High school roundup: Niskayuna nails down elusive AA football win

PHOTOGRAPHER: John Cropley

Rory Graham of Burnt Hills won the large school girls’ division at the Guilderland Cross Country Invitational.

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ALBANY — Niskayuna ended its Class AA football drought Saturday with a 14-6 Empire Division win at Albany.

Derek Meisner and Deylon Edmonds ran for second-half touchdowns, and Niskayuna’s defense kept Albany out of the end zone in the program’s first victory over a Class AA opponent since late in the 2013 season.

The win was also the first for new Silver Warriors head coach Brian Grastorf.

“There were definitely a lot of smiles,” Grastorf said. “They were definitely excited to get that off their back. It’s been a few years.”

Niskayuna’s last Class AA win came against Albany 36-22 in a Week 9 crossover game at the tail end of that 2013 season. Niskayuna played as a Class A independent in 2014 and 2015, and went 0-8 upon its return to Section II’s Class AA league in 2016.

“We’ve been talking about winning some games,” Grastorf said. “I’m happy for them.”

Meisner scored on a two-yard run in the third quarter and Edmonds scored on a four-yard run in the fourth.

Edmonds’ touchdown answered Albany’s lone score, that coming on a 46-yard interception return by Nasir Sutherland.

“After the pick six, we regrouped and went down the field and scored,” Grastorf said. “It was nice to see that.”

Niskayuna scored the last three touchdowns in its season-starting 46-21 homefield loss to Saratoga Springs.

“That was huge for our confidence,” Grastorf said of that offensive output against the Blue Streaks. “We proved to ourselves we could score, and that was a good lead in to this week. We had a good week of practice.”

Meisner ran for 99 yards, Niskayuna quarterback Dan Brownell passed for 139, and the Silver Warriors’ defense was anchored by its linebacker trio of Reggie Melvin, Jeff Halusic and Meisner.

“We held them to around 60 yards of offense,” Grastorf said. “We played good defense.”

Niskayuna goes to CBA Friday.

“They are a good team,” Grastorf said of the Brothers. “I think we can be competitive. We want to give ourselves a chance.”

As a Class A independent Niskayuna did not win a game in 2014 and prevailed three times in 2015. Niskayuna’s last win before Saturday was against Averill Park 19-15 late in the 2015 season.

Niskayuna 0 0 7 7 — 14
Albany 0 0 0 6 — 6
N — Meisner 2 run (Brownell kick)
A — Sutherland 46 interception return (kick failed)
N — Edmonds 4 run (Brownell kick)

Class D

CANAJOHARIE 33, HELDERBERG VALLEY 7

BERNE — Nick Kocjan returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown after running and passing for scores in the Cougars’ victory.

Isaiah Logan’s 35-yard touchdown run broke a 7-7, third-quarter tie, and Kocjan padded Canajoharie’s lead with a 1-yard scoring run. His long interception return followed.

Canajoharie 0 7 12 14 — 33
HV 0 7 0 0 — 7

HV — Flower 73 pass from Waddell (Coolidge kick)
C — Collins 11 pass from Kocjan (Logan kick)
C — Logan 35 run (kick failed)
C — Kocjan 1 run (pass failed)
C — Kocjan 99 interception return (Logan kick)
C — Terwilliger 52 run (Logan kick)

BOYS’ SOCCER

Miskas Kirstein scored in overtime to give Schenectady a 2-1 victory over Averill Park in Suburban Council action.

The Patriots took a 1-0 lead on a Patrick Palmer goal. Kevin Silver tied it for the Warriors late in the second half.

Cambridge defeated Hoosick Falls 3-0 in the Wasaren League. All three of Cambridge’s goals came second half. Patrick Robertson, Daniel Medina and Ian Montgomery had the goals.

Keegan Vedder had a goal and three assists in CBA’s 6-2 non-league victory over

St. Peter’s. Brady Van Epps had two tallies for the Brothers. Eli D’Onofrio added a goal and an assist, Rafael Enrique-Holguin and Rob Amore had a goal each.

In the battle of Rotterdam, Mohonasen beat Schalmont 3-1. Matteo Iagrossi scored all three goals for the Mighty Warriors.

Alex Ringer scored twice, and Drew Snyder had a goal and two assists to help Mayfield beat Waterford-Halfmoon 5-1 in the opening game of the Mayfield Tournament. Dylan Bumpus and Garret Delaney also scored for Mayfield, which will play Greenville in the championship game next week. Greenville beat Lake George 4-1.

GIRLS SOCCER

Sidney Smith scored four times in Scotia-Glenville’s 11-0 Foothills Council victory over Broadalbin-Perth.

Tanya Leggiero and Lexi Zatlokowicz each had two goals for the Tartans (5-0, 6-0). Anna Marie Piccirillo, Emily Adis and Lauren Zegelen had the other goals.

Schuylerville beat Queensbury 2-0. Schuylerville had a 1-0 lead in the first half after Queensbury scored into its own net. Cassie Patrick added a second-half tally for Schuylerville.

Niskayuna fell to St. Anthony’s 1-0 in the Hall fo Fame Tournament. Lauren Haggerty scored in the second half for St. Anthony’s Niskayuna goalie Morgan Kelleher made three saves.

FIELD HOCKEY

Katelynn Mello scored the first three goals of the game, sparking Glens Falls’ 8-0 Foothills Council win over South Glens Falls.

Kennedy Guy and Felicity Williams had a goal and an assist each for Glens Falls, which also got goals from Jeanne Richards, Matelyn Benway and Anna DiFiore.

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake lost to Walter Panas, which is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Eastern Region Poll, 25-22,

25-19 in the finals of the Harold Van Earden memorial tournament at Burnt Hills.

The Spartans beat John Glenn 25-18, 25-23 in the quarterfinals, and downed Smithtown East

25-14, 25-9 in the semifinals.

CROSS COUNTRY

Juniors Noah Tindale of Guilderland and Rory Graham of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake won the Large Varsity divisions at the Guilderland Invitational at Tawasentha Park.

Tindale won the boys’ 2.86-mile run in 15:01.51, while Large Varsity team champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake had five of the next nine cross the line including runner-up Tyler Berg (15:06.87) and third-place finisher Aidan Gillooley (15:09.73).

Graham dominated the girls’ Large Varsity race in 18:15.93, and Guilderland, with five in the top 10, claimed the team prize.

Sunni LaBounty of Schuylerville won the girls’ Small Varsity race in 19:55.15, and Ichabod Crane beat out Schuylerville for team honors.

Ethan Burch of Schuylerville placed third (17:03.95) for the top Section II effort in the boys’ Small Varsity race.

BOYS

Large Varsity
Teams: Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 25, Shenendehowa 48, Guilderland 51, Thousand Islands 127, Averill Park 140, West Babylon 156.
Individuals: Noah Tindale (Guild), 15:01.51; Tyler Berg (BH), 15:06.87; Aidan Gillooley (BH), 15:09.73; Evan Brennan (BH), 15:24.98; Alexander Hislop (Shen), 15:35.03; Davis Metacarpa (BH), 15:41.34; Liam Hickey (Shen), 15:46.28; Nicholas Soldevere (Guild), 15:48.18; Maxwell Hoffman (Shen), 15:54.12; Kevin Board (BH), 15:57.25.

Small Varsity
Teams: Collegiate 18, Schuylerville 65, Ichaboc Crane 75, Mechanicville 86, Cobleskill-Richmondville 132.
Individuals: Clay Hard (Col), 16:22.22; Adam Kenet (Col), 16:22.96; Ethan Burch (Sch), 17:03.95; William Crystal (Col), 17:04.93; Anthony Armenakas (Col), 17:07.98; George Nicholson (Col), 17:16.19; Travis Jackson (BKW), 17:17.58; Alex Christian (IC), 17:18.06; Dylan Olivia (Mech), 17:28.49; Henry Van der Goes (Col), 17:37.32.

GIRLS

Large Varsity
Teams: Guilderland 34, Thousand Islands 46, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 49.
Individuals: Rory Graham (BH), 18:15.93; Lilly Meek (TI), 18:36.62; Kristin McAlonen (BH), 19:10.80; Alexis Anagnostopulos (Guild), 19:13.85; Alexa Thompson (Guild), 19:17.21; Claire Cushing (TI), 19:23.92; Erin Miceli (Guild), 20:07.83; Hannah Gallagher (Guild), 20:14.04; Rachel Brayton (TI), 20:28.25; Margot Tanner (Guild), 20:42.96.

Small Varsity
Teams: Ichabod Crane 51, Schuylerville 60, Cobleskill-Richmondville 70, Mechanicville 76, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 110, Averill Park 124.
Individuals: Sunni LaBounty (Sch), 19:55.15; Michelle Puzulis (BKW), 20:06.06; Victoria Slade (IC), 20:25.40; Ashley Kubat (CR), 20:50.87; Anya Vautrin (Sch), 20:58.68; Olivia Oligny-Leggett (IC), 21:26.74; Teghan Murray (Sch), 21:30.58; Danielle Rubino (Mech), 21:32.79; Emily Wall (IC), 21:39.42; Rachel Comstock (CR), 21:41.46.

Gazette Sportswriter Ken Schott contributed to this report. Follow Daily Gazette Sports on Twitter @dgazettesports.