VOORHEESVILLE — The Voorheesville football team took care of business last Friday night and is ready to wrap up the regular season with a surprisingly big contest.

The Blackbirds will fly into Canajoharie on Friday night and take on a Cougars squad that beat Chatham. Chatham handed Voorheesville its only loss in September and Canajoharie is unbeaten in the league.

The Blackbirds set up the showdown with a 35-7 win over Tamarac last Friday.
"We pretty much controlled the tempo of the game," said Voorheesville Coach Joe Sapienza. "They did some pretty clever things on offense to take us out of the game. It was difficult for our big guys. They spread the ball out to move the ball and they were doing it. They wanted to have time of possession and things like that.
"But we settled in," Sapienza added. "They got a drive and score using that package but we adjusted to it and we were able to keep their offense off the field."

The Voorheesville offense also had a good day on the field.
"In the first half, we ran the ball well," Sapienza said. "In the second half, we passed the ball well."

Quarterback Jay Conde completed his first seven passes of the second half.

Junior running back Pat Jones rushed for 208 yards and scored two touchdowns. Conde connected with Tim Robinson for two touchdowns and Adam Duncan scored on a run for the Blackbirds.

Conde finished the game with nine completions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson caught six of those passes for 82 yards and caught the two scoring strikes.

Duncan rushed for 74 yards and also caught three passes for 48 yards.
"We are a significantly better team than we were against Chatham," Sapienza said. "We’ve improved in both offense and defense and special teams have gotten better. We are a good team in all facets of the game."

"Wide open"

But Class C is loaded with tough teams and a lot of balance.
"Every team has a loss," Sapienza said. "There is no dominant team. It’s a good opportunity for a team that’s peaking."

Three weeks ago, the Blackbirds were hoping for a second-place finish in the Southern Division of Class C and an automatic playoff spot. Now the Birds have a chance to win the division.
"We need to take care of what we have to do and see what happens in other games," Sapienza said. "The criteria they use for seeding, which is in its first year of use, is complex in how they apply it. We could have a scenario where we win the division and a scenario where we finish third."

Canajoharie’s win was surprising to Sapienza.
"That’s not to underestimate Canajoharie," the coach said. "But I thought Chatham was the team to beat. It’s wide open. There’s going to be some Class C team eliminated from the playoffs that could win games in the playoffs. It’s that balanced.
"It comes down to every quarter of every game," Sapienza added. "All of our divisional games, we were ahead in every quarter. We have enough quarter points to win the division."

Sapienza sees a lot of similarities between his team and Canajoharie.
"They are pretty balanced," he said. "They do a good job of spreading the ball around. They are a very efficient and effective team. What Canajoharie does on offense and defense is comparable to us. The defenses are the same and the offense is practically the same. It comes down to who is going to do it better."

The Blackbirds will be focusing on stopping the Cougars’ quarterback.
"He’s dangerous when he gets outside," Sapienza said. "They will want to control our running game. They’ll be stacked up against the run. Pat is the second leading rusher in Section II; they will be prepared to stop him. We’ll have to make plays through the air."

After two blowout games, the Blackbirds are looking forward to a competitive game.
"The kids are excited about it. They’re up. The challenge at this point of the season is wanting them to get better. But they’re motivated and excited about it. They know what’s at stake."