tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170 2008-09-07T02:01:47Z Newsday goes deep with Long Island high school football. Movable Type 3.36 tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.125900 2008-09-07T02:01:17Z 2008-09-07T02:01:47Z

BY BOB HERZOG Best thing about my Saturday afternoon? Well, yes, it was nice that Hanna didn’t turn into a hurricane and wipe out our beloved beaches. But better yet was watching a real high school football game in...

Bob Herzog BY BOB HERZOG Best thing about my Saturday afternoon? Well, yes, it was nice that Hanna didn’t turn into a hurricane and wipe out our beloved beaches. But better yet was watching a real high school football game in person, my first in many years. After three weeks of observing practices and scrimmages, it was nice to see a scoreboard with its lights turned on and view some lights-out hitting. For my debut on Newsday’s high school football beat, I covered Chaminade’s non-league opener against upstate Kingston. Not a great game – the Flyers rolled, 35-9 – but it was the real thing and that brightened my day. The weather didn’t turn nasty until the game was over, so Chaminade’s relatively new turf field in Mineola allowed for some nice action. Most of it went Chaminade’s way: a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown; a long touchdown pass on a deep sideline pattern; another long touchdown pass on a screen. Bill Basel’s squad, seeded No. 2 to perennial powerhouse St. Anthony’s in the CHSFL, unveiled its new spread offense and appears to have a smart, athletic quarterback to run it in senior Steve Chmil. I asked Basel if he was thinking about St. Anthony’s and the Catholic league race this early. The veteran coach just laughed and said, “I’ve still got two weeks to worry about that.” The Flyers have one more non-league game before they begin CHSFL play and try to dethrone the seven-time defending champion Friars. Next weekend, scoreboards will be flashing all over the Island with a full schedule of games in all four public school classifications plus the Catholic league. Gregg Sarra and I will be heading Newsday’s expanded football team coverage. So look for us at games in Nassau and Suffolk all season, read our blogs and web columns and get your season off to a rousing start by reading Newsday’s High School Football Preview special section in next Sunday’s editions. tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.125615 2008-09-05T15:02:37Z 2008-09-05T15:05:34Z

In this week's episode, Floyd's Steve Murphy talks about the pressure of replacing All-Long Island quarterback Joe Sidaris....

Admin In this week's episode, Floyd's Steve Murphy talks about the pressure of replacing All-Long Island quarterback Joe Sidaris.]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.125450 2008-09-04T21:10:51Z 2008-09-04T21:11:26Z

Gregg Sarra answers your high school football questions in a live chat today at 6 p.m....

Admin ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.125203 2008-09-04T02:30:34Z 2008-09-04T14:42:18Z

BY GREGG SARRA Give the coaches at Riverhead and Floyd a lot of credit for scheduling the best possible competition for the pre-season. And the same can be said for the coaches at Elmont and Wantagh for getting together last...

Gregg Sarra Give the coaches at Riverhead and Floyd a lot of credit for scheduling the best possible competition for the pre-season. And the same can be said for the coaches at Elmont and Wantagh for getting together last night for some quality reps. Look at Riverhead's scrimmage opponents - Sachem North and Floyd, arguably two of Suffolk's better teams. So now Floyd has scrimmaged against St. Anthony's, Bellport and Riverhead. What did I take from the Riverhead-Floyd game scrimmage in Mastic Beach yesterday? Well, for one, I think Riverhead is all that and played with Floyd step-for-step. I thought Floyd threw the ball very well and quarterback Steve Murphy is very elusive. He'll be the difference in some games this season. He's a lacrosse kid with great vision and extraordinary moves in the open field. The coaches had a quick whistle whenever Murphy broke into the open field so who knows how many times he might have scored. The Floyd running game looked like it was still under construction with some major line renovations and some guys missing due to injury. Remember this name: Andrew Smith from Riverhead (above, center). He is one of Long Island's top linebackers and he made his presence felt yesterday. Smith had a few tackles for a loss and a sack and his play was very noticeable. He is a big-time D-I prospect. The Floyd defense was solid. Riverhead was playing without starting quarterback Tim Velys (above, right) and that made it difficult to gauge the Floyd defensive unit. Riverhead made an impressive defensive stand at its own goalline and took over on downs as far inside the 1-yard line as possible. The parents in the stands were rooting for a safety, which was definitely a possibility. But Riverhead went quick pitch right on first down. Miguel Maysonet (above, left) took the ball four yards deep in the end zone and darted into the first level of the defense. He was hit hard and bounced off the tackle and worked his way upfield before breaking another tackle. It was then that we all realized in the bleachers that this could be the longest TD run in scrimmage history. And it was -- Maysonet broke into the open field and it was all over. Riverhead was officially on the board. What did it really mean? It meant Maysonet is the real deal -- which we already knew. There were a lot of good plays on both sidelines. The scrimmage was well played and it was a treat for all who attended and had the opportunity to watch two of Suffolk's powerhouse teams. Check out the video of Maysonet's TD run tomorrow at newsday.com/nzone. ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.125162 2008-09-03T23:35:19Z 2008-09-04T14:47:57Z

BY GREGG SARRA So what is the most asked football question this pre-season? Very simple! Will Floyd finally lose a game this season? The Colonials have had one of the more impressive runs in high school football history. They've won...

Gregg Sarra BY GREGG SARRA So what is the most asked football question this pre-season? Very simple! Will Floyd finally lose a game this season? The Colonials have had one of the more impressive runs in high school football history. They've won 33 straight games and three consecutive Long Island championships. It is one of those cyclical things that sees Floyd as unbeatable, constantly reloading and virtually unstoppable. As was the case with other dominant Long Island programs, Floyd will lose again. When that happens is anyone's guess. I've covered the great North Babylon, Bellport and Freeport teams over extended periods of time. Sayville, Lawrence and Babylon have always been on the cusp of dynasty greatness. And of course, it would be very tough to match what St. Anthony's has done over the past seven seasons, winning seven straight CHSFL crowns. But as the old adage goes -- all good things must come to an end. Not even the great coaching at Bellport and North Babylon and Freeport could stop the inevitable. Floyd is a very good football team and could very well win the Suffolk Division I title again. But, with all due respect to the Colonials, I do believe the 33-game win streak will come to an end during the regular season. And -- hold on to your hat -- they might even lose two or three games this season. The opponents across the landscape of this division want a piece of Floyd. With heavy losses through graduation, inexperienced line play, injuries to some key players, a very tough first few weeks, and a running game that has been non-existent in the preseason scrimmages, this isn't a reach. Of course, scrimmages don't mean too much and coach Paul Longo is very smart. He's not showing all of his cards and he knows his team is the hunted. A tremendous coaching staff will do everything in its power to help stave off the inevitable. There will be a celebration somewhere in Suffolk during the regular season. Lindenhurst plays a beast of an opener in Mastic where a few winning streaks are on the line. And the Bulldogs are a nasty bunch. They looked very physical against Freeport, Brentwood and Deer Park Tuesday night. There's a lot of enthusiasm in Lindy in Coach Rich Biancaniello's final season at the helm. Brentwood was athletic and physical as well. The Indians are also primed for a shot against Floyd, which has given them the beatdown for a few years. Brentwood looks very good. Longwood, well... Longwood and Floyd is not about a love story. And the Lions would love the honor of knocking off the top dog. Those neighboring communities pack the place when their teams meet. Connetquot is in a three-year win cycle that starts now. The Thunderbirds are a very strong sixth seed who, along with Lindy, are going to make serious noise in the division. The team that everyone in the division should fear is at Sachem North. They're big, fast, and ready for a run at the Long Island crown. They've shown strength in line play, speed at the skill positions and an aggressive, yet, disciplined defense. So the answer is yes, Floyd will lose a game this season. They are good enough to win it all -- just not unblemished. tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124928 2008-09-03T13:46:14Z 2008-09-04T14:34:17Z

A quarterback goes down and things get a little rough as the Indians go through their first scrimmage of the season. Watch previous episodes from the "In the Huddle" series!...

Admin A quarterback goes down and things get a little rough as the Indians go through their first scrimmage of the season. Watch previous episodes from the "In the Huddle" series!]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124683 2008-09-02T16:02:30Z 2008-09-02T16:39:09Z

The first scrimmage of the season provides coach Paul Longo with a chance to see how his team performs in game situations against St. Anthony's, Bellport and Wyandanch. And don't miss Kimberley A. Martin's feature on the always-difficult Floyd...

Admin The first scrimmage of the season provides coach Paul Longo with a chance to see how his team performs in game situations against St. Anthony's, Bellport and Wyandanch. And don't miss Kimberley A. Martin's feature on the always-difficult Floyd football tryouts.]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124345 2008-08-31T03:10:40Z 2008-09-02T16:01:53Z

BY GREGG SARRA Sachem East, Smithtown East, Connetquot, Harborfields and Miller Place rotated through a five-way scrimmage at the PAL Complex in Holbrook on Saturday. A pounding rain introduced players to the first full contact scrimmage of the new season....

Gregg Sarra Tyler DeRosa ripped off a touchdown run against the T-Birds and Dean Haussel threw a long touchdown pass. Connetquot returned the favor as Joe Pellegrino raced to one of the T-Birds' two scores. The individual players that really stood out: Joe Botti of Sachem East. He is a do-it-all, two-way stud. He is an outstanding wide receiver, who blocks as well as anyone on the perimeter. He made the final block on two Sachem East scores. He was effective at quarterback. He made some nice open field tackles from his free safety position. Adam Binder ran the ball well for Smithtown East. He was one of the bright spots on the Bulls offense. Haussel and Connetquot's Ryan Anderson both threw the ball well. Haussel benefited from an offense that featured a power running game behind Zach Buonaito and DeRosa and a variety of sure-handed receivers in Joe Mancini and Matt Dunn. Anderson's favorite target is a real good one in Matt Nason, who made at least two leaping grabs. The three hour scrimmage ended with skies cleared and coaches checking off the "things to do list." Practice picks up again on Monday. ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124344 2008-08-31T02:52:50Z 2008-08-31T03:10:03Z

BY GREGG SARRA They ring the victory bell after home wins in Riverhead. It's been a tradition for a long, long time. Senior halfback Miguel Maysonet, and no, he's not 23 years old, told me he's always dreamed of ringing...

Gregg Sarra BY GREGG SARRA They ring the victory bell after home wins in Riverhead. It's been a tradition for a long, long time. Senior halfback Miguel Maysonet, and no, he's not 23 years old, told me he's always dreamed of ringing the bell after a home win. "Ever since I was a little kid," he said. To which I replied, "But wasn't that such a long time ago. Because everyone thinks you're in your late twenties." I guess that's what happens when a kid plays varsity football for a long time. In my guesstimation, there are some guys out there who think Maysonet's been playing varsity football for like 10 years. Dudes that are married with five kids swear they were tackling him years ago. Maysonet laughs at the notion and all the attention. He said it comes with the territory of being around the varsity for the past four years. Great kid, great attitude and big time football player. So there I was with Maysonet, senior quarterback Tim Velys, who's feeling excellent after off-season shoulder surgery, and senior linebacker Andrew Smith, a Division I blue chip prospect, who's getting all sorts of attention from big time colleges. And they showed me some pre-season bell ringing. Top-seeded Riverhead expects to be ringing the bell often this year. tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124341 2008-08-31T02:36:09Z 2008-09-02T16:33:04Z

BY GREGG SARRA Many have debated the St. Anthony's -- Floyd question -- so who's better? You wouldn't have found the answer in Saturday's scrimmage that also included Wyandanch and Bellport. First of all, who invited Wyandanch, and why? It's...

Gregg Sarra BY GREGG SARRA Many have debated the St. Anthony's -- Floyd question -- so who's better? You wouldn't have found the answer in Saturday's scrimmage that also included Wyandanch and Bellport. First of all, who invited Wyandanch, and why? It's tough enough on the coaching staff over there to keep that team positive -- but that's like bringing the lambs to the slaughter. And Bellport is no joke either. But sources tell me that Bellport is very young and had a tough time against the Friars and the Colonials. But Wyandanch??? There was nowhere else for the Warriors to get some quality practice time? The sidelines were in complete contrast of one another. St. Anthony's came with an army of more than 90 players. Wyandanch may have had about 25. I give the Wyandanch coaching staff a tremendous amount of respect for accepting the invitation. I just hope none of those players -- especially the ones who were getting their first exposure to varsity action -- think all opponents are like Floyd, Bellport and St. Anthony's. So who got the better of whom? Well, we're only talking about first-teamers here. A reliable source with no rooting interest felt the Floyd running game was shut down by St. Anthony's but quarterback Steve Murphy was able to throw the ball pretty well, despite some miserable weather. And St. Anthony's, with some key players banged up [oh, there it is -- the first excuse, I apologize] was able to move the ball on the Floyd defense fairly well. All in all, a less spirited scrimmage than expected, a bit of a letdown because of the weather. St. Anthony's scored twice and Floyd found the end zone once during the first team scrimmage. But with all the rules and parameters put on such a practice, it was really just a tease of what would be a great game. Please schedule a real non-league game for 2009 and have the proceeds go to a charitable organization. Now that's a plan. Hope all of you enjoyed the first day of scrimmages -- I did. tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124128 2008-08-29T17:23:47Z 2008-08-29T17:24:59Z

In this week's episode, an underdog Floyd lineman fights to make it through the latest round of cuts....

Admin In this week's episode, an underdog Floyd lineman fights to make it through the latest round of cuts.]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.124020 2008-08-29T03:20:13Z 2008-08-29T03:23:31Z

BY BOB HERZOG Whether it’s two-a-days during late summer, or prepping for the playoffs in late autumn, every day is a good day for tackling drills at Glenn. “Even during the season, we practice tackling every day,” said Dave...

Bob Herzog BY BOB HERZOG Whether it’s two-a-days during late summer, or prepping for the playoffs in late autumn, every day is a good day for tackling drills at Glenn. “Even during the season, we practice tackling every day,” said Dave Shanahan, the vocal and enthusiastic coach at Glenn. “From now until November, it’s so important that we do it, no matter what time of year it is.” Shanahan likes to vary the drills and mix in a little competition to break up the routines. So late Wednesday afternoon, Glenn’s players moved around in groups from station to station. Shanahan supervised one drill using “chutes” – lining up players in three-point stances between metal poles, blowing his whistle and having them take a step around the pole before driving low and hard into tackling dummies. “We call this one the square-up drill and it gets them to move their feet,” said Shanahan, who frequently yelled, “Bite the bicep” to encourage his players to keep their heads up as they drove their shoulders into the dummies. “Tackling is all about technique, that’s why we always practice it,” Shanahan said. Glenn’s technique was pretty good in 2007 as the defense allowed just 84 points in eight games. With eight of 11 defensive starters back, he hopes to improve on last season’s 4-4 record. Glenn is the No. 2 seed in Suffolk Division IV, led by defensive ends Malcolm Eugene and Nick Capobianco. Eugene is also an outstanding wide receiver and favorite target of quarterback Mike Massa. On Wednesday, Eugene was the target of two defenders during one of Shanahan’s favorite tackling exercises. “We call it the open-field drill,” he said, staging a session for the benefit of this first-time visitor. Eugene (above) took the football and went against two players in a fairly wide “box.” He was allowed to try any move to elude the defenders. On this day, Capobianco was able to bring him down with a high tackle. It was pretty fierce and pretty competitive, with players gathered around and cheering on all participants until the whistle blew. On other days, Shanahan will have his players concentrate on forcing fumbles, using the strip drill. He said he has another one called the “eye-opener.” Not sure what that one was, and not sure I want to know. But I know it will end with someone getting tackled. ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.123949 2008-08-28T22:07:03Z 2008-08-28T22:07:20Z

Mike Rose ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.123940 2008-08-28T21:40:31Z 2008-08-28T21:43:32Z

BY BOB HERZOG Defense was the order of the day at Massapequa on Thursday morning, as coach Pat Nolan read from a couple of scripts. “Down and distance” and “goal line” were the titles and that may not sound...

Bob Herzog BY BOB HERZOG Defense was the order of the day at Massapequa on Thursday morning, as coach Pat Nolan read from a couple of scripts. “Down and distance” and “goal line” were the titles and that may not sound too exciting, but for the Chiefs’ coach, those chapters were must reading. His team was solid on defense in going 4-4 last season, but failed in some key situations. To challenge for the playoffs again in tough Nassau Conference I, Nolan knows he’s got to be better on third down. “Especially third-and-long. We struggled there last year,” he said. “It was one of those things where our players were a little confused in those situations and that’s our [the coaches’] fault. So we’ve downsized our packages. We’re concentrating on getting better at less – fewer fronts and coverages. This year, we’re really emphasizing third-down defense.” On Thursday, Nolan and his staff could be heard yelling out, “third-and-nine” or “three-and-eight” repeatedly during team drills. Starting quarterback Rob Von Bargen, who stands 6-8 and stood out even more in his red practice jersey when everyone else was dressed in blue, worked with a variety of offensive groups in running plays against the first defensive unit. When Von Bargen turned a pitchout into a big gain on third-and-nine in one sequence, Nolan snapped in disgust, “First down, touchdown! We can’t let that happen this year. We’ve got to be a better team on third down.” The coach is hopeful that the return of middle linebacker Sean Slattery (above fending off a blocker) will help. Slattery broke his leg in Game 2 against Farmingdale last year, and missed the rest of the season. He’s been in the middle of the action since practice began and calls signals for an experienced defense that also features free safety Dan Ebbeke and tackles Jim Peterson and Chris Vitrano. “We want to be runners and hitters this year, not thinkers,” Nolan said. In other words, it’s time for Massapequa to write a new script. ]]> tag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/football/blog//170.123646 2008-08-27T21:07:37Z 2008-08-27T21:08:39Z

Mike Rose ]]>