Long Island Fall Sports Wrap

November 30, 2009

Memorable plays and magical playmakers marked this high school sport season on Long Island. The fall saw many dynasties continue – from South Side girls soccer to Ward Melville girls swimming – and new faces reach the pinnacle – welcome to the show Half Hollow Hills West football. 

It also saw several great athletes finish high school careers in style from Holy Trinity running back Anthony Brunetti, a four-year starter, rushing for 2,000 yards to South Side girls soccer star Crystal Dunn fulfilling her promise with a state crown.

Long Island Pulse magazine followed it all with giddy excitement. Here are our highlights:

Best Finish: When Freeport lost quarterback Paul Ketchens to injury in the Nassau Conference I quarterfinals, it turned to running back Kevin Allen to show senior leadership and direct the offense. All Allen did was power his Red Devils to the Long Island Class I football championship. Freeport’s 38-14 win over Floyd ended five years of Suffolk dominance over Long Island’s largest classification. In fact, it was the first Nassau victory since a powerhouse Freeport squad blew out Floyd in 2003. Allen rushed for 1,095 yards and 17 touchdowns in four playoff games and finished the season with a Nassau-record 35 touchdowns. Amazing!

Best Career: Rockville Centre is Soccer Town, USA. And after churning out one great team after another, the South Side girls soccer program produced a player who will go down as one of the best in Long Island history, and certainly the area’s best since Team USA forward Christie Welsh starred at Massapequa in 1997-98. Who? Crystal Dunn.  The four-year player wrapped up her senior season by winning her third state title. She blasted four goals as South Side routed Section V champ Greece Arcadia, 6-0, in the state Class A championship game. Dunn, who signed with the University of North Carolina, tallied nine goals and six assists in the playoffs. Not coincidentally, South Side failed to win a state title in 2008 when Dunn missed all but three games playing for the U.S. under-17 national team. That’s a strong finish to a great career.   

Best Repeat: After dropping a 2-1 decision to Newfield and tying with Ward Melville to open the season, the Comsewogue boys soccer team set aside the shaky start and reeled off 20 straight wins. The culmination came in Oneonta on Nov. 23 with a 2-0 win over Section III New Hartford to claim the state Class A championship. Keith Vigorito, a prolific scorer the last two seasons, put a goal in the title game to help the Warriors win back-to-back championships. Only two other boys programs have repeated as state Class A champ since the tournament began in 1978. Sachem claimed consecutive crowns in 1997-98. Section II champ Shenendehowa won or shared the state Class A title four straight seasons, from 1990-93. So give the Warriors their due.

Best Defense: Great defense defines championship football teams on the high school level. But few defenses in recent memory have done more than the unheralded group at Garden City. The Trojans’ immovable D allowed four touchdowns—and 28 points – all season to finish 12-0. That includes nine shutouts. The highlight came in the Long Island Class II title game when Garden City shut down previously unbeaten North Babylon to win 9-6. A fumble recovery on special teams set up the winning 38-yard field goal by Ryan Norton. Now that’s clutch.

Best Marketing Mogul: Nobody jumped onto the national stage quite like Half Hollow Hills West basketball standout Tobias Harris. He was considered a top 100 recruit heading into the summer. But through relentless travel with his AAU team and workmanlike effort at countless skills camps, the 6-8 Harris became one of the most talked-about talents Long Island has ever seen. Adding to his national profile: Harris Twittered his every move and became every basketball fan’s friend on Facebook. After several high-profile visits this fall to hoops hotbeds, from Syracuse to Kentucky, Harris waited until the day after the early signing period ended in mid-November to announce – on ESPNU and in Times Square, no less – that he was attending the University of Tennessee. P.T. Barnum’s got nothing on this kid.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Long Island Football Championships Preview

November 23, 2009

State champions in field hockey, soccer and cross country were crowned over the weekend, played out with all of New York hanging on the outcome. Yet the blissful isolation of Long Island high school football – which long ago opted out of the state tournament – creates buzz and a level excitement not seen in any other sport or venue. 

Four Long Island championship football games take place at Hofstra and Stony Brook, each with its own history and legacy. Many of the schools are title-game regulars, from Amityville to Garden City. Thanksgiving week is all about these monumental games. So enjoy the show. Here is the rundown on each contest:

 Class I

Who: Floyd vs. Freeport

When: Saturday, Nov. 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Where: LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook University

On Floyd (10-1): The Colonials won their fourth Suffolk Division I crown in five seasons by knocking off previously unbeaten Sachem North, 27-6, on Sunday. Coach Paul Longo turned loose a young prospect to win as sophomore Stacey Bedell ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns.

On Freeport (9-2): Kevin Allen, who moved to quarterback the last two playoff games, rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns to help the Red Devils get past rival Farmingdale, 34-20, in the Nassau Conference I title game. Allen raised his season TD total to 31, passing former NFL star Amos Zereoue for the most in Nassau history.

The Skinny: Freeport, which won its sixth county title, has played five games decided by a touchdown or less this season. Floyd has also had its share of close calls, but relied on stingy defense to deliver when it matters. These two programs have big-game coaches in Longo and Freeport’s Russ Cellan. But it will be the playmakers – Bedell and Allen — who decide this one. 

 

Class II

Who:  North Babylon vs. Garden City

When: Friday, Nov. 27 at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Shuart Stadium, Hofstra University

On North Babylon (11-0): The Bulldogs earned their ninth trip to the LIC since 1992 with a 17-10 win over East Islip. Preshod McCoy ran for 134 yards and a touchdown in the Suffolk Division II final. Coach Terry Manning has a history of riding great backs to championships. McCoy, who amassed 1,416 yards on 226 carries and 22 touchdowns, is the latest.  

On Garden City (11-0): Brian Fischer has emerged as the top producer in a crowded backfield. Coach Tom Flatley owns the highest winning percentage of any high school football coach (100 wins minimum) in Long Island history. And this season was all about great coaching translating to the field. The defense recorded its ninth shutout in a 14-0 win over Wantagh in the Nassau Conference II title game. It marked the 17th county title (Flatley’s 14th) for the Trojans.

The Skinny: North Babylon has done enough to win, but hasn’t rolled through foes like the Bulldogs of years’ past. It’s been a group effort for Garden City. These two teams have used sheer force of will at times. Expect this one to be a physical, low-scoring affair where one play may decide it.

 

Class III

Who:  Half Hollow Hills West vs. Lawrence

When: Saturday, Nov. 28 at 12 p.m.

Where: LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook University

On Hills West (11-0): Stony Brook recruit JeVahn Cruz rushed for 303 yards and three touchdowns as the Colts shut out Hauppauge, 29-0, for the Suffolk Division III title. The electric quarterback has run for 21 touchdowns and helped Hills West average 37 points a game. 

On Lawrence (9-2): Kenny Barnett ran for 162 yards and four touchdowns to roll past No. 1 Lynbrook, 41-7. Syracuse-bound quarterback John Kinder is an exceptional athlete, the school’s best since C.W. Post QB Rob Blount.

The Skinny: Lawrence avenged two regular-season losses in impressive fashion, downing Plainedge, 56-28, in the semis and then routing Lynbrook in the Nassau Conference III championship. The Golden Tornado is on a tear. Each team can score in a hurry and relies on multi-dimensional quarterbacks. The defense that can do the best job at containing the quarterback wins. 

 

Class IV

Who:  Amityville vs. Seaford

When: Friday, Nov. 27 at 12 p.m.

Where: Shuart Stadium, Hofstra University

On Amityville (9-2): Amityville trailed Glenn, 11-2, with 4:01 left before exploding for two scores to rally for a 17-11 win in the Suffolk Division IV championship game. Sophomore wideout Willie White caught 39- and 60-yard touchdowns in the final minutes. The Warriors will need that type of explosiveness to upend Seaford.  

On Seaford (11-0):  The Vikings shut out Locust Valley, 33-0, to capture the program’s third straight Nassau Conference IV title and fifth since 2002. Coach Rob Perpall has put together some great defensive units during the run. This team, with five shutouts, is no different.

The Skinny:  The Rob Anderson to Mike Gallo connection has come up big for Seaford all year. And running back Justin Buckley has a knack for finding the end zone. Mark Jerrick, Da’rell Hatcher and Gavin Kretz have all gotten the ball for Amityville and have each scored important touchdowns. Who will step up with all of Long Island watching?

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Catholic Football Grudge Match

November 16, 2009

Rivals Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s face off in the CHSFL title game

For years this high school rivalry was all yap and no bite. Holy Trinity talked a good game. But when it actually came time to face St. Anthony’s on the football field, the Titans couldn’t deliver.

Just take the last time these teams met. Holy Trinity blustered. And then the Friars busted the Titans in the chops. St. Anthony’s rolled to a 62-13 win. That was Week 3 of the 2008 season. St. Anthony’s leads the all-time series with the Titans 25-8 dating to 1974 and has won the last 15 meetings. Holy Trinity last beat the Friars, 28-13, in 1992.

That’s a lifetime – literally — for these players.

The rivalry picks up again at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Hempstead. It’s the most important game these teams have ever played. That’s because Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s meet for the first time with the CHSFL Class AAA championship on the line.

For Holy Trinity, it’s the culmination of a dream season. The Titans are 10-0 and led by Anthony Brunetti. The senior running back / linebacker has one game remaining in his remarkable high school career. Brunetti has 2,254 yards — the sixth-highest total in Long Island history — on 291 carries and 26 touchdowns this season.

All Brunetti did was carry the ball 44 times for 232 yards and three touchdowns to power the Titans past defending champ Iona Prep, 27-18, in the semifinals. He’s motivated after an injury-plagued 2008.

So is his chief competitor for the Friars. St. Anthony’s senior quarterback Tom Schreiber went down in the quarterfinals of the playoffs a year ago as the Friars failed to win the league title for the first time in eight seasons.

Schreiber is back in a big way for the 9-1 Friars. He helped St. Anthony’s run past Holy Cross, 28-7, in the semis, breaking touchdown runs of 57 and 44 yards.

The stage is set for an epic grudge match. No more talking. Victory here brings more than bragging rights. It delivers a championship.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Basketball Spotlight Finds Long Island

November 9, 2009

I’ve got a thought your football-shaped brain might struggle to absorb: Basketball season kicks off this week.

I know, I know. Didn’t the Knicks already begin their season of self flagellation in the quest for LeBron months ago? It seems eons longer when you add in the bizarro Stephon Marbury era and other memorable salary clearing moves. Darko Miličić anyone?

For you really hard core New Yorkers, the Nets sans Vince Carter are about as exciting as the New Jersey Turnpike at rush hour. And lest we forget, Syracuse already lost an exhibition game to Division II LeMoyne.

Truth is New York couldn’t be much further from a basketball state of mind. That changes this week when Long Island, hardly a hoops hotbed, becomes the center of attention in the basketball-loving world thanks to two big events.

The first might count as more horror show to this already frightful story. The Hofstra men’s basketball team opens its season on Friday, Nov. 13—that’s always a good omen—against Kansas, the nation’s top-ranked team.

Either way, the Pride can’t lose. This is the highest-ranked team Hofstra has ever faced, and the exposure the program receives can only help. The Pride, coming off a 21-11 season, feature junior guard Charles Jenkins, a natural scorer with a knack for getting to the basket.

This one can’t end badly. A moment in the spotlight, even if it is to play the foil, is an opportunity nonetheless. The game is at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas at 8 p.m. It will air on the ESPN Full Court package on DirecTV. Or you can listen live at GoHofstra.com.

The media glare falls on another Long Islander this week: Half Hollow Hills West hoops sensation Tobias Harris. The 6-8 forward shot up the prep charts in the year since winning a state Class A Federation title at Long Island Lutheran. Harris, of Dix Hills, is considered one of the nation’s top five recruits.

And his journey from unknown scorer as a freshman at Hills to nationally-recognized recruit culminates this week when he signs with a college. The week-long NCAA early signing period begins Wednesday, Nov. 11. The top high school prospects commit amid a frenzy of interest.

Harris has made whirlwind stops at West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee and Syracuse in the last month. Georgia Tech and Maryland are also on his short list.

But don’t look to Newsday—or even LIPulse.com—for coverage of the Harris announcement. In the age of instant self-reporting, Harris has Tweeted his every move. You can follow the Harris saga at http://www.twitter.com/tobias31.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Football Takes Root in Center Moriches and Eastport

November 2, 2009

Two communities known for soccer can bask in the glow of the high school football playoffs—for one week at least. Center Moriches and Eastport-South Manor each qualified for the postseason, a first.

It’s a most remarkable feat for Center Moriches, which played its first varsity season in 2007 and went 5-3 this fall to earn the sixth seed in the Division IV playoffs. The Red Devils draw No. 3 Amityville in a quarterfinal game.

Eastport-South Manor was born in the last decade when two small school districts merged. A beautiful new high school was built. Now it can start stockpiling the tradition. Its 5-3 record and eighth seed in ultra-competitive Division III mark the next step for this growing community. ESM will face top seed Half Hollow Hills West in a quarterfinal.

For every teen who turned in his shoulder pads this week and kissed his battle-scarred helmet goodbye, there are plenty more still playing. The high school football playoff brackets are set in Nassau and Suffolk, and an unprecedented 32 schools in each county qualified. While Nassau has allowed eight teams in each conference to reach the postseason for a while now, this will mark Suffolk’s first expanded playoff.

There are no bigger beneficiaries than Center Moriches and Eastport-South Manor. Center Moriches has a long and proud sports history. But it’s mostly connected to soccer. People actually fought to keep football out of the school for fear it would take away from the town’s flagship sport.

Soccer will always be an important part of the Red Devils’ tradition. Indeed, the Center Moriches boys soccer team is the top seed in the Suffolk Class B playoffs, which begin on Wednesday. The girls will also play a semifinal game on Wednesday.

But November is all about playoff football. Center Moriches and Eastport-South Manor finally get to experience what all the excitement is about. Welcome to the show, boys and girls.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com