Greetings all,

Apologies that this blog hasn’t been updated much during the preseason, but staffs at The Saratogian and The Record have been busy assembling our 2012 high school preview section, which hits newsstands (do they still have newsstands?) this Thursday, Aug. 30.

Be sure to pick up a copy of either paper that day if you’re interested in high school football. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the coming season and then some. Cambridge’s Matt Parmenter, for example, uses Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” as his baseball walkup song.

Until then, I thought I would give you a brief rundown on how some of the local schools I visited match up this season. We’ll have a more comprehensive look at all the region’s schools Thursday.

Saratoga Springs: Injuries hit the Blue Streaks hard last season and they finished 3-6. They will look to rebound from that without top rusher Jesse Spencer and several All-Star defenders, all of who graduated. Staying healthy will be key.

Ballston Spa: With a young and largely inexperienced backfield, the Scotties will count on their offensive line perhaps more than ever this season. Quarterback John DeGuardi and running backs Jordan Davis and R.J. Borgolini all graduated, but the veteran line remains largely intact.            

Cambridge: The Indians are coming off back-to-back Class D sectional titles, but lost many key contributors from the 2011 team that went all the way to the state semifinals. But their core of starters, while limited, is solid and coach Doug Luke’s team always seems to find a way to thrive.

Corinth: The Tomahawks weren’t as consistent as they needed to be during a 3-6 2011 season. They’ve worked on that during the offseason and will continue to target improvements there as they look to post a winning record and secure a sectional title in 2012.

           

Greenwich: The Witches drop from Class C to Class D is both a blessing and a curse. It’s generally regarded as less-demanding football, which could help Greenwich’s young team, but the Witches also don’t have film on any of their opponents. They may contend for a sectional title if they can stay healthy.

Schuylerville: Senior Shane Lyon moves to quarterback as the Black Horses look to secure their first sectional title since moving to Class B. He’ll quarterback Schuylerville’s unique flexbone offense that looks to diversify its running options in 2012.

South Glens Falls: The Bulldogs are switching from a spread offense to a split-back formation, which gives the formidable running back tandem of Caleb Lawrence and Travis Schrammel a lot more options. They will look to break the school’s skid of losing seasons, which began in 1993.

Stillwater: Liam Kane, a 1,000-yard rusher a year ago, will lead the Warriors’ ground game, but how effective will he be without stalwart lineman Matt Campion? A lot of that depends on the ability of senior wide receiver Shawn McNeil to draw defenders and divert attention from Kane.

Sportswriter Stan Hudy handled training camps at Mechanicville, Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. If you’d like to see how they fare, you’ll have to wait until Thursday morning.

Until next time,

-- MC