SCHUYLERVILLE — With a young team and a new head coach, Schuylerville football is in a time of transition.
Less than two months after stepping down from a 12-year head coaching stint with Ballston Spa last December, John Bowen took the reigns at Schuylerville on February 13. Going from a Class AA program that made the playoffs in each of the last seven years to Class B Schuylerville is a transition that has gone fairly smoothly, said Bowen.
“The boys have made it very easy and so has the coaching staff, as far as their effort is concerned,” Bowen said. “It’s been, for me in my expectations, pretty seamless. We had a tremendous work ethic with our boys in Ballston Spa. These guys here in Schuylerville, they’ve really embodied and embraced the expectations that we’ve put on them.”
Another reason for the changeover being seamless may be because both schools run a similar triple-option offense.
After moving from Class C to Class B, before the 2010 season, then Black Horses’ head coach Greg O’Connor implemented the flexbone.
The offense, giving a versatile quarterback the option to either keep the ball, make a pitch, pass or hand-off, helped put Schuylerville in contention for division titles right away in 2010 and 2011.
With a few little “nuances” and “tweaks” to the already established offense, Bowen will run some veer option with the team and coordinate a system that is fairly similar and familiar to returning players.
Last year, the Black Horses suffered a Section II Class B semifinal loss, 41-22, to West Division-rival Glen Falls. After committing six turnovers, Schuylerville ended the season 5-5 before O’Connor stepped down.
“I would say that (turnovers) are not something that last year they didn’t pay close attention to,” Bowen said. “Glens Falls is traditionally, even when (Ballston Spa) played them in the early Foothills Council, they were always a good team with a plus-minus turnover ratio that was pretty high. Protecting the football wasn’t certainly for lack of making that a stress point for them last year. It was just a matter of playing Glens Falls, an excellent, very talented team. I think that was more of a tribute to that than anything else.”
In nine seasons, O’Connor led the program to a 60-28 record that included two Section II Class C titles and two runner-up finishes (both Class C)—what Bowen referred to as a “foundation” to build off of.
“I’d like to think that what we did at Ballston Spa was a positive,” Bowen said. “What was going on here with Greg was a positive. I take an ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ mindset. The work ethic, mindset and attitude and characteristics of the kids is here. That’s not something I need to come in and instill. There’s not a changing of approach from that standpoint. What Greg instilled in these guys has carried through and that legacy is still here.”
The Black Horses lose last year’s senior starting quarterback Shane Lyon and still have a lot of questions. But those questions “are not holes” to fill, said Bowen.
“We still have good questions that we’re asking right now,” Bowen said. “We’ve got a handful of boys who we’re looking to identify in those spots and I’d hesitate to say who the starters are right now. We still have guys fighting for positions. One thing I can say is whoever they are, they’re going to be younger guys.”
With not a lot of seniors returning this season, the spots will most likely be filled by sophomores and juniors. That will be more clear this Saturday after the team travels to Cohoes for the first scrimmage (start time 10 a.m.) before opening up the season the following Friday, September 6 against Hudson Falls at home.
“I think, by the time we get to Saturday, there’s going to be two or three spots that are going to be the final dress rehearsal for those guys and the final opportunity to show before the first week prep for Hudson Falls,” Bowen said. “We’ll have a couple positions in permanent marker, but not across the board. It’s a good competitive situation and we certainly don’t hesitate in holding that over guys’ heads and make sure that they understand that’s where they’re at.”
After Hudson Falls, the Black Horses will get another shot at the program that beat them twice last year. Schuylerville hosts Glens Falls on the turf that night at 7 p.m.
Schuylerville Black Horses Schedule
Week 1
Friday, Sept. 6 vs. Hudson Falls 7 p.m.
Week 2
Friday, Sept. 13 vs. Glens Falls 7 p.m.
Week 3
Friday, Sept. 20 vs. Shalmont 7 p.m.
Week 4
Friday, Sept. 27 at Cobleskill 7 p.m.
Week 5
Saturday, Oct. 5 at Scotia 1 p.m.
Week 6
Friday, Oct. 11 vs. Broadalbin Perth 7 p.m.
Week 7
Friday, Oct. 18 at Johnstown 7 p.m.
