LET’S DO IT AGAIN !

Jay beats Arlington on PKs

 WICCOPEE – It was going to come to this. Of course it was. This is the way it had to end between two great rivals.

SECTION ONE BOYS' SOCCER

   And that one was Jay.

   The Patriots outscored the Admirals on penalty kicks, 4-2, and the second-seeded Patriots advance to the Class AA quarterfinals with the victory.

   John Jay is now 14-1-1. Arlington, seeded 15th, finishes the year at 7-10-1.

   “Both sides played well, back and forth,” Arlington coach Craig Sanborn said. “They had their chances, we had ours. It was a great game.”

   The difference was John Jay’s Tyler Poggiogalle. Not only was he outstanding in goal, but after the Admirals’ first shooter hit the crossbar to miss, Poggiogalle scored the first goal of the penalty kicks round to give Jay an early 1-0 lead and put Arlington on the defensive.

   Then he really gave the Patriots the momentum when he stopped the next shot.

   Matt Keegan followed to give Jay a 2-0 lead in the shootout. Arlington’s Myles Ashong and Kevin Jennings scored on subsequent rounds, but John Jay’s Eddie Humphreys matched Ashong in the third round and Dylan Lee’s goal in the fourth round gave the Patriots the insurmountable 4-2 advantage.

   John Jay hosts No. 7 Ossining in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

OLL upsets No. 5 Eastchester

Harrison ends Poughkeepsie's dream

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   POUGHKEEPSIE – The beginning was a nightmare.

   The ending was almost a dream come true.

   Almost.

SECTION ONE FOOTBALL

   The Poughkeepsie High School football team dug itself a hole of epic proportion on Saturday, falling behind Harrison by 28 points at halftime only to rally within eight – and have the ball – with four minutes to play.

   But Harrison came up with one more big play, recovering a fumble in the end zone and hanging on for a 42-27 victory over the Pioneers in a Section One, Class A semifinal.

   The Huskies will play Horace Greeley in next week’s championship game, while Poughkeepsie ends the season at 6-2.

   “It’s tough,” Pioneers coach Ken Barger said. “It’s definitely difficult, but we told the kids just how proud we were of them. When you look at this team, nobody expected us to be anywhere. We lost three first-team all-state kids and returned only five starters. For this team to do what it did, and do it with character and class, it was a great season for the kids.”

   But it will be hard to digest a nightmare seven minutes to open the game. With the Poughkeepsie coaches screaming ‘Counter ! Counter !” from the sidelines, Harrison indeed ran a counter running play that turned into a 73-yard touchdown run for Alex Acompora and a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest.

   Seconds later, the Pioneers coughed up the kickoff and the Huskies recovered on Poughkeepsie’s 33 yard line. After being backed up 10 yards on a holding penalty, it was Acompora again, making a circus catch for a 25-yard gain to the 8 that set up a 6-yard scoring run by Tanner Knox to make it 14-0.

   On the Pioneers ensuing possession, they tried to get it all back at once but safety Stephen Ricciardi read Fabian Stone’s pass perfectly and intercepted the ball. Ricciardi then caught a 34-yard pass from quarterback Vinny Nicita, Knox scored on a short run right after that, and it was a stunning 21-0 lead with 5:33 left in the first quarter.

   “Mistakes,” Barger said. “Mistakes cost us and when you play a quality opponent like Harrison you can’t afford mistakes. It’s one of those perfect storm things. Everything you don’t want to have happen at the start of a football game happened.”

   Poughkeepsie finally settled down and scored on its next drive to make it 21-7, and then forced a fumble and marched down the field and were poised to score again with a first down inside the Harrison 10.

   But the Pioneers stalled on three plays and on fourth down decided to go for it on a swing pass, and Harrison sniffed it out and stopped it.

   Barger said he briefly thought about a field goal. Briefly.

   “To be blunt, at that point we hadn’t stopped them yet on defense, so I wasn’t sure if field goals were going to be the answer for us,” he said.

   Acompora then made it 28-7 on a 65-yard run off left tackle midway through the second quarter, and extended it to 35-7 at the half when Nicita found James Tirella in the back of the end zone with 18 seconds left.

   Poughkeepsie came out in the second half in a no-huddle and, with Harrison playing softer on defense, the Pioneers and Stone started finding room underneath. Stone hit Jovan Wilkins for a 20-yard score to make it 35-14, then Brandon Graham for a 30-yard touchdown to pull within 35-20, and then in the fourth quarter found Wilkins again on a 46-yard scoring pass to make it 35-27.

   When Poughkeepsie got the ball back deep in its own territory with four minutes to play, Sam J. Kalloch Field was jumping.

   But one more mistake, and one more big play, ended the rally as Harrison pounced on a loose ball in the end zone for a game-clinching touchdown.

   “Wasn’t meant to be,” Barger said. “They just continually made the big play.”

Brown, Dandrade, Wilds lead Beacon to strong finish

   BEACON – A 3-5 record might not sound like success, but as first-year Beacon High School football coach Brian Mahon points out, “That’s three more wins than last year.”

FOOTBALL

   “In a way, it’s frustrating,” Mahon said. “We were real close and easily could have been a 5-3 team. But we’re moving in the right direction. That’s three more wins than we had last year, and our jayvee had a great season so we’re looking forward to next year. We’re moving to where we’re supposed to be.”

   Jarrell Brown rushed for 148 yards and scored a touchdown to pace Beacon’s ground attack. Kevin Dandrade added 133 yards and three scores, and Alijah Wilds had 117 yards rushing and two scores.

   John Gonzalez caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Chas Delbene for Beacon’s seventh TD.

   “That’s our offense. As long as we can control the line of scrimmage, we seem to be able to control the game and today we were able to do that,” Mahon said. “It was a sound game. We played mistake-free football.”

   SCARSDALE 31, KETCHAM 14 – Injuries forced Ketcham to start a freshman at quarterback and another frosh at wide receiver, but it looks like the Indians have a promising future around these two.

   Kevin Duke was 16-for-27 for 191 yards and a touchdown, though he did throw three picks that are certainly excusable given the circumstances. Wideout J.J. Mulvey caught four of those balls for 61 yards.

   Mike Benigno scored both touchdowns for RCK, one on a 43-yard pass and the other on a 22-yard run.

Ryan runs wild again (225 yards, 4 TDs), OLL wins big

   LaGRANGE – In what could be his final game, Our Lady of Lourdes High School senior Jimmy Ryan went out with a bang.

FOOTBALL

   OLL is now 6-2 on the season but coach Brian Walsh is having trouble finding an opponent to play one more game next week.

   So if this is it for Ryan, he’ll finish the season with 1,325 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns after scoring four more on Saturday from 20, 25, 51 and 59 yards.

   “It was a good win for us,” Walsh said. “I thought we were pretty efficient in the way we moved the ball.”

   Quarterback Mike Krieger was 5-for-8 for 76 yards and a touchdown to P.J. Metz with three seconds left in the first half.

   “I thought we also did a good job defensively,” Walsh said.

   Marcus Davis had two sacks, Ethan Bledsoe knocked down two passes and recovered a fumble, and Devlin Brennan and Chad Wallace had solid defensive efforts.

Spackenkill beats Goshen in milestone win

FOOTBALL

  It was the Spartans’ third consecutive win to close the season.

  “Our offensive line has carried us the last three games,” first-year coach Clinton DeSouza said.

   Ricky Lopez, quarterback K.J. Williams and Nick Celestino all scored on short runs for Spackenkill, and Blake Pizzola booted a 32-yard field goal. The players gave DeSouza the Gatorade bath after the game.

   “It was a nice way to end the season. I wish we still had games left, since we are just hitting our stride right about now,” DeSouza said. “We reached a goal of getting to four wins and that’s something we can hang our hat on for next year. Our jayvee team ended up 7-1 and we seem to be building one hell of a program here.”

RCK boys shut out Suffern; Poughkeepsie ousted from tourney

   WAPPINGERS FALLS – On to the

SECTION ONE BOYS' SOCCER

   Roy C. Ketcham made a single tally stand up on Saturday with a sterling defensive effort, as the fifth-seeded Indians shut out No. 12 Suffern, 1-0, in a Section One, Class AA first-round game.

   RCK will travel to No. 4 Mahopac on Tuesday for a quarterfinal matchup.

   MAHOPAC 4, POUGHKEEPSIE 0 – Fourth-seeded Mahopac scored twice in each half and the Indians knocked off No. 20 Poughkeepsie in a Class AA first-round game.

   “My kids played hard but Mahopac was a fast and well-skilled team,” Pioneers coach Kurt Jesman said. “It was disappointing to leave the season with a loss but my kids really played hard all season. I am proud of what my team has accomplished this year and I am looking forward to next season already.”

Webutuck moves on to the finals

   AMENIA – You have to be good and lucky, right?

   Webutuck High School was both on Saturday.

   Chris Matteo’s shot with five minutes remaining hit the crossbar and went in, giving the No. 2 Warriors a 3-0 win over second-seeded Chester in a Section Nine, Class C semifinal game.

SECTION NINE BOYS' SOCCER

   Webutuck advances to Monday's 6 p.m. title game against No. 1 S.S. Seward at Faller Field in Middletown.

   Steve Hutchinson scored Webutuck’s first two goals.

   TUXEDO 4, ELLENVILLE 0 – Perhaps still smarting from the loss to Red Hook in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League title game, Ellenville just wasn’t up for this Section Nine, Class B semifinal.

   “Disappointed does not even begin to summarize our team’s performance today,” Blue Devils coach Maxell Mead said. “All the credit must go to Tuxedo because they simply wanted to win the game more than we did. They were first to every 50-50 ball, they were quicker to mark up, and they were first to take the opportunities given to them. John (Paulsen) was double-teamed all day and was ineffective, and other players couldn’t get anything going. They were very organized and did a great job getting their team behind the ball; they took away all the attacking space that we usually love to exploit. We just couldn’t connect today.”

   BURKE 2, RHINEBECK 0 – Burke will meet Tuxedo in the Class B championship game on Tuesday thanks to goals from Marc Torres and Nial Croke. The top-seeded Eagles are 17-0; Rhinebeck finishes 12-5.

Ross, Millbrook pummel Liberty

Blazers run to 54-13 win, will face Burke for Section Nine, Class C title

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   KINGSTON – When Millbrook High School’s Jimmy Ross opened the football season way back on Labor Day weekend by returning the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, returning a punt 63 yards for a score, catching a 24-yard TD pass and intercepting two passes in a 34-14 win over Spackenkill, his coach called it the game of a lifetime.

   Nine weeks later, it’s pretty safe to say Ross is having the season of a lifetime.

   The senior rushed nine times for 268 yards Friday afternoon and scored five touchdowns, leading the Blazers to a 54-13 romp over Liberty in a Section Nine, Class C semifinal game at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

   Millbrook, now 9-0 overall, will go for its first Class C sectional title next Saturday against Burke at 3 p.m. at Faller Field in Middletown. The Blazers beat the Eagles, 42-28, during the regular season.

   Ironically, Blazers coach Sean Keenan was a bit apprehensive earlier in the week. He didn’t get the work he was hoping for in the last two weeks of the regular season after beating Pine Plains, 50-0, and then Eldred, 44-0, in a game that was stopped at halftime when Eldred couldn’t field enough players to continue.

   “We had a great week of practice but we were very worried. We scouted Liberty twice and they’re a very good football team,” Keenan said. “But our kids are very focused right now. This is what they’ve talked about for a long time.”

   Millbrook was simply dominant on this day, with an offensive line that put on a virtuoso performance. If the guys up front weren’t opening holes in the middle for Ross, they were pulling and sealing their blocks on the outside to free him for sweeps.

   Ross’s first three touchdowns went like this: 93-yard run up the left sideline, 30-yard run up the right sideline, 58-yard run up the middle.

   By that time, Liberty was shellshocked.

   By the half, after Ross had carried eight times for 219 yards and scored his fourth TD for a 34-0 lead, the Indians were done.

   “We entered this game with a lot of revenge. Last year we lost (to Liberty) 21-0 and didn’t know what to expect,” Ross said. “Scoring 54 points is great.”

   Even when things went wrong, things went right. Ross burst up the middle on one play for 22 yards, only to fumble when he reached the goal line. Teammate Taylor Galano quickly fell on it in the end zone for the score.

   On the first play of the second half, Ross scored on a 49-yard run to close out his day.

   But that’s the way things have gone for Ross this year. He’s put up big numbers since Game One – and, when best buddy and teammate Peter Keenan went down for the season with a knee injury in the fourth game, Ross became the primary workhorse.

   “You could write a Hollywood movie about this,” Sean Keenan said. “The kid’s always been a good player but he’s exploded on the scene. I need someone to tell me if there’s a better high school running back around here than him.”

   To wit:

• He rushed for 158 yards and two TDs in a 23-14 win over Chester.

• He ran for 154 yards on 14 carries and had three touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Tri-Valley.

• Six days later, Ross scored five touchdowns – three rushing, two on kickoff returns – and the Blazers beat Fallsburg, 58-34.

• In the win over Pine Plains, he went for 180 yards and three touchdowns.

• And in the one half of play against Eldred, Ross carried three times for 160 yards, including a 93-yard TD.

   “Jimmy Ross is just a great runner,” Millbrook offensive lineman Stephen Vitale said. “He hits the holes and he’s gone.”

   Much credit goes to Vitale and his teammates on the line.

   “They’re a dominant group,” Keenan said. “They’ve been playing together for three years. A lot of teams don’t see this offense and that’s an advantage to us.”

Four more playoff games on tap

   Four more high school football playoff games are on tap today, and all four will send one of the participants to their respective sectional championship games.

   In Section One, No. 1N seed Poughkeepsie is hosting No. 2S seed Harrison in a Section One, Class A semifinal. Both teams are 6-1 and coming off impressive quarterfinal victories last weekend.

   In Section Nine, three big games. In Class AA, upstart Franklin D. Roosevelt, the top seed from Division II, will play Division I runnerup Kingston at 7 p.m. at Dietz Stadium in a semifinal contest. The Tigers defeated FDR two weeks ago, 8-7.

   In Class B, all four semifinalists are local schools. Top-seeded Marlboro will play No. 4 Highland in a rematch of Marlboro’s victory earlier this season. That game will be at 3 p.m. at Faller Field in Middletown.

   Also at 3 p.m., but at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, second-seeded New Paltz will meet No. 3 Ellenville in the other semifinal. The Huguenots beat the Blue Devils earlier this year.

   If you go, remember that both sections are charging an admission fee to all games.

Wallkill pounds Saugerties, will meet Cornwall (again) for Section Nine title

   MIDDLETOWN – The showdown, Part II, is on.

   For the fourth time consecutive year, it will be Wallkill vs. Cornwall for the Section Nine, Class A high school football championship.

   The Panthers did their part on Friday night at Faller Field in Middletown, beating No. 4 Saugerties for the second time this season, 30-12, in a semifinal game.

   Straight up the New York State Thruway in Kingston, at Dietz Stadium, second-seeded Cornwall did its part when it pounded No. 3 Monticello, 47-0. The Green Dragons are the five-time defending Class A champions, including victories over Wallkill in the title game the last three years.

   But Wallkill put a chink in the armor during the regular season, beating Cornwall 7-6 on an Eric Wellmon touchdown pass on and a Pat Toole extra point with no time remaining.

   The Panthers dispatched Saugerties quickly and easily, as the game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. Wallkill scored the first 30 points, including a 27-0 advantage at halftime.

   Dominic Calvanico started the scoring with a 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Wellmon had three touchdown passes in the second quarter – all to Ryan Atkins.

   Toole added a 30-yard field goal in the second half.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

John Jay girls open with win over Suffern

  WICCOPEE – The two-time defending Class AA state champions are off to a good start.

SECTION ONE GIRLS' SOCCER

   Jay will now host No. 7 Ossining in a quarterfinal game on Monday.

   Sam McGuire, Connie Giordano and Jules Speno all scored for the Patriots.

   “We have a few key girls injured,” Jay assistant coach Dianna Ravinsky said. “We’re struggling to find positions for our players.”

   HORACE GREELEY 2, KETCHAM 1 – Kelsey Malles gave the No. 12 Indians an early 1-0, but fifth-seeded Greeley came back with two second-half goals to win this Class AA first-round game.

   Ketcham finishes the season at 7-7-2.

   “We continued to create chances, but could not find the back of the net,” Ketcham coach Chris Calimano said. “It was a well-played, physical match.”

    PEARL RIVER 7, BEACON 1 – The fourth-seeded hosts eliminated the No. 13 Bulldogs from the Section One, Class A tournament with this first-round victory.

   Jessica Sheehan scored the only goal for Beacon, which ended the year at 7-8-3, to give the Bulldogs an early 1-1 tie before the Pirates exploded.

   “We had a couple of defensive collapses,” Beacon coach Jeff Matus said. “They were very aggressive in the box and quick to shoot.”

   BYRAM HILLS 4, LOURDES 0 – The No. 5 hosts eliminated the 12th-seeded Warriors from the Class A tournament.

Henderson's big game leads John Jay past Fox Lane

   WICCOPEE – One of the John Jay High School football team’s assistant coaches came to head coach Tom O’Hare and said, “I feel like Bobby is going to have a big game.”

   Bobby is fullback Bobby Henderson, and did he ever.

   Using a combination of his blocking and running, Jay rode the wave to a 20-14 win Friday night over Fox Lane to advance to the Section One divisional (non-playoff) bowl game next week against Arlington.

   “The key for us tonight was Bobby having a breakout game,” O’Hare said. He’s been a great blocking fullback all year but tonight he was breaking 15- and 20-yard runs on traps and bellys, and he did a great job. It’s a Power-I offense so he doesn’t get as many touches as the tailback, but that’s a credit to him and his blocking. He was a great mix of speed and power. He was a bull tonight running people over.”

   Henderson had a 14-yard touchdown run to start the scoring, Brendan Ercoli had a 1-yard plunge, and Rob Haughton added a 5-yard scoring run to give Jay a 20-0 lead.

Arlington comeback stuns Clarkstown South, 28-24

   WEST NYACK – The old Kardiac Kids routine from the Arlington High School football team is back.

   Down 11 points with less than four minutes to play, the Admirals scored two touchdowns on Friday night and beat Clarkstown South, 28-24, in a Section One divisional game.

   Arlington will play John Jay, a 20-14 winner over Fox Lane, in next week’s season-ending bowl game.

   The Admirals are now 6-2.

   “This was all about overcoming adversity,” Arlington coach Dominick DeMatteo said. “Tonight I told them I was just so proud to know them and be part of their lives. To come back on the road, kids being injured, the way they gutted it out, that’s how you know you’re reaching kids and educating kids. These kids are great kids.”

   The Admirals trailed 24-13 with 3:10 to play when Eric Traditi hit Julian Martinez with a touchdown pass, and then Dylan Patora with a two-point conversion to pull within 24-21.

   Arlington held South on its next possession but had only 61 seconds to work with when it got the ball back on its own 20. But in a drive reminiscent of last year’s comeback wins over John Jay and Carmel, the Admirals drove down the field – helped by two big completions from Traditi to Dana Dandeneau – and ended the drive with a six-yard scoring strike from Traditi to Patora with 2.6 seconds to play.

   Alex Cunningham, who scored on runs of 50 and six yards, also kicked three extra points in place of Tyler O’Dell, who broke his foot and will miss the remainder of the season.

   Arlington picked off two more passes – both in the end zone – to give the Admirals 18 interceptions in eight games.

Wallkill boys fend off Marlboro; Millbrook girls reach title game

   MARLBORO – The Wallkill High School boys’ soccer team took a step closer to playing for a sectional title.

   Pat O'Toole and Tyler Lundgren each scored a goal on Friday afternoon to lead fifth-seeded Wallkill to a 2-1 road win over No. 4 Marlboro in a Section Nine, Class A quarterfinal game.

   The Panthers will play No. 1 Goshen in the semifinals on Monday afternoon.

   Second-seeded Red Hook will host No. 3

   CORNWALL 5, RONDOUT VALLEY 1 – Tyler Toweson and Shaun Sayres had two goals each as the third-seeded Green Dragons eliminated No. 6 Rondout Valley from the Section Nine, Class A playoffs.

   Teal Harrison-Hertz had the only goal for the Ganders.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

   MILLBROOK – Mallory Peterson scored five goals and Amanda Stewart had a pair of goals and a pair of assists, and the second-seeded Millbrook girls’ soccer team advanced to the Section Nine, Class C championship game with an 8-0 win over No. 3 Tri-Valley.

   The Blazers will take on top-seeded S.S. Seward on Monday afternoon at Faller Field in Middletown for the title.

   Seward advanced with a 3-0 win over No. 4 Webutuck.

Photo by Ed Diller, Hudson Valley Sports Photo Network

Beacon advances on huge rally

   BEACON – Down 3-0 at halftime, playing at home – and not playing very well at that – Beacon High School girls’ soccer coach Jeff Matus had a message for his players at the break.

   “I told them they picked a bad day to have a bad game,” he said. “Then I said that the only good thing is, you have 40 minutes to turn it into the best game of your life.”

   Well, the Bulldogs needed a few more minutes than that, but they did it.

   Beacon scored three times in the second half to tie it, and then Carly Gianvatto and Jessica Sheehan each scored overtime goals to give No. 13 Beacon a stunning 5-3 win over 2oth-seeded Sleepy Hollow on Thursday in a Section One, Class A out-bracket game.

   Beacon now moves on to play No. 4 Pearl River on Saturday in a first-round game.

   “We just were not playing well in the first half. We couldn’t get things going at all,” Matus said. “I kind of lit a fire under them at halftime. We got three goals in the second half in just 10 minutes.”

   Laura Demetros, Kathleen Davis and Anni Jacketti tied the game for Beacon.

   Sheehan’s insurance goal came in her first game back after missing almost two weeks due to a partial tear in her meniscus.

   “We controlled the ball in the second half on their end,” Matus said. “They really didn’t have any scoring opportunities. By controlling the ball in their third, that was really our defense.”

Arlington boys win opener

Defending sectional champs now draw No. 2 John Jay

   FREEDOM PLAINS – Despite all the travails that the Arlington High School boys’ soccer team has suffered this season – inconsistent play on the field, shocking losses to opponents it used to dominate, and the forfeiture of four victories due to an ineligible player – the bottom line is this:

   The Admirals are the defending Section One, Class AA champions, and the title is theirs until somebody rips it out of their hands.

   The 15th-seeded Admirals, forced to play an out-bracket game for the first time in God knows when, got goals from three different players on Thursday and beat No. 18 Fox Lane, 3-0, in the sectional opener.

   Arlington is now 7-10 on the season and travels to No. 2 and archrival John Jay on Saturday for the third meeting between the teams this year. The Admirals lost two one-goal games to the Patriots.

   “Throw all records out the window. Doesn’t make any difference now,” Arlington coach Craig Sanborn said. “It’s been a rivalry ever since I played and even before that. It’s going to come down to who makes the fewest mistakes.”

   Arlington didn’t make any on Thursday at Mike DiMaggio and Ryan Purdy scored first-half goals, and Peter Ljucovic scored in the second half.

   The first two tallies were on perfectly placed through-balls to DiMaggio and Purdy, respectively.

   “The last couple of days we worked on certain types of runs for our forwards to free themselves up,” Sanborn said. “I thought in our last couple of matches we were playing kickball, and when we do that we don’t perform very well.”

   Sanborn called the win a true team effort.

   “Our team did a nice job of defending with all 11 today,” he said. “Not just five or six. We did a really good job in that aspect and I’ve always said that in a tournament like this, defense gets you through. The teams that defend well have the best shot of going forward, and we did a nice job of that today.”

SECTION ONE AND SECTION NINE SOCCER TOURNAMENTS

Friday, October 29, 2010

Moretti makes it look easy for Highland

Hat trick keys offensive outburst in 6-0 quarterfinal victory

   HIGHLAND – The Highland High School girls’ soccer team has been working on its offense the last week or so.

   It looked pretty good on Thursday.

   Jenna Moretti had an offensive outburst with three goals, and the No. 3 Huskies beat No. 6 Onteora, 6-0, in a Section Nine, Class B quarterfinal game.

   Highland will now face No. 2 Tuxedo on Saturday in a semifinal contest.

   “We were really able to finish early and took control from the very beginning,” Highland coach Pete Watkins said. “We felt really confident in our defense, confident that they weren’t going to score, but it was a matter of us finishing on offense. That’s been our main focus.”

   Jennifer Porter, Kristy Benicase and Jasmine Cruz also scored for the Huskies, who improved to 11-2.

   Stephanie Porter made six saves to chalk up her ninth shutout of the season.

  “She faced quite a few good shots toward the end,” Watkins said. “Stephanie is a real good insurance policy back there, that’s for sure. We play good defense, but teams are going to get off a few good shots on us and she has great hands and great footwork.”

   Watkins likes his chances Saturday at Tuxedo.

   “I know they have a real good, solid scorer, but we’ve been pretty good at shutting down the other team’s main scorer,” he said. “I really have to tip my hand to Carly Bilchak. We switched her to sweeper and she’s done a great job. She works very well back there.”

VonEgypt scores twice, OLL boys advance in tourney

  LaGRANGE – Survive and advance.

   That’s the bottom line in single-elimination tournament time.

   So the Our Lady of Lourdes High School boys’ soccer team made it easy, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the game en route to a 5-0 win over No. 21 Riverside on Thursday in a Section One, Class A out-bracket contest.

   The 12th-seeded Warriors move into first-round play to face No. 5 Eastchester on Saturday.

   Nick von Egypt had two goals and an assist for OLL, while Jeff Kozlowski, Kendrick C0q and Mike Ossolinski also scored.

   POUGHKEEPSIE 1, YORKTOWN 0 – The visiting Pioneers, seeded 20th in Class AA, moved on to the first round with the shutout victory on the road against No. 13 Yorktown.

   Poughkeepsie will play No. 4 Mahopac on Saturday.

Howland's goals power Red Hook girls 

   RED HOOK – From here on out, it’s all about earning your keep.

   “It’s always nice to keep prolonging the season,” Red Hook High School girls’ soccer coach Jason Pavlich said after his No. 3 Raiders beat sixth-seeded Saugerties, 2-0, in a Section Nine, Class A quarterfinal game on Thursday. “This is what we have been working towards since August and the girls just earned two more days.”

   Elena Howland had both of Red Hook’s goals, and Jordyn Dezago added an assist in the victory.

   “Saugerties is a tough team,” Pavlich said. “They mark well and are very aggressive on defense.  They hung in there until the very end.”

   Red Hook now moves on to play No. 2 Cornwall in Saturday’s semifinals.

   “Over the past several years, Cornwall has served as the benchmark in our class,” Pavlich said. “Our effort was good enough to get the job done today but we will need to be at our best come Saturday.”

Howaniec leads Spartans into semis

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Team captain Shaylee Howaniec had a goal and an assist Thursday, leading the Mid-Hudson Athletic League champion Spackenkill High School girls’ soccer team to a 4-1 win over John S. Burke in a Section Nine, Class B quarterfinal game.

   The fourth-seeded Spartans are now 12-2 overall and play No. 1 O’Neill in the semifinals on Saturday. Fifth-seeded Burke finished the season at 7-7.

   Amy Moren, Rachel Davis and Sarah Glassberg also scored for the Spartans.

   GOSHEN 3, MARLBORO 1 – The Dukes’ season comes to an end at 9-7 as they lost to No. 4 Goshen in a Section Nine, Class A quarterfinal.

   Emily McDonough had the lone score for Marlboro.

BOYS’ SOCCER

   CHESTER – It was 108 minutes of brilliant soccer by the Millbrook High School boys’ team.

   The 109th minute was the heartbreaker.

   Chester Academy sweeper Michael Suazo scored the first goal of his career off a corner kick with 63 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, giving No. 3 Chester a 3-2  victory over No. 6 Millbrook in a Section Nine, Class C quarterfinal game.

   Millbrook fought back from a 2-0 second-half deficit to tie the game on goals by Eric Dianni and Trevor Shoemaker.

   The two teams then went back and forth until nearly the bitter end.

   “Their field is 120 yards long by 80 yards wide,” Millbrook coach Kyle Shoemaker said. “This game took its toll on both teams.”

   SAUNDERS 4, BEACON 3 – The No. 17 Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 early and couldn’t catch up to No. 17 Saunders in this Section One, Class A out-bracket game.

   “We had trouble adjusting to a very small field in the first half,” Beacon coach Craig Seaman said. “We had difficulty defending their throw-ins. On the small field, throw-ins were going all the way to back post. I thought we adjusted and played better in the second half.”

   Erik Gaster, Kyle LeClerc and Oscar Aguilar all scored for the Bulldogs.

   “I thought we really dominated play in the final 20 minutes, but we ran out of time,” Seaman said.

   CHAPEL FIELD 3, COLEMAN 0 – In a Section Nine, Class D semifinal, the third-seeded Statesmen missed out on a trip to the finals as three different players scored for the No. 2 hosts.

   FALLSBURG 2, PINE PLAINS 1 – Fifth-seeded Fallsburg took to the road and eliminated No. 4 Pine Plains from the Section Nine, Class C quarterfinals.

Harrison at Poughkeepsie

Section One, Class A Semifinal

Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Sam Kalloch Field, Poughkeepsie

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Poughkeepsie High School football coach Ken Barger is fond of using basketball metaphors when describing his team, often saying the Pioneers are like a fast-break offense on turf.

   Well, he’s got a hoops reference for this week’s opponent, and if he’s correct it should be a heck of a game.

   “Harrison is like Princeton basketball,” Barger said. “They milk the ball and lull you to sleep, and then they backdoor cut on you and score.”

   The Pioneers will have to be wary of Harrison’s triple option offense Saturday when the two teams square off in a Section One, Class A semifinal game, particularly fullback Tanner Knox.

   “Tanner is their primary ball carrier. You can describe him any way you want, but he’s a bull in a china shop,” Barger said. “He’s outstanding. He’s physically strong and a good downhill runner with surprising speed.”

   The Pioneers also have to keep an eye on wingback Steven Riccardi and receiver Alex Acampora.

   “It’s super difficult because our defense has to be assignment-sound every play,” Barger said.

   But the Pioneers also have an ace in the hole – defensive end Tyre Coleman, who can disrupt everything.

   “They’re going to have to make a choice,” Barger said. “Does he get a free shot at the quarterback or do they run away from him?”

Millbrook vs. Liberty

Section Nine, Class C Semifinals

Today, 4 p.m., Dietz Stadium, Kingston

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   The bad news for the Millbrook High School football team? Liberty’s Eddie Soto is a one-man wrecking crew, having rushed for more than 1,200 yards in eight games with 23 touchdowns.

   The good news?

   Liberty runs Soto out of the spread offense, and the Blazers practice against it every day against a guy just as good.

   That’s the storyline for today’s 4 p.m. Section Nine, Class C semifinal game at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

   Millbrook’s Jimmy Ross has been the feature back ever since Peter Keenan, son of coach Sean Keenan, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Ross has had a phenomenal season in helping the Blazers to an 8-0 mark.

   So Millbrook’s defense certainly is prepped to face Soto.

   “The bottom line is we have to tackle,” Sean Keenan said. “If we don’t tackle Soto, it’s going to be a long day for us. If we do, and we block, it should be competitive.”

   The Blazers put in a new defense last year, and Keenan said the team is reaping the benefits of it this year.

   “They’re really into it,” he said. “They don’t have to think – they just react. Plus we have some experience out there. We have nine seniors and two juniors, so we have a lot of kids who have played varsity football out there.”

Roosevelt vs. Kingston

Section Nine, Class AA Semifinal

Saturday, 8 p.m., Dietz Stadium, Kingston

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Some football coaches don’t like playing an opponent for the second time in a season.

   Most would hate playing a team for the second time in three weeks.

   Brian Bellino isn’t one of them.

   “I’m actually excited about it,” the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School coach said of Saturday’s Section Nine, Class AA semifinal against Kingston. “They’re still fresh on the brain. We’re able to look at things and fix them. Everything is right there in the back of your head.”

   The Presidents and the Tigers played in the regular season two weeks, with Kingston taking an 8-7 win. FDR played a terrific game for 44 minutes until the Tigers put together a long, game-winning drive in the waning moments and then kicked the extra point for the victory.

   “Every aspect defensively was perfect until that last drive,” Bellino said. “So, hopefully, the kids got that spit out of their mouths because of the way we lost that game and hopefully they’re still angry. They basically took it from us. Hopefully we still have a little anger about how it went down.”

   Roosevelt jumped out to a surprising 5-0 start in wrapping up the Section Nine, Class AA, Division II title early, but has lost its last three games thanks in part to some nagging injuries. Bellino actually sat several players in the last game against Monroe-Woodbury, which didn’t mean a thing as far as playoff seeding went. The Presidents lost, 44-0, to the state’s No. 1-ranked team.

   “It wasn’t easy to sit down four, five, six guys and say, ‘OK, we’ll take the beating,’ ” Bellino said. “But I think it was intelligent of us as a coaching staff to rest some guys for the playoffs.”

Marlboro vs. Highland

Section Nine, Class B Semifinal

Saturday, 3 p.m., Faller Field, Middletown

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Week in and week out, high school football coaches are throwing a ton of stuff at players – new plays, new cadences, new signals, new this, new that.

   It’s a lot to digest.

   So when undefeated and 11th-ranked Marlboro High School meets archrival and border neighbor Highland for the second time this season on Saturday in a Section Nine, Class B semifinal game, Iron Dukes coach Rich Ward wants his team to remember just one message.

   “At this point, we talk about survive and move on. The loser goes home,” he said. “I tell them to remember the moment. You’re never going to have this moment again.”

   Marlboro has already beaten Highland this year, giving up an early touchdown and then scoring 23 unanswered points for a 23-6 victory.

   It means nothing.

   “Any time you play a team of their caliber it’s difficult,” Ward said. “This is a do or die situation so, yeah, it’s difficult. I think they’ll try to come out and hit us with quick-hitters, and Mike (Forte) is a home run hitter any time he touches the ball.”

   The Iron Dukes are coming off an emotional 13-0 victory over New Paltz that clinched the unbeaten regular season, the league title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

   Right now, it also means nothing.

   “We’re 0-0,” Ward said. “After Saturday, we want to be 1-0.”

New Paltz vs. Ellenville

Section Nine, Class B Semifinal

Saturday, 3 p.m., Dietz Stadium, Kingston

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   They’re high school kids.

   That’s what New Paltz High School football coach Tom Tegeler has to remember this week. They’re high school kids and they’re fragile and emotional.

   And coming off last week’s heartbreaking 13-0 loss to Marlboro – a game that included two drives stopped inside the 5 yard line, including a fumble on the goal line, and a 41-yard touchdown called back because of what Tegeler thought was a phantom holding call – the Huguenots can’t afford to be vulnerable against Ellenville in the Section Nine, Class B semifinals.

   Not with another possible shot at Marlboro at stake.

   “This game is going to be all on the coaches,” Tegeler said of himself and his staff. “It’s our job to get them re-motivated. The kids are up, they’re hard working, but you never know until you get on the field. So this one’s on us to get us to next week (and the championship game) and then it’s on the kids.”

   Tegeler said he’s been reinforcing to the Huguenots that they played well against Marlboro and just had some critical mistakes at inopportune times.

   “We had a great gameplan,” he said. “I watched the video. We didn’t play cleanly, but in no way, shape or form were we outplayed in that game.”

   New Paltz will look to get its high-powered offense, which was averaging 34 points per game prior to the Marlboro contest, back into high geart. Darryl Clark and Kharif LaBoy are difficult to stop in the open field, and do-everything player Jon Diaz -- who runs the ball, catches it and operates out of the wildcat -- are hoping for their second win over the Blue Devils this season.

Wallkill vs. Saugerties

Section Nine, Class A Semifinals

Tonight, 8 p.m., Faller Field, Middletown

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   With so many big plays this year, with a quarterback who has grown more and more consistent each week, with a running back who has been solid from day one, and with a special teams unit that is probably second to none in the Hudson Valley, the last thing you think about with the Wallkill High School football team is “plodding.”

   But the Panthers can grind with the best of them.

   “They wore us down and beat us up in the second half at their place earlier in the year,” Saugerties coach Mike Melville said of his encounter with Wallkill three weeks ago, a 43-7 loss. “We’re going to have to play a lot better to be in the game.”

   The Panthers and the Sawyers meet for the second time tonight in the Section Nine, Class A semifinals, with a trip to the title game at stake. Wallkill is looking to preserve its unbeaten 8-0 mark.

   Wallkill coach Brian Vegliando said that it’s a misconception that his team isn’t physical.

   “I think one of the things I’ve been real proud of this year is that in the second half games we’ve been competitive and we really wear down the opponent,” he said. “That’s a testament to both lines.”

   Asked to pinpoint one thing that he can sit back and say ‘Yeah, we’ve done this one aspect perfectly all season,’ Vegliando instead said he’s used every game as a teaching moment.

   “We’re happy with a lot of phases of our game,” he said, “but we take it from the other angle. We sit back and say ‘What can we improve on?’ ”

Haber claims Section 9 tennis crown

   NEWBURGH – You know, she could end up doing this for the next four years, too.

   Wallkill High School’s Ariel Haber, who is only in eighth grade and won’t actually set foot in the high school until next season, beat Minisink Valley sophomore Taylor Gurda on Wednesday in a thrilling match, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, to win the Section Nine girls’ tennis championship.

   The two played for more than two hours at SportsPlex in Newburgh, and Haber battled back from the mental blow of losing two match points in the second set when she could have put it away.

   Haber, also the Mid-Hudson Athletic League singles champion, was the sectional runner-up last season.

   “It was a tough match,” Haber said. “I never played her before. I didn’t know what to expect. I won the first set and had a couple of match points and she fought her way back. I was really upset after the second set but I just knew I’d have to start back from the basics.”

   Haber jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set before Gurda again staged an amazing rally to tie it at 4-all.

   “She battled all match; we both did,” Haber said. “She’s so good.”

   Gurda, in fact, fought off three match points in the third set before a blistering Haber serve produced a wide return, giving Haber the match.

   “I think we were both just trying to be consistent,” Haber said. “I felt like my serving was consistent all day.”

   Haber made it to the finals by beating Wallkill teammate Olga Ostrovetsky, 7-5, 6-2, in the semifinals. It was the fourth time in two years the teammates have met – twice in the MHALs, twice in the sectionals – and Haber has won all four.

   “I just played her a week ago and it’s tough,” Haber said. “I don’t enjoy playing her because one of is going to win and one of us is going to lose. It’s not beneficial to either of us.”

   In the doubles tournament, both the New Paltz team of Emma Snook and Johanna Cohen, and Spackenkill’s Martha Engle and Allyson Finck, were beaten in the semifinals. Snook and Cohen came back to beat Engle and Finck in the third-place match, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, to earn a trip to the state tournament next weekend.

John Jay field hockey nets tie with Putnam

   WICCOPEE – The John Jay High School field hockey team battled back from a 3-1 deficit on Wednesday, but a late goal by Putnam Valley left the Patriots in a 4-4 tie in the regular-season finale for both teams.

   Section One field hockey seedings and brackets will be announced later today.

   Putnam Valley led 2-0 and 3-1 before Lauren Crawford scored midway through the second half, followed by a game-tying goal from Krista Kellogg 78 seconds later.

   Kellogg scored again with 3:10 remaining, but Putnam Valley’s Maria Rao scored her third goal of the game a minute later to tie it.

   Jay is now 13-2-1 overall heading into the playoffs.

Marlboro hosting fundraiser for Congelli

   MARLBORO – Marlboro High School is holding a fundraiser for Carmen Congelli, the senior softball star and reigning Mid-Hudson Athletic League Player of the Year who has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

   The school district is hosting the “Spirit Walk for Carmen” on Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Marlboro High School track. The event is being billed as a night of music and walking under the lights at the track, which surrounds the football field.

   Food and baked goods will be available for sale, and a raffle will take place at 9 p.m. Donations in any amount will be accepted at the entrance.

   Congelli was first diagnosed with stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma — a rare soft-tissue cancer – in December of 2008. Initially, the family thought she had beat the cancer when tests came back clean in November of 2009. But the cancer returned in January. There is no stage V.

   The fundraiser is to help seek alternative treatments not covered by insurance.

   For more information on how you can help, contact Anna Festa at 236-5832; Sarah Amodeo at 236-5830; Maggie Bach at 236-5830; or Bruce Cortolano at 236-5810.

From the top to the bottom

Marist women picked first in MAAC, men last; Allenspach Preseason Player of Year

By Philip Terrigno

HVSR

   NEW YORK –   This year’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) media day was a dull affair for the Marist College men’s and women’s basketball teams, two squads that are polar opposites on the spectrum of success.

   Both teams left the event, which was held at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill in Manhattan on Tuesday, with the same reception around the league that they entered with.

   After a dismal 2009-2010 campaign in which they finished 1-29, the men’s squad was picked to finished 10th and last in the league, and received no first-place votes in the Preseason coaches’ poll.

   Winners of five straight MAAC titles, the women’s team was unanimously chosen to win the MAAC championship this season.

   Senior guard Erica Allenspach (left), who was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year, joined junior Corielle Yarde on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. 

Men

   “I know we were picked 10th this year by the coaches, but we don’t put too much stock in that,” third-year head coach Chuck Martin said. “Sometimes, when those polls are comprised, the coaches are not aware of the some of the talent that we have. I can’t wait to get going and let the rest of the league know who we brought in.”

   With 10 of its 13 scholarship player’s being underclassmen, Martin will be able to mold an extremely young roster.

   “I like what our kids are doing, we’ve got a great nucleus,” Martin said. “The great thing about it is that they played a lot of minutes last year, some of them played too many minutes. Hopefully that will pay off for us this year and in years to come.”

   The Red Foxes recently held a red and white scrimmage, allowing Martin and his staff to evaluate his players outside of practice in the intensity of a game setting.

   “We couldn’t’ do [that] last year, we didn’t have enough players,” Martin said. “There were times when coaches would jump in. This year, we actually had a red and white scrimmage with our players, no coaches involved and two subs on each team. I like the depth; I like the size and the skill level.”

   Among other newcomers, Marist’s roster is bolstered by the services of Anell Alexis and Menelik Watson, two red-shirt players that missed last season.

   “I expect us to compete with everyone, any team, any conference we play against,” Watson said. “I expect us to go out there and compete a lot harder, [with] a lot more energy, a lot more focus.”

   The Red Foxes did not have a single player voted to the conference’s preseason first, second or third All-Conference teams. 

   “I think the league is tremendous,” Martin said. “I think we a have some kids on our roster and in our program that have the potential to be a third, second and maybe even first all-conference guy here in the next three years. We have a handful of guys in our program who I think at some point may get votes, but I don’t think we did enough last year.” 

   Marist opens up its season with a contest on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Villanova in the 2010 Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off. The game will be televised by ESPNU as part of ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

   “At the end of the day, when the game is over, I hope they understand how hard you have to play and prepare on Monday through Friday to play on Saturday night,” Martin said. “I know [Villanova head coach] Jay Wright well and I’ve followed his teams in the past. They come at you for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Women

   Allenspach has been named to Preseason All-MAAC Teams in each of the last three seasons, including an All-MAAC First Team choice prior to and following the 2009-2010 season.

    “It’s a great honor, it’s a pre-season honor,” Allenspach said. “You can’t really judge by that – everything that we do in the season and post season matters. “

   The Miamisburg, Ohio native, who averaged a career-high 12.9 points per game last season, is 52 points from 1,000 in her career.

   “I think that will be pretty cool,” Allenspach said. “When I came in as a freshman, I really didn’t expect to play, I was kind of just there and now, three or four years later, this is pretty exciting.”

   The women’s squad will deal with last year’s graduation of Rachele Fitz, a three-time MAAC player of the year and first player in Marist women’s basketball history with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

   “We were very fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Rachel Fitz for four years,” head coach Brian Giorgis said. “It was a wonderful four years, but you also know that you have to move on, and that’s what we’ve done.”

   Marist returns its three-primary starters at guard with Allenspach, Yarde and point guard Kristine Best.

   Last season, Allenspach and Yarde combined for at least a share of the team lead in points 18 times and in rebounds 11 times.

   “I think we have a couple of the best guards in the conference,” Giorgis said. “They had great seasons in their careers and we are expecting more of the same."

Wallkill teammates to play yet again

   NEWBURGH – For the fourth time in two years, Wallkill High School girls’ tennis teammates Ariel Haber and Olga Ostrovetsky will play each other in a postseason match.

SECTION NINE TENNIS

   Haber, the No. 1 seed, beat Christina Nigro of Marlboro in the opening around, 6-1, 6-2, and then swept Kim Fernez of Monroe-Woodbury, 6-1, 6-1. Ostrovetsky, the fourth seed, beat New Paltz’s Jessica Staub, 6-1, 6-0 in the opening around and then shut out Red Hook’s Ella Lindholm-Uzzi, love and love, in the quarterfinals.

   Haber has beaten Ostrovetsky all three times they have met in the postseason, including last week for her second straight Mid-Hudson Athletic League title.

   Second seed Eva Siska of Cornwall will face No. 3 Taylor Gurda of Minisink Valley in the other semifinal.

   “I thought the ball striking from both kids was just tremendous. Really, both of them exerted how good they have been lately,” Wallkill coach Mike Latino said of his players. “I thought that what was really good about Ariel is that she faced two opponents she hadn’t seen. She played very well against Christina and she’s a pusher. She gets a lot of balls back. Jessica Staub is one of those kids I really fear as a coach. For Olga to be as dominating as she was is tremendous.”

   The top four seeds also held true to form in the doubles tournament.

   Top-seeded Amber and Ashley Mori of Minsink Valley will take on No. 4 Martha Engle and Allyson Finck of Spackenkill, while second-seeded Hannah Fleckenstein and Emily Boro of Newburgh play No. 3 Emma Snook and Johanna Cohen of New Paltz.

Soccer seeds set; Jay could meet Arlington

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   The seedings and matchups for the Section One high school boys’ soccer tournament, and the Section Nine boys’ and girls’ soccer tourneys, were hashed out on Tuesday, with a handful of local teams earning high seeds.

SOCCER SEEDINGS

   But the most compelling issue might have been with a team seeded 15th.

   The ‘Arlington Question’ was answered early when Section One officials sat down to map out the boys’ soccer. Defending Class AA champion Arlington High School, which was forced to forfeit four victories after using an ineligible player early in the season, was seeded 15th in this year’s tournament.

   The seed was based strictly on the Admirals’ un-Arlington-like 6-10 mark – which in reality was 10-6 on the field – so there was always going to be some question as to where Arlington was placed. Too high would have meant home games and an outcry from opposing coaches. Too low was bound to make somebody unhappy at having to play the Admirals so early in the tournament.

   That somebody could be league rival John Jay.

   No. 15 Arlington opens the tournament on Thursday with an out-bracket game against No. 18 Fox Lane, with the winner slated to meet second-seeded Jay on Saturday in a first-round contest in Wiccopee.

   If the Admirals win, it would be the third time the two rivals would meet this season. The Patriots, 14-1, have won both games but both were highly competitive – 1-0 and 2-1.

   “It’s a tough draw. A really tough draw. You would think we’d be rewarded a little bit,” John Jay coach Robbie Seipp said. “Arlington is still Arlington. And a Jay-Arlington game is always competitive. But, in some ways, it didn’t surprise me. I knew it was a definite possibility.”

   First-year Arlington coach Craig Sanborn said the No. 15 seeding was pretty much what he expected.

   “I figured we’d be in a play-in game,” he said. “I don’t know much about Fox Lane, but as long as we show up ready to play, anything is possible.”

   Arlington has been up and down this year, losing twice to Lourdes and once to Beacon, but hold two wins over No. 5 seed Roy C. Ketcham, and wins over Yorktown (seeded No. 13 in Class AA) and Lakeland (seeded No. 3 in Class A).

   “The bottom line is you never want to see a team a third time in the tournament,” Sanborn said. “It doesn’t matter whether you win twice, lose twice or split, you just don’t want to see them. But we know we can play with Jay.”

   That half of the bracket also includes a strong Ossining team and No. 3 seed White Plains.

   “All those teams, we’ve played them all in the past and they’re all excellent programs and are well-coached,” Seipp said. “If we somehow get out of the section, it won’t be because we’ve ducked anybody.”

   John Jay is the highest local boys’ team seeded in Section One. In Section Nine, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mid-Hudson Athletic League champion Red Hook, Ellenville and Webutuck all drew the No. 2 seed in their respective classes – AA, A, B and C – and have home games in the boys’ tournament.

   Wallkill, which lost a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Spackenkill in Monday night’s MHAL title game, is seeded first in Class A.

Kurzum's saves lift Spackenkill girls to title

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   MARLBORO – Officially, the scorekeepers had Spackenkill High School goalkeeper Beesanne Kurzum with 18 saves in Monday’s Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls’ soccer championship game.

   Unofficially, it was closer to 30 saves.

   Realistically, she saved the title.

   Wallkill kept pounding shot after shot after shot, Kurzum kept making save after save after save – some of them spectacular – and the Spartans beat the Panthers, 1-0, to win the MHAL title at neutral Marlboro High School.

   Spackenkill is now 11-3 overall heading into the Section Nine playoffs; the seedings will be announced tonight. Wallkill is now 11-2-2 overall.

   It was Wallkill that dominated the attack throughout the game, but Kurzum was just unbeatable on this night.

   “Oh my God, I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” Spackenkill captain Shaylee Howaniec said. “Thank God Beesanne is an amazing keeper and she got them all.”

   And when you’re that good, you also get the benefit of a little luck – the one ball she missed hit the crossbar.

   “It came out far, and I just punched it out,” Kurzum said. “As soon as it hit the crossbar I just dove for it.”

   Said Spackenkill coach Mike Corbett:“Beesanne, I think she’s one of the premier goalkeepers in the league.”

   Of course, she could be the best goalkeeper in the area but it would all go for naught unless the Spartans scored. And with Wallkill’s offense constantly pushing forward – an unofficial tally had the Panthers with a 33-9 advantage in shots – Spackenkill had precious few opportunities.

   Then, with under 12 minutes to play, the tables turned and the Spartans pushed forward and ended up with a corner kick. Rachel Davis took it, and Seana Tully was right there to head it home for the only goal of the game.

   “We’ve been working on corners the whole time,” Corbett said. “We make a real effort to get a goal off the corners. I have a very talented soccer team and they keep plugging away. It was a very good win.”

Murphy takes over the game, helps Red Hook to boys' crown

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   MARLBORO – It’s been said that the measure of a great player is whether or not he raises the level of play of his teammates.

   There’s no question that Kyle Murphy elevates the Red Hook High School boys’ soccer team.

   Down 1-0 to Ellenville midway through the second half of the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship game, Murphy took over. His penetration deep into Blue Devils’ territory and his rocket shots created three scoring opportunities – including a goal of his own – as the Raiders won their first outright MHAL title with a 3-1 victory Monday night over Ellenville.

   That’s right – no ‘co.’

   As in co-championship, which Red Hook was forced to share with Rhinebeck last year after both teams played to a 1-1 tie in the title game. MHAL rules stipulate that the game not to go to penalty kicks, and that the championship would be shared in the event of a tie.

   Red Hook was determined to avoid that this season.

   “We took that out of the league’s hand,” Red Hook coach Steve Sutton said.

   Murphy, a senior headed to Clemson University on a scholarship, took over the game after John Paulsen had given Ellenville a 1-0 lead.

   “We told them at halftime we thought there were two, three goals out there and they just had to find them,” Sutton said. “Kyle is just so dangerous when he has the ball.”

   Murphy set up two goals and scored one. The game-tying goal came from Ryan Dalton, who was in the right spot at the right time after Steven Barr made a spectacular save on a rocket from Murphy. Barr’s diving stop caromed right to Dalton, who calmly put it in for a 1-1 tie.

   “We got caught up in the emotion of the game in the first half,” Murphy said.  Once the first goal came we all got pumped up. Once that happened, we got rolling.”

   Indeed they did. Seven minutes after Dalton’s equalizer, Murphy split the defense with a move and easily beat Barr for the game-winner and a 2-1 lead. And, just 70 seconds after that, another Murphy shot hit the post and David Marchessault was there to put home the rebound for the insurance tally.

Ellenville's Paulsen has the golden touch

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   John Paulsen is so under the radar that one local media outlet dubbed the Ellenville High School boys’ soccer player “the best player in the Hudson Valley that no one has ever heard of.”

   Well, the Webutuck soccer team certainly knows his name. When it counted the most, Paulsen came up huge, scoring four goals – including a natural hat trick – on Saturday, leading Ellenville to a 6-2 win over the Warriors and its first berth in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship game in 19 years.

   For that performance, Paulsen has been named the Hudson Valley Sports Report Athlete of the Week.

   It was the first time someone from Ellenville has captured the award.

   Other athletes under consideration this week (in no particular order):

• Marlboro football defense. Yeah, the entire defense. The Iron Dukes were all over the place on Friday night with big hits, including two forced fumbles – one on the goal line – and an interception in the 13-0 win over New Paltz.

• Matt Mahoney, Ketcham. The boys’ soccer star scored two goals against Poughkeepsie, and they couldn’t have been more timely – one came with 30 seconds left in regulation and the other at the 88-minute mark in overtime, leading the Indians to a 2-1 win over the Pioneers.

• Poughkeepsie football defense. Yeah, the entire defense. The Pioneers got a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and the defense held it was a terrific performance in a win over Roosevelt-Yonkers in a Section One, Class AA quarterfinal game.

• Eric Traditi, Arlington. The quarterback threw three touchdown passes, and the Admirals beat up on Ossining, 35-14.

• Ariel Haber, Wallkill.  The eighth-grader defended her crown and won her second straight MHAL singles title, beating teammate Olga Ostrovetsky in the finals, 6-2, 6-2.

• Ben and Ethan DeForest, Rondout. The brothers shared earned medalist honors as they each shot 38 at Apple Greens Golf Course, leading the Ganders to the Larry Johnson Memorial Tournament/MHAL championship.

   Paulsen, a senior striker, didn’t just a natural hat trick – three goals in a row – in the league semifinals. He did it in three minutes, 21 seconds to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead.

   “He’s one of the best that I’ve seen,” Ellenville coach Maxell Mead said. “He is an instant game changer for any team. Look what he was able to do – a hat trick in three minutes. That is unheard of.”

   Paulsen leads Ellenville into the championship match tonight against Red Hook.

MHAL to crown its soccer champs tonight

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Red Hook High School boys’ soccer coach Steve Sutton had nothing but praise for Franklin D. Roosevelt on Saturday after his Raiders beat the Presidents, 2-1, on penalty kicks in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League semifinals.

   Tonight, in the championship game, he expects nothing short of the same from Ellenville.

   “Ellenville presents a similar challenge – physical, quick and fast, and a well-organized side,” Sutton said. “We certainly need to recover quickly and get out focus on cleaning up our play.”

   The Raiders and the Blue Devils will be gunning for the title this evening at neutral Marlboro High School in a MHAL championship doubleheader. First, Wallkill and Spackenkill will meet at 5 p.m. to determine the girls’ champion, and then Red Hook and Ellenville will get it on in the playoffs.

   Wallkill hasn’t won the MHAL title since 1999, while Spackenkill has never won it.

   For the boys, Red Hook won a share of the crown last season when it tied Rhinebeck. There are no penalty kicks in the championship game and, after 110 minutes of soccer, it ended in a 1-1 tie.

   This is all new for Ellenville, which hasn’t been in the MHAL title game in 19 years. Or, to put it in better context, not a single Blue Devil was born the last time the program appeared in the league championship match.

   Ellenville and Red Hook did not meet during the season, but did scrimmage in the preseason.

   “It really went back and forth,” Ellenville coach Maxwell Mead said. “We were trying some things out, they were trying some things out, and I really can’t gauge how we’ll play (tonight) based on how that scrimmage went in August.”

   Still, Mead knows enough about Red Hook star Kyle Murphy.

   “He’s very dangerous,” Mead said. “We can’t give him much space. They’re all big and physical, so this is going to be a great challenge for us going into sectionals.”

   Sutton agreed.

   “I love this league, because you can’t get a better tuneup for sectionals than these matches,” he said.

Records set, but Marist loses at Jacksonville

   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior wide receiver James LaMacchia set the Marist College football program record for career receiving yards, and senior free safety Rory Foley set the Red Foxes’ Division I record for career tackles, but Marist suffered a 56-14 loss to Jacksonville in a Pioneer Football League game on Saturday.

   LaMacchia broke the record – which was previously 2,019 yards by Guy Smith – on Marist’s first offensive play, when he caught a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Tommy Reilly at the 9:20 mark of the first quarter. Foley broke the record of 276 tackles – originally set by John Healy III – on Jacksonville’s first offensive play of the second quarter.

   The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and marched 87 yards down the field in 12 plays, capping the drive with a one-yard scoring run by Rudell Small. On Jacksonville’s next possession, J.J. Laster scored on the drive’s first play, a 71-yard run which gave the Dolphins a 14-0 lead with 7:33 remaining in the first quarter.

   Marist answered on the ensuing drive with Reilly threw a 60-yard touchdown to junior wide receiver Kevin Fitzpatrick, which cut the Red Foxes’ deficit in half with 5:53 left in the first quarter. The game remained 14-7 until the 3:04 mark of the second quarter, when Small capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with another one-yard touchdown. Then, just 22 seconds before halftime, Laster scored his second touchdown of the day on a three-yard run to give Jacksonville a 28-7 lead.

Millbrook wins in one half of work

Blazers' game over after two quarters when Eldred can't field a team

   MILLBROOK – This was, and it wasn’t, the way Sean Keenan wanted the Millbrook High School football regular season to end.

   “It was not a good situation,” Keenan said. “I know that they’re down this year and they graduated a bunch of kids. I don’t know what happened over there. I really can’t comment on their status.”

   The Yellow Jackets have had a numbers issue all year, but nonetheless have been fairly competitive with a 3-4 mark heading into the Millbrook game. The team apparently showed up with just 17 players, had a couple of players who never made it to the team bus on Saturday morning, and also lost two players to injury in the first half.

   “I feel bad for them, but I feel bad for our kids, too,” Keenan said. “It was our Senior Day, and with the lead we took we had our second-team kids ready to play the second half. Those kids got ripped off.”

   Unfortunately for Millbrook, that – coupled with some Section Nine practice headaches – isn’t giving the Blazers the much-desired work they wanted heading into Friday afternoon’s Section Nine, Class C semifinal playoff game against Liberty at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

   Section Nine football officials told Keenan he had two opportunities to practice on the turf field at Dietz before Friday’s kickoff – 8 a.m. this morning, or 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

   “Ridiculous,” Keenan said. “Our kids have never been on that turf and I wanted them to get a feel for it, to see if we need different kind of cleats or what. But I’m not taking our guys from Millbrook to Kingston at 8 o’clock and getting back home at 11 on a school night.”

   Keenan said the coaches at Arlington graciously offered their turf field for a practice, and he’s also checking with nearby Millbrook Prep.

   As for the 24 minutes the Blazers played on Saturday, they scored touchdowns out of four different formations – the spread, the super spread, the wildcat and the double wing.

   Senior tailback Jimmy Ross touched the ball just three times in the half and rushed for 160 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown. He totaled 259 all-purpose yards and also scored on a 47-yard pass reception and a 53-yard punt return.

  Kyle Cuomo completed four passes for 172 yards for two scores, including a 56-yarder to Nicky D’Onofrio, and Lucas Lemkuhl had a six-yard touchdown run.

Beacon falls to Tappan Zee

   BEACON – Jarrell Brown and Alijah Wilds scored for Beacon High School, but it wasn’t enough as Tappan Zee recorded a 35-13 victory over the Bulldogs in a Section One, Class B Alternative Schedule League football game.

   Beacon is now 2-5 on the season.

   “I thought we came out and played really well early on,” Beacon coach Brian Mahon said, as his team took a 7-0 lead. “But we didn’t capitalize on situations. They had a very strong line, too, and our kids had trouble standing up to them.”

   Brown scored on a two-yard run for the Bulldogs, and Wilds scored on a 60-yard dash.

Spartans 'spread the wealth'

Spackenkill uses everybody to beat Rondout, 36-0

   KYSERIKE – Clinton DeSouza calls it the ‘Share the Wealth Foundation.’

   His Spackenkill High School football team rolled up yards and points again for the second week, but a handful of players were responsible instead of just a featured back or player in the Spartans’ 36-0 victory Saturday over Rondout Valley.

   “We really spread it around,” DeSouza said. “We’re picking up steam as the season rolls on and things are starting to come together nicely. It’s a nice stepping stone for the program. These guys have worked their butts off all year and it’s paying off in wins.”

   Damon Jackson rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown, Nick Celestino had 41 yards and two scores, Josh Riley ran for a 52-yard TD out of the wildcat and also caught a 15-yard scoring pass from K.J. Williams.

   At 3-5, the Spartans have a chance for a fourth victory next week against Goshen. It would be the first time since 2002 that Spackenkill has won more than three games in a season.

   “That will be a big motivational thing for us. We’ll have to prepare hard,” DeSouza said. “The excitement, the energy, the commitment, the dedication has been there. You never know what can happen.”

LeClerc scores twice to lift Bulldogs past OLL

   BEACON – Kyle LeClerc scored two goals on Saturday, both assisted by Mario Riccardi, and the Beacon High School boys’ soccer team beat Our Lady of Lourdes, 2-0, in a Conference I, League A match.

 

SOCCER

 

   LeClerc scored in the seventh minute off an assist from Riccardi and again in the 32nd minute off a corner kick.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

   NEWBURGH – Kim Quiles goal off a Michelle Hannon assist three minutes overtime gave the Roy C. Ketcham girls’ soccer team a 2-1 victory over Newburgh Free Academy in a non-league on Saturday.

   NFA took a 1-0 lead early in the second half but the Indians’ Kelsey Malles tied it with a nice goal from along the end line.

   Katie Riedy had 15 saves for RCK, and defenders Bri Quijano, Christina Ogunti, Maddisen Melley, Jasime Pagan and Shannon Holt helped keep the Goldbacks at bay.

   HORACE GREELEY 4, ARLINGTON 2 – Caroline Ryan and Danielle Axelrod both scored for the Admirals in this non-league game.

   “We did not play a great match, especially in the second half,” Arlington coach Kieran McIlvenny said. “They played much smarter that we did in the second half and we got caught twice on breakaways. We will a lot to learn from this match and look to improve on some aspects of our game before Friday's sectional match.”

Missed tackles doom OLL

   POUGHKEEPIE – Even trailing just 19-13 at halftime, Brian Walsh had a queasy feeling.

   “I knew we were in trouble a little bit,” the Our Lady of Lourdes High School football coach said. “When the other team sends that many guys up to the line of scrimmage, you have to be able to throw the ball. And we couldn’t.”

   The Warriors had a rough night offensively, and Lourdes – seeded second coming out of Conference I, League B and playing at home – was upset by No. 3A seed Edgemont, 31-13, in a Section One, Class B playoff game Friday night.

   OLL is now 5-2 and eliminated from postseason play.

   Edgemont moves on to the sectional semifinals to play either Ardsley or Croton-Harmon.

   The Warriors were even with the Panthers in the second quarter at 13-all, but Walsh saw the writing on the wall. OLL was struggling to move the ball and one of the touchdowns the Warriors scored was on a 61-yard kickoff return by Sebastian DeGuisto.

   Sure enough, Edgemont scored before the half en route to 18 unanswered points.

   “They crowded the line to stop our running attack, and it worked,” Walsh said. “I was disappointed we couldn’t run more, and disappointed we didn’t throw well.”

   OLL was just 3-for-13 through the air and ran for only 60 yards as a team. By contrast, Lourdes running back Jimmy Ryan had three games of 200-plus yards on the ground by himself this season.

   But Walsh was equally disappointed in his team’s tackling.

   “It’s been a problem all year,” he said. “We just haven’t tackled well.”

Wallkill also finishes unbeaten

   WALLKILL – When the season began in the heat of August, Wallkill High School football coach Brian Vegliando knew one thing – his team was going to be good.

   What he didn’t know was how good.

   “We knew we had a solid group coming back, but we had the same concerns as any other coach and any other program,” Vegliando said. “Who was going to step up?”

   He got his answer week in and week out.

   Dominick Calvanico and Eric Wellmon.

   The former rushed for 110 yards Friday night, and the latter threw another touchdown pass, and the Panthers beat Valley Central, 20-14, to complete an undefeated regular season.

   Wallkill is now 8-0 and heads into the Section Nine, Class A playoffs next week as the No. 1 seed. The Panthers will play fourth-seeded Saugerties on Friday night at 8 p.m. at Faller Field in Middletown in the semifinals.

   Calvanico scored twice on rushing touchdowns as Wallkill beat leads of 13-0 and 20-7 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. Valley Central scored with 11 seconds left for the final margin.

   “I think one of the things we have going for us is having been so competitive over the last couple of years, we feel like we can play with anybody,” Vegliando said. “We don’t go into any game thinking ‘Boy, this is going to be a tough one tonight.’ ”

Red Hook wins seventh volleyball title

   STONE RIDGE – It’s more than a dynasty.

   It’s a legacy.

   Red Hook High School captured its seventh consecutive Mid-Hudson Athletic League volleyball championship on Friday night, beating Millbrook 3-1 in the championship match.

   The Raiders advanced to the finals with a 3-0 victory over Roosevelt.

   Millbrook made it by having to go the distance in a 3-2 win over Rhinebeck.

Mahoney's heroics lift RCK soccer

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Matt Mahoney scored two goals Friday afternoon, one with 30 seconds left in regulation and the other at the 88-minute mark in overtime, leading the Roy C. Ketcham High School boys’ soccer team to a 2-1 win over Poughkeepsie in a Conference I, League A game.

   “It was a hard-fought match,” Poughkeepsie coach Kurt Jesman said. “Ketcham picked up the pressure on us and with 30 seconds left in the game they tied. We had trouble clearing the ball out of our end of the field. This game was tough to swallow, but we need to put this loss behind us and move on and get ready for sectionals.”

   JOHN JAY 1, ARLINGTON 0 – The only goal came in the 14th minute of the second half by Darren Gomes off a corner kick in this Conference I, League A game.

   “A little mis-mark off a corner,” Arlington coach Craig Sanborn said. “Both teams had opportunities to score. We played with a lot of energy, played hard. A little too much kick-ball for my liking, and I think that gave Jay an advantage because of their overall team speed.”

VOLLEYBALL

   FREEDOM PLAINS – Ariana Wilson had three aces, nine assists, two blocks, seven kills and six digs, Lauren Faugerstrom added six kills, three blocks and two digs, and Rachel Thoma had four kills as Arlington High School won its 15th consecutive volleyball match on Friday, beating Roy C. Ketcham 3-0 in a Conference I, League A game.

   Arlington is now 16-1 overall and completed a perfect league season at 10-0.

   Keely Fink added seven aces, a block, a kill and four digs for the Admirals. Shannon Hughes had an ace, a block, six kills and seven digs, Angela Silveri had two blocks, two kills and four digs, and Molly Law tallied an ace, 11 assists and two digs.

   PAWLING 3, NORTH SALEM 0 – Margo Hackett had 26 kills, five aces and a block as the Tigers won for the 14th time in 16 matches.

   Nicole Loeven had 23 assists and Shannon O’Neill added five aces.

Traditi's three TD passes help Arlington to 35-14 win

   FREEDOM PLAINS – The Arlington High School football team is like the college basketball team that gets snubbed from the NCAA Tournament and is forced to play in the NIT – determined to prove to everybody that a mistake was made.

   The Admirals, who despite a 4-2 record and a victory over North Rockland did not qualify for the Section One, Class AA playoffs, took out their frustrations on Ossining in a division game Friday with a 35-14 victory.

   “It was a good win for the kids, a good game,” Arlington coach Dominick DeMatteo said. “They played well and they showed their resolve.”

   Quarterback Eric Traditi had a big game for the Admirals, throwing three touchdown passes and picking off one of Arlington’s four interceptions on the night. The Admirals have 15 picks in seven games.

   Dan Jeannotte and Franco Bianchi both had rushing touchdowns for Arlington, which bolted to a 28-0 lead.

   Tyler O’Dell kicked all five extra points, making him a perfect 27-for-27 on the season.

FDR falls to No. 1 Monroe-Woodbury

MONROE – The No. 1 team in New York State showed why on Friday night.

   Monroe-Woodbury High School quarterback Ryan Spelman threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns, and the Crusaders, the state’s top Class AA team, shut out Franklin D. Roosevelt, 44-0, in the regular-season finale for both teams.

   FDR, now 5-3 after a 5-0 start, takes on Kingston on Saturday night at Dietz Stadium in one Section Nine, Class AA semifinal, while Monroe-Woodbury meets Warwick in the other semi.

   Spelman also rushed for 135 yards and a TD against the Presidents.

   “I don’t know if I’ve ever run into a quarterback as quick as Spelman,” Roosevelt coach Brian Bellino said. “He’s one of fastest kids I’ve come across this year.”

   Trevor Officer rushed for 63 yards and three touchdowns and Zach Perez had five receptions for 96 yards and caught two of Spelman’s TD throws.

   “That’s one of the most impressive football teams I’ve seen. There’s certainly a reason why they’re winning games by 30-plus points. They don’t have a hole in their game. They just have guys everywhere,” Bellino said. “That said, we did sit four of our offensive starters (including star tailback Errol Evans). They were all injured and we finally got a chance to give them a rest.”

   Roosevelt’s Nick Sanitzi rushed four times for 33 yards.

Ellenville clinches No. 3 seed with win over Highland

   ELLENVILLE – Rematch(es).

FOOTBALL

   Ellenville earned the No. 3 seed and will meet No. 2 New Paltz on Saturday afternoon at Dietz Stadium in one Section Nine, Class B semifinali.

   Which means, of course, that Highland gets a rematch with Marlboro. The Huskies are the No. 4 seed and Marlboro is the top seed. Marlboro beat Highland, 23-6, earlier this season.

   Jose Aldorando had a 12-yard touchdown reception and a 31-yard touchdown run for the Blue Devils, while Mike McGriff rushed for 123 yards.

   Highland’s Travis Dutka rushed for 128 yards and two TDs.

   LIBERTY 35, PINE PLAINS 6 – The Bombers dropped to 2-6 with this Section Nine, Class C crossover loss at Liberty.

Wallkill handles Red Hook, Spackenkill tops Millbrook in MHAL girls' soccer semifinals

   MARLBORO – Thursday night was the second time the Red Hook and Wallkill high school girls’ soccer team have met this season, and it probably won’t be the last.

MHAL GIRLS' SOCCER SEMIFINALS

   The Panthers used two goals by Melanie Siano and one from Annie Valiando to beat Red Hook, 3-1, in a Mid-Hudson Athletic League semifinal game played Thursday night at Marlboro High School.

   Wallkill, ranked 14th in the state in Class A, is now 11-1-2 overall. Red Hook, ranked No. 17, had its 10-game winning streak snapped and is 11-2-2.

   Wallkill will meet Spackenkill, a 3-0 winner over Millbrook in the other semifinal, in Monday night’s MHAL championship game back at Marlboro.

   “It was a great game,” Wallkill coach Jenn Gravelle said. “Both goalkeepers just kept coming up huge but Melanie was able to get a couple in there and that was big for us.”

   When Red Hook began pushing forward on offense, Wallkill keeper Raven Pentz made several key saves.

   “From the past, I know they pull one of the players and play three strikers up top so we were working on that in practice,” Gravelle said. “We were just trying to tighten up our midfield play and that seemed to help.”

Huge weekend of HS sports on deck

   By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Now this is a great weekend for high school sports.

   From today through Monday, there are some fabulous games to check out, so here’s a quick guide to what’s happening.

TONIGHT

FOOTBALL

   Three games of tremendous importance on the gridiron. Marlboro heads to New Paltz to play the Huguenots for the Section Nine, Class B league championship. Both teams are undefeated and state-ranked. The winner gets the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and the loser is the second seed.

   Ketcham heads to Mahopac to take on the top-seeded team in the Section One, Class AA tournament in a quarterfinal game. (See our separate preview).

   And Our Lady of Lourdes hosts Edgemont in a Section One, Class B quarterfinal at Overlook Park. (See our separate preview).

VOLLEYBALL

   The Mid-Hudson Athletic League plays its volleyball championships tonight at Ulster County Community College. The gym will be divided into two sides as Millbrook takes on Rhinebeck in one semifinal, and Red Hook plays Roosevelt in the other. After both matches are complete, the gym will be opened for the championship match featuring the two semifinal winners. The semifinals start at 6 p.m.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

   The Section One diving divisional will be held tonight at Pace University beginning at 5:15 p.m.

SATURDAY

FOOTBALL

   Big one at Poughkeepsie High School as the Pioneers take on Roosevelt-Yonkers in a Section One, Class A quarterfinal. It’s a rematch of last year’s sectional championship game, won by Roosevelt. (See our separate preview).

BOYS’ SOCCER

   The MHAL plays its semifinals with a pair of games at neutral Marlboro High School on the turf field. At 10 am., Webutuck plays state-ranked Ellenville, which just suffered its first defeat of the year on Wednesday. Immediately following it’s Roosevelt against Red Hook at Noon.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

   Back to the pool, only this time for the swimming divisional at Beacon High School.

MONDAY

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ SOCCER

   It’s the MHAL Championships, both at Marlboro High School. At 5 p.m., Spackenkill and XXX will square off for the girls’ title.

   At 7 p.m., it will be the winner of Webutuck-Ellenville against the winner of Roosevelt-Red Hook.

   vs.  

Pioneers ready for Roosevelt

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   For a team with only 22 players, Roosevelt-Yonkers High School sure makes the most of its roster.

   “Oh, it’s incredible,” said Poughkeepsie football coach Ken Barger, whose Pioneers will host the Indians on Saturday in a Section One, Class A quarterfinal playoff game. “They’re gifted all over the place.”

   It will be big play capability vs. big play capability on Saturday when the two teams meet for the first time since last year’s sectional championship game, in which Poughkeepsie gave up a 19-10 fourth-quarter lead and lost 23-19.

   That’s been Poughkeepsie’s bugaboo the last two years. As talented as the Pioneers are, they Pioneers have had a nasty habit of giving away games. They lost 34-20 to Fox Lane last season by giving up 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, lost the sectional title to the Indians with a fourth-quarter collapse and suffered their only loss of this season last week, losing a 22-6 lead and falling to John Jay Cross River, 24-22.

   “That’s the big piece of the puzzle,” Barger said. “Especially with a team as dangerous as Roosevelt. They play in ebbs and flows. When they need to do, they kick it into a whole new gear and they go. It’s impressive to watch.”

   But for Poughkeepsie, it’s a matter of getting back to Pioneer football.

   “We have to get back to who we are, which is stretching the field and making them defend all our athletes all the time,” Barger said. “It’s not necessarily about scoring as much as it is attacking all day long.”

   vs.  

Game of the year is on

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Game of the Year.

   No doubt about it.

   Deep down, New Paltz High School football coach Tom Tegeler and Marlboro coach Rich Ward both know that no matter what happens when they play each other tonight, they’re both one of the top two seeds when the Section Nine playoffs start next week.

   But darn if it doesn’t look good to be 8-0 instead of 7-1.

   The Huguenots and the Iron Dukes are both 7-0 and both state-ranked as they meet tonight in New Paltz to decide the Section Nine, Class B league championship. The Huguenots are ranked No. 10 in the state, and Marlboro just cracked the rankings this week at No. 16.

   And the town of New Paltz is in a frenzy.

   “It’s out of control,” Tegeler said with a laugh. “You know what? It’s almost like a college football game, the atmosphere.”

   But the Marlboro folks are pretty excited, too.

   “We can’t ask for a better environment to prepare us for the sectional tournament,” said Ward, in his first year at the helm. “It will be a hostile environment against a good football team. We need to control the line of scrimmage and keep their offensive weapons under control.”

   And if it’s one thing New Paltz has, it’s great talent at the skill positions with Jon Diaz, Kharif Laboy, Darryl Clark and Peter Ferrante. Twice this season, New Paltz has had five different players score a touchdown in a game.

   “I still think we need to pass better, in my opinion,” Tegeler said. “We need to throw the ball 10-15 times in this game.”

   Marlboro’s key offensive weapons include backs Ben Cary and T.J. Henderson, and quarterback Vinny Porcelli, who can hurt you through the air or on the ground – something Tegeler acknowledged.

   “Their quarterback is going to be the deciding factor,” Tegeler said. “If he can make plays in the running game and passing game, they’re going to be difficult to beat.”

   vs.  

Ketcham is thinking upset

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   What’s the difference between 6-0 and 3-3?

   Well, just take a look at the results of the Mahopac and Roy C. Ketcham high school football teams. The difference is this – Mahopac pulled out three of its six victories by a touchdown or less, beating John Jay 14-7, beating Arlington 15-14 on a last-second TD and two-point conversion, and rallying to beat Ketcham in the waning seconds, 22-18.

   Ketcham lost three games by a TD or less, falling to Mahopac, losing 29-22 at Scarsdale and losing a 27-26 overtime heartbreaker to Carmel when it failed to convert a two-point try.

   Lucky? Unlucky?

   Who knows. The bottom line is this – RCK isn’t nearly as average as its .500 record suggests, nor is Mahopac nearly as perfect as its record would indicate.

   And that’s the scenario behind tonight’s Section One, Class AA quarterfinal game between the Indians and the Indians. Mahopac, the No. 1 seed, hosts No. 8 Ketcham at 7 p.m.

   The winner moves on to the sectional semifinals next week to play the winner of No. 4 Clarkstown North and No. 5 Scarsdale.

   For Ketcham, it’s a chance to redeem itself.

   “We’re excited to play Mahopac again,” Keevins said. “The kids are excited. This is what they’ve talked about.”

   Ketcham lost to Mahopac after leading the entire game, only to watch the Indians score with 21 seconds left for the 22-18 win.

   “We felt like we could have done some things differently in that game,” Keevins said, “so we’re looking forward to the chance to play them again.”

Hackett, Loeven lead Pawling past Dover

   DOVER PLAINS – Margo Hackett had 19 kills, three aces, 10 digs and a block to lead the Pawling High School volleyball team to a 25-20, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23 victory over Dover on Thursday.

VOLLEYBALL

   “Both teams looked tired tonight,” Pawling coach Jessica Hackett said. “It didn’t look pretty on either side, and we were lucky to squeeze out a win tonight. We’ve been in a rut the last two games.”

   Katelyn Mayer led Dover with 23 kills and six blocks, while Cassandra Drogan had 33 assists and Shauna Sitter had seven aces.

   “The girls played well,” Dover coach Eric Watson said. “Margo Hackett was not a real factor. We made

FIELD HOCKEY

FIELD HOCKEY

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Jenna DeRario had one goal and assisted on Casey Herzog’s tally, leading the Roy C. Ketcham field hockey team to a 2-0 win over Our Lady of Lourdes in a Conference I, League A match.

   OLL did not have a shot on goal.

   RCK improved to 5-6-2 overall.

   “Casey Herzog and Jenna DeRario are continuing to work well together to score for us,” Ketcham coach Erin Mulligan said. “Emily Kalaka is stepping up into a new position and adding a lot to the team chemistry. She is key in moving the ball through

   Two, it doesn’t appear that the schools in Section Nine even want the remaining Dutchess County schools.

   “There has not been much movement or discussions,” Beacon High School athletic director Eric Romanino said this week.

   Hudson Valley Sports Report first reported last month that Beacon, Our Lady of Lourdes, Poughkeepsie, Arlington, John Jay, Ketcham, Pawling and Dover had contacted Section Nine about moving its athletic teams there.

   The schools made an initial presentation on Aug. 30, and Section Nine asked them to come back with cost analysis and possible league alignments. The eight schools have until Nov. 30 to file a formal application to join Section Nine in time for the 2011-12 school year.

   But the schools want to compete in an expanded Mid-Hudson Athletic League, something Section Nine might not be prepared to do. Moreover, according to the minutes of last month’s Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association athletic director’s workshop, the ADs don’t want them.

   According to the minutes, “Mr. (Doug) Murphy (the OCIAA president and Monticello athletic director) asked the OCIAA Athletic Directors of the C and D schools if they would be interested in school districts joining Section IX. Very little interest was shown and discussion was made.

   “Mr. Murphy asked the OCIAA Athletic Directors of the B schools if they were interested. The B schools showed a split interest of some schools in favor and others against.

   “The OCIAA Athletic Directors of the A and AA schools were more interested if they are placed in the OCIAA. Mr. Lou Cioffi, Cornwall, stated it would enhance competition among the large schools. Mr. Mike Bellarosa stated Valley Central is opposed to their placement in both OCIAA and Section IX.”

   In a poll on Hudson Valley Sports Report conducted for the last month, a whopping 76% of the respondents said the eight remaining Dutchess County schools should join their counterparts – Millbrook, Webutuck, Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Pine Plains, Spackenkill and Roosevelt – who joined Section Nine more than a decade ago.

   Of the 423 respondents, 322 said Beacon, Lourdes, Poughkeepsie, Arlington, Ketcham, John Jay, Dover and Pawling should go to Section Nine, and 101 said they should stay.

Spartans hand Ellenville 1st loss

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Ellenville High School boys’ soccer coach Maxwell Mead’s prophecy came true.

BOYS' SOCCER

   Tano Citera and Blake Pizzola both scored in the second half for Spackenkill on Wednesday, as the Spartans beat Ellenville, 2-0, in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League regular-season finale.

   Ellenville still won Division III and will play in the MHAL Tournament in Saturday, but the Blue Devils are now 13-1 overall after suffering their first loss of the year.

   “It was another good effort by our boys,” Blanco sdaid. “It was a great challenge for us; we knew it was going to be tough to beat them. The high pressure kept us on a good pace throughout the game. Domenico Lepore was a wall at center back and Blake Pizola was great offensively. We are starting to hit our stride and are looking forward to sectionals.”

   Spackenkill is now 9-3-2 overall.

   Ellenville draws Millbrook on Saturday in the MHAL semifinals, with Roosevelt and Red Hook hooking up in the other game.

   “I think the pressure of being undefeated finally got to our guys because I was watching a different team play out there today. We did not look like the same team that had been playing so well this year,” Mead said. “Spackenkill was highly motivated to win this game and their level of play showed that. They had a good game today and we did not. It is disappointing for us, but not the end of the world. We have plenty of seniors on our team who will lead us into the MHAL and sectional tournaments with a higher level of focus and determination. I am not going to say that we needed that loss today, but we are going to learn from it and hopefully it will motivate us to bring our game up to the next level.”

Haber beats Ostrovetsky, defends MHAL tennis title

   NEW PALTZ – Way back in August, Wallkill High School’s Ariel Haber, the 2009 Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls’ tennis champion, was upset by teammate Olga Ostrovetsky during the preseason challenge. Ostrovetsky played No. 1 singles all season, and Haber played No. 2.

MHAL GIRLS' TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

   On Wednesday, Haber proved she was second to none.

   The eighth-grader defended her crown and won her second straight MHAL singles title, beating Ostrovetsky in the finals, 6-2, 6-2, at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

   “It was extremely competitive,” Wallkill coach Mike Latino said. “Ariel, I saw that fire in her eyes today. Everything was just clicking for her today. Every shot looked great.”

   Haber is line to earn the No. 1 seed for the Section Nine tennis champions, which begin Tuesday at SportsPlex in New Windsor. The seedings are announced Monday night.

   Latino said it was difficult for him to watch both of his players.

   “It stinks, actually,” he said. “When it’s just over Wallkill and they’re hitting balls to each other, I can deal with that. To watch them in a competitive situation is just tough.”

   New Paltz's Emma Snook and Johanna Cohen, normally the No. 2 and No. 3 singles players for the Huguenots, teamed up to win the doubles title, defeating Spackenkill's Martha Engle and Allyson Finck in the championship match, 7-5, 6-3.

   “They’re a nice team together,” Latino said of Snook and Cohen. “Emma is a lefty, and Johanna is a righty, so it’s almost like you’re hitting to somebody’s forehand on every shot. They’ll be tough to beat in sectionals, too.”

MHAL girls' soccer semis set tonight

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   There’s no question that there’s some history between the Red Hook and Wallkill high school girls’ soccer teams.

   “They are a solid team with two very dangerous forwards,” Red Hook coach Jason Pavlich said. “We have our work cut out for us.”

   Red Hook-Wallkill is the second semifinal to be played tonight. Millbrook and Spackenkill open the tourney at 5 p.m. at neutral Marlboro High School, followed at 7 by the Raiders and Panthers.

   Red Hook is 11-2 overall and riding a 10-game winning streak. Wallkill handed the Raiders one of those losses, a 4-1 decision in the beginning of the year.

   “A lot always changes between the beginning and the end of the season,” Pavlich said. “It should be a good game.”

   Both teams have excellent offensive weapons. The two forwards Pavlich spoke of, Melanie Siano and Anne Valiando, both are double-digit goal scorers for Wallkill. Elena Howland has 15 goals in 13 games for Red Hook, including a fabulous performance last week in a 5-4 win over Marlboro in which she scored four times and assisted on the other goal.

Admirals come to play, beat RCK

FREEDOM PLAINS – “We finally decided to come out and play.”

   Those were the words of Arlington High School boys’ soccer coach Craig Sanborn, whose up-and-down team was most definitely up on Wednesday after a 2-0 Conference I, League A win over Roy C. Ketcham.

   It was the Admirals’ second win over RCK this season, and it improved them to 6-9 overall and 5-4 in the league.

   “Those were probably our two best matches, too,” Sanborn said. “We’re all over the place this year. We are very inconsistent. I think as people have seen us play, they know we are very talented but we’re struggling on the mental side. Getting themselves ready to play is a struggle. Physically, it’s there. Tactically, it’s there. Mentally, you never know.”

   The Admirals were just fine on this day, as Ryan Purdy scored both goals in the second half. The first came on a penalty kick 18 minutes after halftime following a handball in the box.

   The second came with a minute left and Ketcham desperate to score the equalizer.

   “Ketcham was pushing. They were trying to get numbers forward and we caught them down the flank,” Sanborn said. “Gavin (Jennings) brought it to the end line, drew it back and gave a nice low ball to Ryan. It was a very nice goal.”

Ostrovetsky, Haber advance in tourney

   NEW PALTZ – Three of the top four singles seeds advanced with three victories each on Tuesday in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls’ tennis tournament.

GIRLS' TENNIS

   But Red Hook’s Ella Lindholm-Uzzi upset No. 3 seed Jessica Staub of New Paltz, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

   It will be Ostrovetsky vs. He and Haber vs. Lindholm-Uzzi in today’s semifinals, which begin at Noon.

   The top-seeded doubles team of Martha Engle and Allyson Finck of Spackenkill is also through to the semifinals.

Webutuck clinches MHAL Division IV boys' soccer title

   MILLBROOK – Steve Hutchinson scored two goals just 95 seconds apart late in the game, and the Webutuck High School boys’ soccer team beat Millbrook, 3-0, to clinch the Mid-Hudson Athletic League’s Division IV title on Tuesday.

BOYS' SOCCER

   The Warriors will play Ellenville in one MHAL Tournament semifinal on Saturday at neutral Marlboro High School, while Roosevelt will play Red Hook in the other. Times have not been determined.

   “It was a great game, very competitive throughout,” Millbrook coach Kyle Shoemaker said.

   Indeed, it was 1-0 for nearly the entire game as Webutuck’s Joey Giblin scored four minutes into the contest. That’s the way it stayed until Hutchinson found the back of the net in the 76th minute, and then scored again barely a minute-and-a-half later to complete the scoring.

Lourdes boys play to 1-1 tie with Ketcham

   LAGRANGE – Billy Alford and Matt Garcia traded goals, and the Our Lady of Lourdes High School boys’ soccer team played to a 1-1 tie on Tuesday against Roy C. Ketcham in a Conference I, League A match.

BOYS' SOCCER

   Both goals came in the first – Alford’s on a nice shot from just outside the 18 yard line, and Garcia’s on a penalty kick.

   “It was not a bad call,” Lourdes coach Matt Schlottman said of the ruling by the official. “Both teams had chances in overtime, but their goalie (Nick Tolman) came up with some big saves.”

   SAUGERTIES 2, NEW PALTZ 1 – Chris Moruzzi and Aaron Depetris tallied for the Sawyers, who won for only the second time this year.

   Aaron Getman-Pickering had New Paltz’s lone tally in this Mid-Hudson Athletic League game.

Mahoney, Armstrong lift RCK girls

   BEACON – The Beacon High School girls’ soccer team hadn’t played for 10 days heading into Tuesday’s game. But when the Bulldogs finally hit the field, they ran into a Ketcham team ready to play.

GIRLS' SOCCER

   Megan Mahoney had two goals and Mary Armstrong had two goals, and the Indians beat Beacon, 6-1, in a Conference I, League A match.

   Ketcham is 5-4-2 overall and 2-2 in the league. Beacon dropped to 6-4-2 overall and 0-4-2 in the league.

   “We had a couple of defensive breakdowns and Ketcham took advantage of every one of their opportunities to put it in the back of the net,” said Beacon coach Jeff Matus.

   Kelsey Malles and Caitlin Holt also scored for the Indians. Anni Jacketti had the only goal for the Bulldogs.

   MARLBORO 2, ONTEORA 0 – Emily McDonough scored both goals for the Dukes in the first half, including one in the first 60 seconds, in this Mid-Hudson Athletic League game.

   “We just came out flat, and we weren’t able to get it back,” Onteora coach Jacob Hoyt-Friedman said. “They had a cross, we had an opportunity to clear it and didn’t, and Emily was right there to finish it.”

   JOHN JAY 2, LOURDES 0 – Sam McGuire had both goals, both in the second half, to lead the Patriots to the Conference I, League A victory.

   HIGHLAND – The names change, but the results stay the same.

   Then again, hang on – even the names stay the same.

   Andrew DeForest might be gone, but his brothers, Ben and Ethan are still around, and that’s why the Rondout Valley High School boys’ golf team is the Mid-Hudson Athletic League champion for the third year in a row.

   Ben and Ethan DeForest both earned medalist honors Monday as they each shot 38 at Apple Greens Golf Course, and the Ganders beat out New Paltz, Spackenkill and Coleman to win the Larry Johnson Memorial Tournament.

   The Ganders totaled a 156 on the day, besting the Huguenots by 10 strokes. Spackenkill shot a 184 and Coleman a 194.

   Rondout was tightly bunched on the day as Arthur Higby and Joe Redmond each carded a 40 behind their medalist teammates, while Patrick Kelly shot 41 and Bo Madeo had a 42.

   New Paltz’s Seth Roberts shot 39. Ryan Higgins had a 41, Brian Pesavento a 42, Kyle Smith 44, Mike Beck 46 and Greg Lee 48.

   For the Spartans, Ian Wilson fired a 41, which included five pars. Marc Horvath had a 47, captain Marc Greenbaum, Greg Allen and Stanley Garrant each shot 48, and Andrew Devenny shot 54.

   Coleman’s Kevin Mackey had a solid 42, Matt Stokes and Mike Sarcoman each shot 50, Matt Gray had a 52, Kevin Davis a 57 and JC Handschuh a 58.

Teammates Ostrovetsky, Haber draw top seeds in MHAL tennis tourney

   Wallkill High School teammates and top two singles players Olga Ostrovetsky and Ariel Haber are the top seeds heading into this morning’s Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls’ tennis tournament.

MHAL TENNIS

   Ostrovetsky, Haber, No. 3 seed Sophia He of Spackenkill and No. 4 seed Jessica Staub of New Paltz all drew a first-round bye when the tournament begins at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

   Haber is the defending champion but Ostrovetsky, who played No. 2 singles last year, won the No. 1 singles slot on the Panthers’ team this year during the preseason challenge.

   Spackenkill’s Martha Engle and Allyson Finck earned the top seed in the doubles tournament.

OLL knocks off Arlington again

   LAGRANGE – They did it again.

   Determined to convince everyone – perhaps even themselves – that its victory over Arlington earlier this month was no fluke, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School boys’ soccer team did it again, knocking off the Admirals, 2-0, in a Conference I, League A match on Monday.

BOYS' SOCCER

   Lourdes is now 8-5 overall and 5-3 in league play.

   “It was a good win,” OLL coach Matt Schlottman said. “The guys definitely came out strong. I told the boys before the game that we had beaten them earlier in the season and that Arlington was going to come out and play hard against us, and that we needed to equal up whatever pressure they gave us. They rose to the challenge.”

   Jeff Kozlowski got both goals for the Warriors, albeit the first one by default. His corner kick at the beginning of the second half deflected off of an Arlington player and into the net for an own goal and a 1-0 lead.

   With four minutes remaining, though, it was all Kozlowski. With Arlington pressing, Kozlowski split the defense and got a 1-on-1 situation, slipping the ball past the keeper for a 2-0 advantage.

   “This game was less lopsided than the last one. Arlington had more shots on goal last time and controlled play,” Schlottman said. “This time, we had more shots, more corner kicks, and it was probably one of our best efforts of the year.”

Ellenville boys clinch Division III crown

ELLENVILLE – John Paulsen scored twice, Juan Victoria scored twice, and Sebastian Moraga dished out a couple of assists on Monday, and the Ellenville High School boys soccer team beat Highland, 4-0, to clinch the Mid-Hudson Athletic League’s Division III championship.

   The Blue Devils, ranked 17th in the state in Class C, remained unbeaten at 13-0 overall.

   “This team has worked hard throughout the season and they thoroughly deserve to be here,” Ellenville coach Maxwell Mead said. “We have a tough, tough division and these guys showed enough grit and determination to win those close games that were so important.”

   All four goals came in the first half, including a Victoria tally that was followed 68 seconds later by Paulsen that gave the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead just 16 minutes into the game.

   The victory marks the first time since 1991 that Ellenville has won its division and will play in the MHAL playoffs.

   “We are honored to be representing MHAL Division III because of the top-class teams that are contained within our division,” Mead said. “I have said it since the beginning of the season – any one of the three teams in our division (Rhinebeck, Spackenkill, Ellenville) are legitimate title contenders for the Section Nine championship.”

DeRario, Herzog make quite the goal-scoring combo for RCK

   MONTROSE – Jenna DeRario and Casey Herzog are turning out to be quite the peanut butter-and-jelly combo – you know, two things that go great together?

FIELD HOCKEY

   The Indians dominated the game with a 16-3 advantage in penalty corners. Goalie Courtney Clark didn’t need to make a save.

   “We had some great pass plays today and a lot of opportunities in the circle. Jenna DeRario played a great game with strong cuts and excellent stick work,” RCK coach Erin Mulligan said. “Kendall Reis and Casey Herzog worked well together to create shots on goal.”

   MHAL SEMIFINALS – It will be Kingston vs. Red Hook for the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship on Wednesday night.

   Kingston beat Pine Plains, 5-0, in one semifinal on Monday while Red Hook beat Rhinebeck, 4-0.

Red Hook shuts out Onteora

RED HOOK – Three goals, a shutout, no injuries … a nice little tuneup game, right?

   Not as far as Jason Pavlich was concerned.

GIRLS' SOCCER

   His Red Hook High School girls’ soccer team beat Onteora on Monday, 3-0, in the final regular-season Mid-Hudson Athletic League game before the playoffs.

   But Pavlich was not pleased.

   “I am happy that we won but not with how we played,” the coach said. “We simply did not play up to our potential today. I will be interested to see which one of my teams shows up to play on Thursday.”

   Red Hook meets Wallkill on Thursday at neutral Marlboro High School in an MHAL semifinal game that matches up two state-ranked teams. Red Hook is No. 17 in Class A while Wallkill is 14th.

   Elena Howland had two goals and an assist in the win over Onteora, while Grace Weisbecker opened the scoring at the 20-minute mark.

   ARLINGTON 2, MONROE-WOODBURY 0 – Another game, another great defensive performance for the Admirals, this time coming in a non-league game against the visiting Crusaders.

   Shannon Palmer and Miranda Tarpey scored the goals as Arlington improved to 10-3 on the season.

   “It was a battle. Monroe has a great team and it was very, very even,” Arlington coach Kieran McIlvenny said of the game, which was a scoreless draw at the half. “About five minutes into the second half, we had a series of combination passes and it resulted in Tarpey playing a nice pass back to Palmer. It’s something we’ve been working on in practice.”

 

 

 

Faugerstrom leads Arlington in league-clinching win

 

   BEACON – Lauren Faugerstrom had two aces, seven service points, three blocks, eight kills and five digs on Monday, and teammate Nicole Mack had an ace, five kills and two digs, leading the Arlington High School volleyball team to a 3-0 win over Beacon on Monday afternoon.

VOLLEYBALL

  

   The scores of the matches were 25-19, 25-7 and 25-17.

   Keely Fink had three aces, five service points, a block, six kills and four digs for Arlington, while Shannon Hughes had a pair of kills and 11 digs, Molly Law had three aces, 12 service points and 12 assists; and Ariana Wilson had two aces, five service points, nine assists, three kills and seven digs.

   DOVER 3, NORTH SALEM 0 – Katelyn Mayr had 16 kills and five blocks as the Tigers rolled to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-20 victory.

   Cassandra Drogan added 17 assists and six digs. 

   NEW PALTZ 3, MARLBORO 2 – Justine Mullins had 11 aces, eight kills and five digs to lead the Huguenots to the tough Mid-Hudson Athletic League win over the Dukes.

   The scores were 25-19, 20-25, 25-16, 20-25 and 25-22.

   Nyah Bonilla had five aces, 21 kills and 6 digs for New Paltz, Charlesie Brutus added six kills and two blocks, and Erica Blaha had 10 digs.

   For Marlboro, Marissa Howlett had eight kills, eight digs and one block.

CLASS A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, October 22
No. 4N Somers at No. 1S Rye, 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 23
No. 3S Nyack at No. 2N Horace Greeley, 2 p.m.

No. 3N John Jay-Cross River at No. 2S Harrison, 1:30 p.m.
No. 4S Roosevelt-Yonkers at No. 1N Poughkeepsie, 2 p.m.
SEMIFINALS

Friday or Saturday, October 29-30
Roosevelt-Yonkers/Poughkeepsie winner vs. John Jay-Cross River/Harrison winner, at higher seed, time TBA
Nyack/Horace Greeley winner vs. Rye/Somers winner, at higher seed, time TBA

CHAMPIONSHIP

Friday, Saturday or Sunday, November 5-6-7

Semifinal winners at Mahopac High School, time TBA

CLASS B
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, October 22
No. 3A Edgemont at No. 2B Our Lady of Lourdes, 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 23
No. 4B Ardsley at No. 1A Croton-Harmon, 1:30 p.m.

No. 3B Nanuet at No. 2A Westlake, 1:30 p.m.
No. 4A Kennedy at No. 1B Pelham, 6:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS

Friday or Saturday, October 29-30
Edgemont/Lourdes winner vs. Ardsley/Croton-Harmon winner, at higher seed, time TBA
Nanuet/Westlake winner vs. Kennedy/Pelham winner, at higher seed, time TBA

CHAMPIONSHIP

Friday, Saturday or Sunday, November 5-6-7

Semifinal winners at Mahopac High School, time TBA

Rutgers DE paralyzed during Army game

  Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was paralyzed below the neck after making a tackle on Army kick returner Malcolm Brown Saturday’s game against the Black Knights, the Associated Press reported.

   Rutgers coach Greg Schiano told the AP on Sunday that LeGrand was resting in the intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center. He had emergency surgery overnight to stabilize the spine.

   “Eric's spirits were as good as you can expect,” said Schiano, who visited with him before and after surgery. “He was cognizant of me being there, his mom, everybody.

He's a fighter.”

   Players on both teams, and the coaches, were visibly shaken after the game. Army coach Rich Ellerson walked on the field while medical personnel were attending to LeGrand and put his hand on Schiano’s shoulder.

   Schiano had tears in his eyes during the press conference following Rutgers’ 23-20 overtime victory.

Huskies pull off amazing feat  

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   We’ve given this award to two people at once before.

   We’ve given it one person more than once.

   We’ve even given it to half a team when we honored the Highland High School football team’s defense last year.

   But we’ve never given it to the whole team.

   Then again, we’ve never been impressed as much as what we saw this week from the Highland girls’ soccer team.

   Due to rainouts in late September and earlier this month, the Huskies had a handful of games postponed and it seemed like the schedule-makers put them all in one week. In fact, they did. Starting on Saturday, October 9 and ending Saturday, October 16, the Highland girls were scheduled to play seven games in eight days.

   Not only did that play all seven, but they won all seven, including six straight from Monday through Saturday. For that amazing effort, the entire Highland team is the Hudson Valley Sports Report Athletes of the Week.

   Other athletes in consideration for this week’s award, in no particular order:

• Dominic Calvanico, Wallkill. The rushed for 157 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns, and also had another 98 yards in pass receptions and kickoff returns for a total of 255 all-purpose yards in Wallkill’s win over Monticello.

• Kevin Dandrade, Beacon. Dandrade rushed for 134 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bullodgs to a 41-12 win over Woodlands.

• Adam Laubach, Marlboro. Laubach had a natural hat trick, leading the host Iron Dukes to a 6-0 boys’ soccer win over Highland.

• Jimmy Ross, Millbrook. A two-time winner of the HVSR AOTW, Ross rushed 19 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns as the Blazers clinched the Section Nine, Class C, Division II title.

• Darryl Clark, New Paltz. Just chalk up 220 more rushing yards for Clark as he helped keep the Huguenots undefeated with a 14-7 win over Red Hook.

• Kyle Murphy, Red Hook. The senior, headed to Clemson University to play soccer collegiately, had a hat trick in Red Hook’s 5-0 win over Onteora.

• Matt Garcia, Ketcham. Garcia is the main reason why John Jay is no longer undefeated in boys’ soccer. The senior had both goals as the Indians pulled the 2-0 upset on the Patriots.

• Ariana Wilson, Arlington. What a game for Wilson against Fox Lane as she recorded seven service points, 35 assists, seven blocks, 14 kills and 20 digs in a 3-2 win.

• Elena Howland, Red Hook, and Emily McDonough, Marlboro. Going up against each other last week, the former had four goals and an assist and the latter had three goals and an assist in Red Hook’s wild 5-4 win over the Dukes.

   They were all impressive performances, of course, but what the Highland girls’ soccer team was simply outstanding, especially when you put it into this context – over the course of eight days, the Huskies played 560 minutes of soccer.

   The resiliency and the sheer force of will, particularly late in the week when legs surely were getting tired, was amazing.

   Highland opened the stretch last Saturday, Oct. 9, with a 1-0 win over Spackenkill, handing the Spartans their first loss.

   Then it was 3-0 over Ellenville on Monday, 4-1 over Ellenville on Tuesday, 9-1 against Coleman on Wednesday, a pair of 3-0 victories over Rhinebeck on Thursday and Friday, and then a 1-0 win over Marlboro on Saturday.