MALONE — Coach Rich Johns presented his AWRA mission and “Keys to Success” to the students and teachers at Malone Middle School.

It was a full-circle moment for Johns, who was invited to speak by Malone Middle School Assistant Principal Joey Santamoor, a former student of Johns at Geyser Road Elementary School. Johns spent the day with students and staff at the middle school to present his ‘Act With Respect Always’ mission.

SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville High School senior and girls soccer player Macey Koval has been selected to the 2022 New York State Sportswriters & Coaches Organization for Girls Sports All-State 5th Team.

“Macey has been a tremendous player for our program throughout her high school tenure,” said girls varsity soccer coach Paul Rogan. “She is a fierce competitor, great leader and even better person.  Macey has been our leading goal scorer for the last three years, tallying 17 goals this past fall season.  She is also a clutch competitor, having clinically scored some of the biggest goals in program history.  Macey’s play has not only been good, but it has been great.  She will be missed.”

In addition, Koval and teammate Alayna Wian were named to the Section 2 Class B Girls Soccer All-Star Team for 2022.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity boys’ cross-country team “stuck through it” throughout the fall, utilizing their depth and a team mindset to cap off a successful season.

The Blue Streaks captured the Section 2 Class A Championship, and placed fifth in the NYSPHSAA Championships, the New York State Federation Championships, and the Nike Cross Regionals. The boys’ cross-country program also swept the Suburban Council Championships for the first time in school history, with the varsity, JV, freshman, and modified teams all claiming victory.

“I think we had some pretty high expectations,” said head coach Shane Zanetti. “We returned a lot of good runners from last year, and we had a really good spring on the track. We weren’t going to put any limits on ourselves. We knew that it was going to be really competitive within Section 2 and in New York, but we also expected to do pretty well.”

Senior runner Leydon Hemsworth said he approached daily practices “with the mindset of going to nationals.”

“I approached the season just trying to go as far as possible,” said Hemsworth. “I think it’s that drive of going as far as possible that got us there.”

“I think that was kind of the goal for the entire team most of the year, and we always stuck through it,” added teammate Mason Talarico. “We really never gave up throughout the process at all.”

Talarico, a senior, capped off his cross-country career with wins at the Burnt Hills Invitational, the Suburban Council Championships, and the Section 2 Championships. He placed fifth at the State Championships and earned a trip to the Nike Cross Nationals after finishing third at the Cross Regionals.

“I didn’t have an amazing race, but coming back now, I just remember that I really wasn’t nervous or pressured,” said Talarico. “Throughout the whole race, I really just enjoyed it.”

And while Talarico shined during his senior year, the Blue Streaks’ overall depth as a team was a large factor in their success. At the Section 2 Championship meet, Saratoga placed six runners in the top 15 finishers, and finished just two points ahead of second-place Shenendehowa.

Talarico finished first overall (15:59.0), with Darren Pasek in ninth place (16:50.7) and Thomas Isenovski placing 11th (16:55.1). Jacob Bernd (17:00.0) was 12th, Luke Dacey (17:08.0) finished 13th, and Hemsworth placed 14th (17:08.7). 

“We came in with confidence, but we were kind of banged up,” Hemsworth said. “We had some sick runners, we had a runner out with an injury, and it was a hot day. But I think it’s what we were talking about earlier with the belief. We all believed in each other, we believed that we could win.”

Zanetti said he spoke to the team about “running to win,” instead of “running not to lose,” in the sectional race.

“We didn’t want to run tight, we wanted to continue to compete the way we had throughout the season,” said Zanetti. “Shen gave a great effort, and it was a really close race, but in the end, the way these guys ran together and ran for each other got us where we wanted to be.”

Zanetti and the runners said the team developed their strong depth during the season.

“When we started racing, and our four and five prospects were beating our two and three, we started to realize, ‘OK, we have a good shot at going pretty far,’” said Pasek, a sophomore.

Hemsworth noted the competitiveness of the squad, saying the runners are constantly trying to best each other during the season.

“It’s so close between all of us, like two through nine can replace each other on any given day,” Hemsworth said. “I just kind of had a saying during the season, ‘Happy, never satisfied.’ I was happy with my races, but I was not satisfied. Because I knew people were coming for me. I think that was a testament to how great our team was.”

“They can replace each other, they can support each other,” said Zanetti of the team’s depth. “One of the things that we’re really trying to work toward and we’re going to continue to try to develop is just this idea of running as a pack. When they did that really well, that’s when we were at our best, for sure.”

The team used their depth to propel themselves to fifth-place finishes in the NYSPHSAA Class A State Championship, the New York Federation Championship, and the Nike Cross Regionals. Zanetti said it was exciting to reach those points and noted that it can help set the underclassmen up for success in future seasons.

“I think it was just a really good experience for the group,” Zanetti said. “For the guys returning next year, it’s going to be really valuable, because it’s at the same location again. They learn from that. I felt like they got more comfortable in that more highly-competitive environment each time around.”

Hemsworth said the atmosphere of those competitions can make runners feel “like you’re almost being eaten up.”

“You have super high adrenaline, and there’s people all around you,” said Hemsworth. “For the people that are coming back next year, hopefully that’ll be a really good experience, learning how to deal with that.”

And the team has high expectations for next season, helped by both a strong group of returning runners and a strong overall program, which was emphasized with a full program sweep of the Suburban Council Championships.

“That was kind of a goal we developed as a program from varsity down as the season progressed,” Zanetti said. “I think it’s a really good testament to the way that we try to run our program, and the way that these guys lead our program. They learn from the older guys, they spend a lot of time with the older guys.”

Talarico said the team makes an effort to reach out and connect with the runners at the program’s other levels, saying it can sometimes be “intimidating” for younger athletes.

“I kind of noticed that the kids don’t really feel that way, it seems like. We’ve become more of friends with them,” said Talarico. “We’re excited for what they’ve achieved, and stuff like that. I enjoyed seeing that. That feels like the right way to have a team.”

“These guys are one of the closest groups we’ve had over the years, and I think it shows in their results, which is really exciting,” Zanetti said. “To achieve success with your friends is great.”

 “Going into the season, we were really excited,” said Dacey. “We’re really happy with it.”

Zanetti said the athletes have goals for the indoor and outdoor track seasons, but also said “it’s almost impossible” to not get excited about the next cross-country season.

“That’s another part of that culture that these guys have helped to develop. Sort of the legacy of looking forward to what the next group of people is going to do,” Zanetti said. “Time goes on, and the next set of goals will come up.”

“I think we’re really happy with this year,” added Hemsworth. “It’s a little sad that me and Mason won’t be back next year, but it’s great seeing the team that we run with, that I think of as my own peers, and I’m excited to see what they do next year. Because I think they can go much further than we did this year.”

Kellen Dean Named SC Player of the Year

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Four members of the Saratoga Springs varsity boys’ golf team received Suburban Council All-Star honors for the 2022 fall season.

Junior Kellen Dean was named Suburban Council Player of the Year, and also received First Team honors. Sophomore Carter Sica also received First Team honors for the Blue Streaks.

In addition, sophomores Charlie Grenier and Henry Parobeck were both named Suburban Council Second Team All-Stars. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic boys’ basketball team kicked off their season on a strong note last week, winning a pair of games to capture the Mike Beson Memorial Tournament Championship on Nov. 26.

The Saints opened the tournament, and their 2022-23 season, with a 55-39 win over Loudonville Christian in the first round on Nov. 25. Ronan Rowe led the team with 14 points in the win, while Justin Duscher added 13. Aidan Dunne, Aidan Crowther, and Tyler Weygand each scored eight points for the Saints.

Spa Catholic captured the tournament championship the following day, holding off North Warren for a 54-53 victory. Duscher was named Tournament MVP for the Saints.

The team kept up its strong start to the year on Nov. 30, holding off South Glens Falls in a 49-48 win. The Saints took the lead over SGF with 7.4 seconds remaining on a free throw by Duscher, and Hunter Fales sealed the win by blocking a go-ahead three-point attempt from the Bulldogs in the final seconds. 

Dunne led the team with 16 points in the victory, with Weygand adding 10. Duscher had eight points for the Saints.

The Saints continued their schedule on Dec. 6, opening Wasaren League play with a 76-46 loss to Tamarac on the road. Saratoga Central Catholic will play at Cambridge today at 7:30 p.m.

SKANEATELES — The Adirondack United girls hockey team opened its inaugural season on Tuesday and made a statement, defeating defending state champions Skaneateles 2-1 in overtime on the road.

“I really wanted them to go out there and compete,” said United head coach Jeff Willis. “It’s a group where a lot of them have played very competitive games at a fairly high level, so they’re ready for that type of pressure. They handled it really well.”

The team is made up of a combination of players from Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, Queensbury, and Corinth High Schools. As the only varsity girls hockey team in Section 2, the United squad is competing in Section 7 this year in addition to non-league contests against teams such as Skaneateles.

The Lakers scored first roughly halfway through the first period, with Kendra Garlock burying a feed from Scout Oudemool to give Skaneateles a 1-0 lead. 

“It was kind of interesting, they were relatively quiet in the locker room,” Willis said of the first intermission. “They’re intense, and they’re not used to losing.”

The United squad came out of the gates firing in the second period, and tied the game just four minutes into the middle frame on a goal from sophomore defenseman Jenna Amodio. Willis called the tying goal “a great individual effort.”

“She carried the puck through the neutral zone, kind of angled wide, cut underneath the defenseman and came across and tucked it in on the other side,” said Willis. “It was the tail end of a power play, but it was a real nice individual effort more than anything else.”

Tekla Fine-Lease picked up an assist on Amodio’s tally, the first goal in Adirondack United team history. The team outshot Skaneateles 16-2 in the second period, and Willis said he expected the strong response from the team.

“We went out there, and we really outplayed them in the second period, and we scored to tie it up,” Willis said. “They’ve been through this a little bit at the club level, so when they do things like that it’s not surprising to me at all.”

United goalie Ava Reynolds made 11 saves in the third period, while the Lakers’ Isabelle Wells stopped nine shots, sending the game to overtime. Willis said the team had built confidence after the strong second frame. 

“From that point forward, the nerves were out, we were kind of dictating play and doing the things that we really do well,” said Willis. “I think they felt really good about their chances in overtime. We continued to force play, and that’s kind of what happened.”

After junior forward Bayley Duffy forced a turnover in overtime, the puck found Amodio at the point, and her shot was redirected home by freshman Gianna Marcantonio, giving United a 2-1 win in overtime.

“We might as well have won the state title at that point,” Willis said of the ensuing celebration. “They all jumped the boards and went over to get Jenna, everybody thought Jenna had scored. They didn’t realize that (Marcantonio) had that little tip to the far side.”

And after opening the season with a win against the defending state champions, Willis said, “I’m sure that we’re not going to sneak up on anybody at this point.”

“I think that, despite the fact that we’re a new program, it kind of puts it out there that we’re going to compete at a state championship-caliber level,” said Willis. “We’re going to have to go out there, and every game we play, we’re going to have to battle to win.”

Wells made 27 saves for Skaneateles in the loss. Reynolds stopped 17 shots for Adirondack United, who will play their first-ever home game at 1 p.m. Saturday, hosting Section VII’s Beekmantown at the Glens Falls Rec Center.

“The first home game, girls are going to be excited,” Willis said. “I expect that there’s going to be a full house, and there’s not going to be much that I’m going to need to do to get the kids excited to play. They’re going to be ready.”