As promised, here is our final Red Zone post of the year, rounding it all out with the NYSSWA Class AA and A all-state football teams.

Under the cut you can check out what local kids made the list as well as the honorable mentions. Thanks again to everyone on an excellent football season and congrats to everyone who put on pads and a helmet this fall. It was fun, guys.

- Laura

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Happy New Year guys and with a new year comes a new – and presumably final – pair of posts for our Red Zone blog. At least until we start up double sessions again in August.

The New York State Sportswriters Association has just announced their all-state small school teams for this past season. It’s no surprise that Section II, with two state championships to its name and five teams appearing in the semi-finals, has already made a pretty good show of it.

Now, keep in mind that this is only small-schools so we’re only dealing with Classes B-D. Classes AA and A are expected to be announced by NYSSWA on January 9th. Until then, enjoy the results under the cut and congratulations again to our insanely talented Section II footballers who made the list. You guys all deserved it.

-    Laura
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I hope you all are ready to start driving out-of-town.

We've got regional football games lined up this weekend for our give Section II squad still playing football and to just tease you a little, I come bearing the most recent statewide rankings.

Not much has really changed for our local teams; Shaker is still tops in Class AA and Hoosick Falls seems cemented at #2 in Class C. The usual. Also, as usual, if you're interested in seeing the whole list, head on over to roadtosyracuse.com and check it out.

- Laura

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Big news. Big, big news.

We've got a new top school in Class AA across New York State and we here at The Red Zone are fairly familiar with them. Shaker, who will take on Shenendehowa for the second time this season in Friday's Super Bowl, moves into the top spot in their class. The Blue Bison have never been to a Super Bowl in our modern system and haven't won a Section II title since 1969.

Things are pretty interesting here in Section II.

Under the cut check out the top 15 teams in the most recent NYSSWA poll. As usual, if you want to see the whole shebang, you can head on over to roadtosyracuse.com and check them all out. Here's hoping to see some of you at this weekend's impending Super Bowls!
- Laura

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Under the cut, check out the NYSSWA latest state-wide football rankings. We've got 11 Section II teams ranked as we head into the semi-finals of sectional play this weekend.

As per usual head on over to roadtosyracuse.com if you want to see where other teams across the state rank up against our local squads.

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Alright folks, I've got games and times and locations and, just for you guys, directions.

I've written out the semi-final matchups for each class, including Class D who is now in playoff action. Also, keep in mind all you Class C fans out there, the road between Stillwater High and Mechanicville will be closed by the DOT this weekend. So, you probably shouldn't go that way. I've written out the different routes I got from Section II coordinator Gary Vanderzee, just to give you an idea of where to head.

Enjoy!
- Laura

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I’d like to start off our week eight – or first week of sectionals – review by saying one very important thing. I apologize.

I’m not sorry for missing scores or asking poor questions in the post-game interviews. I am also not sorry for wearing multi-colored polka dot rain boots to my game on Friday night. I am sorry though, that I went an embarrassing 0-for-5 in my picks for our first round of The Record’s video selections.

It wasn’t like I picked bad teams. Heck, we’re in sectionals, every team is good now. But, what I didn’t do was account for the insanity of those same sectionals times, because, and my 0-for-5 record proves it, sectionals are insane.

So, from now on, I promise all of you that I’ll try to make better picks. In the meantime, let’s take a moment to look back on these past two days of football; it was a good one.

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