Thank you, P.J. Preziosa, Bryan DiSabato, Lou Andre and the rest of the Lawrence football team. You just gave every underdog from here on out a blueprint for success and turned what was looking like a very lopsided Long Island championship weekend into something memorable.

Thank you, Mike Pepe, Edwin Gowins, Joe Cipp Jr. and the rest of the Bellport football team. You played like the defending Long Island Class II champs to the end. Most teams would have folded down 28-13 in the third quarter. Bellport didn’t, and even after scoring the apparent equalizer on a Gowins 1-yard run with 11:46 left, weren’t content to be tied.

No, Bellport went for two and the lead. But it wasn’t meant to be. You can’t point to any one play in a game with so many momentum shifts and big blows as the difference. Bellport didn’t lose this one.

Lawrence simply believed in itself. The Golden Tornado tuned out the hype, sized up its opponent and took its best shot. It was a Buster Douglas-type effort – stunning to the end. The most amazing stat was that a Nassau team won the Class II title for just the third time in the last 10 tries.

The night-cap was no less remarkable. Mike Mayo put Roosevelt on his back and carried the Rough Riders past Mount Sinai for the Class IV crown. He scored all three touchdowns as Roosevelt rallied from a 14-0 deficit to stun the Suffolk crowd at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium for the second straight game.

Those outcomes may seem incredible. But when you look at the big picture, it’s exactly as it should be. Suffolk and Nassau split their annual gridiron grudge match at two wins apiece. Balance restored.

Photos, top: Lawrence's Donovan Hutchinson celebrates; top right: Lawrence's Bryan DiSabato hold the Class II trophy; right: Roosevelt's Mike Mayo runs away from Mount Sinai.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 05:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

I ran into the bulk of the Roosevelt football team accross the street from Hofstra's Shuart Stadium on Friday between Long Island championship games. They were quietly chowing down at McDonald's. If the Rough Riders didn't have a lot on their plate then -- come on, these are football players, right? -- they sure did after watching Bethpage get beat up in the Class III final. (THAT'S SAYVILLE PICTURED.)

That's right, Roosevelt. You are Nassau's only hope in avoiding a Suffolk sweep. Sorry, Lawrence. I simply can't see you beating Bellport. If you hung with the Clippers for three quarters I'd be impressed -- and that's no knock. Bellport is the defending Class II champ and one of the best teams in the state. Period.

Heck, East Meadow has been the class of Nassau all season. Yet the Jets were overwhelmed in the end. Defending Class I champ Floyd was too dynamic and that defense didn't mind knocking heads.

It was an amazing first day of LIC action. It was a great day for the fan -- particularly if you lived east of Route 110.

Suffolk won three of four LIC games a year ago and a repeat of that seems likely. Great for Suffolk, right? I say no. All the talk about Long Island staying out of the state playoffs is based on a competitive LIC. A Suffolk sweep this year and more domination the next will throw the fragile balance of it all off.

How can coaches and administrators claim that the Long Island championships are the greatest thing going if one county can't keep up with the other?

Now back to you, Roosevelt. Now you know what's at stake guys. An entire county is watching you. You are playing for Nassau pride. The truth is everyone -- outside of Mount Sinai -- should be in your corner for the nightcap on Saturday at Stony Brook.

If you are a believer in the current football system, then you realize the need for competitive balance. That's why a Roosevelt win is important. That's why everyone should root for the Rough Riders on Saturday.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 05:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBacks (0)

With each passing season we say goodbye to the seniors and reload with the underclassmen in the hope that they can carry on a winning tradition. Seven programs jump right out at me as consistently the best. It starts with St. Anthony's, Bellport and Floyd. And you can add Freeport, Garden City, Babylon and Bethpage to that elite group of schools. I really thought this would be the year that St. Anthony's would finally falter.

The rest of the CHSFL has improved markedly and the Friars are young in 2006. If ever there were an opportunity for someone to take down the black and gold this might be the season. So I picked Holy Trinity to bear the burden of stopping St. Anthony's impressive league regular season winning streak. It was the first time that I've picked against St. Anthony's in our four years of picking games. [I learned a few things about the black and the gold last night]. The Titans played the Friars close for a half. With the score tied at 7, St. Anthony's coach Rich Reichert went into the locker room and spoke about focus and tradition and exhorted his players to knock off the nonsense that comes with 105 yards in penalties in the first half. Great teams meet a stiff challenge with resilience and resolve.

St. Anthony's scored 28 unanswered points turning a competitive game into a blowout. In the second half of games the St. Anthony's factor kicks in. What team can keep up with a team that starts 22 different players? By the fourth quarter, Holy Trinity, which plays many players both ways, was understandably tired. I tip my hat to Holy Trinity, an excellent football team, not quite as deep as St. Anthony's.

And I graciously stand down as St. Anthony's met the challenge and proved me wrong. The picks are a fun outlet for fans and players. They are only opinion and thought provoking. I had to laugh last night when the huge St. Anthony's throng was chanting "you can't kick" after the Trinity kicker flubbed a kickoff. They should have been saying "you can't pick" as I hid under the cover of the hood of my jacket. See you next week!

Posted by Greg Sarra at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl, an all-star football game featuring the nation’s top seniors, just released its list of 400 top nominees. They include four Long Island standouts. That number will eventually be pared to 80.

Former North Babylon running back Jason Gwaltney earned the honor two seasons ago. Can one of these locals make the cut? Recruiting expert Tom Lemming breaks down each. Here is a look at each nominee and Lemming’s comments:

Ronnie Cameron, DE from Holy Trinity: “Ronnie Cameron is a powerhouse who can dominate at the point of attack and gets good leverage. He has a quick first step, bends his knees well, and shows good field awareness.”

Mario Dattilo, OL from Centereach: “Mario Dattilo dominates as a run blocker and has good initial quickness off the ball. At 290lbs, he is very agile and plays the game with a lot of intensity.”

John Elliott, OL from East Meadow: “John Elliott has the quick feet needed to play left tackle at the next level. He gets off the ball quickly and does a good job of sealing off defenders when pass blocking. He sets a solid base, and shows good mobility and lateral quickness.”

Michael Pepe, QB from Bellport: “Michael Pepe has the arm strength and mobility to be an impact at the major college level. He's got great size, a nice loose arm, smarts and confidence. He can move around the pocket and does a good job of avoiding pass rushers.”

Posted by Jason Molinet at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I just left Bellport's football practice and was I impressed. Forget the actual play on the field for a moment. I had the opportunity to speak with some of the young men on this team. Talk about being courteous and articulate. Each one of the players struck me as friendly, outgoing and filled with confidence. I guess that comes with being the voted best team on the island.

I was looking forward to the Floyd -- Bellport scrimmage but Floyd cancelled because of weather. That's too bad because we could have had the opportunity to see two of the truly spectacular programs go head to head in the pre-season. And although I agree with most coaches that the pre-season doesn't tell us much -- it was still a chance to see the slick Brock Jackolski try to wiggle his way through the Bellport defense. And a chance to see the power running of Bellport's Edwin Gowins versus the Floyd defense.

But we don't always get the chance to see these kinds of marquee match-ups because teams play in different leagues and divisions. I'm still not happy that I never had the opportunity to watch North Babylon and St. Anthony's get it on. Or Bellport and St. Anthony's get it on.

Hey, speaking on St. Anthony's, Matt Hahn comes to mind. He's the starting fullback at Penn State and at one point in last week's season-opening win against Akron -- Penn State had four All-Long Island players on the field at the same time. Tells me that there's some pretty damn good football play here on Long Island. Take care!

Posted by Greg Sarra at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)