SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs football and head coach Terry Jones are hosting their first playoff game since 2010.
But going up against La Salle Institute tonight, the No. 2Blue Streaks (5-1 Empire Division, 6-1 overall) are hoping to avoid the way 2010 ended, a 34-27 ousting against Niskayuna in the quarterfinals.
Although No. 3 La Salle (3-2 Liberty Division, 4-3) was stomped in the military school matchup with the Christian Brothers Academy last week, 70-7, Saratoga Springs knows they are steal dealing with the second leading passer in Section II. The 6-foot-3-inch Will Williams.
Williams finished the regular season as the leader in passing touchdowns. He was also second with 1,438 yards passing, just 205 yards behind Guilderland’s Frank Gallo (with 51 less passing attempts).
But the Streaks’ defense was successful in last week’s 31-18 win over Guilderland, containing Gallo to less than 200 yards for just the second time this season, while forcing three picks.
“If LaSalle runs a quirky offense where they try to throw us off with their formations, I think we have to stay home, read and react and I think we’ll be able to stop them just as well as CBA did last week,” said Saratoga Springs running back Jordan Wilcox.
Williams’ main target is receiver Dylan Thompson, who caught 14 of Williams’ 17 touchdown passes and finished with 752 receiving yards (Section II leader in both categories).
Offensively, the Blue Streaks know what they’re going to do and so does La Salle. They’re going to run. Sixth overall in Section II rushing, Saratoga Springs doesn’t hesitate to let the opposition know the ground game is on its way.
It’s just a matter of which weapon in the arsenal will have the ball, whether it’s Wilcox, sophomore standout Dakota Harvey, or the Utah-native quarterback Jake Eglintine, who has proven himself as part of the Streaks’ triple threat on the ground all season.
“Teams know that we’re going to run, but we just do it so well with the size of our backs it’s hard for them to stop it,” Wilcox said. “It’s tough for teams to just key on one of us. You can’t stop all three.”
Part of that success has come from the offensive line. Bigger up front this year, the Streaks have overpowered teams in the trenches. But even when they have been undersized, such as last week against the Dutchmen, holes have been opened up.
After that, and a broken tackle or two, it’s all “green,” said Wilcox.
Wilcox said his ultimate goal is to have the same result as the 2009 Blue Streaks, who capitalized on an undefeated Empire Division season with a Section II Class AA title, after a 31-7 win over Ballston Spa.
Riding the momentum of three straight convincing wins (outscoring opponents 109-38), the Blue Streaks enter Friday as one of only three 6-1 teams (CBA, Shaker).
“It shows a lot of determination,” Wilcox said. “We had a tough loss against CBA and bounced back against Bethlehem and just had momentum. We have a lot of things going well for us heading into this first playoff game.”
This season, the Blue Streaks averaged 44 points at home.
Tonight’s game starts at 7 p.m. for a chance at a semifinal berth against the winner of No. 4E Shenendehowa and No. 1L Shaker.
