Schenectady, LaSalle all suited up with no place to play

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

A torrential rainstorm left football fans at LaSalle Institute scrambling for their vehicles, and the aftermath left two teams with no game to play.

With standing water on the field, officials postponed Friday night’s Class AA Liberty Division contest between the Cadets and Schenectady due to unsafe conditions.

“The referees made the final decision, and the athletic directors and the coaches agreed. Everyone was stressing the safety of the kids,” said Schenectady coach Jim Kramer. “No. 1 priority is safety for the kids.”

The game with Section II playoff implications for both teams has been rescheduled for this morning at 11 on the artificial turf at Schenectady’s Larry Mulvaney Field.

“It’s an imortant game,” said LaSalle coach Al Rapp. “We’d just as soon play it on a decent field. Both teams have a lot at stake.”

“We went out and warmed up. Our kids were, and will continue to be, very focused on the task ahead of us,” said Kramer. “We have to find a way to gear it back up.”

With the potential for heavy rain in the forecast, Schenectady offered Friday morning to host the game. LaSalle declined, and Schenectady afterward agreed to let Niskayuna host Shaker at Larry Mulvaney Field.

LaSalle had several Senior Night events scheduled to take place before kickoff.

“You can understand LaSalle trying to get it in,” said Steve Boynton, Schenectady’s athletic director. “I totally get it.”

“It was going to be the last game for our seniors on their home field. It was Senior Night. We all feel bad about it,” said Rapp. “The same kind of deal happened in 2005, and we played at Union College.”

Schenectady (3-1, 3-3) can claim a share of the Liberty Division championship with a win today, joining Columbia (4-1, 6-1) after the Blue Devils defeated Colonie Friday night. Shaker (3-2, 3-4) saw its hopes for a title share end with an upset loss to Niskayuna (2-3, 3-4).

“We looked at the banner at school before we left. Only one Schenectady team [in 2008] has won a division championship, and we have an opportunity to join them,” ssaid Kramer. “I have great faith in our kids. They love to play football. They love to play together. They want that title. They’ll be ready.”

Schenectady is looking to end the regular season the same way it did a year ago, with a three-game win streak. The Patriots edged Niskayuna in overtime last week, while LaSalle (2-2, 3-3) lost to Shaker in overtime.

Schenectady’s football field will be occupied tonight by Mohonasen’s 21st annual Band Home Show. The award-winning Mohonasen field band will be joined by six others from out of the area, while Shenendehowa’s color guard will perform an exhibition.

“We couldn’t move their show [for a football game],” said Boynton. “They’ve been planning all year for it.”

Friday night’s Class A Southeast Division game between Lansingburgh (3-2, 4-2) and Bishop Maginn (3-2, 4-2) at Bleecker Stadium was postponed due to poor field conditions and will be contested today at 1 at Amsterdam.