Determined Saints return to action

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

Low in numbers but determined to finish what it started, Saratoga Central Catholic will travel to Salem Saturday for a Class D football game.

“We’re playing until people say we can’t play anymore,” said Saints first-year coach Steve Rossi.

The Saints forfeited last week’s game at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons when they did not have the state-mandated 16 players available. Rossi said he’ll have 17 student-athletes on hand Saturday.

“We would have had enough to play last week. Two kids had made a prior commitment and were away, but we had 16,” said Rossi. “Then Boyark got hurt, and that left us with 15.”

Senior Matt Boyark sustained knee and ankle injuries during a drill late in a practice session as the Saints prepared for the Bishop Gibbons game.

“We planned on doing a little hitting Thursday. We were doing Oklahoma drills, and I was about to blow the whistle. The kids wanted to do one more. All of a sudden I hear, ‘Awww,’ ” Rossi said. “That’s a learning lesson for a young coach.”

Saratoga Catholic began the season with a varsity roster of 24. Senior Andrew Hadeka is another key figure who’s been sidelined, with a concussion. Hadeka and Boyark were the Saints’ leading rushers and tacklers.

“A lot of kids might have quit at this point. That would be the easy thing to do,” said Rossi. “They still want to play football. They’re there every day.”

The Saints are 0-4. Salem is 1-4 with a win over Warrensburg.

“I was real honest with the kids,” said Rossi. “I told them this could very well be our last football game. I have 17 healthy bodies right now, and if we lose a couple of guys, we will not have enough.”

Saratoga Catholic is scheduled to host Fort Edward and Whitehall in Weeks 7 and 8.

The school did not field a varsity team last season when only 17 players expressed interest. The Saints won three games in 2009, including the program’s first Section II playoff victory.

Big number

Albany Academy senior Conner Hartigan rushed for Section II’s sixth-highest single-game total with 385 yards in Saturday’s 34-33 non-league loss at Beekmantown.

The Cadets’ quarterback ran 38 times on Beekmantown’s muddy field, with his school-record effort including touchdowns of one, two, 36, 64 and 68 yards. His 64-yard burst gave Academy a 33-21, third-quarter lead before the Eagles rallied to win.

Hartigan took over at quarterback after Academy star Hunter McCarthy injured his knee in a season-opening win against Broadalbin-Perth. Hartigan has rushed for 1,048 yards and leads Section II in both rushing touchdown with 15 and total touchdowns with 17.

Hartigan moved past Marc Thompson of Schenectady (381 yards vs. Niskayuna in 2007) for sixth place on the Section II single-game rushing list.

Pink Out at B-P

The Broadalbin-Perth boys’ soccer program will host its third annual “Patriot Pink Out: Kickin’ it for the Cure” to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation a week from Monday.

The event raised over $1,500 for cancer research last year.

The Patriots will don pink uniforms for the Foothills Council varsity (7 p.m.) and junior varsity (5 p.m.) games against Gloversville.

Mohonasen junior Kelly O’Brien will serve as the Patriots’ honorary captain. Evening highlights will include a concert by local music group The Refrigerators.

hot fox

Bethlehem junior Victor Fox continued his superb season on the links with a four-under-par 31 at Normanside Country Club Monday in a Suburban Council win over Guilderland.

Fox, who also won the Section II ABCD championship Wednesday, recorded a five-under 30 at Normanside, the Eagles’ home course, in a win against Columbia earlier this year. He also carded a five-under 31 against Guilderland at Western Turnpike, a three-under 33 against Colonie at Town of Colonie, and a two-under 34 against Mohonasen at Schenectady Municipal.

Fox did not compete for the Eagles last fall, opting instead to play amateur events on the international Junior Golf Tour and the Future Collegiate World Tour.