Week five is in the books. I feel like a broken record here – and for those keeping track, records came before CD’s which came before MP3s, look it up – but this week in Section II was another solid one. I also can’t believe that we’re just two games away from the end of the regular season.

That being said, there’s still plenty to recap here and plenty to look forward to before we plow our way into sectionals. I know what I thought about this week – I’m typing it after all – but what did you think? Were you at the Shaker vs. Shen upset? Can you believe Watervliet hasn’t scored a touchdown on their home field all season? What’s eating away at your football-loving mind? Go ahead and type it out as well. That’s what the comment boxes are for.

So read away my friends.

-    Laura

Players of the Week
Ryan Griffin (Shaker, RB/LB): The senior running back finally got the upset he had been waiting for, rushing for 150 yards and one touchdown – an 86 yard sprint in the rain and the mud – to lead Shaker to a 35-8 victory over Shenendehowa.
Will Williams (La Salle, QB): The Cadets’ junior quarterback found his rhythm again, throwing for 209 yards on 8-of-16 passing attempts as La Salle earned their first divisional victory of the year, topping Columbia 12-0.
Cameron Wynn (CBA, RB): The Brothers’ standout running back racked up just seven carries, but recorded 152 yards on the ground and found the endzone three different times to keep CBA undefeated in a 61-26 rout of Bethlehem.
Dan Motzer (Tamarac, QB): The Bengal’s quarterback ran for the game-winning touchdown with just 1:40 left to earn the 27-20 victory over Stillwater. Motzer also threw for 105 yards, one touchdown throw and two rushing TDs in the Class C matchup.

Biggest Surprises of the Week
Shaker Stuns Shen: If this isn’t the biggest surprise of the week, let alone the biggest surprise of recent Section II history, I will eat my recorder. I probably won’t, but I needed something that sounded as equally dramatic as this game was. Shaker wanted this game. It was obvious from the opening whistle as the Blue Bison marched down the field and shaved off nine minutes of the first half in the process. Shen was simply outplayed. There’s no way around it and while I don’t ever root for negative outcomes for one team in particular, I’d be lying if I said watching the underdog win wasn’t fun. Shaker took advantage of their home field and their home crowd and you could visibly see the team lifted by the cheers. Shenendehowa did get on the board, with seven seconds left in the game, so it wasn’t the shutout it probably should have been, but that’s probably for the best. Can anyone think of the last time Shen was shut out?
Watervliet Hasn’t Scored at Home: A touchdown that is. The Cannoneers got on the board in Saturday afternoon’s game against Chatham with a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter, but that’s it. Two home games in 2012 and zip, not a single cannon shot fired. This makes zero sense. Watervliet has a good team on both sides of the ball and Jordan Gleason is probably one of the most physical athletes in all of Section II football. On the road, ‘Vliet has averaged 43 points. So what does it all mean for their season? Two losses out of seven games is big and now the Cannoneers are in a must-win situation at Taconic Hills next Friday. Luckily, they’ll be playing on the road.

Biggest Surprise That Probably Shouldn’t Have Been a Surprise
Rensselaer is Still 4-0 in Class D: I wrote earlier this week that Friday night’s matchup between Rensselaer and Greenwich would be a good game and it was  - cue mental pat on the back. What it was also was a statement from the Rams that there isn’t room for the new guys in the top ranks of Class D. Two weeks ago, there were four undefeated teams in the ultra competitive South Division of Class D. Now, after Rensselaer topped Greenwich 37-16, there are two; the Rams and Cambridge. And all is back to normal in the world.

Anthony Walker. The Saga Continues
Sans Stats: We here at The Record never got a stat line from ‘Burgh’s 49-12 victory over Hudson on
Friday night, but they won 49-12 so I think it’s safe to assume that Anthony Walker had a pretty
good game. Again. So he’s on the blog. Again.

Flying Horses Get Grounded
Or Kwame Jarvis Can Pass: Going into Friday’s game Troy knew that Kwame Jarvis was going to pass the ball. The Schenectady QB is heads and shoulders above anyone else in Section II as far as passing yards go, so there was really never a question as to how the Flying Horses would prepare. The question was, would they be able to execute. And the answer was no. The usual gritty, tough tackling Troy defense allowed 186 yards from Jarvis, who went 15-for-23 with one touchdown pass in a 19-12 loss.

A Wholly Necessary Congratulations
Ron Jones: I spent a lot of time covering the Hoosick Falls football team near the end of last season, when they were one of the few Section II teams still competing in regional play through November. Every weekend I drove out Route 7 and tried to come up with a new angle on this team that is on a whole other level from most of the teams in Section II. Finally, when I had exhausted practically every story line, I decided to do a feature on the coaching staff and head coach Ron Jones in particular. Every player I talked to praised their coach for the time and the effort he constantly put into the program season after season. Well, as we plow through the 2012 season, nothing has changed, except now Jones is in the record books after picking up his 100th career victory in the Panthers’ 43-12 victory over Schuylerville.

A Victory That Makes Next Week Very Important
Averill Park: The Warriors topped Bishop Maginn 22-6 on Friday night for their third game of the season. This is, of course a good thing. What it means though, is even bigger. Averill Park is on the cusp of something big here, with a playoff run entirely possible if they can find some sort of consistency. They’ll test that consistency against Troy on Friday night.

Game I’m Looking Forward to Most In Week Six – And You Should Be Too
Ravena at Lansingburgh: The Indains are coming off a bit of an upset win, topping perennial Class A powerhouse Amsterdam 33-14 on Friday night. Sophomore running back Fred Pechette finished with 176 yards and three touchdowns to lead a Ravena offense that is as talented on the ground as they are in the air. I haven’t seen the team since their week one shellacking against Cohoes, but everything I’ve heard has been good. They beat Albany Academy in a battle of the undefeateds two weeks ago and now they’ll have to do it again. So what’s standing in their way? Anthony. Walker. The ‘Burgh junior running back is simply something else; hence his weekly appearance on this blog. He’s quick, talented, but most importantly smart; he can find the holes he has to in order to get to the endzone. This is going to be a good one.