Sports - Schuylerville stampedes into second round

Coach Greg O’Connor said the team and school lost a popular teacher and a supporter of the team this week. Peter Hume, a history teacher at the school, died at his home Monday evening.

Classes at the Junior-Senior High School have been cancelled for today as staff and students will be attending Hume’s funeral.

“The team has stayed focused and done what they need to do,” O’Connor said.

In a tribute to Hume, O’Connor said the team will don a sticker on the back of their helmets.

O’Connor said Hume was Canadian and Irish, so the sticker will be a Maple Leaf with a four-leaf clover in it and Hume’s initials.

“Hume was a football fan and big fan of Ohio State,” O’Connor said. “He was a former Canadian Football League player.”

Schuylerville (7-1) faces the Watervliet Cannoneers (7-1) Saturday, Oct. 27, at 1:30 p.m. at Watervliet.

O’Connor said they faced Watervliet three years ago, his first as head coach with the Black Horses.

“They’re an awfully good team,” he said of his opponents. “We have to respect both facets of their offense. They have a lot of formations and keep you off balance.”

That is something O’Connor hopes to do to the Cannoneers in return.

With the chance of rain in the forecast, he said the game will definitely be won in the trenches.

“You have to have the horses up front,” O’Connor said of the offensive and defensive lines. “It’s tough to run or throw when four guys are pulling on your jersey.”

He said with all the talented guys on the team, everyone needs to get their touches.

“We try to spread the ball around and keep them off balance,” O’Connor said.

Schuylerville was successful in the opening round as the Black Horses defeated Coxsackie-Athens, 48-7, in the first round of the Section II playoffs Friday, Oct. 19.

“We’ve been playing well,” O’Connor said. “The D has been coming on as of late.”

Coxsackie didn’t score in that game until the fourth quarter; well after the game was in hand.

“We are firing on all cylinders,” O’Connor said.

Watervliet won its opening round game 46-21 over Hoosick Falls (4-4) on Saturday, Oct. 20 by jumping out with 26 points in the first quarter.

Both Schuylerville and Watervliet handled each others first round opponents earlier in their seasons.