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)

Here’s more fun with numbers, courtesy of stat man Andy Slawson. The Nassau football semifinals kick off Thursday with Conference I games at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.

Ever wonder about the man calling the shots on the sidelines? Here are the career won-loss records of the coaches still fighting for championships. If there’s a common thread, most of these guys are very, very accomplished. It’s little wonder they are still coaching into November.

Check out these semifinal matchups:

Conference I
Vinny Mascia, ninth year at East Meadow, 44-31-1 vs. Pat Nolan, fifth year at Massapequa, 28-16.

Russ Cellan, 21st year at Freeport and 24th overall, 139-73-3 vs. Buddy Krumenacker, 14th year at Farmingdale and 25th overall, 165-59-11.

Conference II
Lou Andre, seventh year at Lawrence and 18th overall, 114-50-2 vs. Jay Hegi, fifth year at Elmont, 24-17-1.

Tom Flatley, 22nd year at Garden City, 186-30-7 vs. Bob Fehrenbach, eighth year at MacArthur, 44-25-2.

Conference III
Howie Vogts, 53rd year at Bethpage, 340-113-10* vs. John Boyle, 20th year at Clarke, 104-66-2.

Steve LoCicero, second year at Lynbrook, 10-6+ vs. Rob Shaver, 11th year at Plainedge, 50-43-1.

Conference IV
Joe Vito, 13th year at Roosevelt, 89-33-2 vs. Lance Griffin, 24th year at Valley Stream South, 92-101-6.

Dan Agovino, fifth year at North Shore, 21-22 vs. Rob Perpall, seventh year at Seaford, 38-22.

*State record.
+Co-coach last season.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s mid-season football awards time. Today a look at Nassau Conference III:

Coach of the Year: No team is playing better than 4-0 Bethpage, and that’s a reflection of iconic coach Howie Vogts and his hands-on coaching staff. Not only does Vogts, 76, keep piling up the wins (337 and counting), but he still has the love of an entire community. Top assistant Erwin Dill has been on the job for 21 seasons. You can’t buy that kind of experience. The Golden Eagles are flying high as a result.

MVP: Bethpage struggled at times a year ago. That’s because the big-play athlete the coaching staff expected to run the show was lost to injury before the season even started. Well, senior Kyle Crotty is back. And now he’s the one putting a hurting on teams. The option quarterback has run for four touchdowns, thrown for two scores and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Unsung Hero: Imagine the burden of repeating that every defending champion carries. Plainedge lost several key players from last season’s 10-1 dream team, so the pressure to perform fell on several fresh faces. No one has answered the bell better than junior running back John Makastchian. He broke a 66-yard scoring run against Bethpage and combined for 406 yards and four touchdowns the last two weeks in key wins over Wantagh and Westbury.

Biggest Surprise: At 3-1, Lynbrook has already equaled last season’s win total. Not bad for a No. 8 seed. What really stands out is a 6-0 OT win over Floral Park, last season’s conference finalist. First-year coach Steve LoCicero has the Owls headed in the right direction – the playoffs.

Biggest Disappointment: West Hempstead, a darkhorse to win the conference and a preseason No. 2 seed, is 0-4. The Rams haven’t played badly, taking leads into halftime on three occasions. But second-half lapses have been killer.

First Half Game of the Year: In a possible preview of the conference title game, Bethpage held off Plainedge, 21-20, Week 2. Kyle Crotty returned an interception for a 24-yard fourth-quarter score and 21-14 Bethpage edge. But Plainedge back Graig Lauricella punched in a 1-yard touchdown in the final two minutes to close the gap. Coach Rob Shaver opted to go for two and the win. The ensuing running play was stuffed by Crotty (see MVP). Game over.

Second Half Game of the Year: Floral Park at Plainedge, Oct. 27, 2 p.m. Rematch of last season’s conference title game. The winner gets momentum heading into the playoffs and emerges as the top threat to Bethpage.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)