Week 1 First Impressions

We're one week into the 2008 football season and we've already learned a lot about the local teams. Only two local teams pulled out victories in Week 1, Longwood over Connetquot and Mt. Sinai over Southampton. The other three teams were handed lopsided defeats.

Two games really stand out: Hills West beating Miller Place so easily. With such an experienced group back the Panthers came into this season with high expectations. But the Colts provided a rude dose of reality. Division III is no D-IV. And while the Panthers came on strong at the end of last year, it won't necessarily translate into a top finish in D-III. Hills West was the superior team Saturday, winning 42-14, and the Panthers will need to regroup going forward. It's not over for Miller Place by a long shot, but the Panthers clearly need to get better if they have any hopes of making this a season to remember. They'll have a good shot to rebound next week when they travel to Westhampton. The Hurricanes are not as talented as Hills West. The following week the Panthers return home to face Eastport, another winnable game. The real test will likely come in Week 4 when they host Comsewogue.

The other game that stood out was Mt. Sinai's shutout against Southampton. The Mariners were seeded fourth in D-IV and I thought this would be a great early test to see where the young Mustangs stand. They responded with a terrific victory that now makes you think that this might not be just a rebuilding year for Mount Sinai after all. Sophomore Josh Morales scored two touchdowns in his varsity debut. Coach Vinnie Ammirato was very high on Morales coming into the season and he quickly showed why. With Port Jeff next week at home and Greenport the following week, the Mustangs have a legit shot at being 3-0 leading up to Week 4 showdown with Babylon. I'm not ready to put the Mustangs in the same class as Babylon, but that could be a more competitive game than we thought coming into the season. 

As with Miller Place, Rocky Point was handed an equally deflating loss at Sayville Saturday. A win here for the Eagles wasn't necessarily expected, but the way Sayville dominated leaves you little reason to believe the Eagles can make a serious playoff run. The Golden Flashes, who spread the field with multiple receivers, dominated the line of scrimmage on defense and offense. The offense for Rocky Point had little chance for success when defenders were over the line a second after the ball was snapped. The Eagles had some injuries to deal with on the line, so perhaps as the season progresses they'll improve. The Eagles did have some big plays with Justin Oliver and Matt Palasek. And Pete Vivonetto ran in two touchdowns on short runs. Other than that, there was little positive to take away.

Hills West plays Sayville next week which should be one heck of a ballgame. Go get your tickets now.

SWR lost big at Amityville, 40-6. No surprise there. The Wildcats don't have the horses to compete with the elite of the division.

Longwood had to hang on for dear life against Connetquot Friday night in the rain, nearly blowing a 20-6 lead. But after Connetquot scored with five minutes left to cut the lead to one, the Lions stopped the two-point conversion try that likely would have won it for the T-birds. Longwood wins these type of close games all the time, so it's no surprise they still pulled it out. Coach Chris Meyer said he seeded the T-birds third coming into the season, so he had a lot of respect for what they can do. As it is the T-birds ended up seeded sixth. But still, an important win for Longwood to start the season, especially with Floyd looming next week.

The concern for Longwood coming out of this win was the health of linebacker Moses White. He was shaken up on a play in the second half but stayed in the game. After the game he complained of numbness in his right side of his body. His symptoms sounded like some kind of pinched nerve, but the doctor and trainer were unsure exactly from speaking with White. The fact that the numbness extended through his entire body is what had the doctor unsure. If White has to miss any extended time, it's bad news for Longwood. He's not a guy that can be replaced. If he's ready to go, I like Longwood's chances of upsetting Floyd next week. The streak has to end sometime, so why not next week. Floyd hung on to beat Lindenhurst this week, 14-12, and was nowhere near as dominating as last season.

Should be a good one down in Mastic Beach Friday night.

Share your thoughts on Week 1 action in the comments section.