Niskayuna Football Seeks to Return to the Playoffs (?)

Bradley Heller

Niskayuna Football is coming off two consecutive state semifinal appearances, but the road to get there is much more difficult this season. The Silver Warriors have joined Class AA this year, meaning they will face off against the top teams in the area during the regular season. The step up in competition has been a challenge, as the Silver Warriors sit at a record of 3-3. Currently the 5th seed in Class AA, Niskayuna is currently on the outside of the playoff picture. But, a crucial upcoming game against Shenendehowa could put Niskayuna back in the playoffs, with a chance to shock some of the top teams in the area.

One of those top teams is Shaker, who the Silver Warriors faced off against in their first true challenge of the season. Both teams entered the game 1-0, as Shaker got past Shenendehowa, 28-7, and Niskayuna took care of business by 42 points in a season-opening rout of Colonie. The story of the game was all about the opposing quarterbacks, in particular their absence. Shaker quarterback Marcus Snipes was disqualified from their season opener, making him unavailable to play against Niskayuna. But, it was no problem for the Bison, who jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead before putting away the Silver Warriors by a final score of 35-14. On Nisky’s first two possessions of the ball game, quarterback Ethan Gilson and the offense drove down into the red zone, but were unable to come away with any points. After that, the Niskayuna offense stalled out, unable to put a drive together. Meanwhile, the Shaker offense only threw one pass all game, and rushed for just shy of 350 yards in the game. However, with the game all but over for the Silver Warriors, 28-0 with about 11 minutes left, Ethan Gilson took a brutal hit after scrambling out of the pocket towards the goal line. He would be taken out of the game and would wind up missing the rest of the season up to this point. As Gilson recovers, it would be wide receiver/cornerback Cam Grasso who has stepped up to play the position, with backup quarterback Ethan Mogavero rotating in as well.

The first chance to check out how Grasso and the offense would perform in a full game of action was against Schenectady. In a dominant 47-0 win, Gilson watched with his arm in a sling from the sideline as Cam Grasso ran for two touchdowns, threw for one touchdown, and caught one touchdown pass. His dominant performance was complemented by running back Omari Forrest, who stepped up for injured starter Aliyus McCloud by running for 111 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. 

Things would not stay so easy for the Silver Warriors, as next up was a crucial road game against Saratoga, who’s only loss came to CBA. This game ended up being one of the most exciting games of the year in the entire section, as this back and forth shootout came down to the wire. Niskayuna got things going early with a huge pass up the middle to Brandon Merrill, setting up a short touchdown run for Cam Grasso. A goal line stand led by linebacker Garrett Gillooley forced Saratoga to kick a field goal. Niskayuna’s punt on the following drive was blocked, giving Saratoga great field position that resulted in a touchdown. This was just the start of an action packed end of the second quarter, as Cam Grasso returned the following kickoff for a Niskayuna touchdown. Then, Saratoga had an impressive kickoff return of their own to around midfield before quarterback Bobby Morris delivered a strike across the middle for a touchdown, making the score 16-14 in favor of the Blue Streaks at the half. A big third quarter that included touchdown runs from both Grasso and Forrest gave Nisky a 28-24 lead. But in the fourth quarter, Saratoga was able to drive down the field despite costly penalties and stiff defense, as Morris threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game. A Nisky punt followed by a Saratoga punt gave the Silver Warriors the ball back late with a chance to win, down 31-28. With four minutes to put a drive together, the offense began to struggle. Despite converting a 4th and 7 earlier in the drive, the offense stalled out and had another fourth down on their hands. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert, and Saratoga held on for the upset win. 

Niskayuna’s next two games went as expected. The Silver Warriors put on a show against Guilderland, with a tremendous defensive performance combined with an outstanding running game. Niskayuna got the much needed win, 21-7, in a hard fought game won in the trenches. Their next game was against CBA, the number two team in Class AA. Niskayuna’s defense was no match for CBA’s powerful offense filled with electric playmakers, as CBA won in blowout fashion, 47-6.

Niskayuna’s upcoming games are as crucial as they get. Next week, they face off against Burnt Hills of Class A, before taking on Shenendehowa in a game that they desperately need to win. If they do, they likely will take the final spot in the Section II Class AA playoffs. It won’t be easy, as despite a record of 4-2, the Plainsmen lost to both Shaker and CBA, the top two teams in the area. Niskayuna will have to play the underdog role once again, but this time they will look to prove that they have what it takes to compete with the top teams in Class AA.