Offense: Bethlehem’s Ben Zonca made the most of his senior season

By James Costanzo jcostanzo@digitalfirstmedia.com @JamesCostanzo on Twitter

HOOSICK FALLS >> It’s starting to snow outside Hoosick Falls High School, a couple light flakes float-ing out over the empty football field. It’s a Wednesday, a week or so before Christmas break and the football team is outside, to-gether perhaps for the last time, handing over their equipment to be put back into storage until next season.

They peel stickers off their hel-mets, hanging them on racks in a shed out by the bleachers, and make sure to get every last item buried inside their lockers -- belts, jerseys, mouth guards, it all must go. For seniors like Mark Hackett, it’ll be for the last time.

“It’s definitely weird, man,” Hackett says, stepping back into the school to get out of the cold. “Handing in stuff for the last time is … is definitely weird.”

In his 19 years as a head coach at the high school level, which currently includes a streak of 59 consecutive Section II victories, two state championship appear-ances in three years and eight sec-tional titles, Ron Jones says Hack-ett is one of the two best lineback-ers he’s ever coached.

“You’re looking at two out of 19 years,” said Jones, playfully refus-ing to name the other as to keep his former players guessing. “I’ve had a lot of really good ones but he’s a next level above.”

Hackett started in a state championship game at linebacker as a sophomore and did so again as a senior, quarterbacking the Panthers defense to a 12-1 season in 2014, recording 122 tackles -- 115 of them solo and 10 for a loss! -- three sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries.

He was named the Class C North Division Player of the Year for his talents at middle line-

Defense: Mark Hackett was the anchor of dominant Hoosick Falls ‘D’1,240

The number of yards rushing this season for The Record’s Of-fensive Player of the Year, Ben Zonca of Bethlehem.

122The number of tackles this season for The Record’s Defensive Player of the Year, Mark Hackett of Hoo-sick Falls.

BY THE NUMBERS

Second-year coach Jimmy Patsos' team is beset by inju-ries. The Saints are struggling and not playing well. Patsos said after a loss to Cornell that the Saints may be headed toward last place.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

More like holiday jeer at Siena College

FULL STORY ON PAGE 6

The January thaw came early this season — Christmas break. But New York resorts say they have plenty of trails up and run-ning for a long holiday weekend. Check out the NY Ski Report.

SKI SCENE

Warm weather, rain not a major concern

FULL STORY ON PAGE 5

The area's best high school football players, complete with capsules, photos, first team sec-ond team and honorable mention selections. See if players from your school made the cut.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

The Record' All-Area 2014 Team

FULL STORY ON PAGES 3-4

Domestive violence seemed to dominate headlines, but it wasn't all bad. From Meb at the Boston Marathon to Mo'ne, at the LLWS, stories that made us feel good about sports in 2014.

SPORTS 2014

Plenty of achievements to remember

FULL STORY ON PAGE 2

Up next: The UAlbany men’s basketball team will play Niagara in a non-conference game at the Gallagher Cen-ter in Niagara at 7 p.m.

DECEMBER 30

Online: For the latest happenings in local

college sports, check out Amato’s Varsity Letters blog. WWW.TROYRECORD.COM

By Laura Amatolamato@digitalfirstmedia.com @LauraAmato on Twitter

ALBANY >> Australia is fairly far away.

They do, after all, call it ‘the land down under’ for a reason.

But, over the past few days, for just a short period of time, Aus-tralia was a little bit closer than usual for University at Albany men’s basketball standouts Peter

Hooley and Sam and Mike Row-ley.

In fact, Australia was in New York City.

Following the Great Danes’ 77-66 victory over Fairfield on Mon-day night, Hooley and the Row-ley’s took to the road, joining in on what has become a bit of a hol-iday tradition for UAlbany’s Aus-sie contingent.

The group, joined once again by the Rowley’s parents, cele-

brated the holiday in New York City, bringing the other side of the world to Albany; or at least three hours south of it.

“(Former UAlbany player Luke Devlin) is going to be there and a couple others from Australia who are all across America are going to come in too,” Hooley said. “It should be nice. There’s going to be a lot, like 10 or 12 of us all in there. Sam’s parents are pretty nice to put us all up in a place.”

The group, who arrived in Man-hattan on Tuesday, will be stay-ing in the city into tonight, be-fore returning back to UAlbany so Hooley and the two Rowley broth-ers can rejoin the Danes practice schedule.

But that doesnt mean that the group didn’t plan a jam-packed schedule of holidy-infused activ-ities while they were there; most of which simply involved walking.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UAlbany contingent brings a piece of Australia to NYC

MIKE MCMAHON - MMCMAHON@DIGITALFIRSTMEDIA.COM

Bethlehem running back Ben Zonca had a breakout season, helping the Eagles win more than six games for the first time in more than a decade.

By James Costanzo jcostanzo@digitalfirstmedia.com @JamesCostanzo on Twitter

DELMAR >> Buried on the depth chart behind two 800-yard rush-ers as a junior, running back Ben Zonca entered his senior season for Bethlehem football in relative obscurity.

Then, in his second game as a starter against Ballston Spa, clinging to a six point lead and facing a third-and-12 from the Scotties’ 25-yard line, Zonca fi-nally got his breakout moment.

“We just ran the ball, hoping to get some of it back and maybe kick a field goal and he had a tre-mendous run. He ran over people, around people and by people for a touchdown,” said Bethlehem head coach Rich Leach. “That put the game away. That’s when I knew he could have a really good year.”

Boy, did he ever. The senior fin-ished with 1,240 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns and the Ea-

gles won more than six games for the first time in over a decade. Both Zonca and Leach point to that third-and-long run as the moment the Section II football world began to notice him for real.

“The coaches just wanted a first down, but I somehow got out of two tackles and stiff armed a kid. I think that was the most mem-orable run I had this year,” said Zonca. “That was nuts, I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

He probably wasn’t expecting to be The Record Offensive Player of the Year, either.

But he is. Before the season started, dur-

ing a hot practice in mid-August, Leach teased that Zonca could have a big year for the Eagles.

“I just think he’s flying under the radar a little bit because he was overshadowed by those two seniors,” said Leach over the sum-

2014 ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM

Players of the Year

J.S.CARRAS - JCARRAS@DIGITALFIRSTMEDIA.COM

Hoosick Falls’ Mark Hackett was dominant at middle linebacker as the Panthers’ advanced to the state Class C championship game for the second time in three years.

Inside: Meet the football large school All-Area team. PAGE C3

Meet the football small school All-Area team. PAGE C4

ALBANY >> PAGE 2

ZONCA >> PAGE 5 HACKETT >> PAGE 5

SPORTS» troyrecord.comThursday, December 25, 2014 >> MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/TROYRECORD AND TWITTER.COM/TROYRECORD

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