deal; winning at Christian Brothers Academy this week would be.

3. Auburn (4-1): Since opening the season with a 48-21 loss to CBA, the Maroons have averaged 49 points per game during a four-game winning streak. They’ve still got to win at Corcoran, though, to break first-place tie in Class AA-2.

4. Cicero-North Syracuse (3-2): Northstars, who had won three straight before last week’s loss at Baldwinsville, try to rebound against visiting Rome Free Academy.

5. CBA (3-2): Escaping with a 40-36 win over RFA ended a rare two-game skid for the Brothers, sure to be tested again this week when they meet Liverpool at the Carrier Dome.

CLASS A

1. New Hartford (5-0): The Spartans, who had played 12 straight games on artificial turf, were forced to battle the elements and rely on their defense for a change last week. On natural grass, in the rain and wind, they survived a 14-6 scare at Indian River. They will be playing on the Central Square turf this week – a good thing considering they’re up against state-ranked Fulton in a matchup of unbeatens that could very well be a preview of the Section III final at the Carrier Dome.

2. Fulton (5-0): Class A American Division leaders ready to square off against New Hartford. The Spartans ended Fulton’s season last year, rolling to a 35-13 victory in the Section III semifinals.

3. Whitesboro (5-0): Warriors hosting Watertown on Senior Night, and next Friday they should roll into New Hartford a perfect 6-0. Get there early!

4. Indian River (3-2): Former Section X powerhouse has lost to two 5-0 teams, including a one-point, last-minute loss at Whitesboro and last week’s 14-6 loss to New Hartford.

5. East Syracuse-Minoa (4-1): Should finish regular season with wins over Fowler and Nottingham.

CLASS B

1. Westhill (5-0): Struggled a bit while disposing of winless Skaneateles 20-7, and now the Warriors face a nonleague test against Oneida in a rematch of last year’s Section III final won by the Indians 20-0.

2. Marcellus (3-2): Mustangs destined to finish regular season on a five-game winning streak.

3. Oneida (4-1): Indians may not return to the state championship game but they are doing just fine, thank you, without Ryan Kramer & Co. Beating Westhill this week too much to ask?

4. South Jefferson (3-2): Spartans had no problem with winless Phoenix, but they’d better be ready for VVS offense and QB Tyler Mautner, WR Tyler Curtis, and RB Colin Way.

5. Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (4-1): Red Devils rebounded from that loss to Chittenango in a big way. Can they win at South Jefferson this week?

CLASS C

1. General Brown (5-0): Beating previously unbeaten Class D Watertown IHC wasn’t easy. Beating up on Alexandria Bay will be.

2. Bishop Ludden (5-0): There was no slip-up at Hannibal; Gaelic Knights rolled, 54-18.

3. Cazenovia (5-0): Lakers have outscored teams 228-28 and can wrap up perfect Class C South season with a win at Mount Markham. The Mustangs are 3-2, with three wins by shutout.

4. Cooperstown (5-0): The Redskins got their revenge, holding off Frankfort-Schuyler 29-26 (Frankfort upset 4-0 Cooperstown last year). Winning Class C East outright, though, will take a win over Herkimer.

5. Holland Patent (4-1): It was a struggle, but Golden Knights avoided back-to-back losses by a foot. Dan Mower kicked field goals as time expired in the first half and the fourth quarter of a 21-18 win at Ilion.

CLASS D

1. Westmoreland (5-0): Another game, another shutout, another blowout. The Bulldogs haven’t allowed a single point since Week 2 and have outscored the opposition 260-18.

2. Watertown IHC (4-1): Even in defeat, the Cavaliers earn some more respect. Losing a nonleague game to state-ranked Class C power General Brown 24-8 (it was 8-8 at halftime) is nothing to be ashamed of.

3. Dolgeville (4-1): Playmakers Zach Goyette, Michael Barnes, Chris Robotham and Alex Snyder led Blue Devils to a 49-7 romp at New York Mills.

4. Weedsport (5-0): Hard to tell just how good the state-ranked Warriors are.

5. Notre Dame (4-1): Jugglers try to end their regular season with a fifth straight victory.

Moshier: Favre has his day (night), for now

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Yes, Brett Favre looked like his old (I mean much younger) self. Yes, the Hall of Fame gunslinger who never seems to know whether he’s coming or going was on target and throwing darts Monday night, for all of us to see.

As impressive as Favre was, though, and as much as he stole the show, most impressive were the Minnesota Vikings as a team. Clearly, Favre made the right choice this time. Not only does he have Adrian Peterson to hand off to and lean on, he’s got an offensive line that treated him as if he were royalty.

With Green Bay’s defense loading up the line of scrimmage, Peterson had an off night, but Favre – unlike the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, who was knocked around like a piñata and sacked eight times -- had all night to throw the football.

Yes, this was Brett Favre’s night, and this week it will be Peterson running all over the hapless Rams. After that, we’ll see just how complete this Minnesota team is, and just how much Favre has left in the tank when the Vikings host Baltimore in Week 6 and then travel to Pittsburgh and Green Bay.

Moshier: Section III Football Power Rankings-Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Section III Football

Power Rankings – Week 5

CLASS AA

1. Baldwinsville (4-0): Bees celebrated their 100th year of high school football with a 27-14 home win over previously unbeaten and state-ranked Liverpool last week, and they may soon be celebrating their first section title in 20 years.

2. Liverpool (3-1): Not to worry, Warriors will bounce back in a big way against winless Central Square.

3. Auburn (3-1): Running back Ismail Brooks already has rushed for over 1,000 yards and has scored 19 touchdowns, 17 in the last three games.

4. Cicero-North Syracuse (3-1): Pulling out last week’s 23-16 victory over CBA with just 10 seconds remaining means the Northstars have a three-game winning streak. The bad news? They pay Baldwinsville a Week 5 visit.

5. CBA (2-2): The Brothers have suffered back-to-back Class AA-1 losses to Baldwinsville and CBA, and they are in dire need of a Week 5 home win over Rome Free Academy.

CLASS A

1. New Hartford (4-0): State-ranked No. 4 Spartans, next to unstoppable with Joe Carcone and Anthony Acevedo running wild, unleashed another weapon when junior QB Vinny Servadio completed 12 of 15 passes for 232 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-8 romp over Watertown.

2. Fulton (4-0): Red Raiders rolled over Cortland 57-13, and will roll over Fowler before facing New Hartford in a nonleague matchup of state-ranked powers next week.

3. Whitesboro (4-0): Sharing the load has helped the Warriors average 432 yards rushing in their last three wins.

4. Indian River (3-1): After three straight impressive wins since that one-point, last-minute loss at Whitesboro, the North Country’s Warriors must like their Week 5 upset chances against unbeaten New Hartford.

5. East Syracuse-Minoa (3-1): After suffering rare league loss to American Division rival Fulton, the Spartans rebounded with a 21-18 nonleague win over Carthage.

CLASS B

1. Westhill (4-0): All-state end Dan Ross caught two more touchdown passes and the Warriors beat Homer 28-14.

2. Marcellus (2-2): The Mustangs ended a two-game skid and QB Will Fiacchi threw for 519 yards and three touchdowns in a last-minute, 41-37 win over South Jefferson.

3. South Jefferson (2-2): Spartans will lick their wounds, then take their Week 4 frustrations out on winless Phoenix.

4. Chittenango (2-2): Hard to overlook the Bears, who lost their first two games to Marcellus and Westhill but last week roared back with a 21-point fourth quarter and a 30-19 win over previously-unbeaten Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.

5. Oneida (3-1): Indians saw how Chittenango’s ball-control offense hamstrung VVS. Now, they get their chance to declaw the Bears.

CLASS C

1. General Brown (4-0): The Lions aced what was expected to be their first real test, scoring on eight straight possessions and steamrolling to a 53-12 romp over previously-unbeaten Adirondack.

2. Bishop Ludden (4-0): Gaelic Knights really did take it easy on winless Jordan-Elbridge, scoring all 48 of their points (including 35 in the second quarter) in the first half of a 48-0 victory.

3. Cazenovia (4-0): Lakers have outscored teams 183-28 and now face winless Clinton.

4. Cooperstown (4-0): Redskins fell behind previously-unbeaten Holland Patent 14-0 on the road, then used their running game and fourth-quarter turnovers to rally for an impressive 21-14 win.

5. Holland Patent (3-1): Golden Knights try to bounce back from home loss with a Class C East win at Ilion.

CLASS D

1. Westmoreland (4-0): The ugliness continues as state-ranked No. 1 Bulldogs score 33 points in the first quarter, 47 points in the first half, and blank Morrisville-Eaton 54-0. Westmoreland has now outscored the opposition 210-18. Ouch!

2. Watertown IHC (4-0): After outscoring their first three opponents 112-13, the Cavaliers had to work to turn back North Division rival Sandy Creek 14-7.

3. Waterville (4-0): Losing senior co-captain Garth Curtis, their standout fullback and linebacker, to a broken leg doesn’t help. And QB Donnie March may miss a second straight game with an ankle injury.

4. Dolgeville (3-1): OK, the Blue Devils lost to Notre Dame 12-7, but they have been much more impressive ever since, including a 41-0 romp over Little Falls.

5. Notre Dame (3-1): Class D East leaders have won three straight, but the Jugglers had to come from behind to edge winless Little Falls 21-20 last week.

Moshier: New Hartford now No. 4 in state

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:14:00 +0000

New Hartford High School’s football team moved up a notch in this week’s Class A state rankings, the Spartans (4-0) now No. 4 behind top-ranked Sweet Home, No. 2 Burnt Hills and No. 3 Rochester Aquinas.

New Hartford’s move comes after fourth-ranked Rye High, last year’s Class B state champion, had its 27-game winning streak snapped by a 13-7 loss to No. 10 Eastchester. One of those 27 straight victories for Rye was a 16-12 win over Oneida in last year’s Class B state championship game at the Carrier Dome.

The state’s longest active winning streak is now 20, and it belongs to defending Class C state champion and top-ranked Jamestown Southwestern, a 49-8 winner over perennial Class B power Lackawanna last week! Section III has three ranked “C” teams, including No. 5 Bishop Ludden, No. 8 General Brown and No. 11 Cazenovia.

Fulton (4-0) is No. 16 in the Class A state poll, and the Red Raiders meet No. 4 New Hartford in a nonleague crossover next week. Whitesboro (4-0) remains an “honorable mention” in Class A.

Westmoreland (4-0) is firmly entrenched as the state’s top-ranked Class D team, followed by Dundee of Section V, Delhi of Section IV, and Maple Grove of Section VI. Watertown’s Immaculate Heart Central is No. 6 and Weedsport is No. 11.

Moshier: Holland Patent night football not at first

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:57:00 +0000

The phrase, “believed to be the first,” came in handy again last Friday night when Holland Patent’s Golden Knights played Cooperstown in a Class C East showdown that many believed was the first night-time high school football game ever played at Holland Patent.

By at least one reader’s account, “not so.”

For the record, according to everybody I talked to, it was “believed” to be the first. But according to an email from a Holland Patent reader who seemed to know what he was talking about – unfortunately, phone calls to him were not returned, so I won’t use his name – “Previous to 1952, most home football games were played under the lights at the softball field located in the village of Holland Patent.”

At that time, he wrote, Holland Patent played six-man football.

Once again, thanks to a local reader who has been around a little longer than I have, using “believed to be the first” helped me find out otherwise. And I appreciate it.

Moshier: Showdown with Delhi in Class D football future?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:33:00 +0000

State-ranked No. 1 Westmoreland has to be the favorite to represent Section III in this year’s Class D state football playoffs.

Section III’s Class D champion, no matter who it is, could very well be up against perennial Southern Tier powerhouse Delhi in the opening round of regionals.

Now up to No. 4 in the Class D poll, Delhi knocked off Section IV rival Walton 14-12 last weekend. Walton slipped from No. 8 to No. 19 in the Class C state rankings. Last year, in a Week 3 nonleague game, Westmoreland beat Delhi 21-14.

Westmoreland is followed in this week’s Class D state poll by Dundee and Avon of Section V.

In Class AA, Baldwinsville rises to No. 8 after edging CBA 30-28 last week. Liverpool is No. 13.

In Class A, New Hartford remains at No. 5 and Fulton is No. 17.

In Class B, Westhill is No. 10 and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill breaks into the rankings at No. 16.

In Class C, Bishop Ludden is No. 6, General Brown is No. 9, and Cazenovia is No. 13.

Moshier: Section III Football Power Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Section III Football

Power Rankings – Week 4

CLASS AA

1. Baldwinsville (3-0): Running back Malik Burks leads all of Section III with 842 rushing yards, 247 of them in last Friday’s come-from-behind, 30-28 win at Christian Brothers Academy.

2. CBA (2-1): Brothers looking to rebound with a win at Cicero-North Syracuse.

3. Liverpool (3-0): Running back Greg Bell helped power state-ranked Warriors past Rome Free Academy 44-28.

4. Auburn (2-1): Big-play TB Ismail Brooks has scored seven touchdowns in each of the last two games. He leads the section with 16 touchdowns, he’s rushed for 790 yards, and he’s averaging 14.9 yards per carry.

5. Cicero-North Syracuse (2-1): Northstars made it two straight victories with 48-20 rout of winless Central Square, but now they face a CBA team in an ornery mood.

CLASS A

1. New Hartford (3-0): With Anthony Acevedo rushing for five touchdowns for the second straight week, the Spartans were a big hit in their first home game at the new Don Edick Field. They’re averaging over 48 points per game and showing no signs of slowing down.

2. Fulton (3-0): The Red Raiders ended four-time defending champion East Syracuse-Minoa’s 10-game American Division winning streak with a 33-20 upset. Now, a mighty telling nonleague matchup with National Division power New Hartford is only a few weeks away.

3. East Syracuse-Minoa (2-1): After a rare league loss, it will be interesting to see how Spartans fare this week against Carthage.

4. Whitesboro (3-0): Defense hasn’t allowed more than a touchdown in the Warriors’ last two games.

5. Indian River (2-1): Warriors have put that one-point loss in season opener at Whitesboro behind them.

CLASS B

1. Westhill (3-0): Warriors outscored first two opponents 68-0, but they needed to move all-state receiver Dan Ross to quarterback – Ross ran for a 16-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter – to eek out a 13-10 win over West Division rival Marcellus.

2. Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (3-0): Red Devils on a roll thanks to QB Tyler Mautner, WR Tyler Curtis, and RB Colin Way. Stiffer test may come from Chittenango’s Bears.

3. Marcellus (1-2): No shame in losing to VVS and Westhill, and the road should get easier for the Mustangs.

4. South Jefferson (2-1): RB A.J. Chartrand ran for 248 yards and two touchdowns in 26-14 East Division win over defending Section III champion Oneida.

5. Oneida (2-1): Indians held to 28 rushing yards in their loss to South Jefferson, but they should bounce back in a big way with Week 4 home game against winless Phoenix.

CLASS C

1. General Brown (3-0): The Lions have outscored their first three opponents 164-6. Those three teams are a combined 2-7. Now, the Lions face Class C North newcomer Adirondack and the 3-0 Wildcats.

2. Bishop Ludden (3-0): All-state QB John Rooney and all-state RB Omar Osbourne have Gaelic Knights – upset by Westmoreland in last year’s section final – on a mission.

3. Cazenovia (3-0): Lakers have outscored teams 152-20 and there’s no Class C South challenger in sight.

4. Holland Patent (3-0): Like Cazenovia, this former Class B contender has enjoyed stepping down. Now, the Golden Knights host a 3-0 Cooperstown team with first place in the Class C East at stake.

5. Adirondack (3-0): All-time rushing leader Scott Dunlap is long gone, but the Wildcats continue to grind out the yards and the wins with a “committee” that includes RBs Andre Adkins, Jesse Sullivan and Denver Divens and veteran QB Matt Pfendler. They will find out where they stand as a Class C North newcomer with a Friday night trip to Dexter and a first-place showdown with perennial North Country power General Brown.

CLASS D

1. Westmoreland (3-0): Are the state-ranked No. 1 Bulldogs too good for their own good? So far they are. They’ve outscored their first three opponents 108-6 in the first half and 156-18 overall. With coach Tim Gates calling off the ‘Dogs early and often, at least their starters are well rested.

2. Watertown IHC (3-0): See above. The Cavaliers haven’t broken a sweat yet, either. Including 36-6 romp over a 2-0 Pulaski team in Week 3, IHC has outscored teams 112-13.

3. Waterville (3-0): Defense is coach Jerry Corigliano’s forte, and “D” delivered again in 21-7 win over Morrisville-Eaton. Dan Kelly had two of the Indians’ three interceptions.

4. Notre Dame (2-1): Jugglers took over sole possession of Class D East lead, but they had to squeak by Burrstone Road neighbor New York Mills 12-6 to do it.

5. Dolgeville (2-1): After getting upset at home by Notre Dame, defending Section III Class D champs took out their frustrations on Little Falls and rolled to 41-0 victory.

Moshier: Too much Jerry Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:10:00 +0000

C’mon, NBC. Your “Football Night in America” this past Sunday was more like “Football Night in Dallas,” and the only thing worse than Tony Romo’s quarterbacking was the peacock network’s telecast.

Enough, already, with the palace in Dallas (actually Arlington) that Jerry built. Outside the lines, NBC’s coverage was overdone and overbearing. Real football fans are tuning in to watch the game, not a gloating Jerry Jones or the former First Lady parked in her luxury suite, right there between Jones’ wife and daughter. Find some other filler, please. Real football fans simply don’t care.

Real football fans already have seen more than enough of Jones. What other NFL owner gets more face time? And why him? What have his Cowboys done for him lately? Fortunately, thanks to Romo and the Giants’ last-second win, Jones wasn’t on the Cowboys’ sideline handing out high-fives.

You know he would’ve been there in the end, and you know NBC’s cameras would have found him. That’s too bad. Win or lose, we’ve all seen enough of Jerry Jones (unless, of course, he wanders too close to the real action and is accidently leg-whipped to the turf by Flozell Adams).

Moshier: New Hartford, Whitesboro on football collision course

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:49:00 +0000

OK, so we’re only three weeks into the high school football season.

Still, it’s never too early to look ahead when New Hartford and Whitesboro haven’t met yet, and when both the Spartans and the Warriors are off and running at 3-0.

Whitesboro still has a Week 5 trip to Carthage, and New Hartford still has to play Fulton in a nonleague matchup of state-ranked Class A teams in Week 6. But both the Spartans and the Warriors could very well be 6-0 entering the final weekend of the regular season. The Spartans host Whitesboro at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at Don Edick Field.

New Hartford’s no-huddle, spread offense has been next to unstoppable – only General Brown (164), Westmoreland (156), and Cazenovia (152) have scored more points after three weeks than the Spartans’ 145. And Whitesboro’s defense has been stout, allowing only 32 points – just 13 in the last two games.

No matter what happens between now and then, that Week 7 showdown in New Hartford will be, as most New Hartford-Whitesboro matchups are, a must-see.

Moshier: Section III Football Power Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Section III Football

Power Rankings – Week 3

CLASS AA

1. CBA (2-0): A 29-point second half and 35-6 romp over defending section champ Henninger hard to overlook.

2. Baldwinsville (2-0): RB Malik Burks already has 580 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns.

3. Liverpool (2-0): Warriors and all-state RB Greg Bell avoided upset at West Genesee, now face RFA at Carrier Dome.

4. Henninger (1-1): Defending section champions rebuilding, but still a force to be reckoned with.

5. Cicero-North Syracuse (1-1): Northstars rebounded nicely from season-opening loss to Henninger and a slow start at Proctor.

CLASS A

1. New Hartford (2-0): Spread offense’s one-two punch of RB Joe Carcone and QB-WR Anthony Acevedo a real knockout.

2. East Syracuse-Minoa (2-0): All-state RB Dustin Moss has the other Spartans off and running again.

3. Whitesboro (2-0): Head coach Tom Schoen has 203 career wins and counting.

4. Fulton (2-0): Red Raiders don’t have a home, but usually can run and can stop the run.

5. Indian River (1-1): Former Section X power no pushover.

CLASS B

1. Westhill (2-0): After outscoring first two opponents 68-0, Warriors open West Division play against Marcellus.

2. Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (2-0): QB Tyler Mautner already has thrown 7 touchdown passes.

3. Oneida (2-0): Led by Nate Mallinder and new QB Jeremy Rodriguez, defending section champs have rallied for two one-point victories.

4. Marcellus (1-1): All-state QB Will Fiacchi & Co. trying to avoid back-to-back losses, but will have to upset state-ranked Westhill to do it.

5. Solvay (1-1): Bearcats on rebound after one-point loss to Oneida.

CLASS C

1. General Brown (2-0): Steve Fisher’s 243 victories are the most among active Section III coaches, and rumor has it this might be his best team ever.

2. Bishop Ludden (2-0): Gaelic Knights have won 23 of their last 24 games and should breeze to C West title.

3. Cazenovia (2-0): Speaking of breezing, Lakers will roll in C South.

4. Holland Patent (2-0): Move from Class B to “C” looks good so far.

5. Cooperstown (2-0): Remember that 1-7 season in 2007? The Redskins do.

CLASS D

1. Westmoreland (2-0): State-ranked No. 1 Bulldogs won’t be challenged until Week 6 matchup with Waterville and former Westmoreland coach Jerry Corigliano.

2. Watertown IHC (2-0): Cavaliers eyeing return to Carrier Dome final after last year’s 21-14 loss to Dolgeville.

3. Waterville (2-0): Coach “C” and Indians tuning up for Week 6 reunion in Westmoreland.

4. Notre Dame (1-1): Jugglers doing a lot with a little and riding 12-7 upset at Dolgeville.

5. Dolgeville (1-1): Defending section champions look to rebound after rare D East loss, but winning at archrival Little Falls won’t be easy.

Moshier: Westmoreland football No. 1 in the state; New Hartford No. 5

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Westmoreland head coach Tim Gates would be the first to admit this doesn’t mean a thing (not now, anyway), but the first installment of the New York State Sportswriters Association’s weekly state rankings has his 2-0 Bulldogs sitting at the very top of the Class D poll.

For what it’s worth in Week 3 of the regular season, Westmoreland, playing at the Class D level after reaching the Class C state quarterfinals last fall, is ranked No. 1 ahead of Section V schools Dundee and Avon from the Buffalo area and perennial Section IV power Delhi from the Southern Tier.

Christian Brothers Academy is No. 3 in Class AA, defending Section III champion New Hartford is No. 5 in Class A, Westhill is No. 11 and defending section champ Oneida is No. 18 in Class B, and Bishop Ludden is No. 7 in Class C.

Joining Class D Westmoreland as the state’s other top-ranked teams are Monroe-Woodbury (AA), Sweet Home (A), Lansingburgh (B), and Jamestown Southwestern (C).

Moshier: Westmoreland's Bulldogs could use a test

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Westmoreland’s football team is 2-0, but head coach Tim Gates may have a problem keeping his Bulldogs interested for the next few weeks.

In the Class D South, there may be too many easy pickings to do the Bulldogs any good. Take their Week 2 win over Oriskany, for instance. All-state running back Justin Becker touched the football eight times and scored five touchdowns, three on runs and two on pass receptions, and Westmoreland led 41-0 at the half. The final was 53-6.

Next up for the Bulldogs is Rome Catholic, and then Morrisville-Eaton and Hamilton, before ending the regular season with an Oct. 10 home game against Waterville. That Week 6 matchup should be worth watching, but between now and then, Westmoreland’s Bulldogs probably won’t break a sweat.

In the long run, that may hurt their chances of winning a third section title in four years. We shall see.

Moshier: High school football announcers should clean up act

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:33:00 +0000

Almost 30 years of covering high school football, and some things just never change.

Here we are, just one week into the season, and already a public address announcer has made me shake my head and wonder, yet again, why somebody hasn’t laid down the law about what should and shouldn’t be said when there is a microphone in your hand and a game going on.

The unwritten rules are really this simple: Keep it simple. Or, in other words, simply stick to the facts. Please!

OK, so this isn’t the NFL. Still, no announcer at a high school football game, or any other high school sporting event for that matter, should be saying, “Let’s hear it for your (fill in the home team’s mascot here),” while the game is going on. Leave that to the cheerleaders. That’s what they are there for.

Please don’t tell us this is a big fourth-down play. We know that. Please don’t sound a bit too thrilled when the injured player who “appears to be shaken up” happens to be the visiting team’s quarterback. We can see that. And never, ever tell us the visiting team has a third down and “a mile to go” for a first down. Phrases like that should be kept to yourself. Please.

When we’re talking football, the less said, the better. All we really need to hear is the who, the what, and the where. Just tell us who carried or threw or caught the ball, who made the tackle, at what yard line, and down and distance.

It’s that simple. And if you don’t think it can be done that simply and succinctly, then you’ve never been to a Rome Free Academy home game at RFA Stadium. And if you’ve never been there, please go and learn from the very best. For many, many years, nobody around these parts has been doing it better than Ray Tarkowski, the voice of RFA’s home football games.

Here’s to hoping at least some of you follow his example. And if you don’t, hopefully somebody at your school finds somebody else who will. Please.

Moshier: Herkimer's Crandall impressive

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:49:00 +0000

Another Crandall kid from Herkimer, another star in the making?

It looks that way.

Sophomore Sean Crandall, the younger brother of former Herkimer High School standouts Kyle and J.J., was more than a little bit impressive in Saturday’s season opener at Dolgeville.

Crandall, a six-foot, 190-pounder, played tailback and quarterback, alternating most of the day with senior Mike Fahy. Crandall rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns, had two completions for 30 yards, and also caught four passes for 26 yards. He also played linebacker for the Magicians, who rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit and then lost in the final minute, 27-21.

Despite the loss, Herkimer looks like a Class C East contender again this year, led by seniors Fahy and Myles Malta and yet another multi-talented Crandall kid. Fahy can run and throw, too, but he may be most impressive as a place kicker and punter. He’s got quite a leg.

Moshier: New Hartford, Westmoreland gridders repeat?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Every high school football season has its surprises, right?

Well, not exactly. Not this one. Not when you’re talking Section III Class C and Class D football, anyway.

Without going out on much of a limb, let’s first state the obvious and predict a Cazenovia vs. Bishop Ludden final in Class C. Westmoreland knocked off both of them last year, rallying from a 13-0 deficit and beating Cazenovia 23-20 for the Class C South title and later upsetting defending state champion and state-ranked No. 1 Bishop Ludden 24-19 in the Carrier Dome’s Section III finals.

Cazenovia’s Lakers, coached by Rome’s Tom Neidl, had won back-to-back Class B championships in 2006-07. This year, they should return with a vengeance, winning the Class C South with ease. Bishop Ludden, though, is the pick here to win it all in Class C, thanks to the return of all-state players John Rooney at quarterback and leading rusher Omar Osbourne at tailback.

Locally, the Class C East Division is loaded, led by defending league champ Herkimer and Cooperstown, whose Redskins return almost everyone from a team that handed Herkimer its only league loss and finished 6-2 overall. Many of the same Cooperstown players labored through a 1-7 season when young underclassmen were thrown into the fire in 2007. With Herkimer and Cooperstown up against Holland Patent, a Class B semifinalist last year, Ilion, Frankfort-Schuyler and Mohawk/Richfield Springs, the Class C East race should be one of this year’s most intriguing.

Section III’s Class D championship should pit two of last year’s champs, Westmoreland and Dolgeville, against each other in what would be a mighty Carrier Dome matchup of perennial powerhouse. Unfortunately, that can’t happen. Not with Section III’s new 16-team, Class C-D playoff format, which locks in North vs. West and South vs. East “conference” championship matchups. Westmoreland will win the Class D South, Dolgeville will win the Class D East, and one of them will staying home while the other plays for another Section III crown at the Carrier Dome. That’s a shame.

Led by all-state tailback Justin Becker and quarterback Dan Smith, Westmoreland will move on and the Bulldogs will claim their third section title in four years.

In Class AA-1 and Class AA-2 divisions, young and relatively inexperienced Thomas R. Proctor High School and Rome Free Academy teams will have a tough time qualifying for the Section III playoffs. Defending champion Henninger, Christian Brothers Academy, Liverpool and West Genesee look like the favorites here.

If New Hartford’s Spartans stay healthy and Anthony Acevedo’s move to quarterback works out the way they expect it to, they should repeat as Section III’s Class A champions. League rivals Whitesboro and Camden will not be pushovers, though, and defending Class A American Division champ East Syracuse-Minoa returns all-state running back Dustin Moss.

A Marcellus team returning all-state quarterback Will Fiacchi and a Westhill team featuring all-state receiver Dan Ross look like the class of Class B, but don’t be surprised if defending section champ and 2008 state runner-up Oneida makes some more noise even without all-state quarterback Ryan Kramer.

Moshier: RFA speedster DeJean returns to gridiron

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:36:00 +0000

He hasn’t played football since Pop Warner, but it will be interesting to see just how much of an impact track & field star Anthony DeJean makes as a senior member of this year’s Rome Free Academy Black Knights.

DeJean, one of the top sprinters in New York State as an RFA junior, might be seen running out of the backfield or running pass patterns for the Black Knights, who have a new head coach in Ted Swavely, a new quarterback in Dante Mezza, and a new offense that probably won’t throw the football as much as RFA did under former head coach Mike Davis.

No matter what DeJean does, it remains a good bet that senior running back Kyle Kimball will shoulder much of the load for the Black Knights, who host Thomas R. Proctor High School in their opener at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at RFA Stadium.

Moshier: Packer faithful feel betrayed

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Wonder how the Packer faithful felt about Brett Favre’s latest move, out of retirement once more, this time headed for Minnesota and one of their most hated NFC North rivals?

I just happened to be visiting relatives in Milwaukee when that front page news hit home like a slap in the face to my two teen-age nephews. They were willing to forgive and forget Favre’s first curtain call with the New York Jets, but another comeback that will pit the Hall of Fame quarterback against their beloved Packers not once but twice this season was going way too far.

The autographed photo with Favre standing between the two of them still hangs on their wall, but he is now viewed as public enemy No. 1, and many Green Bay Packer fans just like them feel they have been betrayed.

That sentiment was splattered throughout Wednesday morning’s edition of the Journal Sentinel, including a lead story headlined, “Purple Pain,” that featured a picture of Favre strapping on a Vikings helmet during his first day at training camp.

“The unthinkable is reality,” wrote the Journal Sentinel’s Lori Nickel in her story on the front page of the newspaper.

Inside, the lead page of the sports section featured an opinion piece by Michael Hunt and the headline that pretty much summed up how most cheese heads now feel about Favre: “The Ego has landed.”

“That’s one small misstep for the Vikings, yet another giant leap into silliness for everyone else,” wrote Hunt, who later playfully referred to the former Packer beloved as Brett Farce.

In Hunt’s opinion, Favre’s primary motivation is “sticking it to the Packers.” On the field, Favre and his new team will get two chances to do that, on Oct. 5 in Minnesota and on Nov. 1 at Lambeau Field.

My nephews, and what seems to be all of Wisconsin, most certainly will be sticking to their guns and wishing him the worst.

Moshier: Helmuth-Ingalls, Love Post command respect in District V American Legion tourney

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Looking for a dark horse in this week’s District V American Legion baseball tournament at DeLutis Field? Helmuth-Ingalls Post of Clinton and Love Post of Boonville have that look.

Neither one of those Oneida County teams has ever won a District V title, but both of them have to be upset-minded heading into Wednesday’s first round of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

Helmuth-Ingalls is 17-9, and armed with pitchers Jake Ross, Jordan Doroshenko, Justin Corney, Tyler White, Cory Gogola and Zach Lusby. Lee Foxton, Tyler Heck and Chris Hughes are the top hitters on a team that could make some serious noise this week if it can get by Herkimer County champion Ilion Post in Wednesday’s first round.

“We played Helmuth-Ingalls early in the year and the game went nine innings and we beat them on a suicide squeeze,” Utica Post manager Greg Gaeta said. “It wasn’t a fluke. They’ve done well all year.”

That deep pitching staff is what has Smith Post coach Tony Abone Jr. picking Helmuth-Ingalls as this week’s dark horse.

“They’ve got four or five arms, and some older kids in the lineup,” said Abone. “I think it’s been a long, long time since Helmuth-Ingalls has been in the playoffs, too, so I would expect them to want to make the most of it.”

The same, of course, can be said for Love Post, a team that was missing from the playoff picture until Whitestown Post had to forfeit six of its wins. Love Post then rolled to a five-inning, 12-1 win over New Hartford in Monday’s third-place “play-in” game.

“They swing the bats, and they’re a seasoned team with some veterans (like pitchers Harry Campbell and Cody Hitt) who have been around,” said Abone. “They’re playing with house money right now. They have nothing to lose.”

Campbell said as much Monday night, after limiting New Hartford to four hits and driving in four runs in Love’s 12-1 romp.

“We haven’t really played to our potential until now,” said Campbell. “This is the perfect time to do it. We’re peaking at the right time, and we have no pressure on us right now.”

Moshier: District V American Legion tournament takes shape

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:15:00 +0000

The District V American Legion baseball playoffs, an eight-team, double-elimination tournament, begin with four first-round games Wednesday at DeLutis Field in Rome.

Both fields will be used for a pair of 1 p.m. games Wednesday, with the winner of Monday night’s New Hartford Post-Love Post “play-in” game meeting Parkhurst Post on Field I and Helmuth-Ingalls Post playing Ilion Post on Field II.

A day-night doubleheader will follow on Field I, with Utica Post meeting Sackets Harbor at 4 p.m. and Oneida County champion Smith Post of Rome play Herkimer Post at 7 p.m.

The tournament continues Thursday at DeLutis Field.

Moshier: Whitestown Post wrongly denied?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Whitestown Post’s American Legion baseball team had a District V playoff berth in its sights with only days left in the regular season. That’s when longtime coach Paul Engelhart had to tell his team it was going to have to forfeit six of its wins. That ruling, made apparently because Whitestown had used an ineligible player, knocked Engelhart’s team out of playoff contention.

What a way to go. What a shame. Engelhart, one of the most respected coaches in Oneida County American Legion baseball, shouldered the blame, even though anybody who knows him would realize his intentions were good. Did he make a clerical error, and file paper work too late? Perhaps. I’m sure he’s not the first coach to do that. If that is what happened, league officials should have notified him of the error before the first pitch was thrown, so it could be corrected.

OK, so rules are rules. But Engelhart, Whitestown Post’s head coach for 11 seasons, is one of those guys who make Oneida County American Legion baseball something special. It’s hard to believe he was intentionally trying to “get away” with something. It would be a shocker if that was the case.

So, then, did the league and state’s punishment fit the crime? Certainly not. You don’t want to see any team’s season, not to mention the American Legion careers of so many area players, end like this. If Oneida County ran a tighter ship, and a preseason list of checks and balances was followed, player-by-player, team-by-team, maybe honest mistakes like this would not happen.

There’s a good chance this miscue could have been avoided, long before it came to this, an emotional coach trying to explain to his players why their post-season hopes have been dashed by a mere “technicality.” Unhappy endings like that should never happen, not to Whitestown Post or to any other team, and certainly not to a coach as near and dear to his players as Paul Engelhart. Maybe it’s the system that needs fixing, before something like this happens again.

Moshier: Boilermaker walk a must-do

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Another Boilermaker Weekend is off and running. The walk wasn’t bad, either.

On Saturday, my wife and I did the Boilermaker 3-mile walk in and around the Mason Care Community grounds for the first time, and we thoroughly enjoyed every step of the way. Not even a sudden downpour could put a damper on a good time for a good cause (The Ride for Missing Children).

We would encourage anyone to try it next year, if you haven’t already. It was money and time well spent, and a great way to be a part of the Boilermaker experience.

Moshier: Venus the classier sister act

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Moshier) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Serena Williams may have won her 11th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon with a straight-set victory over older sister Venus, and yes, she should be the No. 1 ranked woman in the word, not Dinara Safina.

When it comes to class actions, though, Serena isn’t the top-ranked player in her family. It’s not even close.

Making a mockery of the WTA rankings is one thing, but don’t pin the blame on Safina. It’s not her fault, it’s the system.

And do you think sister Venus would show up at an All England Club press conference wearing a pink t-shirt with the provocative phrase, “Are you looking at my titles?” stretched across her chest? No way.

Earlier in the tournament, while Serena was joking about the many differences between her and her sister, she laughed about being a fan of twitter, while Venus was learning to speak two or three languages. That should tell you something.

As good as she is on the court, the little sister still has a ways to go before she becomes the winner Venus has been for so many years.