NCN LAX/BASKETBALL BLOG

Here is Jesse Drinks returning a punt 88 yards against Somers in the Class A semi-final game played tonight, errr, yesterday.

Ossining won the game, 11-9, advancing to the finals to take on Fox Lane.

Ossining’s entire defensive line was spectacular — especially Richie Royster and Jeff Ward.

Check back for complete highlights of the Somers vs. Ossining game.

I haven’t poked in here post-game since lax season.

But I will give you a heads up that a highlight video of Ossining vs. Harrison is on its way.

We will try and get it done as quickly as possible.

A few quick comments on the game …

Drinks got his Santana Moss on with that 48-yard TD catch, eh? Hey, Kreamer, Chad Pennington doesn’t make that throw — beautiful play.

On the other hand, Drinks looked like Chad with that floater across the middle on the halfback option. But, hey, it was still completed and was a HUGE play in that game. Where did James Brundage come from!?!?

Perez looked super charged out there tonight. It was a man beast performance.

The grass at Feeley field has to be torn to shreds. You can thank the Ossining offense for that — 56 carries to seven passes. What a way to carry out a game plan and control that clock.

There were a total of six completions between both teams and two went for scores.

Jeff Ward is underrated on the line. He gets his paws on anything in his vicinity. I saw it versus Lakeland in the first game of the season and I saw it again tonight.

Out of Myles Thomas’ three interceptions, none was prettier than his one in the far corner of the end zone.

Who is ready for Somers vs. Ossining part II?

To order this movie on HD DVD for $20.00 — contact me at icass@ncnlocal.com

1. John Jay (6-1)

Jay looked like their usual dominant self in the first half against White Plains, but tapered off in the second half. They are still the cream of the crop in this region, however, they will need to down shift a gear come playoff time and rev it up for Mt. Vernon. -IC

2. Somers (6-1)

Wow. The Tuskers defense shutout a high-powered Fox Lane offense that put up 35 against Ossining and 39 against Mahopac. Don’t give me, “The ball was wet and it hurt the Fox Lane passing game.” There were a couple sprinkles. It’s football. Congrats to Somers on winning their league. It was a class act to take a knee at the end when they could have ran up the score. In the opening round of the Class A playoffs, the Tuskers take on a 3-3 Nyack squad Thursday who is no slouch by any means. If they move on they will be facing the winner of Harrison/Ossining. It should be very interesting as Somers has a history with Harrison (I was at that sectional title game in 01’ and I still have nightmares from it) and obviously they want their revenge against Ossining. – RD

3. Ossining (6-1)

Ossining thumped Panas in their regular season finale, but Somers’ defeat of Fox Lane was that much more impressive. A good sign for the river crew was that Federico had a solid game on the ground, which he will need to have in order for Ossining to defeat Harrison in their first round playoff game. Brundage and Federico’s success in the running game should be the deciding factor of whether or not Ossining can pull off the upset. In my view, this epic game will go the way of Coach Ricci and co. -IC

4. Mahopac (5-2)

Anthony Castellitto continuing to fight for yards against Carmel — even after his helmet popped off — perfectly summed up the character of this team. They are tough as nails and beyond courageous. It is a shame that their dream season and playoff chances ended in such a heartbreaking fashion against Carmel. However, they put on quite the show, giving the crowd, in my opinion, the best game in Section I this season. With Justin Wagner’s tragic accident, the Indians learned about a lot more than football this season. As Coach Donahoe said, “There is more to life than the outcome of a football game.”  -IC

5. Yorktown (5-2)

‘Town suffered a setback against Scarsdale. It appears that they were forced to go to the air against the beefy Scarsdale defensive line, seeing as Froats threw the ball more than two dozen times. This is not ‘Town’s MO on offense. Their strength lies in a balanced running attack with the occasional pass here and there, getting the defense off balance. They will have to play a beyond perfect game to upset New Ro’.  -IC

6. Putnam Valley (5-2)

PV’s run came to an end in the first round of the Class B playoffs versus a very tough Westlake team. Westlake has a defense that hasn’t let up more than 12 points in a league game all season (only 9 points to Pleasantville). O’Gorman couldn’t get going and their passing game isn’t strong enough to come back from a large deficit. The Tigers look for redemption against Briarcliff this week, who defeated them 14-7 in week one. – RD

7. Lakeland (3-4)

The Hornets have now qualified to play in the post-season five years in a row. The “Lakeland 19” is a special group and plays an old school brand of football. Kelly stepping to the forefront to lead his team to victory was quite the sight. It would be silly to count this group out against Eastchester in their first-round playoff game. An upset is more than a possibility. - IC

8. Briarcliff (4-3)

Da Bears got knocked out of the playoffs by Rye in the opening round. Their offense has been shutout the past two weeks. My bet is that Coach Consorti will have the team ready for PV this week and Briarcliff will end the season with some pride. – RD

9.Hen Hud (3-4)

The Sailors failed to make the playoffs after falling 10-0 to Lakeland. After losing the Killer B’s to graduation, the Sailors still turned in a strong season. With DeSilva and co. coming back next season things are looking up for Hen Hud. – RD

10.Croton-Harmon (2-5)

Upset city! Croton, the forgotten bunch, changed things up and came out on top. It is a credit to John Catano. He was flexible enough to put the ball in the hands of his playmakers in Mainiero and Luntz. Who else thinks the new look Tigers will keep their streak rolling? They have nothing to lose against the Broncos. It is all gravy from here on out. -IC

11. Kennedy Catholic (1-6)

Feels like déjà vu as Kennedy got knocked around by Edgemont for the second week in a row. It’s been a long season for the Gaels and I’m sure they’re looking forward to hoops season and a change of pace. – RD

12. Lincoln Hall (3-4)

The Hall fell to Tuckahoe in OT by a 12-6 final. Tough break for the United. The team has definitely come together and has improved by leaps and bounds since week one against Croton-Harmon. – RD

13. Panas (1-6)

Panas had the misfortune of being Ossining’s punching bag before the playoffs. The game was over by halftime. – RD

14. Peekskill (0-7)

I really thought Peekskill was going to pull it out against Brewster in a battle of winless teams. Look on the bright side, Mookie Jones is going to Syracuse and it’s almost basketball season where the Red Devils shine year in and year out. - RD

To order this movie on HD DVD for $20.00 — contact me at icass@ncnlocal.com

1) John Jay (5-1)

It was business as usual for the Indians, as they destroyed the Red Raiders. Clearly the cream of the crop in the AA Central League, Jay has a legitimate shot to dethrone the mighty Hugenots from New Rochelle. With the way Bocklet is playing, it is more reality than fiction. - IC

2) Ossining (5-1)

The river crew bounced back from the stunning loss to Fox Lane. Brundage played like a man possessed, carrying his team to victory with an astounding 31 carries. Anything less than a Sectional Title would be considered a disappointment for this team. - IC

3) Somers (5-1)

Panas gave Somers a run for their money at the Panthers homecoming game before Somers erupted for 21 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Fun fact: Somers has scored exactly 28 points in their last four games, which have all resulted in wins. Something tells me they will have to score at least 28 this week to beat the high-powered Fox Lane offense led by star QB Mike Mathews. If they limit the turnovers against a pesky Fox Lane defense, we could be in for a very close game. Home field could be the difference for the Tuskers. - RD

4) Mahopac (5-1)

Sans Castellitto, the Indians still came through with an inspiring road victory against Poughkeepsie. This team of destiny needs to keep it rolling against Carmel on Friday to earn a playoff berth. It is a down right ugly rivalry and could easily be the game of the regular season. -IC

5) Yorktown (5-1)

‘Town looks to be headed to the playoffs. Rescigno got nailed with a Gatorade bath and I remained dry. It was nice of the team to wait until the coldest day of the fall to nail him. I mean, it was only 80 degrees the previous week in White Plains. You don’t want to get the ‘God Father’ of the ‘Town family sick. -IC

6)    Putnam Valley (5-1)

The Tigers disposed of Ardsley 17-0 in their playoff tune-up game, earning them the #3 seed in the Class B playoffs. PV takes on a 4-2 Westlake team this weekend to open up the playoffs. Westlake should see a steady diet of O’Gorman as well as Considine and the Tigers should move on. - RD

7)  Lakeland (2-4)

The Hornets limited Mike Mathews and Fox Lane to 21 points, which is an accomplishment in itself. They will have to throw it all on the line this Saturday against the Sailors. With a homecoming crowd in place, I don’t see the Hornets losing this game and sacrificing a chance to make the playoff’s six years in a row. Coach Cappelli will have his team jacked up. - IC

8) Briarcliff (4-2)

Da Bears fell to Nanuet 27 zip this past week, which wasn’t a good sign heading into post-season play. Briarcliff dropped to the #7 seed in Class B and has the misfortune of playing powerhouse Rye (6-0) in the opening round. -RD

9) Hen Hud (3-3)

The Sailors pulled out a close one over Brewster on another come from behind win in the fourth quarter. DeSilva did it all for the Sailors again rushing for two scores and over 100 yards receiving. The comeback kids face off with Lakeland this week, which should be an interesting contest. - RD

10) Lincoln Hall (3-3)

The poor United had to face off with nationally ranked Dobbs Ferry last week. It was a great test/experience for the team to face such a high caliber squad. I think they’ll rebound nicely this week against Tuckahoe. - RD

11) Kennedy Catholic (1-5)

Kennedy fell to Edgemont 49-16. The Gaels look to seek revenge as they play Edgemont again this week. - RD

12) Croton-Harmon (1-5)

The Tigers are having trouble getting things going on the offensive side of the ball. But they are still poised to make the playoffs. –IC

13) Panas (1-5)

The Panthers made a game of it with Somers at their homecoming. The team must have been really pumped up following their first win against Brewster. After two solid performances in a row, I have a feeling Panas will finish the season with some pride and not let Ossining manhandle them. -RD

14) Peekskill (0-6)

The Red Devils came so close to a comeback win this past week, falling 32-22 to Long Island Lutheran. I’m telling you that W is coming and it could happen this week against Brewster. - RD

1) John Jay

I knew in the back of my mind that the Indians deserved this top ranking all season. Well, here it is, albeit long overdue. Jay is ascending at the right time, and will hopefully start peaking come the playoffs. This is just a disgustingly good team in all facets of the game. We will see how they fare without Swertfager at center. -IC

2) Ossining

Shocking loss for the river crew against Fox Lane, as the turnovers really killed them. Clarkstown South will give them little sympathy this weekend. It will be another tough test – sans Perez it will be ever tougher. - IC

3. Somers (4-1)

The Tuskers beat the Sailors 28-7 behind three Rob Lombardo TD’s to push his season total to 12. They take on Panas this week, but the real test is next week against Fox Lane. – RD

4. Mahopac (4-1)

The Indians are opening up the playbook as teams are keying in on Autera. Perelle has been the beneficiary. Castellitto, who went down with a shoulder injury, is a key to this team’s successes. Hopefully, for the Indians, he will be back in the lineup this weekend. - IC

5. Yorktown (4-1)

‘Town showed how far the concept of team football can take a team in their win over White Plains. The Tigers had better athletes and a deeper sideline. It is a credit to Head Coach Rescigno and his staff. You can tell that the team really believes in what he is preaching. And to think, this was all without stud running back John Fennessy. You couldn’t help smiling after seeing this team continue their Cinderella season. Luckily, as I interviewed Rescigno, the team didn’t hit him with the Gatorade bath. They were eying him, that’s for sure. It seems every successive game is the big game for the Huskers. This week against Mamaroneck is no different. - IC

6. Lakeland (2-3)

The Hornets were faced with a daunting task in a cross over game against independent Tappan Zee and they almost pulled it out. I don’t understand why Tappan Zee is an independent in the first place. This crew will never give up, but need to play a perfect game to defeat the Foxes. - IC

7. Briarcliff (4-1)

The Bears had a dramatic come from behind win against Edgemont 21-20. Brian Smith took it to the house with a minute to go from midfield. They boldly went for two to win the game. Nanuet should be another test this week. – RD

8. Putnam Valley (4-1)

Putnam Valley defeated an Eric Mercado-less JFK team 20-6. Their stellar defense held the Gaels to 95 total yards. They should improve to 5-1 against Ardsley this week. – RD

9. Hen Hud (2-3)

The Sailors fell to Somers 28-7. The game was closer than the score indicates as the Sailors were able to move the ball, but kept shooting themselves in the foot when they had scoring opportunities. They take on a 0-5 Brewster team that is much better than their record indicates. – RD

10. Lincoln Hall (3-2)

The United defeated Pawling 16-14. Sir Aaron Taylor had two touchdown passes in the victory. The Hall takes on powerhouse Dobbs Ferry this week. – RD

11. Kennedy Catholic (1-4)

The Gaels lost to PV 20-6. Running back Eric Mercado was injured in the first quarter and had to leave the game. Kennedy has another tough game in Edgemont this week. – RD

12. Croton-Harmon (1-4)

Stuck in a losing streak since opening day. - IC

13. Panas (1-4)

Congrats to the Panthers who pulled out that first W against Brewster 21-20. They run into Somers this week followed by Ossining. Ouch. – RD

14. Peekskill (0-5)

Peekskill fell to Tuckahoe 27-6. They take on a 5-0 Long Island Lutheran squad this week. - RD