Sectional Football: Defending champion Spartans get No. 2 seed in playoffs

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

It’s been quite some time since Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake entered the Section II football playoffs without an unbeaten record, a No. 1 seed and the label of favorite.

“After Week 2, people were putting us in back, but our kids have put that behind them and have played well since then,” Spartans coach Matt Shell said. “We’ve beaten some quality teams. We had to play good football in doing so. The regular season got us ready to play playoff games.”

Burnt Hills comes into the Class A tournament as the three-time defending champion, but with a No. 2 seed, behind Northwest Division winner Amsterdam. Troy is the No. 1 seed from the Southeast Division.

Troy (6-0, 7-0) and Amsterdam (5-0, 7-0) are ranked No. 4 and No. 9, respectively, by the state sportswriters, and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (4-1, 6-1) is No. 18.

“There are probably people who want to see Troy and Amsterdam play in the final. It’s a rivalry that goes back to the Big 10 days, but there are people who want to see Burnt Hills in there somewhere, too,” said Shell. “I think we have a good chance. We’ve been playing some real good football, but you’ve got to win the first one first, and the semifinals is always a crapshoot.

“We can’t worry about anything but Friday night.”

The Spartans will host Mohonasen (No. 3, 4-2, 4-3) in one of 13 sectional quarterfinals scheduled for Friday night. The Mighty Warriors are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007, and are coming off a dramatic 15-14 win in the slop at Averill Park.

“They’ve [Mohonasen] been in a lot of games. They’ve played very well. It’s the playoffs, and you’ve got to play well,” Shell said. “Games can turn real easy. You’ve got to hold onto the ball and all those things.”

The Spartans had a difficult time holding onto the ball at Amsterdam in Week 2, losing it seven times in a 23-7 loss to the Rugged Rams. Burnt Hills saw its 31-game winning streak against Section II teams and 24-game division winning streak halted that night.

“Week 2 was so long ago,” said Shell. “We’ve moved on.”

Burnt Hills has won five consecutive games, including victories over Class AA playoff teams Schenectady (34-12) and Shaker (21-14) in consecutive weeks, since the Amsterdam setback.

“It all counts. Those games are real important. It shows what kind of team we can be,” Shell said. “Those games were good for the confidence, knowing we can do things.”

Burnt Hills earned its No. 2 seed and home quarterfinal by rallying past Queensbury Saturday. Ryan McDonnell threw a touchdown pass to Matt Peltier, Jack Guba ran for a score and BH-BL shut out Queensbury over the final three quarters in a 14-6 win.

“Queensbury is a physical team. That was a good win for our kids heading into the playoffs,” said Shell. “That got us a home playoff game, and it’s nice to be home in the first round.”

With its effort Saturday, the Burnt Hills defense completed the regular season without allowing more than two touchdowns in any game. Two of the three touchdowns Amsterdam scored came on an interception return and a fumble return.

“We did a great job defensively against Queensbury. I give the kids credit for making plays,” said Shell, whose unit is anchored by linebacker Dylan Wydronkowski, the 2010 Daily Gazette Defensive Player of the Year. “If you play good defense, you’ll be in every game, and we play good defense. We hit and cause turnovers.”

When Troy hosts Glens Falls (No. 4, 2-3, 3-4) Friday, it will begin its quest for a third straight Section II title-game appearance after winning the Class AA banner in 2010 and losing to Burnt Hills in the 2009 Class A final.

Amsterdam begins its final playoff push under retiring coach Pat Liverio at home Friday against Lansingburgh (No. 4, 3-3, 4-3).

Liverio’s Rugged Rams appeared in eight Class A title games and won six times in a stretch from 1997-2005, while Burnt Hills has appeared in every final since then, with its first of four crowns under Shell coming in 2006.

Shenendehowa coach Brent Steuerwald is also retiring this year, and will have his final group of Plainsmen (No. 1, 6-0, 7-0) at home Friday against Shaker (No. 4, 3-2, 3-3) for a Class AA test. Shenendehowa, the Empire Division champ, posted one of its five shutouts against Shaker earlier this season.

Class AA Liberty Division champ Columbia (No. 1, 4-1, 6-1) entertains Guilderland (No. 4, 3-3, 4-3) Friday.

Schalmont (No. 1, 5-0, 7-0) opens its bid for a third consecutive Class B title at home Friday against Hudson (No. 4, 1-3, 2-5). Schalmont has won 25 straight games against Section II teams, the second-longest streak going, behind Hoosick Falls’ 27-game stretch.

“We’re got a core group that has played in a lot of huge games,” Schalmont coach Joe Whipple said after Saturday’s 26-14 win over Schuylerville. “That’s going to help us.”

Hoosick Falls (No. 1, 7-0, 7-0), two-time defending Class C titlist, hosts Taconic Hills (No. 4, 3-3, 3-4) Friday. Section II’s other Class C unbeaten, Fonda-Fultonville (No. 1, 6-0, 6-0), will host a Stillwater (No. 4, 4-3, 4-3) team making its first postseason appearance since 2006 on Saturday. Fonda-Fultonville is in the playoffs for the 16th straight year.

SECTION II PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

CLASS AA

Quarterfinals

L-3 Schenectady (3-4) at E-2 Christian Brothers Academy (6-1), Friday, 7; E-4 Guilderland (4-3) at L-1 Columbia (6-1), Friday, 7; L-4 Shaker (3-4) at E-1 Shenendehowa (7-0), Friday, 7; E-3 Ballston Spa (5-2) at L-2 LaSalle (4-3), Friday, 7.

Semifinals

Friday, Oct. 28

Schenectady-CBA winner vs. Guilderland-Columbia winner at highest remaining seed; Ballston Spa-LaSalle winner vs. Shaker-Shenendehowa winner at highest remaining seed.

Championship

Friday, Nov. 4

Semifinal winners at Shenendehowa, 7.

———

CLASS A

Quarterfinals

NW-3 Queensbury (4-3) at SE-2 Bishop Maginn (5-2), Friday, 7; SE-4 Lansingburgh (4-3) at NW-1 Amsterdam (7-0), Friday, 7; SE-3 Mohonasen (4-3) at NW-2 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (6-1), Friday, 7; NW-4 Glens Falls (3-4) at SE-1 Troy (7-0), Friday, 7.

Semifinals

Friday, Saturday, Oct. 28-29

Queensbury-Maginn winner vs. Lansingburgh-Amsterdam winner at highest remaining seed; Mohonasen-Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake winner vs. Glens Falls-Troy winner at highest remaining seed.

Championship

Saturday, Nov. 5

Semifinal winners at Shenendehowa, 7.

———

CLASS B

Quarterfinals

W-3 Schuylerville (5-2) at R-2 Ravena-

Coeymans-Selkirk (5-2), Friday, 7; R-4 Hudson (2-5) at W-1 Schalmont (7-0), Friday, 7; R-3 Cohoes (3-4) at W-2 Cobleskill-Richmondville (4-3), Friday, 7; W-4 Hudson Falls (3-4) at R-1 Albany Academy (5-2), Saturday, 2.

Semifinals

Friday, Saturday, Oct. 28-29

Schuylerville-Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk winner vs. Hudson-Schalmont winner at highest remaining seed; Cohoes-Cobleskill-Richmondville winner vs. Hudson Falls-Albany Academy winner at highest remaining seed.

Championship

Saturday, Nov. 5

Semifinal winners at Shenendehowa, 3.

———

CLASS C

Quarterfinals

S-4 Taconic Hills (3-4) at N-1 Hoosick Falls (7-0), Friday, 7; N-3 Greenwich (5-2) at S-2 Watervliet (5-1), Saturday, 1; S-3 Chatham (4-2) at N-2 Tamarac (6-1), Friday, 7; N-4 Stillwater (4-3) at S-1 Fonda-Fultonville (6-0), Saturday, 1.

Semifinals

Saturday, Oct. 29 at Stillwater

Greenwich-Watervliet winner vs. Taconic Hills-Hoosick Falls winner, 1; Tamarac-Chatham winner vs. Stillwater-Fonda-Fultonville winner, 7.

Championship

Friday, Nov. 4

Semifinal winners at Stillwater, 7.

———

CLASS D

Semifinals

Saturday, Oct. 29 at Schuylerville

Fort Edward vs. Rensselaer, 1; Whitehall vs. Cambridge, 7.

Championship

Saturday, Nov. 5

Semifinal winners at Schuylerville, 1.

———

CROSSOVER GAMES

Thursday: South Glens Falls vs. Green Tech at Bleecker Stadium, 7. Friday: Bethlehem at Niskayuna, 7; Colonie at Saratoga Springs, 7; Albany at Averill Park, 7; Scotia-Glenville at Gloversville, 7; Johnstown at Mechanicville, 7; Hoosic Valley at Ichabod Crane, 7 (tentative); Corinth at Canajo-

harie, 7. Saturday: Voorheesville at Granville, 1; Broadalbin-Perth at Coxsackie-Athens, 1.