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

Coach of the Year: Valley Stream South coach Lance Griffin lost a three-time All-Nassau QB in Bryant Amitrano and his leading rusher in Dave Matthew. Both were key ingredients to last season’s 7-2 semifinalist. Yet Valley Stream South is 4-0 with impressive wins over North Shore and Malverne. The defense is playing well and Griffin found another gifted runner in Jeff Lopez.

MVP: Roosevelt RB / LB Mike Mayo is tearing through the conference for the second straight season. The back has rushed for 725 yards on 81 carries and 10 scores, including a pair of defensive touchdowns.

Unsung Hero: Few players have done more than Cold Spring Harbor senior Adam Ghitelman. He’s carried the load for a team that graduated the stars from last season’s Long Island Class IV championship run. Ghitelman is the team’s leading rusher and has scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on special teams. He’s also a weapon at kicker.

Biggest Surprise: Locust Valley, a preseason No. 11 seed, roared out of the gate to a 3-1 start. That’s all the more impressive because the Falcons had to break in a new coaching staff. Give coach Joe Knoll credit for getting everyone on board and in sync.

Biggest Disappointment: Mineola’s offense has been close to unstoppable, averaging four touchdowns a game. But the Mustangs are 1-3 because the defense has made opposing offenses look even better. Mineola has given up 124 points -- ranking it 47th among Nassau’s 55 teams -- including a heartbreaking 50-49 loss to East Rockaway. The big play has been a killer: Mineola has given up five rushing touchdowns of 50 yards or more.

First Half Game of the Year: There were more exciting finishes, but no matchup was more meaningful than opening night at Cold Spring Harbor. Roosevelt won the game 7-0 in the rain. But the sense of fraternity and the good will flowing through the place was unmatched. That’s because Cold Spring Harbor boosters helped save Roosevelt’s season with some hefty out-of-pocket donations. That Roosevelt took the field at all -- athletics were eliminated when the school budget failed in June -- was a testament to Cold Spring Harbor’s helpful hand.

Second Half Game of the Year: Valley Stream South at Roosevelt, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. These teams also met Week 7 a year ago when VSS stunned the then-defending champs. The Rough Riders atoned in the playoffs with a 28-0 win in the semis. But this one promises to be good. Roosevelt and VSS are the last unbeaten teams in Conference IV and should remain that way heading into the season finale.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, we’re just two games into the Nassau football season, but it’s never too early for hindsight to kick in. With that said, here are my picks for the four teams -- one per conference -- that haven’t played anything like their seeding.

No. 5 Freeport is 2-0 in Conference I and was expected to be a playoff team. But two games in and the Red Devils have looked unbeatable. (We’ll see this Saturday against 2-0 Farmingdale.) Write it down: If there’s one team that can challenge East Meadow for the title, it’s Freeport.

No. 6 Bellmore JFK, predictably, is 0-2 in Conference II. How the Cougars landed in the top half of the seedings is an indictment of all the coaches in Conference II. I feel for this team and wonder how different its season might be if it swapped schedules with No. 11 Calhoun (2-0). Bellmore JFK went 2-6 a year ago. The two wins? A forfeit over Great Neck South and a win over Herricks (which was so weak, it cancelled its current season.). Enough said.

No. 8 Lynbrook is 2-0 in Conference III after a stunning 6-0 OT win over Floral Park, last season’s conference finalist. Coming off a 3-5 season, coupled with the transition to a new coach, the Owls weren’t supposed to be a factor. Actually, Steve LoCicero served as co-coach a year ago. He’s done a heck of a job so far.

No. 11 Locust Valley has already doubled last season’s win total and is sitting pretty at 2-0 in Conference IV. Interestingly enough, new coach Joe Knoll landed here after 19 seasons at Lynbrook. He’s breathed life into an up and down program, highlighted by a 21-7 win over Valley Stream North.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)