Football improves to 3-0 with big home win

An explosive offense and a smothering defense propelled the Albany High School football team to its best season-opening record in 29 years on Saturday with a commanding 46-10 home win over Schenectady.

Kahlil Beckett carried nine times for 197 yards and three touchdowns, Rohan Edwards-Grant had two scores and KhaDavier Farmer led a defense that kept the Patriots out of the end zone until the game’s final minutes. 

Jah’Quinn Thompson also connected on two long TD throws to get the Falcons started in the first quarter – a 56-yarder that Haywood Williams-Watson collected off a rebound – and a 30-yarder to Aashad Boyd on the Falcons’ next possession.

Both scores came after takeaways by the defense, which finished with five on the day to go with four sacks and 13 total tackles for a loss. 

Farmer, a defensive tackle, led the way with nine tackles, including two sacks and two tackles for a loss. Defensive end Lanir Whitaker had six tackles, including a sack and two tackles for a loss. Defensive back Justin Almonte Fernandez had two of the Falcons' four fumble recoveries.

Albany High led 26-2 at halftime and put the game out of reach with Beckett’s 75-yard TD run with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Edwards-Grant, whose early interception helped get the Falcons started, capped the scoring with a 41-yard sprint with 2:05 left in the game.

The Falcons (3-0 overall, 1-0 Class AA) are off to their best start since the 1996 team opened the season 4-0. The win also gave the Falcons their first three-game winning streak since the end of the 2016 season.

The Falcons visit Guilderland on Friday night in a key Class AA matchup. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.