Section II field hockey hopefuls in regionals Saturday

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

Field hockey teams from Shenendehowa, Warrensburg and Glens Falls will travel to Milton Saturday to take on Section IX opponents in state regional competition at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome.

Shenendehowa (15-6) has a rematch with Kingston (11-5-1) in the Class A game at noon, while Warrensburg (19-2) plays Pine Plains (14-2-1) in a Class C game at 2, and Glens Falls (21-0) meets Rondout Valley (14-4-1) in a Class B game at 4.

Kingston defeated Shenendehowa in September, 2-1, and gained a rematch by defending its Section IX title with a 2-0 victory over Pine Bush. The Lady Plainsmen are in the regionals for the first time since 1995 after edging Suburban Council champ Saratoga Springs, 1-0, behind Lexi Williams’ first-half goal and Brittany Steele’s 20 saves.

The Warrensburg-Pine Plains game is a replay of the 2007 state semifinals, which the Burgers won, 2-1, before bowing in the state final, 1-0 in overtime, against Marathon. Warrensburg edged Hoosick Falls in the Class CC-C playoff to advance, 2-1 in overtime, and Pine Plains defeated John A. Coleman, 2-0, for its fourth Section IX title in six years.

Glens Falls beat Johnstown in the Section II final, 1-0, and Rondout Valley repeated as the Section IX Class B champ with a 1-0 victory over Red Hook.

Saturday’s winners advance to the state final four Nov. 14-15 at Chittenango High School. Section II has not had a state champion since Glens Falls won back-to-back in 2000-01 (Class B).

curto on national list

Shenendehowa senior Anthony Curto is among those listed on the new Hidden Hundred prospect list, which was designed by Offense-Defense Sports to increase the exposure of football players who are flying under the radar of college recruiters.

A 6-foot, 205-pound fullback and linebacker, Curto is listed among the top 50 on the national list, and is one of only four players from New York state among that group. His bio can be found on www.o-d.com.

“There are over 120 schools in each division [Football Bowl Series and Football Championship Series] offering about 15 to 20 scholarships per year,” said O-D Sports president Rick Whittier. “That’s more than 4,000 kids playing Division I alone, so the vast majority aren’t on a top 100 list. That’s who the Hidden Hundred is for.”

football rankings

With Section II semifinal wins last week, LaSalle (Class AA,

No. 22), Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (Class B, No. 19) and Watervliet (Class C, No. 17) vaulted into the New York State Sportswriters Association’s high school football rankings for the first time this season.

LaSalle (7-2) had the most impressive victory of the group, rallying from a 26-0 deficit to beat Saratoga Springs, 41-39, and earned a chance to defend its championship tonight against Schenectady. The Patriots (8-1) moved up to No. 14 in Class AA after beating Niskayuna, 27-8, and earning their first Super Bowl bid.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (9-0) remained at No. 4 in Class A, and Schuylerville (9-0) jumped to No. 4

in Class C.

State Rankings

Class AA: 1. Orchard Park-VI (9-0); 2. William Floyd-XI (8-0); 3. Monroe-Woodbury-IX (9-0); Iona Prep-CHSFL (8-0); 5. Binghamton-IV (9-0); 14. Schenectady-II (8-1); 22. LaSalle-II (7-2).

Class A: 1. Aquinas-V (9-0); 2. Ossining-I (9-0); 3. Cornwall-IX (8-1); 4. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-II (9-0); 8. Bishop Maginn-II (9-0); 22. Troy-II (7-2).

Class B: 1. Rye-I (9-0); 2. Lackawanna-VI (9-0); 3. Geneva-V (8-1); 4. Pleasantville-I (8-1); 5. John Glenn-XI (8-0); 8. Hudson Falls-II (8-1); 13. Cohoes-II (8-1); 19. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk-II (7-2).

Class C: 1. Bishop Ludden-III (9-0); 2. LeRoy-V (9-0); 3. Jamestown Southwestern-VI (9-0); 4. Schuylerville-II (9-0); 5. Greene-IV (9-0); 17. Watervliet-II (7-2); 19. Chatham-II (7-2).

Class D: 1. Walton-IV (9-0); 2. Maple Grove-VI (9-0); 3. Watertown IH-III (9-0); 4. Dolgeville-III (9-0); 5. Moriah-VII (9-0); 10. Rensselaer-II (8-1).

thomson remembered

Ted Thomson, who in 1974 guided the Linton High School varsity football team to its last winning season, passed away over the weekend in Florida at the age of 69.

Thomson coached the Blue Devils from 1973 through 1979, with his 1974 team going 6-2-1 with a five-game winning streak. He also coached wrestling at Linton, was a football assistant, and served as athletic director at both Mont Pleasant and Schenectady high schools.

Thomson spent 33 years in the Schenectady city school system as a teacher, coach and administrator, and served as vice president and president of the Section II football committee.

passing record

With his three touchdown passes last Friday in a 56-26 Class C semifinal loss to Schuylerville, Fonda-Fultonville senior quarterback Josh Nethaway reached 30 for the season and set a Section II record.

Nethaway came into the sectional game tied with T.J. Czeski, who threw 27 touchdown passes when Amsterdam won the state Class A championship in 2005. Czeski played 13 games that year, while Nethaway played nine.

Niskayuna senior quarterback Dan Peters fired one touchdown pass in last week’s 27-8 loss to Schenectady, and tied Czeski for second place with 27.

state tennis

Unbeaten sophomore Sarah Kandath of Albany Academy, and the Guilderland doubles tandem of Gabby Peda and Kirsten Ackerman will lead the Section II team at the NYSPHSAA Girls’ Tennis Championships Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius.

Kandath will be joined in the singles by Gabby Scammacca of Shenendehowa and Shidana Das of Emma Willard. Cat Crummey and Allie Coyle of Shaker, and Sara Bjork and Rebecca Mangoni of Saratoga Springs complete the Section II doubles contingent.

Kandath defeated Scammacca in the Section II singles final, 6-2, 6-1, to boost her record to 17-0 heading into her first state tournament. Peda and Ackerman are Guilderland’s first state tourney qualifiers, and reached this weekend’s action by beating Crummey and Coyle, 6-1, 6-1. Peda, an eighth-grader, and Ackerman, a sophomore, previously helped Guilderland win its first Suburban Council and Section II (Class AA) championships.