The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Hoosick School Dist.

Black Horses Gallop By Panther Football Team, 36-0

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by Gary Danforth

Last Friday evening, September 12, on a rainy, soggy field in Schuylerville the visiting Hoosick Falls Panther football team got a large dose of Schuylerville quarterback Austin Bateman as the Black Horses ran away to a 36-0 Class C North division high school football victory. Bateman, a junior signal caller, scored four touchdowns against a Hoosick Falls eleven which was coming off an emotional win versus Cambridge a week ago in the first annual Ken Baker Jug Game. With the win, the Horses move to 2-0 in class play while HFCS drops to 1-1. The Horses had beaten a tough Corinth squad in their season opener.

Schuylerville took a 6-0 lead in period one when senior running back Shane Larkin scored from five yards out. Senior place kicker Dan Ladd booted the point after touchdown for a 7-0 Horses’ lead. Any hopes for a Panther comeback were dashed when Bateman, a three year starter, scored three straight times in period two. First, Bateman got loose on a 46 yard run. Ladd added the PAT. Then Bateman scored from twenty three yards out with Ladd adding the PAT, good for a 21-0 Horses’ margin. Bateman added his third scoring run of the first half when he got loose for a 37 yard TD romp. Ladd’s PAT boot was errant but the Horses still led, 27-0. Ladd added a 25 yard field goal in period two to push the Schuylerville lead to 30-0 at the break. Bateman added a 51 yard touchdown run in period three to seal the Horses 36-0 triumph. Ladd’s PAT boot was errant but the Horses didn’t need it in their second consecutive victory. Under the Goalposts: When was the last time a Panther football team was shut out by this margin in the final score? Elsewhere in Class C action, Cambridge beat Granville 42-30 and Stillwater and Mechanicville picked up wins. In case you didn’t realize it, Brittonkill-Tamarac is 2-0 and Hoosic Valley is 0-2. Next up for HFCS is a home contest this Friday evening, September 19, against Stillwater. This upcoming game and every other game will be no cakewalk for the Panthers. Stillwater seems to play Hoosick Falls very tough each year. And the Panthers will get a large dose of their excellent quick, speedy running back. Then come away contests at Corinth and Granville, respectively, on Friday, September 26  and Saturday, October 4. Friday night, October 10, the Panthers will entertain an always competitive Mechanicville eleven and then HFCS will finish up its regular season with a 75 mile trek to Cobeleskill-Richmondville. Stillwater and Granville are improved from a year ago. And Corinth, Mechanicville and Cobleskill-Richmondville will be very worthy opponents. If the Panthers take any of their five remaining regular season opponents lightly they may walk off the field on the short end of the scoreboard. I’m telling you, Stillwater is for real. And  if Granville can score 30 points against a Cambridge team, they are to be reckoned with, I don’t care what their record has been the past few years. Corinth is at home and they are an experienced team. Mechanicville will come right at the Panthers. And Cobleskill-Richmondville is a bigger school than HFCS, used to knocking heads with larger schools. It is possible that HFCS will not win another football game this regular season. Not from lack of effort, but because the quality of their opponents this season is a notch higher than in recent years. It all starts this Friday night against a very capable Stillwater team. HFCS is going to see a heavy dose of the Warriors’ running game and more if Stillwater gets ahead.

Two More Victories For HFCS Golf Team

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Taylor Bellemere was medalist in the match with Hoosic Valley with a score of 37. (Bea Peterson file photo)
Taylor Bellemere was medalist in the match with Hoosic Valley with a score of 37. (Bea Peterson file photo)

 

 

 

Hoosick Falls Golfers Defeat Hoosic Valley 

 The Hoosick Falls Golf team defeated Hoosic Valley 5-0 at the Hoosick Falls Country Club Thursday, September 11. Taylor Bellemare was medalist with 37.

Bellemare (HF) def White 2up

Callahan (HF) def Catone 4&2

Wirmusky (HF) def Houston 5&3

Gorman (HF) def McLaughlin 4&3

Hall (HF) def Cook 4&3

Lynch (HF) def Anderson 5&4

  Hoosick Falls Golfers Defeat Schuylerville 

On Monday, September 15 the Hoosick Falls Golf Team defeated Schuylerville 4.5 to 0.5 at the Hoosick Falls Country Club. Joe Wirmusky, Kevin Gorman and Taylor Bellemare shared medalist with 40’s.

      Bellemare (HF) tied Braim

Callahan (HF) def Varuges 1up

Wirmusky (HF) def Seymour 3&2

Gorman (HF) def Delaney 4&2

Hall (HF) def Kelly 4&3

Lynch (HF) def Stark 3&1

The team’s matches for the week are:   

Thu. Sep 18, HOME vs. Granville

Mon. Sep 22, vs. Tamarac at Frear Park (Troy)

Wed. Sep 24, vs. Greenwich at Battenkill  (Greenwich) 

Thu. Sep 25, HOME vs. Stillwater

Panther Football Team Beats Cambridge 34-19 To Win First Ken Baker Jug Game

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Kevin Wood and Travis McMahon accepted the Ken Baker Jug from Richard Reeve and Dr. Fran Greenhall. With them is Coach Ron Jones and Ann Baker. (Bea Peterson photo)
Kevin Wood and Travis McMahon accepted the Ken Baker Jug from Richard Reeve and Dr. Fran Greenhall. With them is Coach Ron Jones and Ann Baker. (Bea Peterson photo)

by Gary Danforth

Last Friday evening, September 5, two neighboring rival high schools, Hoosick Falls Central School and Cambridge Central School, came together for the greater good to honor the memory of longtime Section Two football Coach Ken Baker in the first annual Ken Baker Jug game. Though HFCS won the game by a 34-19 score and will keep The Jug in its trophy case until next year’s clash, in true Ken Baker fashion, there were no losers in this game. Nor will there be if future participants display the kind of good competitive fire and sportsmanship which Baker preached for so many years and which both teams displayed. A large crowd under the lights at HFCS saw both teams display the kind of sportsmanship and hard nosed play which was surpassed only by the number of cars parked up and down Route 22 in both directions from HFCS as fans surrounded the field by the hundreds. 

Baker’s widow, Mrs. Ann Baker, flanked by Cambridge Central School Superintendent Frank Greenhall and longtime Baker coaching and teaching friend, Richard Reeve, presented The Jug to HFCS Coach Ron Jones, the last starting quarterback on a Baker coached Hoosick Falls squad. Baker was varsity gridiron boss at HFCS from 1972-1985. Doug Luke, head coach at CCS for the past eleven years and a Cambridge graduate who had served under Baker at Cambridge as an assistant coach, stood by as both teams spread across the football field, perpendicular to one another, as the presentation took place. Baker coached at CCS from 1986-1995. It was a whale of a game.

Cambridge, the defending Section Two Class C champions, and who had won 89 games the past ten years under Luke’s direction, took a 7-0 lead in quarter one when junior quarterback Kyle Parmenter hit sophomore Jesse Lybert with a twenty-one yard scoring play. Sophomore starting running back Matt Best kicked the point after touchdown as CCS took a 7-0 lead with 8:21 left in period one.

But HFCS came roaring back. Senior Panther signal caller Kevin Woods hit 6’5” junior wide-out Kevin McMahon with a 22 yard touchdown pass and junior Hutton Rasmus booted the PAT as the score was deadlocked at 7-7. Hoosick Falls, dominant in recent years under Jones’ tutelage, winning four consecutive divisional championships in the past five years, including two sectional titles, one regional crown and a trip to the State championship game in 2003, took a 13-7 lead. Senior running back Dan Okerman took a screen pass from Woods and bolted down the right sideline for a 60 yard TD play. Rasmus’s PAT boot gave HFCS a 14-7 spread with 5:26 left in the opening half. HFCS wasn’t done yet in first half action. In two plays, the last one being a 61 yard touchdown strike to senior wide out Jordan Brogue, Hoosick Falls extended its lead to 20-7. Rasmus’s PAT boot gave HFCS a hard earned 21-7 lead at the break.

Cambridge came back in period three, narrowing their deficit to 21-13 as Parmenter hit junior running back Joel Ferguson with a fifteen yard TD strike. The Indians’ PAT boot failed.

It was a busy fourth period as both teams continued to play solid football. HFCS took a 27-13 bulge

This spectacular catch by Logan O’Brien put HF in great position. The next pass resulted in a TD. (Bea Peterson photo)
This spectacular catch by Logan O’Brien put HF in great position. The next pass resulted in a TD. (Bea Peterson photo)

when Woods found junior wide-out Greg Stifter with a five yard scoring pass. CCS blocked the ensuing Panther extra point attempt.

Cambridge came right back. Parmenter scored on a five yard run with 8:51 to play to narrow the Indians’ deficit to 27-19. But Hoosick Falls put the game away when Woods connected from two yards out with McMahon to give the Panthers a 33-19 spread. Rasmus’ PAT boot made the final score 34-19 in favor of HFCS. In the Panthers’ final drive, junior Alex Hansen broke a tackle and turned a short pass into a 28 yard reception. 

Under the Goalposts: Both teams played pretty well in their opening game effort. Woods looked very impressive in the Panthers’ spread offense, throwing for almost 350 yards as he rifled the ball all over the field to a cast of HFCS receivers. A young Cambridge team is only going to get better, and I wouldn’t want to draw CCS in sectional play. On Friday night, September 12, HFCS travels to Schuylerville in a big Class C match up with the Black Horses. The winner of that game most likely will have a leg up on the Class C North Division crown. Watch out for the Horses’ junior quarterback Austin Bateman and running back Shane Larkin. They have hurt HFCS in recent years. It should be a dandy.

HFCS Girls Soccer Beats Granville

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Shawnee Webster finds herself in the open as she heads down field with the ball in Tuesday’s opening game under the lights against Granville. Hoosick Falls was victorious 6-0 over Granville. Carley Pine and Meghan McEachron had two goals apiece. Maritsa Gonzales had one goal and one assist. Rebecca LaPorte scored a goal and Jenna Priore and Jackie Kimball each had an assist. Goalie Kelsey Rogers had 5 saves. (Bea Peterson photo)

HFCS Golfers Defeat Greenwich; Lose To Stillwater

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The Hoosick Falls golf team defeated Greenwich 4.5 – 0.5 at the Hoosick Falls Country Club on Monday, September 8. Kevin Gorman of HFCS was medalist with 38. The scores were:

Bellemare HF def Christy 2 up

Callahan HF vs Scott AS

Wirmusky HF def Bartalucci 2 up

Gorman HF def Towne 4 & 3

Hall HF def Semineau 5 & 3

Stillwater defeated the Hoosick Falls golfers 3.5 to 2.5 at Saratoga Lake Golf Course on Wednesday, September 10. This was the first loss of the season for the Panther golfers. The scores were:

Sabatino (S) def Bellemare 2 & 1

Callahan (HF) def Murphy 1 up

Meek (S) def Wirmusky 1 up

Gorman (HF) def Kardash 1 up

Hall (HF) tied Jones

Tiebreaker: Jones (S) def Lynch 2 & 1

Mark Sabatino of Stillwater was medalist with a 3 under par 33.

Stillwater’s record is now 7-0. Hoosick Falls goes to 6-1 for the season so far. Upcoming matches:

Monday, Sept. 15, HOME vs. Schuylerville

Wednesday, Sept. 17, vs. Cambridge at Windy Hills (Greenwich)

Thursday, Sept. 18, HOME vs. Granville

College Night

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The Hoosick Falls Junior/Senior High School Counseling Center is sponsoring a College Information Night on Thursday, September 25, at 6:30 pm in the High School cafeteria. Guest Panelists, Jane McDonough of SUNY Albany admissions and Kathy Rusch of Russell Sage College, will address a wide range of topics. 

The program is open to all parents and students and is designed to be especially helpful to college bound juniors and seniors.

Open House For HFCS Capital Improvement Project

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The second phase of the 8.3 million dollar Capital Improvement Project at Hoosick Falls Central School has been completed. On Monday, October 6, at 6 pm the school will hold a community-wide Open House to offer residents the opportunity to view the many and diverse physical plant improvements and updates at the school. 

Although originally slated to be held on September 11, the open house date has been rescheduled to coincide with the installment of the school’s new playgrounds. This event will also provide the public a chance to meet our new administrative staff, principals at both the k-6 and 7-12 levels.  

Students will conduct tours to showcase the new windows, refurbished auditorium, new parking lot and sidewalks, refinished gym floors, new lockers and much more. The PTA will provide refreshments. The HFCS Board of Education, Staff, Faculty and Administration are looking forward to seeing you on the evening of October 6.

Two New Principals At HFCS

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by Bea Peterson

 

“I love middle school and high school,” said Steven Leunig. “Here at Hoosick Falls I have the best of both worlds.” He is the new principal of the Middle and High School. “I also like small towns where the school is the focal point of the community,” he added. Leunig taught school on Long Island for 21 years.

New High School Principal Steven Leunig in his office. (Bea Peterson photo)
New High School Principal Steven Leunig in his office. (Bea Peterson photo)

He and his wife and children moved to Maine where he taught for seven years. “We loved it,” he said. “It was like one long vacation.” 

 

With their children in college, one at the University of Southern Maine majoring in Education and the other majoring in Business at SUNY New Paltz, the couple decided they wanted to come back to New York state. Last year Leunig was principal of Granville Junior/Senior High School. 

Size-wise he said HFCS is just right; not too big, not too small. “I’ll have a chance to get to know all the kids.” He is looking forward to working with all the teachers, especially the new ones. “There are so many good things I’ve learned over the years that I will do what I can to share these things with others,” he said.

Leunig attended SUNY Oswego and Hofstra University and completed his Administrative Program at the College of New Rochelle. He began his career as a shop teacher. Music is a big part of his life. He plays trumpet, guitar, bass and sings. He favors 60s music. He is a member of two bands, one in Wilton and the other in Whitehall. His wife is a member of the Sweet Adelines. He has heard all about the wonderful musicals the students have performed in the past and he can’t wait to see what they are going to do this year.

“I’m moving down but moving up,” said Patrick Dailey. “It’s exciting.” This year he is the new Elementary School Principal. Last year he was Assistant Principal at the Middle and High School. Dailey’s seven year teaching career has been at HFCS. He has taught Earth Science, Chemistry, Forensics and AP US History. In 2004 the Honor Society recognized him as their Teacher of the Year.

New Elementary School Principal Patrick Dailey in his office. (Bea Peterson photo)
New Elementary School Principal Patrick Dailey in his office. (Bea Peterson photo)

 

 

Dailey has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Anthropology and Environmental Education from SUNY Plattsburg. Teaching at the high school level made him the family “black sheep,” he said. “Most of my family worked in elementary schools. My Mom has been an elementary teacher for 35 years.” He has sisters in Lake Placid and  Norwood, NY, a brother in Utica and another sister in Mexico City.

Dailey enjoys traveling, woodworking and playing guitar. He has been JV girls soccer coach for several years. This year he is co-coach of the team with Lisa Ferrannini. He lives in Hoosick, about a mile from the Soccer Fields.

Dailey feels the strength he brings to his new position is the experience he has gained teaching in the higher grades. “I know where these younger students have to be to achieve success later. I know the goal we’re shooting for,” he said.