MaxPreps is pleased to announce that the
Troy (N.Y.) Flying Horses have officially been named to the 12th Annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, which is in its 12th year honoring football.
This is one of the most prestigious team awards in all of high school sports and it is an exclusive honor reserved for the top 100 teams nationwide. In order to be eligible, a team must win a state championship and be highly ranked in the
MaxPreps National Rankings. For football, only 50 of the country's best are invited and with nearly 17,000 competing varsity teams. This puts the Flying Horses ahead of 99.9 percent of their opponents!
The journey could not have been sweeter for Head Coach Bob Burns. Just three years ago Burns left Troy after twelve years as an assistant under legendary Head Coach Jack Berger, who was not retained as coach for the 2014 season. The time away must have been tough, especially living just a half-mile from the school that has been such a large part of his life. However, Coach Burns and Troy did not wait long to reunite, as he accepted the head coaching position after first year Head Coach Hurteau resigned following a 4-5 season. Burns was thrilled to accept the position and had just one thing on his mind,
"I have to get Troy back where it belongs."
Burns was looking to make a statement in his first game as head coach. Matched up against two-time defending state champion Queensbury was the perfect opportunity to show the state of New York that Troy was on its way
back. The Flying Horses were able to pull out an incredible 20-6 win that seemed to create a large amount of trust between the coaching staff and the players. They would go undefeated into the postseason, where they ran into a red hot Amsterdam team who gave Troy their only loss of the year.
With plenty of momentum going into the 2016 season, Troy continued their stellar play by going 10-0 headed into the
NYSPHSAA Class AA bracket. In the semifinals they had to get by top seeded New Rochelle. Troy was able to win a physical battle 20-14, and earn a coveted spot against Victor in the state championship.
For those who made it out to the Carrier Dome on Saturday Nov. 26, they were treated to one of the best endings one could witness on a football field. The first half was controlled by Troy, as they built a 21-7 cushion on two Dev Holmes touchdowns. But in the second half, the tension grew as Victor rallied back to score two touchdowns of their own, and this is when the coaches started going all in for the state championship. With 5:15 left in the fourth quarter, Victor chose to skip the extra point and go for the two point conversion and the lead. It took an incredible defensive play by John Germinerio to keep the lead for the Flying Horses.
With the score now 21-20 the Troy offense ran a few plays to take some time off the clock.There was just under four minutes remaining in the game, and the Flying Horses found themselves at their own 17-yard line on fourth-and-two. Burns decides to go against all conservative logic, and trust his offense line to help gain two yards. Not converting means they give the ball back to the Victor offense inside the red zone. The trust that was built in the opening game of Burns' head coaching career paid off, and running back Joey Ward gained the first down to help seal the first state title for Troy since 1998. In just two seasons Coach Burns not only brought Troy back to relevance, he now has the
No.1 team in the state.
In order to be eligible, the team not only had to be nationally ranked, but also had to win a state championship. Beating Victor 21-20 on Nov. 26 marked the completion of an incredible 13-0 season — and earned Troy an invitation to the Tour of Champions.
These incredible season achievements have earned the Troy Flying Horses an invitation to the 12th Annual Tour of Champions.
Please join us as we celebrate with the football team, coaching staff, students and fans on Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria.
For more information about the Tour of Champions, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
