Can anyone beat John Glenn?

For some reason, I never remember fearing the vaunted Knights of John Glenn during my high school days. Perhaps I just didn't pay close enough attention. But it seems like any time one of our local school faces Glenn in the playoffs, it's always the Knights coming out on top. The latest example was Wednesday when Glenn beat Shoreham in girls soccer. So I decided to go back and look at some of the recent playoff matchups between Glenn and one of our local teams:

Fall 08

Girls Soccer: Glenn 2, SWR 1, Class A Quarterfinals

Spring 07

Boys Lax: Mt. Sinai 15, Glenn 6, Class C Championship

Baseball: Glenn 4, SWR 3, Class A first round

Baseball: Glenn 8, Rocky Point 6, Class A semifinals

Winter 07

Girls Basketball: Glenn 38, SWR 36, Class A semifinals

In boys basketball Glenn didn't face any of our teams in the postseason, but they were seeded second in the bracket, higher than any of our teams.

Fall 07

Girls V-ball: Glenn 3, Mt. Sinai 0, Class B Championship

Boys Soccer: Glenn 3, Mt. Sinai 1, Class A semifinals

We'll very likely be able to add two more this fall in favor of Glenn. The Knights should play either Shoreham or Mt. Sinai in football in the first round and should win. The girls volleyball team will also win again against Mount Sinai assuming the Mustangs can beat Bayport Saturday.

Cross Country times

The cross country county championship is Friday at Sunken Meadow State Park.

Here are the race times:

Girls Class B/C/D: 1:30

Boys Class A: 1:55

Boys Class B/C/D: 2:25

Boys Class AA: 2:50

Girls Class A: 3:20

Girls Class AA: 3:45

We should have county champs in the boys and girls B/C/D race. The Shoreham boys should have no trouble winning their race. In the girls B/C/D it'll be either Shoreham or Mount Sinai.

In the Class A race keep an eye on Miller Place to see if the Panthers can win a title. They came close last year and will be close again.

It's playoffs, so that means rain!

It wouldn't be the playoffs without weather wreaking havoc on the schedule. So as the rain pours down on Long Island, teams will be forced to wait another day to get their games in.

The field hockey and girls soccer games will now be Wednesday at the same time, 3 p.m., weather permitting, of course.

The girls tennis playoff matches were also pushed back to Thursday at 3 p.m. The semifinals and finals of the individual tournament will be Wednesday at noon.

Thoughts on Week 7...

Not the best week for local football teams. SWR, Mt. Sinai, Miller Place and Rocky Point all went down, although two of those were expected (SWR, Mt. Sinai, who faced the top two D-IV teams). Of course, the lone winner was old reliable, Longwood. The Lions continue to assert themselves as the best team next to William Floyd in D-I. It's hard to remember the last game the Lions lost to a team other than Floyd... 

Actually, it was Brentwood in 2006 that did it. The Indians won that day, 8-6, on a game played on Sunday after postponed a day. I remember how it was such a big game, yet nobody showed up. It was a cold, windy Sunday and the place at Brentwood was lifeless. Longwood had a late field goal attempt to win it and missed. Anyway, I talk about Brentwood because it was the Lions and Indians Saturday afternoon on Longwood's homecoming. These Longwood-Brentwood games have been such close battles the past few years, but this one was anything but close. The Lions dominated, 45-13, and led at the half 29-0. 

The win improves the Lions' record to 6-1 with one game left against a weak Sachem East team. Give the Lions credit for putting the weaker teams away early. While they haven't always extended leads late in games, the Lions have built big leads that have been too big for teams to overcome. It's much better than falling behind and having to fight and crawl back.

With Floyd's win Saturday against Connetquot, the Colonials are all but locked for the top seed. A win for Longwood would lock the two seed. From there, several scenarios could unfold. But look for Connetquot, Lindenhurst and Northport to vie for the three/four seeds and a first-round home game. The next three spots will likely go to Sachem North, Brentwood and Pat-Med. Melville and Whitman are still in the mix at 3-4 for a possible eight seed.

I didn't cover the Longwood game this weekend in person, figuring it would be a lopsided game as it was. I headed out to Sayville for a big D-III showdown between Miller Place and the Golden Flashes.

While the Flashes held on, 17-13, to take control of the division, the Panthers put up a good fight and should come away with confidence that if they were to face again, they could definitely win, especially if at Stony Brook. A turnover and a few mistakes cost the Panthers. That's what happens against real good teams on the road. You can't give a team like Sayville an opportunity for easy scores. 

The Flashes will likely end up as the top seed after Harborfields somehow lost to East Hampton. It looked like Harborfields would go 8-0, but were shocked by East Hampton, 7-0. So the Flashes should have the power point advantage over any other 7-1 team. Miller Place, with a win this week at Huntington, still may fall to a seed lower than four. It's tough to call, but it would seem improbable the Panthers get a seed higher than four at best case scenario. 

Sayville, Harborfields, Hills West and Hauppauge would appear to be your top four. If the Panthers finished as a five and had to play, say, at Hauppauge, that's not a bad first-round matchup. Of course, in the 4-5 game means playing Sayville on the road in the semifinals. What the Panthers really want to avoid is playing Hills West in the first round. Miller Place coach Ron Petrie maintained that the Colts are the best team the Panthers have faced this year.

Mount Sinai defeats Rocky Point

The Mount Sinai girls soccer team won its Class A outbracket game Saturday afternoon at Rocky Point, 2-0. Junior Alley Abbruzo scored both goals for the Mustangs, who advanced to face top-seeded and defending county champion Islip Tuesday. The ninth-seeded Mustangs improved to 10-6 and have won three straight after losing to Bayport, 4-1, Oct. 17.

Islip has won the county championship each of the past three seasons.

Oh, and one more note: Islip hasn't given up a goal since Sept. 19, a 2-1 loss to Sayville. That's nine straight games (8-0-1) without surrendering a goal. In total, the Bucs have given up four goals this season, all of which came in the first three games.

Playoff Brackets Posted!

We'll start with boys soccer.

The brackets are pretty similar to how I predicted earlier. Mount Sinai did earn the No. 2 seed despite falling into a tie with Miller Place. So good news for the Mustangs, who won't have to face Comsewogue until a county championship. Miller Place meanwhile gets Sayville in the first round. Yikes! Here's the rule with Sayville in soccer: You never, ever want to play them. I don't care what their record is.

So here it goes:

1. Comsewogue

vs.

8. Bayport-Blue Point vs. 9. Harborfields

5. Sayville

vs.

4. Miller Place

3. Hauppauge

vs. 

6. SWR

7. Westhampton

vs.

2. Mt. Sinai

The outbracket game is Monday and the first round games are Thursday with the semifinals to be played Monday, Nov. 3. The county championship will be Thursday, Nov. 6 at Dowling Sports Complex.

I'd feel real good about Mt. Sinai winning its first game against Westhampton. The Hurricanes have struggled down the stretch and I think the Mustangs got their bad game out of the way Wednesday at Shoreham. 

Our other two schools, however, I think are prime for one and done. I never pick against Sayville and Shoreham has been very inconsistent the last three weeks. If they play like they did Wednesday, they can win. If not, Hauppauge can run away with that game.

Onto FIELD HOCKEY:

Three local teams made it as expected.

1. Sayville

vs.

8. Huntington

5. East Hampton

vs.

4. Rocky Point

3. SWR

vs.

6. Bayport-Blue Point

7. Harborfields

vs.

2. Miller Place

I like all of our teams to win Tuesday and advance to the semis Thursday. The real confusing part of the bracket is how in the world Miller Place earned a higher seed than Shoreham-Wading River. Shoreham led Division III all year until at the very end, Miller Place jumped the Wildcats in power points. If anyone cared about field hockey, this would be causing a major stir right now. But it's field hockey, so I'm sure no one has noticed outside of Shoreham or Miller Place.

But Miller Place finished 12-2, 14-3. Shoreham finished 13-1, 15-2. OK, so Shoreham had a better record. But why would something like better records matter in determining standings? It comes down to power points. So MP gets the edge with 170.o10 to Shoreham's 166.43.

But look closer. Who did Miller Place lose to? Shoreham. TWICE! 

Miller Place is a very good team that can win a county championship, but the Panthers have no business finishing ahead of Shoreham and to do so makes an absolute mockery of Suffolk County field hockey. Last I checked the Wildcats were defending county champions. And the Wildcats have won six of the last seven games between the two schools, including in the playoffs last year. Now this lower seeding doesn't hurt the Wildcats that much. It just means they have to play at Miller Place as opposed to home in the second round. But it's still perplexing and shouldn't be.

You can argue the power points could work into Miller Place's favor had Shoreham played a significantly worse schedule. They did not. The Wildcats' only loss came to Rocky Point, 1-0. The Eagles are pretty good this year, right? Seeded fourth in the playoffs?

Breaking down their schedules, Miller Place played:

SWR: 13-1

Rocky Point: 11-3

Pierson: 12-2

Port Jeff: 7-7

East Hampton: 7-7

Comsewogue: 5-9

Hampton Bays: 2-12

SWR played:

MP: 12-2

RP: 11-3

Port Jeff: 7-7

Riverhead: 7-7

East Hampton: 7-7

Comsewogue: 5-9

Southampton: 3-11

So Miller Place's opponents went: 57-41, a .582 percentage

Shoreham's opponents went: 52-46, a .531 percentage

One more note: SWR outscored opponents 54-7. MP outscored opponents 50-13.

Sorry, but that's nowhere near enough to give Miller Place a higher seed after losing TWICE to Shoreham. Unbelievable.

Onto GIRLS SOCCER:

1. Islip

vs. 

9. Mt. Sinai vs. 8. Rocky Point

5. SWR

vs.

4. John Glenn

3. Harborfields

vs. 

6. Bayport-Blue Point

7. Hauppauge

vs.

2. Sayville

Should be a quick girls soccer postseason. I like RP over Mt. Sinai for the right to lose to Islip. SWR should take care of Glenn and then the Wildcats will fall victim to Islip. 

I'd be shocked to see anything but Islip playing Sayville for the county title.

Boys Soccer Playoffs

In my previous post I broke down my prediction of the Class A girls soccer playoffs. So here come the boys.

Mount Sinai missed a big chance to win the League VI title outright Wednesday with a loss at Shoreham-Wading River. So the Mustangs are co-champs with Miller Place which makes it interesting as to which team earns the higher seed. The teams split the season series with 1-0 wins. Mount Sinai won the more recent game Saturday at home. We'll see Friday.

As with the girls, the No. 8 and No. 9 will play each other for the right to face the No. 1.

Here's how I would align the bracket:

1. Comsewogue (14-0, League V)

vs.

8. Westhampton (7-6-1, League VI) vs. 9. Bayport-Blue Point (6-6-2, League VI)

5. Sayville (10-4, League V)

vs.

4. Miller Place (9-2-3, League VI)

3. Mount Sinai (10-3-1, League VI)

vs.

6. Harborfields (6-6-2, League V)

2. Hauppauge (11-3, League V)

vs.

7. Shoreham-Wading River (8-6)

Harborfields makes it official

The Harborfields girls soccer won Thursday afternoon against Westhampton, 5-0, to clinch the League VI title, which had been held by Shoreham-Wading River the last two years. The Wildcats finished in second place with a very respectable record of 10-1-1, the same record that won them the league title last year.

Harborfields really came out of nowhere this year to go 11-0-1. In League V last year the Tornadoes went 2-9-1 to finish last. A young team this season, the Tornadoes should be tough again next year. While their poor record last year is partly attributable to playing in the ultra-competitive League V, it's still hard to imagine how they made such a dramatic turnaround so quickly. Rocky Point had a much better season a year after playing in League V, but not to the same level. Rocky Point went 2-8-2 last year and finished 8-4 this year, losing to Harborfields and Shoreham twice.

The brackets for girls soccer will be posted Friday, but as of Thursday night, here's my rough prediction of how things might look. Nine teams will get in, so the eight/nine seeds will play an outbracket Saturday for the right to play the No. 1. As for that No. 1, does it go to Islip or Sayville?? Tough call. I'll go with Islip since the Bucs beat Sayville 4-0 in their last meeting.

So here's how I would align the teams:

1. Islip (10-1-1, League V)

vs.

8. Hauppauge (6-5-1, League V) vs. 9. Mt. Sinai (7-5, League VII)

5. John Glenn (10-2, League VII)

vs.

4. SWR (10-1-1, League VI)

3. Sayville (10-1-1, League VI)

vs.

6. Rocky Point (8-4, League VI)

2. Harborfields (11-0-1, League VI)

vs.

7. Bayport-Blue Point (9-2-1, League VII)

Now, does Harborfields, since its the only unbeaten team receive the top seed, even though Islip and Sayville are the superior teams? It could happen, but I doubt it based on the fact that Islip and Sayville have clearly been the two best teams in Class A since like, 1945. But with an unbeaten record and League VI title, Harborfields does deserve the No. 2 seed.

Thoughts on Week 6...

Two weeks to go in the high school football season and things are taking shape. With eight teams making the postseason this year, it's created a lot more meaning to the end of the regular season for many teams which otherwise would be running out the string.

The Longwood Lions improved to 5-1 in Division I and are in prime position to earn the No. 2 seed for the second straight year. The Lions played a terrific first half against a good Lindenhurst team Friday night with their only mishaps coming on the opening kickoff which the Bulldogs returned for an touchdown. Later in the half Eddie Wess threw a late pick after completing a 40-plus yard pass to Nick Esposito, halting a drive that nearly resulted in points the other way for Lindenhurst. The Lions made too many mistakes in the second half, but had built enough of a lead to withstand it. It was a similar game to Week 1 against Connetquot where the Lions built an early lead, couldn't add on, then had to hang on for dear life. Lindenhurst never really threatened to win the game Friday — their last touchdown came on the last play of the game — but it was still closer than you would have liked. 

I've liked the passing defense the Lions have shown this year. You'll remember William Floyd came out throwing against Longwood in Week 2 and had little success. Lindenhurst didn't have much success either until late in the game when the Bulldogs relied on short passes, which the Lions were willing to give up as they played a protective Cover-3.

The Lions finish the regular season against Brentwood at home Saturday for homecoming and then go to Sachem East. I don't see the Lions having too much trouble in either game and should finish 7-1, which means they don't have to face Floyd until the county championship. Of course, even if the Lions slip to a three seed, they still wouldn't face Floyd until the county championship.

What's important to keep an eye on is where Sachem North lands. The Flaming Arrows are 2-4 and finish against Pat-Med and Lindenhurst. Sachem could very well end up in the seven seed and come to Longwood in the first round. That's a very scary first round matchup and one the Lions would be very happy to avoid. Longwood coach Chris Meyer would much rather see a team like Northport in the first round. Even Pat-Med or Brentwood would be a more welcome sight.

The Miller Place Panthers also improved to 5-1 in Division III after a high-powered win against Deer Park Saturday, 47-28. It sets up a huge showdown Saturday at 5-1 Sayville, the team regarded as the best in the division. The Panthers will likely need a win to earn enough power points to receive one of the top four seeds. I think if the Panthers finish 6-2, it won't be enough for a seed higher than five or six, which is hard to believe. Hills West will finish 5-3 and will have more power points than Miller Place at 6-2, unless the Panthers can beat Sayville.

Harborfields has two easy games left so expect the Tornadoes to earn the top seed with an 8-0 record. If Sayville wins its next two, the Golden Flashes will be seeded second. Kings Park, Hills West, Miller Place, Islip and Hauppauge will all be fighting for power points to finish as high as possible. I like Rocky Point to grab the eighth seed, although the Eagles are only 2-4.

Playoffs nearly here; who's in, who's out?

Incredibly, the playoffs are just about upon us already in high school sports. While football still has a ways to go — we enter Week 6 this weekend — the remaining sports will conclude this week with playoffs to start shortly after.

So here's a breakdown of each sport and what local teams are in or out.

GIRLS SOCCER

IN: Shoreham-Wading River, Rocky Point

The Eagles (6-3) clinched a playoff berth, their first since 2005, with a win Wednesday against Miller Place. The Eagles travel to unbeaten Harborfields Friday with a chance to boost their potential playoff seeding. The Eagles can do Shoreham a big favor with a win. If the Eagles can defeat Harborfields, it would set up a potential winner-take-all for League VI Tuesday at Shoreham. The Wildcats (8-1) need to beat Miller Place Friday to give themselves a chance at winning the league title, their third straight, Tuesday. Harborfields and Shoreham both play one game after Tuesday, but face weaker teams they should handle. If Harborfields beats Rocky Point, the best Shoreham can do is be co-champs.

BUBBLE: Mount Sinai, Miller Place

The Mustangs lost Wednesday, 3-2, against John Glenn to fall to 5-4 in League VII with three games remaining. They'll need one more win to clinch a playoff spot, their first since 2006. The Mustangs face a tough test Friday at Bayport-Blue Point, but should clinch against Southampton Saturday. The Mustangs beat Southampton, 8-0, in their last meeting Oct. 10. They end Oct. 23 against Mattituck.

Miller Place (4-5-1) dug itself a hole with a 0-0 tie last Saturday against East Hampton. The Panthers needed a win and must now beat Shoreham and Westhampton to clinch a playoff spot. The Panthers loss to Rocky Point Wednesday might have been their last chance to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Panthers could tie Shoreham and get in with a win at Westhampton. Don't expect the Wildcats, though, to bring anything but their 'A' game to Miller Place Friday.

OUT: Longwood (1-8-1)

BOYS SOCCER

IN: Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Shoreham-Wading River

The Panthers and Mustangs will face each other Saturday night in a game that will go a long way in determining the League VI champion. Miller Place sits at 7-1-3 and Mount Sinai is 8-2-1. The teams are tied in points so a win Saturday is crucial. Both teams still have to face Shoreham-Wading River, which is no easy task.  Miller Place faces the Wildcats Monday while the Mustangs meet the Wildcats Wednesday. Mount Sinai also faces East Hampton while Miller Place ends the season against Westhampton.

The Wildcats looked like a contender to win the League VI title, but stumbled by losing four of five games and lost its coach, Louis Manoussos, replaced by Sal Mignano. But the Wildcats are 2-1 under Mignano and clinched a playoff berth Thursday night with a 6-0 thumping of Amityville. The Wildcats (7-5) won't win the league title, but can still make noise in the playoffs and will be seeded lower than they really should be.

BUBBLE: Longwood

Longwood sits at 5-5-1 in League I and needs two wins in its last three games to clinch a playoff spot. With Brentwood looming in the season finale, that means the Lions need to win their next two games against Ward Melville and Sachem East. It won't be easy. The Lions lost to Melville, 3-1, their first meeting and tied Sachem East, 1-1.

OUT: Rocky Point (1-8-2 League V)

FIELD HOCKEY

IN: Shoreham-Wading River, Miller Place, Rocky Point

All three teams are in the Class B playoffs. The only question is where the teams will be seeded. Miller Place faces Rocky Point Friday for a pivotal game that will determine which team gets a higher seed. Shoreham will likely finish first in Division III once again. 

GIRLS TENNIS

IN: Longwood, Mt. Sinai

Correction to earlier post: The top four teams get in from the upper divisions, so Longwood (5-5) and Mt. Sinai are both in (4-6), but will likely face outbracket matches to get in to the 16-team tournament.

OUT: Rocky Point, Miller Place, Shoreham-Wading River

Miller Place (8-4 League VI) and Rocky Point (7-5 League VIII) needed to win their leagues to earn a spot in the 16-team tournament. Shoreham was winless entering Thursday in League VII.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

IN: Mount Sinai

The Mustangs benefitted the other day when Babylon lost to fall to 8-3. The Mustangs are 9-2, but still have to face John Glenn once more, which means they'll have at least three losses as well. So it shapes up for the Mustangs and Babylon to face off in the last game of the season to determine which team earns the home-court advantage in the first round of the Class B playoffs. The teams will then meet in the playoffs to determine who faces Glenn in the county championship. Babylon beat Mount Sinai in the first meeting this season. Mount Sinai beat Babylon in the playoffs last year. John Glenn will face Bayport. The Knights likely won't be tested until at least the Long Island championship, possibly later.

BUBBLE: Rocky Point, Miller Place

One team will be eliminated Friday when the teams face each other at Miller Place. The winning team will then likely be eliminated shortly after. The Panthers are 3-6 in League VI and need to win their last three matches. The Eagles are 3-5 with four matches left and need to win three of four.

OUT: Longwood (2-7 League I), Shoreham-Wading River (2-7 League VI)