I've been hearing an awful lot of excuses for the kids on the South Side boys lacrosse team over the last day or so. Drinking is no big deal. Plenty of teams do it when they go on the road. This isn't a capitol offense. Etc...

Aside from the fact it is illegal for anyone under 21 to take a swig of beer or anything of higher test, there's one fact that the enablers and excuse-makers out there are forgetting. It's one thing for a teenager to drink socially. Right or wrong, it happens every Friday night on Long Island.

But when you represent your school, you are held to a higher standard. Most athletes at most schools sign a code of conduct that bans them from drinking, among other things, during the season. It's a pact between the players, the coaches, the school. Wearing that South Side jersey is a privilege, not a right. And when you wear that jersey, whatever you do on or off the field becomes a reflection of the community.

You can call it cornball, but that's a fact. So I say this latest incident shouldn't be taken lightly. It happened during a school function, a time when teens should be on their best behavior not trying to recreate scenes from "Jackass". Athletes are leaders in school. Which means when they stray, administrators have the right to make an example of them.

I hope the South Side boys lacrosse team still has a few good leaders left when the final verdict is handed down.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

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

Coach of the Year: MacArthur coach Bob Fehrenbach has the Generals playing their best ball since winning the Conference II title in 2002. No one expected much from MacArthur, a preseason No. 9 seed coming off a 3-6 season. Maybe the best evidence of Fehrenbach’s success was a failure: MacArthur lost to three-time defending champ Garden City, 7-6, on Saturday. Fehrenbach even made the gutsiest of calls. He went for the win and opted for the two-point play after scoring a fourth quarter touchdown.

MVP: Carey may not be blowing out the opposition as expected, but RB Matt Zaffuto is playing every bit as well as advertised. He’s scored 9 TDs, including an interception return for a score for the 3-1 Seahawks.

Unsung Hero: Not only does RB Bryan DiSabato carry the load for 3-1 Lawrence, he also kicks the extra points and even owns a defensive touchdown.

Biggest Surprise: South Side, a No. 12 seed, is 4-0. Kudos to coach Walt Denton. The Cyclones have won two thrillers in the fourth quarter.

Biggest Disappointment: Herricks cancelled its season. Enough said.

First Half Game of the Year: South Side rallied to stun Division, 7-3, on opening day.
The Cyclones set up for a potential tying field goal with 44 seconds left. But the snap was high and quick-thinking placeholder T.C. Nuehs took off with the ball. The backup quarterback rolled to his right and hit tight end Blake Malizia in the end zone with an unlikely 10-yard scoring strike.

Second Half Game of the year: Tune in Saturday -- Carey at Garden City, 3 p.m. This isn’t just a rematch of last season’s title game, it’s a measuring stick. Can Carey (3-1) measure up to the hype? Is Garden City (4-0) still championship material? This game tells the tale.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s not easy to get inside the head of South Side girls soccer coach Judy Croutier. She guards her thoughts more securely than Area 51.

But that didn’t stop her from praising freshman Crystal Dunn. She scored her fifth goal of the season -- and second game-winner -- to lift the Cyclones past Island Trees 1-0 on Friday.

Dunn has lightning acceleration and powerful legs, especially for someone so young. Sure, she can beat you on the breakaway. What makes Dunn special, however, is the ability to pull up and hammer in a goal from 30-plus yards away.

Croutier said Dunn is the first freshman starter for the perennial champions in four seasons. And by the time her career is through, she could go down as one of the more special goal-scorers in South Side history.

The last 20-goal scorer for the Cyclones was Liz Roberti. She had 25 goals and added 20 assists to lead South Side to a 20-0 season and state Class A title in 2000. The next may well be Dunn. She’s got the rest of this season -- and three more years -- to make it happen.

Posted by Jason Molinet at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)