Stillwater 28   Moriah 20

In a Class D state quarterfinal game that was close throughout, Stillwater used a dominating ground attack and a big defensive play late, to get past Moriah in action at Mechanicville on Saturday.

Moriah of section VII broke on top when Joe Pelkey found Dieter Olcott with a 33-yard scoring strike and a 6-0 lead. 

Stillwater quickly answered with James Cocozzo crashing in from a yard out and with the point after Stillwater led 7-6 after the first period of play.

Stillwater scored the only points of the second quarter when Jaxon Mueller threw his only pass of the game finding Thomas McDonough on a 19-yard TD connection and Stillwater took a 14-6 lead into the break.

Moriah cut the margin with the only third period points on a Logan Gilbo one yard touchdown run, but the two-point conversion attempt failed as the teams headed to the final frame with Stillwater nursing a 14-12 advantage.

With 5:40 remaining Meuller gave Stillwater a two-score cushion on a 13-yard rushing score and with the point after a 21-12 cushion.

That cushion quickly dissolved as Moriah used a three-play drive capped by a Pelkey to Olcott 23-yard touchdown pass and with the two-point conversion Moriah trailed 21-10.

The Vikings then recovered an on-sides kick and were set up at the Stillwater 45 with 4:30 left in regulation.

But Stillwater’s McDonough had other ideas, stepping in front of a Pelkey pass and taking it 63 yards for six, sending the Section II squad to a state semifinal matchup with Haldane (Section I) at Middleton High School on Friday at 3 p.m. 

Lucas Lilac led the Stillwater ground game finishing with 134 yards on 30 carries while Mueller added 80 yards on 18 totes.  Lilac has now run for 1611 yards on the year setting the single season rushing record at Stillwater.   

Waterford 2   Mount Academy 2

The Fordians of Waterford repeated as Class C state champions on Sunday, earning a share of the title after battling Mount Academy to a 2-2 tie in the title game at Homer High School in Cortland.

The Fordians broke on top when Addy Galuski connected on a scoring strike early in the first half.

But Mount Academy answered with goals from Hayley and Brooke Huleatt before the break, taking the 2-1 advantage into intermission.

The Fordians searched for the tying score through nearly the entire second half and it came with 3:00 remaining when Mia O’Brien found Riley Noto for the finish, sending the game into overtime.

Neither squad was able to score through two overtime sessions and the match ended with the Fordians and Mount Academy recognized as co-state champions. 

Waterford finishes a remarkable season at 19-1-3 with league, section, regional and state championships.

MVP   Josh Catanzarita   Waterford    

Offensive MVP  Tom Wendel      Mechanicville 

Defensive MVP  Eli Strasswimmer   Greenwich

First Team

Scotty Lynch     Mechanicville

Ben Rubenstein    Stillwater

Logan Sheehan    Waterford

Jake Catanzarita   Waterford

Miguel Gonzalez   Greenwich 

Gabe Coffin        Hoosic Valley

Josh Poovey        Greenwich

Garret Hackman   Cambridge/Salem

Matt Soden        Waterford

Cruz Goverski     Mechanicville

Logan Kelly        Waterford

Second Team

Tristan Carutasu    Waterford

Landon Staie       Stillwater

Jacob Eiseman     Mechanicville

Carlo Giso         Stillwater

Jack Fortier       Greenwich

Ethan Raucci     Mechanicville

Sam Klaken     Tamarac

Isaac Wiley      Hoosic Valley

Aaron Stutzman   Greenwich

Logan Fletcher    Waterford

Cody Maloney    Waterford

Mark Pingelski    Mechanicville

Jack Roseberger   Tamarac

Logan Healy      Berlin/New Lebanon

Honorable Mention

Mechanicville:  Joey Devito   Rece Dyer   Alex Micare   Charlie Weiss   Logan Starks

Waterford:   Sam Caulkins   Zach Kalinowski   Mason Noto   Anthony Scunziano   

Cambridge/Salem:   Ethan Hickman   Ethan Adams

Greenwich:   Evan Merrill   Brendon McClay

Hoosic Valley:   Mason Speanburg   Landon Reilly   Austin Brown  

Berlin/New Lebanon:   Tyler Shuhart

Tamarac:   Anthony Garner   Owen Blakesley   Jacob Smith   Gavin Jeffs    Trevor Bishop

Stillwater:   Dylan Izzo   Ryan Henderson   

Waterford 3    Holley 0

Waterford with single scoring strikes from Cassidy McClement and Payton and Addy Galuski and a lockdown defensive effort earned the Class C State semifinal victory over Holley on Saturday.

Fordian keeper Maddy Atwood with 10 saves anchored the shutout, pitched by the Waterford “D” for their 13th clean sheet of the season.

Waterford (19-1-1), advances to the Class C championship game this morning at 10 a.m. and will face Mt. Academy of Section XI, as the Fordians look to defend their Class C title from a year ago.  

Mount Academy 4   Waterford 2

Mount  Academy started fast taking a 2-0 lead just twelve minutes in on goals from Jake Maendel and Chris Reginos and added another Maendel tally in the 24th minute for a 3-0 lead.

But Waterford would answer on a Josh Catanzarita finish off a Tristan Carutasu find in the 25th minute, and pulled to within one, ten minutes into the second half when a Catanzarita header, off a Sam Caulkins corner found the back of the net.

The Fordians however could draw no closer and with 6:00 remaining Mt. Academy connected on a PK to close things out.

Waterford finishes a special season at 19-3-1 with a share of the Wasaren crown, while capturing sectional and regional titles in the C classification.  

Spackenkill 3   Mechanicville 0

Spackenkill scored three times before the break and held off Mechanicville over the second half to post the Class B state semifinal win on Saturday.

Dylan Updike with a pair pf goals and Jacob Rivera with a single score paced the Spackenkill attack.

Mechanicville (19-2-1), finishes another outstanding soccer campaign with league, section and regional titles including their second straight trip to the state final four.    

Four short weeks ago Warrensburg/Lake George rolled over a depleted Stillwater football team posting a 50-7 decision on their way to an undefeated regular season.

Fast forward to Friday morning at Troy High where a healthy Stillwater squad stepped on the field and flipped the script, scoring the last 27 points of the game to pull away from W/LG and earn the Section II Class D championship.

In an 11:00 start with a December feel in the air, W/LG scored the only points of the first frame taking a 6-0 lead on a Caden Allen to Nick Jeckel 45-yard scoring strike.

Early in the second period Stillwater edged in front on a Jaxon Mueller one-yard run and with the point after held a 7-6 lead.

They would pad that lead when Mueller found Lukas Lilac with a 29-yard touchdown pass extending their advantage to 14-6.

But W/LG pulled even with 2:50 remaining in the half when Allen ran it in from four yards out and with the two-point conversion the teams were knotted at 14-14.  

Stillwater answered on a 14-yard TD run by Mueller just before the break and took a 21-14 lead into intermission.

In the third Lilac made it a two-score Stillwater cushion on an 11-yard touchdown run, and later in the quarter Stillwater took total control when Brody Burdo tipped a Wildcat pass to himself and fell into the end zone for six and a 34-14 Stillwater advantage.

Mueller capped the scoring in the fourth period, plowing in from one yard out for his third rushing score of the contest.

Mueller finished the day with 136 rushing yards, while Lilac ran for 157 yards with rushing and receiving scores.  

With the “W” Stillwater (9-1), advances to face Moriah (7-1), next Saturday in a state quarterfinal at 12:30 in Mechanicville.  

Tomorrow morning at Troy High, Warrensburg/Lake George and Stillwater will play each other for the second time this season all be it with a little more on the line this time in the form of a Section II Championship.

On October 14th Stillwater traveled north to meet the Wildcats and the home squad did what they’ve done to opponents all season long, dominate.  The outcome was a 50-7 decision for W/LG which roughly is how things have gone for the 9-0 Wildcats this entire campaign.

Warrensburg/Lake George averages 54 points per contest while allowing just a shade under seven points on the defensive side.  Quarterback Caden Allen has thrown for over 1200 yards on the season with 21 touchdowns, completing 75% of his throws. 

The Wildcats boast a trio of running back in Gavin McCabe, Ben Sheldon and Nick Jeckel who have combined for over 2500 rushing yards and 36 TD’s.

Stillwater (8-1), averages 32 points per outing and gives up 13 points defensively.

Offensively they lean heavily on seniors Lukas Lilac and Jaxson Mueller who have combined for just under 2000 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns this year averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

While W/LG won convincingly in the first meeting Mueller did not play due to injury, Lilac was limited as well, and their leading tackler Anthony Cocozzo was also out with a knee injury.

All three are back and had big games in the D semifinal with Lilac rushing for 165 yards, Meuller scoring three touchdowns and Cocozzo leading the way defensively with double digit tackles in Stillwater’s 35-14 victory over Canajoharie /Fort Plain. 

The two teams met each other last season in the Class C semifinals and with both squads dropping down the Class D this year it’s no surprise they’re matching up in the title game.  

W/LG has had their way with opponents in all nine outings this year and did so with Stillwater back in October, but it will be a healthy Stillwater squad that takes the field for the 11 a.m. kick knowing the Wildcats saw nothing close to their best back in week six.  

If Stillwater can control tempo and take the game into the final quarter with the decision in the balance, the outcome may be a Stillwater “W” the second time around.   

Waterford 4   Northern Adirondack 0   ( Saturday )

Waterford opened up a 1-0 game at the break with three second half scores, earning the state Class C regional final victory over Northern Adirondack and a return trip to the Final Four.

Cassidy McClement put the Fordians on the board with a first half scoring strike, and after intermission Addy Galuski connected on the next two Waterford goals with Mia O’Brien capping things with the final tally of the match.  

Keeper Maddy Atwood and the Fordian defense recorded the clean sheet as Waterford moves to 18-1-2 on the year and onto the state semi’s, two wins away from doubling down with back-to-back state titles.   

Mechanicville 2   Canton 0

Behind goals from Tom Wendel and Rece Dyer and suffocating defensive play, Mechanicville posted the shutout “W” over Canton in the state Class B regional final at LaSalle Institute on Saturday.

Mechanicville connected on goals in each half and the Mechanicville defense allowed just one shot on goal in front of keeper Joey Devito.

With the win Mechanicville moves onto the Class B State Final Four next weekend.

Waterford 6   Brushton-Moira 1

Waterford rode its explosive attack, connecting six times, to the comfortable victory over Brushton-Moira in the state Class C regional final on Saturday. 

Josh Catanzarita with a pair of goals and Tristan Carutasu, Matt Soden, Jake Malinowski and Mason Noto with single tallies led the Fordian onslaught.

Brushton-Moira avoided the shutout on a goal from Corran Colton.  

Keeper Logan Kelley saved four shots for Waterford who with the win move to the Class C State Final Four next weekend.  

Stillwater 35    Canajoharie/Ft. Plain 14

Stillwater built a 21-0 cushion by halftime, on their way to the comfortable Class D semifinal win over Canjo Friday night in Stillwater.

James Cocozzo ran for a 4-yard TD in the first period, and Jaxon Mueller added scoring runs of five and 41 yards in the second frame to take control.

Mueller finished with 116 yards on 16 carries, Cocozzo ran for 54 yards, while Lukas Lilac led the way with 159 yards on 23 totes.  

Cocozzo with 12 tackles, Mueller with nine tackles and a pair of sacks and Brody Burdo with an interception spearheaded the Stillwater “D”.

With the win Stillwater (8-1), advances to the Class D title game on Friday at Troy High where they’ll face undefeated Lake George/Warrensburg.

Lake George/Warrensburg 69   Cambridge/Salem 15

Lake George/Warrensburg led 22-8 at the quarter break, then put the game away with a 41-point second quarter, coasting past Cambridge /Salem in the Class D semifinal in Lake George Friday night.

Nick Jeckel with a pair of rushing scores and an interception return for six led LG/W who move the championship game on Saturday and a matchup with Stillwater.

Cambridge/Salem ends the season with a 5-5 record. 

Fonda 48   Hoosick Falls/Tamarac 28

Fonda ran out to a 27-0 lead, minutes into the second quarter and posted the victory over HF/T in a Class C semifinal Friday night in Fonda. 

Keegan Croucher threw for three touchdowns and 112 yards, and Jose Vargas ran for 153 yards and two scores to pace the Fonda attack.

HF/T quarterback Sam Fauler threw for 253 yards finding Carson Glover for a pair of scores and Richie Stifter once, while Jack Cavanaugh ran for 117 yards and a TD to lead the Wildcat offense.  

Hoosick Falls/Tamarac finishes a fine season with an 8-2 mark.

Ravena 14   Mechanicville/ Hoosic Valley 13      No other info available at this time