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8/10/2019 Capital Region All Stars: Men's Football
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Offense:Bethlehems Ben Zonca
made the most of his senior season
By James Costanzojcostanzo@digita lfirstmedia .com
@JamesCostanzo on Twitter
HOOSICK FALLS Its starting tosnow outside Hoosick Falls HighSchool, a couple light flakes float-ing out over the empty footballfield. Its a Wednesday, a week orso before Christmas break andthe football team is outside, to-gether perhaps for the last time,handing over their equipment to
be put back into storage until nextseason.
They peel stickers off their hel-mets, hanging them on racks ina shed out by the bleachers, andmake sure to get every last item
buried inside their lockers -- belts,jerseys, mouth guards, it all mustgo. For seniors like Mark Hackett,itll be for the last time.
Its definitely weird, man,Hackett says, stepping back intothe school to get out of the cold.Handing in stuff for the last timeis is definitely weird.
In his 19 years as a head coachat the high school level, whichcurrently includes a streak of 59consecutive Section II victories,two state championship appear-ances in three years and eight sec-tional titles, Ron Jones says Hack-ett is one of the two best lineback-ers hes ever coached.
Youre looking at two out of 19years, said Jones, playfully refus-ing to name the other as to keephis former players guessing. Ivehad a lot of really good ones buthes a next level above.
Hackett started in a statechampionship game at linebackeras a sophomore and did so againas a senior, quarterbacking thePanthers defense to a 12-1 seasonin 2014, recording 122 tackles --115 of them solo and 10 for a loss!-- three sacks, an interception andtwo fumble recoveries.
He was named the Class CNorth Division Player of the Yearfor his talents at middle line-
Defense:Mark Hackett was the
anchor of dominant Hoosick Falls D1,240The number o yardsrushing this seasonor The Records O-ensive Player o theYear, Ben Zonca oBethlehem.
122The number o tacklesthis season or TheRecords DeensivePlayer o the Year,Mark Hackett o Hoo-sick Falls.
BY THE NUMBERS
Second-year coach JimmyPatsos' team is beset by inju-ries. The Saints are s trugglingand not playing well. Patsossaid afer a loss to Cornell thatthe Saints may be headedtoward last place.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
More like holiday jeer atSiena College
FULL STORY ON PAGE 6
The January thaw came earlythis season Christmas break.But New York resorts say theyhave plenty o trails up and run-ning or a long holiday weekend.Check out the NY Ski Report.
SKI SCENE
Warm weather, rain nota major concern
FULL STORY ON PAGE 5
The area's best high schoolootball players, complete withcapsules, photos, first team sec-ond team and honorable mentionselections. See i players romyour school made the cut.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
The Record' All-Area2014 Team
FULL STORY ON PAGES 3-4
Domestive violence seemedto dominate headlines, butit wasn't all bad. From Mebat the Boston Marathon toMo'ne, at the LLWS, storiesthat made us eel good aboutsports in 2014.
SPORTS 2014
Plenty of achievementsto remember
FULL STORY ON PAGE 2
Up next:The UAlbany mensbasketball team will playNiagara in a non-conerencegame at the Gallagher Cen-ter in Niagara at 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 30
Online:For the latesthappenings in local
college sports, check outAmatos Varsity Lettersblog. WWW.TROYRECORD.COM
By Laura [email protected]
@LauraAmato on Twitter
ALBANY Australia is fairly faraway.
They do, after all, call it theland down under for a reason.
But, over the past few days, forjust a short period of time, Aus-tralia was a little bit closer thanusual for University at Albanymens basketball standouts Peter
Hooley and Sam and Mike Row-ley.
In fact, Australia was in NewYork City.
Following the Great Danes 77-66 victory over Fairfield on Mon-day night, Hooley and the Row-leys took to the road, joining inon what has become a bit of a hol-iday tradition for UAlbanys Aus-sie contingent.
The group, joined once againby the Rowleys parent s, cele-
brated the holiday in New YorkCity, bringing the other side of the
world to Albany; or at least threehours south of it.
(Former UAlbany player LukeDevlin) is going to be there and acouple others from Australia whoare all across America are goingto come in too, Hooley said. Itshould be nice. Theres going to bea lot, like 10 or 12 of us all in there.Sams parents are pretty nice toput us all up in a place.
The group, who arrived in Man-hattan on Tuesday, will be stay-ing in the city into tonight, be-fore returning back to UAlbany soHooley and the two Rowley broth-ers can rejoin the Danes practiceschedule.
But that doesnt mean that thegroup didnt plan a jam-packedschedule of holidy-infused activ-ities while they were there; mostof which simply involved walking.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UAlbany contingent brings a piece of Australia to NYC
MIKE MCMAHON - [email protected]
Bethlehem running back Ben Zonca had a breakout season, helping the Eagles win morethan six games or the first time in more than a decade.
By James Costanzojcostanzo@digita lfirstmedia .com
@JamesCostanzo on Twitter
DELMAR Buried on the depthchart behind two 800-yard rush-ers as a junior, running back BenZonca entered his senior seasonfor Bethlehem football in relativeobscurity.
Then, in his second game asa starter against Ballston Spa,clinging to a six point lead andfacing a third-and-12 from theScotties 25-yard line, Zonca fi-nally got his breakout moment.
We just ran the ball, hopingto get some of it back and maybekick a field goal and he had a tre-mendous run. He ran over people,around people and by people for atouchdown, said Bethlehem headcoach Rich Leach. That put thegame away. Thats when I knewhe could have a really good year.
Boy, did he ever. The senior fin-ished with 1,240 rushing yardsand 18 touchdowns and the Ea-
gles won more than six games forthe first time in over a decade.Both Zonca and Leach point tothat third-and-long run as themoment the Section II football
world began to notice him forreal.
The coaches just wanted a firstdown, but I somehow got out oftwo tackles and stiff armed a kid.I think that was the most mem-orable run I had this year, saidZonca. That was nuts, I wasntexpecting that to happen.
He probably wasnt expectingto be The Record Offensive Playerof the Year, either.
But he is.Before the season started, dur-
ing a hot practice in mid-August,Leach teased that Zonca couldhave a big year for the Eagles.
I just think hes flying underthe radar a little bit because he
was overshadowed by those twoseniors, said Leach over the sum-
2014 ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM
Players of the Year
J.S.CARRAS - [email protected]
Hoosick Falls Mark Hackett was dominant at middle linebacker as the Panthersadvanced to the state Class C championship game or the second time in three years.
Inside:Meet theootball large schoolAll-Area team. PAGE C3
Meet the ootball smallschool All-Area team. PAGEC4
ALBANY PAGE 2
ZONCA PAGE 5 HACKETT PAGE 5
SPORTS troyrecord.comThursday, December 25, 2014 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/TROYRECORD AND TWITTER.COM/TROYRECORD
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL - LARGE
Tom StantonCBA, senior, tight end
Stats:Two-yearstarter,phenome-nal blocker
on a top-10team inrushing andrushing
touchdowns
Honors:Class AA EmpireDivision first team all-star
Year in review:The6-oot-5, 210-poundStanton made his bonesin the trenches as one othe best blocking tightends in the section. WithStanton as, essentially, asixth offensive lineman,its no wonder the Broth-ers produced the way theydid, rushing or 33 touch-downs and 2,506 yards.
Austin EllisCBA, senior, wide receiver
Stats:15receptionsor 454yards andseven TDs,
21 tacklesand fiveINTs
Honors:Class AA EmpireDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Sub-4.6in the 40 with phenom-enal hands, Ellis was oneo Class AAs most reliablepass catchers. His mostmemorable moment camein the opening round othe playoffs when hecaught a juggling 13-yardTD pass along the sidelineby jumping, tipping theball in the air and thencatching it on his the wayto the ground.
Eugene ReyesColonie, senior, wide
receiver
Stats:43receptionsor 771receiving
yards and10 receiv-ing TDs
Honors:Class AA Lib-erty Division All-PurposePlayer o the Year
Year in review:Reyeswas about as dynamicas they come at the WRposition, especially inthe run-heavy world ohigh school ootball. The6-oot-1 senior had onlyone game without a TDand caught 43 balls (amust-start in antasyleagues), which is second-best in the CapitalDistrict.
Patrick WellingtonAverill Park, senior, offen-
sive line
Stats:An-chor o anoffensiveline thatpowered2,376 teamrushingyards, 12th
best in the section
Honors:Class A South-east Conerence firstteam all-star, teamcaptain
Year in review:At center,Wellington was the rockin the middle o AverillParks offensive line, aunit that paved the wayor nearly 2,500 totalrushing yards in 2014. Thesenior was a team captainand 2x first team all-star.
Ryan EustaceShaker, senior, offensive
line
Stats:Best line-man on aunit thatproduced2,436rushingyards
Honors:Class AA LibertyDivision first team all-star
Year in review:The BlueBison finished 11th in theCapital District in rushingwith 2,436 total yards,much o which would nothave been possible with-out the big boys up ront,namely, Ryan Eustance.At 6-eet, 290-pounds,Eustance was a first teamLiberty Division all-star inhis senior season.
Jaushiir WeaverBishop Maginn, junior,
returner/all-purposeplayer
Stats:915rushingsyards, 420receivingyards and13 total
TDs
Honors:Class A South-east Conerence firstteam, All-Purpose Player
Year in review:Weaverwas a dynamic runningback, returner and passcatcher or the Griffins,amassing 1,335 totalyards o offense, including13 TDs. In Bishop Magginsfinal regular season game,Weaver totaled our TDsand 215 yards, including a90-yard kick return TD.
Justin LaClairBethlehem, senior, offen-
sive line
Stats:Keypiece toan OL thatpoweredRecordPlayer othe YearBen Zonca
Honors:Class AA LibertyDivision first team all-star
Year in review:OffensivePlayer o the Year BenZonca credits his successto the Eagles OL, o whichLaClair was the best amonster, At 6-oot-2, 240pounds, LaClair anchoreda line that Zonca called,one o the strongestgroups to ever comethrough Bethlehem.
Nick RaiLa Salle, senior, offensive
line
Stats:Best line-man on aunit thatproduced1,636 rush-ing yardsand threw
the ball 193 times
Year in review:La Sallehead coach Al Rapp calledRai his best and mostconsistent lineman, a
two-way starter at guardand deensive tackle. Be-ore the season started,Rapp touted Rai as one ohis strongest players andthe senior produced likeit. Rai was impressive inboth pass protection andrun blocking.
Omar JohnsonBishop Maginn, senior,
offensiveline
Stats:Four-yearanchor onan OL thatpoweredover 3,000yards o
offense
Honors:Class A South-east Conerence firstteam, our-year starter
Year in review:Afer twostraight seasons o finish-ing 1-8, Bishop Maginnwent 7-2 and became oneo the eel-good stories o2014. As one o the Gri-fins top lineman (in bothdirections), Johnson wasan integral piece in theturnaround.
Matt HamelCBA, senior, kicker/punter
Stats:47 extrapointsmade, two
field goals,35+ yardpunts
Honors:Class AA Empire Divisionfirst team all-star
Year in review:Havinga good kicker is a luxurymost teams just donthave, but in this case theBrothers are an exception.Hamel made 47 PATs andtwo field goals or a CBAteam that liked to score a lot. He also notchedmultiple touchbacks andcould get punts off o 35yards or more, an invalu-able asset or a contender.
Ben AnthonyCBA, senior, deensive
back
Stats:30tackles,one INT on
deense,431 rushingyards and10 TDs
Honors:Class AA EmpireDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Anthony,a two-year varsity starteror the Brothers, played amajor role on both offenseand deense. He made30 tackles, recovered aumbled and picked offa pass in the deensivebackfield while racking up10 TDs and 577 total yardson offense.
Don VivianCBA, senior, deensive
back
Stats:81tackles,one sack,
two orcedumbles,two umblerecoveries
Honors:Class AA EmpireDivision All Purpose Playero the Year
Year in review:Realisti-cally, Vivian couldve beena first teamer on offense,deense and specialteams and was a very realcandidate or player o theyear hes that good. Inaddition to his deensivestats, Vivian had seventotal TDs, including threeTD passes and 550 returnyards.
Joe GerminerioLa Salle, senior, deensive
back
Stats:Four INTs,three
sacks, ourorcedumbles,threeumble
recoveries and over 100tackles
Honors:Class AA LibertyDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Anotherplayer who was in seriousconsideration or Deen-sive Player o the Year,Germinerio played nearlyevery snap or La Salle onoffense, at quarterback,and on deense, at saety.Despite being a dynamicpasser, Germinerio was
even better on deense.
Josh WynnCBA, senior, deensive
back
Stats:84tackles andtwo INTs
Honors:Class AAEmpire Di-vision first
team all-star
Year in review:Wynnwas the ballhawk on theback end o the Brothersstingy deense, picking offtwo passes and making84 tackles in 2014. Thesenior was an EmpireDivision first team all-starand will be taking histalents to the Universityo Albany on a ull athleticscholarship next year.
Matt WoodsShaker, senior, quarter-
back
Stats:950passingyards, 15total TDs
and onlytwo INTs
Honors:Class AA Liberty DivisionOffensive Player o theyear.
Year in review:Thesenior led the Blue Bisonto a seven-win season in2014, losing only twice,both times to Class AArunner-up CBA. Woodsthrew only two intercep-tions all season (bothin Shakers final game),boasting one o the bestTD-to-INTS ratios in thesection while totaling 15touchdowns.
Elijah BethelTroy, senior, running back
Stats:1,182 rush-ing yardson 242carries and
10 TDsYear inreview:
Bethel was the definitiono a workhorse or theFlying Horses . The seniorgot the ball an astound-ing 242 times and ran oralmost 1,200 yards and10 scores. At 5-oot-6,Bethel isnt all that tallbut that doesnt mean hewasnt one o the morephysically imposing backsin the section. Troy headcoach Mike Hurteau calledhim the third strongestplayer on the entire team.
Jaylen McIntyreCBA, senior, running back
Stats:1,129 yardson 98 at-tempts and13 TDs
Honors:Class AAEmpire
Division first team all-star
Year in review:McIntyrewas the best runningback in a backfield filledwith great running backs,leading CBA to its secondstraight trip to the sec-tional title game. In theopening two rounds othe playoffs, McIntyre ranor five TDs and over 380yards. The seniors mosteye-popping stat, how-ever, is his nearly 12 yardsper carry average 12!
Brandon BarlowShaker, junior, deensive
line
Stats:43tackles,seven
tackles orloss andour sacks
Honors:Class AA Liberty Divisionfirst team all-star
Year in Review:Barlowwas a monster comingoff the edge or Shaker,tallying seven tackles orloss and our sacks atdeensive end. With Bar-low on the line, the BlueBison ranked eighth in theCapital District in sacks.He was a Liberty Divisionfirst team all-star.
Isaiah MoakAverill Park, junior, line-
backer
Stats:77tackles andone INT,285 yards(7.3 YPC)and threeTDs
Honors:Class A South-east Conerence firstteam all-star
Year in review: As ajunior, Moak racked up 77
tackles at linebacker orthe Warriors and recordedthe INT that sealed their58-56 win over Amster-dam one o the moreexciting games o theseason. He also rushed orthree TDs and 7.3 yardsper carry at running back.
Jakil PaulCBA, senior, linebacker
Stats:60tackles
Honors:Class AAEmpireDivisionfirst teamall-star
Year in review:TheBrothers deense was aorce to be reckoned within 2014 and Paul was rightin the middle o it all. The
senior linebacker recorded60 tackles in the teeth operhaps the sections bestdeense, which allowedonly 146 points all season.Paul was an Empire Divi-sion first team all-star.
Nick BrownShaker, senior, linebacker
Stats:63tackles,our sacks,11 tacklesor loss,three INTsand oneblockedpunt or
a TD
Honors:Class AA LibertyDivision Deensive Playero the Year
Year in review: Seriously,what didnt Brown do orthe Blue Bison this sea-son? The senior linebackerwas all over the middle othe field or Shaker, tally-ing 63 tackles, 11 tacklesor loss, our sacks andthree interceptions. Oh bythe way, he blocked a puntand returned it or a TD.
Dan ComberBethlehem, senior, deen-
sive line
Stats:35tackles,five sacks,two PBUsand onedeensiveTD
Honors:Class AA LibertyDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Comberplayed at a very highlevel along both lines or
the Eagles, but will getmost o his accolades asa deensive lineman. Thesenior totaled 35 tackles,including three tackles orloss and five sacks, or aBethlehem team that wonsix games or the firsttime in over a decade.
Patrick PastoreCBA, senior, deensive line
Stats:61tacklesand sevensacks
Honors:Class AAEmpire Di-vision first
team all-star
Year in review:Headcoach Joe Burke calledPastore the best two-way lineman in Section
II, high praise consider-ing the sheer amount otalent on his own roster,let alone the entire sec-tion. Pastore totaled 61tackles and seven sackson the deensive line orthe Brothers and is a two-time Empire Division firstteam all-star.
Reid CrobokTroy, junior, deensive line
Stats:29tackles andone sack
Year inreview:Anothertwo-waystarter,
Crobok turned thetrenches into a strengthor the Flying Horses,helping make 1,000-yardback Elijah Bethel into
first team all-star onoffense while pushingpeople around on deense.At 6-oot-1, 300-pounds,Crobok was a handul orany offensive player in hisway, powering his way to29 tackles and one quar-terback sack. Crobok wasalso a captain.
Second Team Offense:
Quarterback: Neiko Bianchino, Bishop Maginn,senior
Running back:Andrew Bolton, Shaker, junior
Running back:Garrett Ryan, Averill Park, senior
Wide receiver:Dajuan Hudson, Troy, junior
Wide receiver:Dylan Storm, Bishop Maginn, junior
Offensive line:Stevon Graham, Bishop Maginn,junior
Offensive line:Kashawn Turner, Bishop Maginn,junior
Offensive line:Amante Berr y, Troy, senior,
Offensive line:Matt Holmes, Shaker, junior
Offensive line:Ryan Marriott, Colonie, junior
Tight end:John Fredette, Bethlehem, senior
Kicker: Will Halpin, Shaker, senior
All-Purpose Player:KyEre Tillery, Bishop Maginn,sophomore
Second Team Defense:
Defensive line:Nasir Tune, CBA, senior
Defensive line:Jason Vroljik, CBA, senior
Defensive line:Dylan Casey, Troy, junior
Linebacker: Phil Duell, Bishop Maginn, senior
Linebacker: Francisco Rivera, Troy, junior
Linebacker: Raquan Harris, Troy, junior
Linebacker: Brad Bettinger, Bethlehem, senior
Defensive back:Steve Jordan, La Salle, senior
Defensive back:Tom Ganley, Bethlehem
Defensive back:Tysheem Morris, Albany, senior
Defensive back:Taylor Paff, Colonie, junior
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Joe Kolbe, CBA, senior
Running back:DiKemm Edmundson, La Salle,senior
Running back:Dan Facci, La Salle
Full back:Bayley Haskins, La Salle senior
Wide receiver:Jayquan Beckord, Schenectady,senior
Wide receiver:Jay Newsom, Colonie, junior
Offensive line:Josh Fisherauer, Schenectady,senior
Offensive line:Alex Miller, Shaker, senior
Offensive line:Cody DuBuque, Columbia, senior
Offensive line:Noah Frese, CBA, senior
Offensive line:JJ Smith, CBA, senior
Kicker/Punter: TJ Szesnat, Colonie, senior
Defensive line:Alex Bethoney, Columbia, senior
Defensive line:LaSheen Brunson, Schenectady,senior
Defensive line:Andrew Peterson, Shaker, junior
Linebacker: Ben Tietjen, Bethlehem
Linebacker: Robert Talham, Troy, sophomore
Linebacker: Tommy Russo, Bethlehem
Defensive back:Andrew Nickolson, Shaker, senior
Defensive back:Colby Youngblood, Schenectady,senior
SECOND TEAM/HONORABLE MENTION
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL - SMALL
Mark HackettHoosick Falls, senior, tight
end
Stats:18receptions,270 yardsand three
TDsHonors:Class C
North Division Player othe Year
Year in review:Hackett,as you might be able totell, is best known or hisdeensive prowess at line-backer, but the senior wasalso a phenomenal tightend. Perhaps the Panthersbest blocker on the line,according to head coachRon Jones, Hackett alsocaught 18 balls or 270yards and three TDs.
Josh SteeleCambridge/Salem, senior,
wide re-ceiver
Stats:13receptionsor 462
yards(14.9yards percatch) andfive TDs
Honors:Class D firstteam all-star
Year in review:Whenthe Indians werent layingwaste to teams on theground, they were beatingthem through the air withSteele, who averagednearly 15 yards per recep-tion in 2014. The seniorhad three catches or 60yards in the Indians 42-0Super Bowl victory overWhitehall.
Brandon LaForestCohoes, senior, wide
receiver
Stats:374rushingyards, 349passing
yards and11 totalTDs, ourINTs
Honors:Class B ReinurtDivision All Purpose Playero the Year
Year in review:LaForest,probably the best WR inthe section, took over atQB or Cohoes afer an in-jury sidelined their starter.Predictably, he flourishedfinishing with schoolrecords in INTs (15 -- atsaety), receiving yards(1,095) and receivingyards in a season (662).
Raffi BarkamianHoosic Valley, senior, o-
ensive line
Stats:220-poundtackle thathelpedspringalmost3,000rushing
yards
Honors:Class D firstteam all-star
Year in Review:Barka-
mian was a first teamall-star in Class D andplayed in the Section IIall-star game. At 6-eet,220-pounds, he was Hoo-sic Valleys most depend-able blocker or an offensethat scored 35 points pergame.
Shane BarssHoosick Falls, senior, o-
ensive line
Stats:ThePanthersout-producednationalaveragesor rushingyards and
touchdowns per gamewith Barss at guard
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Measur-ing the Panthers successthis season must startwith counting the numbero all-stars they hadupront. Barss was amongthe best at his position onan offense that rushed or248 yards per game andpassed or 119.
Isaac SanchezHoosic Valley, sopho-
more, kickreturner/all-purposeplayer
Stats:113carries or783 yards,11 catchesor 211
yards and 16 total TDs
Honors:Class D All Pur-pose Player o the Year
Year in review:In just
his sophomore season,Sanchez became one othe most dynamic play-ers in Class D, scoring16 TDs and tallying 994total yards. He also had35 tackles on deenseand was named Class DsAll Purpose Player o theYear.
Gage BilizinksiCohoes, senior, offensive
line
Stats:Center oran offen-sive linethat helpedproducethreeReinurt
Division first teamers inthe same backfield
Honors:Class B ReinurtDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Bilizinksiwas a two-year starter atcenter or the Tigers and afirst team all-star in ClassB. The senior was the bestplayer on an offensive linethat saw Shelton Alstonrush or 1,400 yards andBrandon LaForest rush or374 more.
Logan HoytHoosick Falls, senior, o-
ensive line
Stats:An-chor on anoffensiveline thatrushed or248 yardsper gameand passed
or 119 more
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Hoyt was
a star on both sides o theball and the cornerstoneo an offensive line thatpropelled the Panthers toa state title game. WithHoyt at tackle, HoosickFalls rushed or 3,225yards and scored 67TDs, both well above thenational average.
Pascal WilkinsHoosick Falls, junior, o-
ensive line
Stats:ThePanthersout-producednationalaveragesor rushingyards and
touchdowns per gamewith Wilkins at tackle
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Pairedwith Hoyt at tackle andBarss at guards, Wilkinscompletes a trio o firstteam offensive line all-stars or the Panthers. Nowonder they went 12-1and averaged 37 pointsper game.
Damon DuboisHoosick Falls, senior,
kicker/punter
Stats:58
PATs, s ixfield goalsand 6.3points pergame
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:In thePanthers high-poweredoffense, Dubois scored6.3 points per game,which is third-highest onthe team. He completed90 percent o his point a-ter attempts and knockedthrough six field goals,including a school record48 yarder.
Colby DavendonisHoosick Falls, senior,
deensiveback
Stats:78
tackles,eight tack-les or loss,our umblerecoveries,1,951 all-
purpose yards, 22 TDs
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Davendo-nis is in the same posi-tion as Pitt, just missingout on first team runningback while starring bothways or Hoosick Falls.Davendonis recovered ourumbles, made 78 tacklesand scored 22 TDs (10.2points per game), which istops on the team.
Colin ClausHoosic Valley, senior,
deensiveback
Stats:
Over 30tackles,413 pass-ing yards,656 rush-ing yards
and 16 total TDs
Honors:Class D firstteam all-star
Year in review:Claus wasa first team all-star atcornerback in Class D in2014, recording over 30tackles and consistentlybreaking up passes. Healso quarterbacked theIndians to a win over ClassD finalist Whitehall andhad 413 passing yards,656 rushing yards and 16
total TDs.
David WarnkenRavena, senior, deensive
back
Stats:60tackles,
two INTsand threeblockedkicks, 700passingyards and
20 total TDs
Honors:Class B ReinurtDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Warnkenmay have been the besttwo-way player in theentire section, starring atQB and saety or Ravena.Despite throwing or 700yards and running or659 more under center,Warkens best positionwas saety, a position hewill play at the next level.
Connor McCartHoosick Falls, junior,
deensiveline
Stats:62
tackles, 10tackles orloss, fivesacks, ourpunt blocksand three
umble recoveries, 543all-purpose yards and fiveTDs
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:McCartplayed more o a hybrid-outside linebacker role orthe Panthers but its hisversatility that lands himin this spot. The juniorstarred on the Panthersdeense, as well as at WR,filling up almost ever stat
category available.
Garrett WrightHoosick Falls, senior,
quarter-back
Stats:1,548 yardspassing
(119.1 pergame),327 yardsrushing,
22 total TDs and an 83.4quarterback rating
Honors:Class C NorthDivision Offensive Playero the Year
Year in review:As asenior, Wright led thePanthers to a 12-1 recordand a trip to the statetitle game at the Domein Syracuse. He was adual-threat out o thebackfield, throwing 14touchdowns and runningor eight more.
Caleb RowlandCambridge/Salem, senior,
runningback
Stats:1,671 yards(second-
best in theCapitalDistrict) on168 carries
and 19 rushing TDs
Honors:Class D firstteam all-star
Year in review:Rowlandwas the best player on ateam that won the ClassD Super Bowl. He rackedup 1,671 rushing yards(9.9 yards per carry) and19 TDs, despite sharingthe backfield with run-ning back Chris Warnke(the Class D Player o theYear).
Shelton AlstonCohoes, senior, running
back
Stats:1,405 yardson 212carries,
17 TDs, 11receptionsor 209yards and
two TDs, 97 tackles, threeINTs
Honors:Class B ReinurtDivision first team all-star
Year in review:The smallschool running back classwas absolutely loaded andAlston was among thebest. The senior rushedor over 1,400 yards and17 TDs, upping his careertotals to 3,211 yards rush-ing and 282 points whichare both school records.
Frank AdamsHoosic Valley, sophomore,
deensiveline
Stats:Ledthe Indianswith oursacks, over30 tackles
Honors:Class D first team all-star
Year in review:The5-oot-11, 225-pounddeensive tackle led theyoung Indians deensewith our sacks, over 30tackles and was named afirst team all-star in ClassD. Hes only a sophomore.
Evan HandHoosick Falls, junior, line-
backer
Stats:127tackles, 18tackles orloss, oneINT, oneumble re-covery, oneblocked
punt and one blocked fieldgoal
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Hand hada monster statistical yearor the Panthers deensein 2014. The junior record-ed 127 tackles and had anastounding 18 tackles orloss, all the while blockingpunts and field goals andrecovering turnovers.
Jeff CarrozzaHoosic Valley, junior, line-
backer
Stats:Ledthe Indianswith over60 tackles
Honors:Class Dfirst team
all-star
Year in review:The6-oot-1, 235-poundlinebacker was a big time
run stuffer or HoosicValley, leading the teamwith over 60 tackles in2014. The junior is alreadya two-time first teamall-star in Class D. He alsoplayed ullback or theIndians.
John MalulanCohoes, senior, linebacker
Stats:93tackles andone INT
Honors:Class BReinurtDivisionDeensive
Player o the Year
Year in review:Malulanfinished his career atCohoes with the school
record in tackles (262)and recorded 15 or moretackles in a game ourtimes. As a senior, thelinebacker recorded 93tackles and one intercep-tion and was named theReinurt Division Deen-sive Player o the Year.
Jake BakaitisHoosick Falls, senior,
deensiveline
Stats:52tackles, 11tackles orloss, fivesacks, oneumblerecovery,
one blocked punt
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:Theresno shortage o stars onthe Hoosick Falls deenseand Bakaitis is right inthe thick o things. Hisnumbers, 52 tackles, 11or loss, five sacks, oneumble recovery and oneblocked punt, are eye-popping.
Logan HoytHoosick Falls, senior,
deensiveline
Stats:43tackles and10 tacklesor loss
Honors:Class C
North Division first teamall-star
Year in review:Hoyt wasa true-two way star or
the Panthers, doublingas their best offensivelineman and space-eateralong the deensive line.On their 12-1 run to thestate title game, Hoyttotalled 43 tackles and,more importantly, 10 tack-les or loss.
Austin PittHoosick Falls, senior, line-
backer
Stats:52tackles,threetackles orloss, oneINT, onesack, 1,629all-purpose
yards, 17 total TDs
Honors:Class C NorthDivision first team all-star
Year in review:This is asmuch an offensive awardas it is a deensive one orPitt who is just as deserv-ing at running back. Thesenior was stud two-wayplayer or the Panthersand one o only twoguys to start both statechampionship games orHoosick Falls in 2012 and2014.
Offense:
Quarterback: Will Bennett, Albany Academy
Running back:Tom Madigan, Hoosic Valley
Running back:Chris Warnke, Cambridge/SalemWide receiver:Andrew Martin, Albany Academy
Wide receiver:Logan Frangella, Ravena, senior
Offensive line:Krsna Jevons, Rensselaer
Offensive line:Kordell Benson, Cambridge/Salem
Offensive line:Shayne Richard, Hoosick Falls
Offensive line:Matt McHugh, Ravena
Offensive line:Will Pausley, Albany Academy
Tight end:Nick Napoli, Hoosic Valley
Kicker: Nate Giller, Cohoes
Defense:
Defensive line:Jake Harrington, Cambridge/Salem
Defensive line:Dylan Brooking, Rensselaer
Defensive line:Ryan Spencer, Cohoes
Linebacker: John McKnight, Cohoes
Linebacker: Zeke Thomas, Albany Academy
Linebacker: Andrew Soldini, Albany Academy
Linebacker: Jarred Sausville, Cambridge/Salem
Defensive back:Enthan English, Cambridge/Salem
Defensive back:Nick Ernst, Cohoes
Defensive back:Alex Mendez, Hoosick Falls
Defensive back:Sal Arena, Albany Academy
SECOND TEAM
RECORD FILE PHOTO
Hoosick Fallssenior tight endMark Hackett.
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8/10/2019 Capital Region All Stars: Men's Football
4/4
By James Costanzo
jcostanzo
@digitalfirstmedia.com
@JamesCostanzo on Twitter
HOOSICK FALLS After los-ing their first and finalgame of season -- 20-14 toChenango Forks in the statechampionship game -- Hoo-sick Falls head coach RonJones walked over to run-ning back Austin Pitt andgave him a hug.
He told me it was a hellof a run, and it was, saidPitt, recalling the emo-tional moment betweenthe two.
Pitt won a state champi-onship with Jones in 2012and the programs sixthstraight sectional title forhim on their way to an-other Dome appearance in2014 and, yet, when asked
about his most memora-ble moment with Jones, hetalked about that hug.
Its telling, that afterone of the toughest lossesin Pitts career -- a careerfilled with such incrediblehighs --- that moment onthe field with Jones standsout the most.
Its not like Jones Coachof the Year candidacyneeds validating, really.The wins do all the talk-ing if you want them to.
But its stories like thisone, and many others, thatpaint a more vivid picture
of why Jones is the slam-dunk choice for the thisseasons honor.
Just for kicks, however,these are the numbers: 12
wins, one loss, an averagemargin of victory of 28points, 59 consecutive Sec-tion II victories, a SectionII record sixth consecutiveClass C Super Bowl victoryand the programs secondstate title appearance inthree years.
Jones players love him,but perhaps more impor-tantly, they trust him and
believe that, no matter howmuch work he requires ofthem, he wouldnt be ask-ing for naught.
Hes just good at theway he coaches. He doesntask for too much, he doesntask for something you cantdo, said Pitt.
He knows you can do itif hes going to ask you todo it. Thats the great thingabout him. He knows yourabilities and strengths.
Racking up sectionaltitles doesnt hurt Jonescase, of course, especially
with his players who cansee how much work he putsin. They respect him for itand, ultimately, want toperform for him -- all thetraits of a great coach.
The amount of time heputs in, the amount of filmhe does, the camps he goesto in the offseason, run-
ning the weight room inthe offseason, he just putsin so much time that thats
what makes us so success-ful, said Pitt.
The amount of time he
puts in gives us the extrastep in winning a cham-pionship. It gets us in the
weight room. Hes built asuccessful program withthat.
COACH OF THE YEAR
The players may change, but Jones just keeps winning
MIKE MCMAHON - [email protected]
Hoosick Falls coach Ron Jones congratulates Evan Hand afer he was named deensive MVP o the Class C statesemifinal vs. Millbrook this past November.
mer. But hes a very goodfootball player.
Leach backed up hisfaith in Zonca over thecourse of the season by al-lowing the senior to be atrue workhorse. In twogames against La Salleand Colonie Zonca rackedup over 70 carries for 468
yards and five touchdowns.I knew how talented
he was, Ive watched himsince he was in Pop War-ner, said Leach.
I dont think I expectedhim to shoulder the load asmuch as he did. The num-
ber of carries he had, in theLa Salle game, the Coloniegame, I dont think I ex-pected that. Hes a strongkid. It was never an issue,his conditioning was great.Our offense was really cen-tered around him and it
worked out.Zonca worked all off-
season with Bishop Mag-inn assistant coach and
Competitive Edge trainerMike Grasso to improve hisstrength and agility andsays that training madeall the difference in 2014.
Lifting, like lifting seri-ously, actually doing all thelifts and just working onmy speed and agility, saidZonca about his offseasontraining regimen. It justcame together in one sea-son and really helped out.
In addition to taking theEagles to their first playoff
berth and six-win seasonsince 2001, Zonca was alsonamed the Class AA Lib-erty Division Player of the
Year.
However, Leach saysZoncas greatest strengthisnt his ability to tearup seven- and eight-man
boxes, its his humility.Hes incredibly humble.
Thats the first, and mostimportant, thing abouthim. Theres not one centof arrogance in him. Hesalmost giddy by all the at-tention hes getting, saidLeach. We announced atour banquet that he wasthe Liberty Division Player
of the Year and there wasa smile on his face a mile
wide. It was not expectedat all. I think that is his big-gest trait.
Leachs complimentsarent traditional coachspeak, either. Zonca is, infact, one of the more hum-
ble kids youll meet. Its likehe genuinely wasnt expect-ing to be as good as he was.
I wasnt thinking Iwouldnt be a factor for theteam, but I didnt expectmyself to be actually whathappened, said Zonca. I
was expecting to be a goodplayer, but I think the offseason helped, the guys
pushing me. That helpedme become the player I wasthis year.
Over the summer, Zoncacasually mentioned thatonce the season was overhe thought people wouldremember his name. Howdoes he feel about thatnow?
I think people knowwho am from this season,I mean, I hope they do, hesaid.
They do.
ZoncaFROM PAGE 1
backer and tight end wherehe caught 18 passes for270 yards and three touch-downs.
Hes now also The Re-cord Defensive Player ofthe Year.
Being a linebacker youhave to have your headon a swivel. You have to
be able to see your read ,you have to be able to seelinemen coming out to
block you. Me, in partic-ular, you have to be the
voice of the defense, saidHackett, who broke out as
a starting linebacker forthe Panthers in the 2012state championship gameof all places.
That was when peoplereally went Wow, saidJones. It was the firsttime we really went Wow,is he really that good? Holycrap, he is.
In the Dome that yearagainst Hornell, a team ona 51-game winning streak,Hacketts coaches said hereally came alive, makingtackles in the backfield,preventing big plays andtaking down a 240-poundrunning back by himself,all the while alternating
every other series at offen-sive line.
In that state champion-ship game as a sophomore,
when we saw him makingplays out there, we justknew this kid is going to
be something special, saidPanthers defensive coordi-nator Chris Fleming.
Both Fleming and Jones
agree, Hacketts great-est talent as a linebackeris his ability to blitz. Hisinstincts and timing, theysaid, are impeccable. Hesalways moving, he trustshis reads, he can changedirection and shed blocks.
Jones said Hackett isthe best blitzer hes everhad, bar none, and Flem-ing agrees.
What Mark is so goodat, probably the best Iveever coached, is blitz-ing. Hes an unbelievable
blitzer and we knew earlyon. Even when he was
youn ger we were send-ing him in on blitzes,said Fleming. Every week
when we game planned we
always talked about, howdo we get Mark moving?How to be get him blitz-ing in our scheme for the
week?Hackett owns the blitzer
label, calling it his thing.Linebacker, he says, is andalways was the perfect po-sition for him.
Hitting people is fun.Blitzing is always fun, too.On the d-line you donthave a chance to get free
but at linebacker you cancome from depth and getmomentum going. Itsprobably the funnest po-sition to play on defense,he said.
Since taking over thestarting middle linebacker
job for good his junior year,Fleming has given Hacketta remarkable amount ofcontrol over the defense,allowing him to makechecks with the defensiveline, slanting them in dif-ferent directions, recogniz-ing offensive formations
and then making changeson the fly.
The guys are lookingto me for leadership. I re-member multiple times thed-line asking what were inand its just great, for me,to be able to tell them,said Hackett. Its fun tothen see them go and doit. Its a great position forcontrol freaks.
Hackett plans to pursuefootball at the Division IIIlevel next season. He hasa few offers, but has yetto make a decision as to
where hell at tend school.His coaches said they haveno doubt he will succeedat the next level, whiletaking time to praised his
off-the-field personalityabove all.It has been a lot of fun
coaching him becauseits always light, its al-
ways fun . Hes just hav-ing a blast out there, un-less youre trying to runthe ball against him, thenhes going to run into you
ver y hard , said Jone swith a laugh. But thenhes going to smile at you
with his big dimples, pickyou up and say, Let s goagain.
Hes just so ferociousand physical out on thefootball field that you
would never know what
an easy going, nice guyMark is off the footballfield. He really turns intosomebody else when hegets on the field, addedFleming. I know hes agood friend to his friends,hes a good student andhe is so coachable. Its acoachs dream to have akid like that.
HackettFROM PAGE 1
TROY Anthony Mackscored a season-high 32points to lead CatholicCentral past Albany, 73-56,Tuesday in a non-league
boys ba ske tbal l game,which served as a tune-up for the Crusaders biggames this coming week-end.
CCHS opened with a 23-7run, but was forced to hold
off an Albany rally. The Fal-cons closed to within 51-46
with eight minutes remain-ing. The Crusaders endedthe game with a 22-10 run.
CCHS will play this week-end in Boston, meeting Ben-
jamin Franklin on Saturdayand then taking on nationalpower St. Anthonys of NewJersey in the tournamentsshowcase game. St. Antho-
nys is coached by legendBob Hurley, who has wonmore than 1,000 games, 27New Jersey state champi-onships and seven nationalchampionships.
Raquis Harris scored 19points and Brian Brooksadded 12 for CCHS. ShaliemCaldwell scored a team-high 20 point and Cy-MierDace added 15 for Albany.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Mack leads CCHS past Albany
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 THE RECORD | SPORTS | 5C