Capital Region All Stars: Men's Football

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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.


4/4

By James Costanzo

jcostanzo

@digitalfirstmedia.com


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

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