Displaying items by tag: Terry Jones
Blue Streaks Dominate
[Photo by www.PhotoAndGraphic.com]
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks have had a record-breaking season this year. They are currently 9-0 with their Sectional Game taking place Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. against Troy. This will be a neutral non-conference game.
No Losses: Area's Undefeated Football Teams
[Photos by www.PhotoandGraphic.com, Lori Mahan, and Ruth Thivierge.]
Three area teams remain undefeated this season. These teams are the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks, the Schuylerville Horses, and the Burnt Hills – Ballston Lake Spartans.
How is it possible that three local teams can all be undefeated? The teams represent different classes and leagues, based on school size, with Saratoga being the largest of the classes, Section 2 Class AA, in the Empire Football League. We sat down with each coach this week to get their take on the current season.
BURNT HILLS – BALLSTON LAKE
Coach Matt Shell is very happy with how well the season has gone so far.
“The kids are working hard, we’re excited to be in the position that we’re in. We have a big game this week and we have to make sure we’re ready to play at such a high level.”
He’s happy with his offensive line and continues to see improvements on the defensive line, which has a few new players this year.
“Our defense has improved week to week,” he said.
In game one, they played Queensbury, which Shelly described as a “real good game.”
Averill Park was a tough team to beat but they were able to thanks to making some big plays at key times in the game.
“The team just works really hard and they’ve been doing a good job. Their work ethic has been good and fundamentally, they do a good job of working on the basics of the game to improve,” Shell said.
With practices Monday through Thursday, the Spartans stay busy and motivated.
SCHUYLERVILLE
Coach John Bowen is equally enthusiastic about his team’s season.
“I would definitely say to this point that the success we’ve been able to have has been a direct attribute to the way the kids work Monday through Thursday. Friday nights are for them. It’s their time. You allow them to showcase everything they’ve worked for. We’ve got a great group of kids who are willing to listen to and employ anything we ask of them,” Bowen said.
Bowen makes sure that the team stays focused on the week ahead and nothing beyond that.
“I’ve been very proud of the fact that the boys have really kept their focus and not allowed themselves to get ahead of the schedule in any given week. They’ve been really dialed into that week’s opponent,” Bowen explained.
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Coach Terry Jones is making a comeback after last season.
“I think it’s great to be at this point, especially considering all of our games have been in our division. Winning our first five games has secured us the number one seed in the Empire Division, which guarantees us a playoff game in week eight and in week nine if we win the game in week eight. That’s one of the goals we set out with, was to win our division. We’re not looking past any of our goals as far as the rest of the season goes, we’re focusing on Albany this week,” Jones explained.
Last season was difficult for the Blue Streaks, they had a number of injuries and were unsure of how the team would perform this season.
“For example, Wes Eglintine, is in his third year on varsity but as a sophomore, he saw very limited action as a quarterback because we have a two-year starter and then last year he was lost in the week one game and here he is in his third year. We weren’t sure how things would go for him as a quarterback. He’s been doing great!” Jones said.
Sequoia Cumming was one for two in the game last week and will be kicking in the homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6.
“We’ve had a number of kids who have performed outstanding all year long. We’ve had some kids go down with injuries and other kids step in to fill their roles and we’ve had a number of kids who have performed outstanding and even above our expectations,” Jones explained.
“We knew the talent was there,” he said, “and we knew that if things came together we could get to this point, but you never know how 16 and 17 year-olds are going to perform when the lights go on.”
Saratoga Springs will have their homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Check back on the Saratoga TODAY Newspaper Facebook page after the games this week for updates.
Saratoga Blue Streak Remain Undefeated As Season Goes On
[All photos by Lori Mahan]
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Blue Streaks, coached by Terry Jones, are 4-0 so far this season. The team is led by quarterback Wes Eglintine, two-way starter Kevin Toote, tight-end and defensive-end Mike Eglintine, and running-back Cam Adams, who have all played on varsity since their sophomore year. Wes Eglintine made his stellar return this season after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. With 46 players on the team this year, including kicker Sequoia Cumming, they seem to be holding true to their record of seasons past. Their rivalry game was this past Thursday, Sept. 28 against Ballston Spa. Next up, they have a game against Albany on Friday, Oct. 6 and a game on Friday, Oct. 13 versus LaSalle Institute.
“Our aspirations are every body’s aspirations. We want to win every game, but we don’t look ahead. We’re going to take every game one at a time because you can’t look ahead because every team can beat you in the Double A’s. I truly believe that. On the other hand, we can beat every team in the Double A’s,” said Jones.
Jones and his team tend to focus on the next game ahead of them and that game only.
Schedule:
Fri. 10/06/2017 07:00 PM
Saratoga Springs High School vs. Albany High School
at Saratoga Springs High School
Fri/ 10/13/2017 07:00PM
Saratoga Springs High School vs. LaSalle Institute
at LaSalle Institute
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Blue Streaks' Newest Teammate
All photos by Lori Mahan.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Sequoia Cumming, a senior, is the first female football player for the Saratoga Blue Streaks. She is the kicker for the team and has attempted two kicks thus far this season.
Head Coach Terry Jones, who was an assistant coach for the football team from 1999 until 2007 when he became the head coach, said this is the first female he’s ever had on his team.
“We had an informational meeting last spring for anyone interested in playing football and she showed up. At that meeting, everyone there was given information about summer workouts and everything and she did not miss a single work out all summer. She was one of only two players on our freshmen, JV, or Varsity teams who did not miss a single workout. And here she is. That’s the story,” Jones explained.
Sequoia had her own reasons for playing, “It started out as health reasons, I wanted to take up a sport that was vigorous in the weight room and cardio and physical activity. I did play sports all my life but never through the school so they were never that challenging. I just wanted some kind of crazy goal that I could reach and football was it.”
Coach Jones said that there is no real difference between her and her fellow male team members.
“The only difference is she changes in the locker room across the hall from the rest of the guys. Other than that, there’s no difference. She’s not treated differently at practice; she doesn’t expect to be treated any differently. She’s not treated any differently in the weight room, either. The team has been very open and accepting and I guess the biggest difference, is when I say ‘alright guys let’s go,’ obviously I mean everybody. She just laughs and goes ‘I know,’” Jones explained.
Cumming said her biggest obstacle is the fact that she’s completely new to football. She played soccer her whole life but “kicking a soccer ball is much different from kicking a football. So, it’s just trying to get better at that throughout the whole season. It’s a work in progress,” she said.
Her biggest achievement so far has been in the weight room.
“Seeing your numbers increase in there and seeing it pay off on the field is amazing,” Cumming said.
Jones agrees, “It’s a long process to be the backup kicker, which she is right now, but she doesn’t complain, not a word. She comes to work every day and works hard every day, works to get better every day, and she has gotten better. She’s gotten stronger, her endurance and her abilities when she does kick. They’ve all improved. She’s stronger in the weight room. She was saying she thinks she’s in the best shape of her life. She’s made a lot of new friends and gained a lot of respect of a lot of people.”
The coaches and teammates immediately embraced Cumming, “We’re just one big family, we all work together, and we’re all just trying to get to the same place,” Cumming said.
“Every year during the pre-season we have an event called Meet the Players Night where we bring in the teams and they’re introduced in front of family and friends for the first time in their uniform. I’ve been at Saratoga since 1999 as an assistant and I’ve been the head coach since 2007, and I’ve never seen a player get an ovation from the entire crowd, but she did this year,” Jones laughed.
Cumming on the team has definitely sparked the school body’s interest, but not in a negative way.
“A lot of people ask me about it, they’re curious which I understand. A lot of people say ‘hi, good luck at the game! What time is practice until tonight?’ They’re very interested,” Cumming explained.
When asked if she would continue the sport in college she wasn’t sure.
“I haven’t really decided yet, I think it would be cool to take it on as a club sport in college but I am definitely going to be an avid watcher throughout the rest of my life,” Cumming said.
The Seahawks are her favorite football team.
As with any team sport, there is a magic that happens between a team who are all on board with the same goal.
“Before our first game in Niskayuna, there was this whole energy that I feel like you couldn’t find anywhere else. It was really cool just to see the teammates light up and realize that this is our time to really just prove ourselves on the field,” Cumming explained with a sparkle in her eyes.
“She’s very well liked by the players, I think she’s very well respected by the players for how hard she works out there,” Jones wrapped up.
One thing is certain, Sequoia Cumming is the first female football player in Blue Streaks last 18 years, and that is certainly something to be proud of.
Saratoga Blue Streaks
[ Photos by Lori Mahan. ]
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Coach Terry Jones is ready for the Blue Streaks 2017 season.
“Our aspirations are every body’s aspirations. We want to win every game, but we don’t look ahead. We’re going to take every game one at a time because you can’t look ahead because every team can beat you in the Double A’s. I truly believe that. On the other hand, we can beat every team in the Double A’s. It’s a long grinding season so right now we’re focused on Niskayuna and Niskayuna only. That’s our goal, and until that’s over, we don’t worry about anything else,” Coach Jones said.
Wes Eglintine, quarterback, Kevin Toote, two-way starter, Mike Eglintine, tight-end and defensive-end, and Cam Adams, running back are the captains of the team this year.
“These kids are our four captains, our leaders. They’ve all been up since their sophomore year,” Jones said.
Wes Eglintine is, “coming back after suffering a season ending knee injury last year. He is a three-year returning,” Jones clarified.
Coach Jones said of Kevin Toote, “Kevin is being heavily recruited by many Division 1 FCS schools.”
“Our senior class is outstanding in terms of leadership, work ethic, things like that,” Jones said proudly.
“We have some young kids up from the JV who are growing and really showing us some good things. We’re very happy with our skill players and we’re developing on the o-line and d-line. It’s pretty important to grow there quick,” Jones asserted.
There are 46 players on the team this year. The first game is against Niskayuna on Friday, September 1.
