LADY SAINTS UNDEFEATED

The Saratoga Central Catholic Lady Saints rallied past the Hoosic Valley Hawks 50-39 on Dec. 11. Sophia Ryan had a game-high 14 points, while Addison Whitbeck chipped in 12. With her 14 points, Ryan officially surpassed her school’s all-time scoring record that was set in 1980. Only a junior, Ryan has already amassed 1,041 points in her high school career.

The Lady Saints followed up on the historic game against Hoosic Valley with their fourth-straight win of the season against Cambridge on Dec. 15. In their 53-31 victory, Whitbeck earned a game-high 23 points, and Ryan added 11. The Lady Saints are now an undefeated 4-0 this season.

ADIRONDACK UNITED START SEASON WITH A WIN

In Adirondack United’s home opener at the Harding Mazzotti Arena on Dec. 6, they defeated Beekmantown 4-2. Emerson Lochner-Fehl opened the scoring just over 2 minutes into the game. In the second period, Gianna Marcantonio made a rush to score unassisted. In the third period, Lochner-Fehl added another goal assisted by Marcantonio and Aubrey Lozier. Following Lochner-Fehl’s second, Maeve McCarty finished the United’s scoring, assisted by Ella Carner and Lochner-Fehl. Aurora Graham-Hayes contributed to Adirondack’s win with 23 saves. Adirondack will next travel to Skaneateles on Dec. 19 for a rematch of last year’s state title game.

SKIDMORE RIDING TEAM PLACES SECOND IN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

The Skidmore College riding team traveled to Centenary University to compete in the Holiday Tournament of Champions on Dec. 6. The team rode to reserve champion out of 16 schools, scoring 32 points behind champion team Savannah College of Art and Design.

Isa Jensen started the day with an outstanding ride in the Open Fences, placing second behind current Individual Open Fences National Champion Alex Alston. Ian Gaudio rode to second place in the Intermediate Fences, and a minor hiccup at the beginning of an otherwise beautiful trip kept Ani McIntyre out of the ribbons in the Limit Fences.

Jensen returned for the Open Flat with a strong ride to third place. Lillard Preschlack took second place in the Intermediate Flat, and McIntyre returned for the Limit Flat, placing second. Isa Washburne made her first tournament appearance, placing third in the Novice Equitation, and Catherine Epstein had a smooth ride to place third in the Introductory Equitation.

Gaudio also competed in the Low Medal and was called back on top after a beautiful ride on the flat. He finished in eighth place after a small error in the jumping phase. Avery Johnson competed in the High Medal, and despite a strong ride on the flat, was not called back over fences.

After winter break, the team will travel to the next Tournament of Champions at Savannah College of Art and Design on Jan. 24. Regular semester competition begins on Feb. 21 at Siena University/Dutch Manor Stable.

SYRACUSE — It was a bittersweet title game; a loss that ended a season that some will remember for years to come.

For only the second time in program history, the Saratoga Springs varsity football team competed in a state championship game. Their opponent, Syracuse’s hometown Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), hadn’t lost a game in more than two years. Yet, at the JMA Wireless Dome last Saturday night, the Class AA championship was within Saratoga’s grasp.

The first glimmers of hope emerged in the second quarter, when the Blue Streaks put together a 7-minute drive against CBA’s relentless defense, battling ferociously to move the chains. The concluding play of the drive, a fourth down pass into the end zone that slipped through the intended receiver’s fingers, left Saratoga scoreless heading into halftime.  

With a 21-point deficit, the Blue Streaks entered the third quarter determined not to be summarily dispatched by two-time title-winners CBA. A 23-yard pass to wideout Gavin Lafrance signaled a momentum shift, resulting in a series of plays that inched the Blue Streaks closer to the goal line. After a pass was deflected, Saratoga was faced with 4th and 7. Going for it, the squad’s state-leading rusher Benjamin Coryea caught a pass and found the end zone, putting the first points on the board for Toga. Kicker Olivia Mancini missed the extra point kick—had the ball sailed between the goalposts, Mancini would’ve become the first girl to score a point in a New York State championship football game. 

Saratoga’s defense then emphatically entered the chat. Defensive end Cam Toomey came up with a big sack in the third quarter, forcing CBA to punt on 4th and 17 and giving the Blue Streaks another shot at narrowing the Brothers’ lead. 

Quarterback Bobby Morris did his best Josh Allen impression when he recovered a fumbled snap, evaded three CBA defenders, and then hurled the pigskin to receiver Jaden Lockrow for a first down that landed Saratoga back in the red zone.

In the opening moments of the final quarter, Morris connected with Lafrance once again, this time for a touchdown. An attempted two-point conversion resulted in a completed pass that fell short of the end zone, leaving the score 21-12 with less than a dozen minutes left to play. 

This 9-point deficit, however, was as close as Saratoga would come to evening the score. After a huge defensive stop yielded another turnover on downs, the Blue Streaks struggled to maintain their offensive momentum. Morris got sacked at the 1 yard line, narrowly avoiding a safety. Then a completion to Lockrow was brought back after a personal foul was called on the receiver. Faced with 4th and 17 on their own 5 yard line, Saratoga was forced to punt.

A subsequent 4-yard touchdown run by CBA would prove to be the fatal blow. The Brothers began to widen the gap, later earning a pick-6 and walking away with their third-straight championship. The final score: CBA 41, Saratoga 12.

Overall, CBA’s dominant defense proved insurmountable for Saratoga, even with the state’s leading rusher in a Blue Streak uniform. The Brothers have won 41 straight games, and it’s a small miracle that Saratoga held its own against a high school football juggernaut.

After the loss, some Blue Streaks took to social media to share their thoughts.

“[The] state championship game didn’t end how we wanted, but I am very thankful to my teammates, coaches, and community for getting us here and being one of the best teams in program history,” said Toomey.

“Unfortunate ending to my Saratoga football career last night with the State Championship loss to CBA, but extremely grateful for all my coaches and teammates who I was able [to] make history with,” added tight end Josh Simon.

Overall, the Blue Streaks finished the season 11-3, their best record in years. 

Coryea concluded his standout season with more rushing yards than any other running back in the state. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was also named Section 2’s Player of the Year.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mike McFerran, a coach for Skidmore College’s baseball team from 2017 to 2020, was named the Kansas City Royals’ new assistant pitching coach last week. 

For the past two seasons, McFerran had been with the Athletics, first as a pitching performance coach in 2024 and then in the role of minor league pitching coordinator in 2025. 

“Mike’s track record is a good one,” the Royals’ general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com. “The way he was able to express his ideas and the way he thinks about pitching really made a lot of sense to us.”

Prior to working in the majors, McFerran was also the pitching lab coordinator and director of player development at Wake Forest University from 2021 to 2023.

At Skidmore, McFerran served in a few different roles, including assistant coach and pitching coach. He’s credited with mentoring a number of All-Liberty League pitchers, including Andrew Aikins, Spencer Anderson, Jay Gamboa, and Will Potter.

“Mike is a phenomenal coach and an even better human being,” Skidmore’s head baseball coach Ron Plourde told Saratoga TODAY last year. “He’s one of the brightest coaches that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”

McFerran is a Capital Region native, spending his youth in both Albany and Lake George. He attended Catholic Central High School in Troy. His local ties also include a stint as the Amsterdam Mohawks’ pitching coach.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore riding team finished its regular competition for the fall semester with a win at home, scoring 40 points over reserve champion SUNY Cobleskill (36 points). The team also added six blues to their Blue Ribbon Challenge Fundraiser.

Although the Open riders had smooth trips, the first win of the day went to Ian Gaudio in the Intermediate Fences. Laura Hess won her Limit Fences, followed by Lucy Beacher winning her Limit Fences in her first IHSA competition.

The first blue in the afternoon’s flat classes went to Lillard Preschlack in the Intermediate Flat. Ellie Hoyt won her Limit Flat, and Catherine Epstein finished the day with a win in the Introductory Equitation. 

Skidmore’s James was awarded the judge’s choice for Horse of the Show for his participation in the Intermediate and Limit Fences, as well as Limit Flat and Novice Equitation.

Select team members will travel to Centenary University for a Tournament of Champions on Dec. 6, the team’s last outing before winter break.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic basketball team launched their 2025-26 season with two decisive victories last weekend, earning the Mike Beson Memorial Tournament crown.

First, in a Nov. 28 contest against Galway, the Saints walloped the Golden Eagles 72 to 27, dominating early with a 28-4 first quarter. The route in the first round of the Beson tournament featured five Saratoga players with double-digit point totals; Bryce Peterson led with 13, while Kingston David, Thomas Zayac, Kihl Kelly, and David Redgrave all added 10 apiece.

In the decisive round two on Nov. 29, Spa Catholic capitalized on a 21-2 third quarter to obliterate Loudonville Christian 72 to 44. Redgrave earned a team-high 20 points, while Peterson poured in the buckets, totaling 17.

The Saints are now an undefeated 2-0 to start the season. They’ll next play against Rutland on Friday, Dec. 5.