We have finished the regular season of Section II football. I might be the only one who thinks it, but that seems pretty crazy.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were running around, looking for rosters and proofing pages of our 72-page preview tab? Cue, the required references to “sunrise, sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof.

Before we can march into the bright, new day of sectional football though, we’ve – I – have a blog post to write. So let’s take a moment, collect ourselves before we figure out our seedings and matchups, and look over what was great, and no so great, about week seven.


Players of the Week
Kenny Jackson (Shaker, RB): The senior found the endzone twice and racked up 71 yards on just six carries to lead Shaker to a 33-6 victory over La Salle. The Blue Bison stay undefeated and earn a Liberty League title with the win.
Anthony Walker (Lansingburgh, RB): Walker has been the defining player for the Knights all season and simply continued to dominant this week; rushing for over 180 yards and five touchdowns in ‘Burgh’s 53-50 victory over Academy.
Ryan McDonnell (Burnt Hills, QB): The senior went 3-of-4 for two touchdowns, while racking up 54 yards in the air and 73 yards on the ground to lead the Spartans in a 62-8 rout of Columbia.
Brad Burns (Hoosick Falls, RB): A week after breaking the school’s rushing record, the senior standout adding another 205 yards, and a pair of touchdowns, to his legacy as the Panthers topped Tamarac 44-0.

Biggest Surprise of the Week
Burnt Hills is Offensive: Seriously. The Spartans racked up 360 yards in the first half alone, going into halftime with a 49 point lead over Columbia. Half a dozen kids scored for Burnt Hills in the eventual 62-8 victory over the Blue Devils. Remember in week one when Burnt Hills lost to Troy and we were wondering if some of the fire had gone out of the reigning Class A champions? Yeah, about that…
Cohoes Drops to Ichabod, Playoff Hopes Dashed: The Tigers were doing really good things the past few weeks, racking up three straight victories before their final game against the Riders this weekend. A win would have sent Cohoes to sectionals, a loss and their season was basically over except for the optional crossover games. Through the first half, things looked good for Cohoes, but come the final 12 minutes, they were outscored 12-to-6 and suddenly it’s just crossover games for the Tigers.

Biggest Surprise That Probably Shouldn’t Have Been a Suprirse
Shenendehowa Wins the Empire: Shen’s loss to Shaker late last month sent shockwaves throughout the entire Section II football community. Suddenly there were hushed whispers of Goliath being topped and opportunities for other teams – namely CBA – to sneak in and grab a number one Empire Division seed before sectionals. The Plainsmen though, as they have been since presumably the dawn of time, weren’t listening though. Shen topped CBA 14-0 on Friday night, stayed undefeated in divisional play and earned a number one seed.

The Week I Told Anthony Walker He “Is Something Else”
Because It’s True: This kid. If you aren’t watching out for this kid’s stats, you really should start now, because they’re awesome. He bounces off tacklers like he’s part of a pinball machine and you don’t even realize that he’s racked up 180 yards and five touchdowns before you look down at your notes. Or is that just me? Either way, Anthony Walker is now the top scorer and rusher in all of Section II. No matter who ‘Burgh ends up against on Friday night, they should probably be pretty concerned about Walker.

Hoosick Falls Needs To Start Playing Outside of Section II
Potentially Unpopular Opinion: There. I’ve said it. I think Hoosick Falls needs new competition. They rolled over Tamarac 44-0 on Friday and while I wasn’t at the game, I can only imagine that the starters came out mid-way through the third quarter. That’s happened seven weeks in a row now. They’ve outscored opponents 306-to-30 and have racked up 2737 total offensive yards. That’s absurd. I’d really love to see them play some fresh blood. I’d enjoy that. I bet they would too.

Schalmont Should Probably Be on People’s Radar
Or Their Offense Should: Nick Gallo racked up 160 total yards of offense and three touchdowns as the Sabres cruised to their second 60+ point performance as they topped Hudson Falls 64-13 on Saturday afternoon. Devon Willis also chipped in three touchdowns of his own, rushing for 145 yards on 13 carries. In, my projected, Class B Super Bowl top-option, the Schamont offense and Lansingburgh offense could make for a very exciting game. Let’s all remember that.

Catholic Central Gets Shutout…Again
Fifth Times the Charm: There are some serious issues in North Troy. The Crusaders have been having a time of this year, allowing 278 points, while scoring just 20 and still looking for their first win of the season. This week, they were the victims of Rensselaer, falling 33-0 on Friday night.  If Catholic High is going to rebound next season, which at this point, is really their only option, they’re going to have to make some major changes to that program.  

Game I’m Looking Forward to Most in SECTIONALS…and You Should Be Too
TBA: Seeding is probably happening as you’re reading this, so things are still a little up in the air as far as who will be facing off against who. Buuuuuut you can get all the updates, in real time (!), as they happen by either checking The Record’s website or following yours truly on Twitter (@LauraAmato). So, do that and make your own top-game picks.