When asked how long he has known teammate Jake Heller, General Brown senior Carson Pickeral had to turn to his close friend for help. “Hey Jake, how long we know each other, probably, since kindergarten?”. Friends for 15 years, Pickeral and Heller find themselves in a competition. The prize is starting quarterback for the 2018 General Brown Lions.

The Thousand Islands football team is in a state of being in-between. It is in between home fields — a new turf field will hopefully be open for the start of the season, it is in between running backs — Connor Spies, a 1,000 yard rusher a season ago, has graduated, and it is in between quarterbacks — former starter Derek Wiley also graduated.

As the General Brown high school football team warmed up for its first practice in pads on Aug. 15, head coach Doug Black instigated his seniors. Losing 11 players to graduation last season meant losing experience and leadership. So for Black, one of the biggest challenges entering the 2018 season is creating leaders out of some of his upper classmen.

After the Indian River football team lost to Whitesboro 34-14 in the Section 3 Class A finals, Kwazsi Gaddis walked off the turf field in the Carrier Dome last November knowing he had to make a change. The then junior running back had just completed a monster season in which he ran for more than 1,500 yards and scored over 20 touchdowns; but the change Gaddis knew he needed to make wasn’t physical, it was mental.

The Watertown high school football team is going to start its 2018 season without two of its big offensive weapons. Wide receiver Mikeal Teamer and quarterback Ryan Gallo graduated following last season, leaving the Cyclones and head coach Kyle Lalonde to try to find production elsewhere. The positions vacated by graduated seniors have created an opportunity for competition — Gallo’s old quarterback job being one of them.

This year’s Beaver River varsity football team is one of the biggest head coach Matt Lyndaker has seen as coach of the program. For a Class D program, having a team with as much depth as Beaver River will be beneficial in the later part of the season. “Most kids play both sides of the ball so we’re able to get them out and get them some water or get them some rest,” Lyndaker said.

Jake Demko sprints to the outside and cuts left looking to gain an advantage. He’s done this before. His blistering speed allows him to get to the edge quickly, he wouldn’t want the cow to stray any farther from the herd. “You don’t really run it down,” Demko explained. “You run around it, because they get scared easily, so you have to run around them and push them back in.”.

The Lowville Academy football team is returning 16 of its 22 starters from a season ago. However, among the six seniors who departed following the 2017 season was Isaiah Roes. Lowville head coach Josh Coffman will look to fill the void left by the dynamic running back. Luckily the team’s strong cast of returning starters gives the Red Raiders hope they can bounce back from a 3-5 record a year ago.

Watertown Red and Black’s defense has experienced a steady decline over the course of the season. Ultimately, the reason is out of its control. With having so many military members on the team, every year the team’s numbers dwindle down as the weeks go by. The thin defense, arguably had its weakest appearance last Saturday versus Auburn when it surrendered 41 points — 27 of which came in the second quarter alone.

When the Auburn Pride’s defense lines up across from the Watertown Red and Black’s offense tonight, it will need to be mindful of who’s in the backfield. It could be Joe Brennan, it could be Curtis Dukes or it can be Trevor Williams. The three backs, all with their own style, have become a major asset for head coach George Ashcraft and offensive coordinator Jerry Levine’s offense in the Northeastern Football Alliance.

Some new faces could be seen in the crowd of pad-donning players gathered at General Brown’s football field during the first week of practice. Of the new faces are three players from Immaculate Heart Central. Caden Crosby (junior), Remy Whitney (senior) and Spencer Lawler (senior) are the only three Cavaliers to join the Lions in a merger agreement.

Assistant coach Jordan Trowbridge watches as Carthage varsity football players are put through their paces during the first day of practice Monday. On Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m., the Watertown High School football team will look to avenge its 2017 season when it finished with two wins and seven losses.

As it stands right now, Watertown is on the outside looking in. Sitting in fourth place in the AAA East Conference with a 3-5 record, the Red and Black needs to finish in third place in order to make the playoffs. Currently holding that final playoff spot is Auburn (4-3). With three games remaining on the Red and Black’s schedule, it has to win out in order to get in.

When Nolan Wilson struck out Anthony Boselli to defeat the Adirondack Trail Blazers, 11-9, on Monday, a sense of relief and excitement rumbled throughout the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. The Watertown Rapids pulled even with the Utica Blue Sox in the standings — 25 wins and 21 losses apiece. With the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League playoffs beginning Wednesday, Watertown will need to pull ahead of Utica in order to clinch a spot.

After gaining three takeaways early on in the second half, the Watertown Red and Black of the Northeastern Football Alliance was finally poised to score Saturday. A 52-yard march down the field set the Red and Black up with a first-and-10 on the Troy Fighting Irish’s 20-yard-line. Quarterback Jared Hendricks, who struggled throughout the Red and Black’s 20-7 loss, lofted a ball down the left sideline in hopes of putting the Red and Black on the scoreboard.

Jack Buckley of the Watertown Rapids has never pitched a no-hitter before, but that was on the verge of changing Thursday night. As the Rapids were breezing toward a huge 7-0 win over the Utica Blue Sox, Buckley was coasting on the mound. Through 7 1/3 innings, the lefty had yet to give up a hit.