silk wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 8:05 am
Section Finals set (all games at Lakeland)
A - Mamaroneck vs Lakeland Panas
B - Yorktown vs John Jay
C- Rye vs Byram Hills
D - Briarcliff vs Pleasantville
Section 1, who ya got?
Sorry for slacking; busy with work and family. However, I have kept up with the scores since my last post. There have been some amazing games and upsets.
D: As noted, Class D is truly in a class by itself with four strong teams, including several that have sufficient out of section/out of state games to warrant the title. Briarcliff (14-4) and Pleasantville (13-6) are newer programs in Section I and have hit the ground running. Bronxville's return to prominence in Section I (11-6) was a surprise in that they have a new coach, but considering where he came from (Brother Rice, MI) maybe there is no basis for surprise.
At any rate, it is good for the section to have Briarcliff in the final. Compliments to the Bears Coach, Al Meola. The Bears have only 4 losses, Summit (record: 13-2), Ridgefield (record: 15-2) New Fairfield (record: 17-1) and Bronxville.
Pleasantville played several Class A and B schools, so their record (13-6) does not reflect how good they are. The Panthers lost to Class B John Jay by 1, Class A Scarsdale by 2 and Class A Farmingdale(Sec.8) by 1. Briarcliff lost to Bronxville 8-7 on April 18th, but later beat P'ville 9-8 on May 4th.
Pleasantville lost to Bronxville 13 - 11 on April 25th, but the 4th seeded Panthers beat the #1 seeded Bronxville 11-10 in OT when it mattered most: May 20th in the Class D sectional semi-finals.
A: Mamaroneck at this time looks like it can be a legit rep of Sec. I Class A at the state level. Their record is an amazing 17-1. Obviously, Ward Melville is a program that has a storied history, but I hope the Tigers continue to grow and continue to upgrade their schedule, adding more Sec. 8 and Sec. 11 teams as well as Connecticut and New Jersey teams. Mamaroneck has won about 17 straight games. They beat Wantagh (Sec VIII) 9-8 and Half Hollows East (Sex. XI) 8-5.
The Lakeland Hornets/Panas Panthers is an interesting team. Their record is not good (9-10). Yet, the tradition of excellence in the Lakeland program that produced players like Egan (Cuse) and Beardsley (Cuse) seems to have a life of its own, and the Hornets/Panthers find themselves, yet again in the final. They are unpredictable and therefore dangerous. The Tigers must play perfect lacrosse bc L/P will be seeking revenge.
B: I picked Yorktown to win Class B because of the talent they had returning this season (granted, they graduated Brett Makar at defense who played beyond his years as a started for Maryland) and because John Jay graduated approx. 18 players. The 'Huskers beat John Jay early in the season, 8-3. However, Yorktown (13-5) subsequently suffered some injuries, while John Jay (16-2) simply showed how strong their program is and how the kids are tuned in to the coaching staff and next-man-up philosophy. The Indians' only other loss was to nationally ranked Manhasset in their opener by the score of 11-5. John Jay beat Wilton by 1, Cold Spring Harbor by 9, Shoreham-Wading River by 2 and Iona Prep by 5. They have the momentum, but Yorktown....is Yorktown.
C: Rye (13-5), as expected is in the finals in Class C. However, I am very impressed with Byram Hills (12-6), a team that improved from last year. They also have a relatively new coach, Michael Johnson (3rd year), two big scorers and a senior goalie, Griffen Rakower, who committed to Princeton. He is the real deal; understands the game. The Bobcats lost to Rye a few weeks ago in Armonk 8-3, but the score was 6-3 in the 4th if I recall. I saw the highlight video. Rye moves the ball very well. Byram Hills started the season strong with an opening day victory over Class A Mahopac by 4 goals. However, they lost to a depleted Class C-Pelham squad in OT and then lost by four goals to Pleasantville 11-7. In contrast, Rye opened with an 8-6 loss to John Jay, destroyed Class B Somers, lost to P'Ville 8-7 in triple OT on April 6th, beat Lakeland Hornets/Panas Panthers, then recently lost to Yorktown 8-4 on May 13th. Both the Garnets and the Bobcats are in-stride, destroying their most recent sectional playoff opponents: No. 1 Rye 16, No. 5 Pelham 3 and No. 2 Byram Hills 15 , No. 3 Nanuet 4. Although only one victory separates their number of victories, Rye beat the Bobcats head-to-head earlier this season, Rye has a stronger schedule than the Bobcats and Rye played relatively well against those strong programs.
So, here are my predictions:
Class A Mamaroneck
Class B John Jay
Class C Rye
Class D Pleasantville, but only bc of experience in the sectional final. Really too close to call.
(The records posted above are from IL, so they may be incorrect, but close enough to get an idea of the talent)