If you missed it, watching tonight’s Class B state championship between Rye and Oneida. Rye hung on for a 16-12 victory at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse to capture its second straight title and third in four years.

Since the game was tight to the end, I got on the mic and did a little play-by-play for the last seven minutes. Forgive how amateur it is. I just wanted to provide the time and scenario. There’s also a pregame, halftime and postgame report brought to you by Velocity Sports Performance of Westchester.

Final: Rye 16, Oneida 12.

MVP: Kyle Ramalho. He rushed for 136 yards on 24 carries despite a potentially broken rib and a shoulder that “popped out” in the fourth quarter.

Third quarter
Update, 5:49 p.m.: End of third. Rye leads 16-6. Going to be in the booth during the fourth quarter to talk on the broadcast.
Update, 5:33 p.m.: I don’t know if they kept a record for penalties in a state final. But whatever it is, Rye’s going to break it. Three more on that drive has killed another series. It’s still 16-6 with 3:02 left. But a sloppy game for the Garnets.

Second quarter
Update, 5:01 p.m.: Rye nurses the clock in the final minutes and goes into the half ahead 16-6. Going on our broadcast now to provide the halftime report.
Update, 4:46 p.m.: Jack Kelleher booted a 29-yard field goal — after consecutive Rye penalties — to make it 16-6 with 6:34 left in the half. Not a good series for Rye, which lined up to go for it on fourth-and-inches at the Oneida 2. A false start penalty and then an illegal formation moved the Garnets back.

Rye has seven penalties for 45 yards. Not uncommon for the Garnets, really.

First quarter
Update, 4:34 p.m.: End of the first quarter and Rye leads 13-6. This game has sort of a weird feel to it. Rye is moving the ball at well and controlling the line on offense. But it’s being put on its heels a little up front on defense. I love how O’Callaghan was a limited contributor on offense all year and is now being utilized. Dino Garr for president!
Update, 4:31 p.m.: What an incredible pass by Connor Eck, who’s showing no effects of a sprained ankle that knocked him out of the game last week and limited him at practice. He threw a rocket to Patrick O’Callaghan in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard score.
Update, 4:14 p.m.: It’s 7-6 Rye on Cole McCormack’s 28-yard touchdown run. It appears Rye is going to control the line of scrimmage, at least based on the opening five minutes. That drive was all Chris Lavelle and Renan Zoffoli on the left side of the line.
Update, 4:11 p.m.: Shaky start for the Garnets, who allow Ryan Kramer to return the opening kickoff to the 28, setting up a touchdown to make it 6-0. Rye’s special teams have been so good this season, especially kickoff and punt coverage.
Update, 4:06 p.m.: We’ve kicked off. Not many Rye fans here. Rick Carpiniello actually went down to Rye’s cheering section and discovered that the weather was so bad coming up here and many people are still driving. Got to love Central New York!

Pregame
The clock is ticking. Kickoff will be shortly (although late since the Monroe-Orchard Park game went a little long).

You can do any of the following three things:

Watch the game live on Lohud.com/vcsports1. The picture is great here at the Carrier Dome because we have a hard wire internet, not wireless (which slows the bandwith).

You can follow the detailed updates on our Gameday Central blog, brought to you be the great Rick Carpiniello.

Or you can follow along here and discuss the game. I’ll be providing updates but not quite with the frequency or detail as Carp. I will have some analysis and be willing to answer questions you might have.

FINAL: Orchard Park 21, Monroe-Woodbury 17.

It’s all up to Rye to carry the Eastern half of the state. Buffalo is 4-0 this weekend.

You can’t really fault Monroe. It didn’t play that poorly in the second half on defense. It just ran into a more athletic group of backs.

Back soon with stats on this game and then a look ahead to Rye-Oneida, which I’m sure will start a few minutes late.

FOURTH QUARTER
Update, 3:18 p.m.: Monroe stopped Orchard Park and got the ball back with 52 seconds on its own 23. But Scalo threw another interception on the first play. Orchard Park will hang on, coming back from 17 points to win, 21-17.

Update, 3:11 p.m.: From the Department of What Were They Thinking, Orchard Park just attempted to go for it on fourth-and-inches (after a terrible spot) at its own 45 with 2:30 left. They didn’t get it.

However, Scalo threw an interception on the next play, bailing Orchard Park out. It’s Quakers ball with their own 42 with 2:21 left.

Update, 3:01 p.m.: Kyle Hoppy of Orchard Park just brought the Carrier Dome to its feet with a zig-zagging 67-yard touchdown run that gives the Quakers their first lead, 21-17, with six minutes remaining.

Monroe is clearly deflated. It’s all on Scalo to turn this around.

THIRD QUARTER
Update, 2:42 p.m.: Oh baby, we’ve got a game. Orchard Park scored again, this time on a short Brandon Nuessle run, after the Quakers converted on fourth-down at the Monroe 20. Monroe leads 17-14 with 1:49 left in the third quarter.

Update, 2:28 p.m.: Orchard Park got a much-needed boost just now as Jeff Tundo ran in a touchdown. It’s 17-7 Monroe with 7:47 left in the third quarter.

On that drive you saw the Orchard Park team that’s been heralded all season.

Just a note: Iona Prep would beat both of these guys.

HALFTIME: Monroe-Woodbury 17, Orchard Park 0

SECOND QUARTER
Update, 1:56 p.m.: Monroe kicker Jamie Boyle set the state record for field goals in a season with his 13th a moment ago. His 37-yard with 1:20 to play in the first half gives Monroe a 17-0 lead. Scalo has rushed for 113 yards.

Update, 1:49 p.m.: Orchard Park tried to run a fake punt – on fourth-and-9, at midfield but was stopped well short of the mark. There’s 3 minutes left in the half. If Monroe can even get a field goal here, it would be sitting pretty.

Update, 1:40 p.m.: Scalo just scored on a 1-yard keeper up the middle, making an even stronger case as the Class AA state player of the year. It’s 14-0 Monroe with 6:45 left in the half. Scalo has scored twice on the day.

FIRST QUARTER
Update, 1:29 p.m.: Monroe leads 7-0 after the first quarter. Its defense has really set the tone, and QB Dan Scalo has broken off a couple of big runs. One of them was a 27-yard inside the Orchard Park 10. A pass interference call help set up the touchdown.

Orchard Park is good. But does is it far superior? Absolutely not. More proof that the state rankings really can be a crap shoot.

Update, 1:05 p.m.: Just kicked off. My first observation is that Monroe-Woodbury has fewer fans here than Croton-Harmon did. Shocking to see that and just another show of how good the Croton faithful were in the postseason.

Pregame
12: 23 p.m.: I made it a point to get to the Carrier Dome early today so I could watch the Class AA state final between Monroe-Woodbury vs. Orchard Park.

Monroe, obviously, beat New Rochelle in last week’s classic semifinal at Dietz. Orchard Park, which hails from the Buffalo area, has been the No. 1 ranked team in the state all season.

My prediction: Orchard Park 28, Monroe-Woodbury 20. I’m basing this on… well, nothing. I have seen Monroe twice and, although its defense is superb, I didn’t think it was that overwhelmingly impressive state-championship caliber team.

Anyone interested in updates during the game? I can provide them.

Final
Croton loses 35-7 to Southwestern.

Just spent a half hour speaking with some Croton players and coach John Catano. They admitted they were overwhelmed by Southwestern’s size and depth. But they leave Syracuse proud to have gotten this far. There were some tears, of course. But they seemed to have already put this incredible run into perspective.

I’ll be back later with details after I write my story.

Third quarter
3:30 p.m.: Croton’s miracle run is pretty much over. Southwestern just scored on a Sopak 3-yard keeper. It’s 28-0 with 1:47 left in the third quarter.

Croton got Southwestern to go three-and-out on the opening drive of the half, and then drove to the SW 25. But it couldn’t convert on fourth down. Southwestern drove 77 yards, sparked by two big runs to start the series, and have put it pretty much out of reach.

Second quarter

Nightmarish turn of events for Croton. Joe Tralli fumbled the ensuing kickoff at Croton’s 10 and, two plays later, Southwestern scored. It’s 21-0 with 5:26 left in the half. That’s 21 points in 70 seconds.

2:36 p.m.: Oh oh. Before I could even write about Southwestern’s first scoring drive, the defense deals Croton a crushing blow. Linebacker Ryan Buzzetto returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown — on the first play after Southwestern’s Levi Bursch caught a 20-yard score from Zack Sopak.

In the span of 14 seconds, Croton went from tied at 0-0 to down 14-0.

This Southwestern team is beginning to control the line of scrimmage and could be wearing Croton down. How they respond this drive will be telling.

First quarter
We’re through one quarter of play and there’s no score. Croton got the ball first and moved the ball down to the Southwestern 21. After converting a fourth-and-1 earlier in the drive, Nick Mainiero’s pass to Matt Tralli was complete but a yard short of the first.

Southwestern responded by driving effortlessly to the Croton 13. But it had to settle for a 30-yard field goal attempt, which was wide left.

As I walked into the Carrier Dome just a few minutes ago, I was greeted by this on the scoreboard:

Maple Grove 55, Moriah 7

Yikes. Tuckahoe lost to Moriah last week in the Class D state semifinal. I didn’t see much of today’s game but it’s not like Maple Grove is loaded with 300-pounders. Amazing to think a D team could be this good. Walton was last year, which I saw last year. Maple Grove, which beat Walton in the semifinal, must be very good, too.

They just started the pregame music for Croton-Harmon vs. Southwestern. You can WATCH THE GAME LIVE by clicking here.

The Tigers are running out and there’s a nice crowd already on the Croton side. Judging by the fans tailgating on this mild Syracuse afternoon, I’m sure it will fill up even more as kickoff approaches.

Be back soon.

After a festive afternoon of decorated the Christmas tree (yes, we actually did it today), I’ll be leaving for Syracuse in the morning for the state football championships.

Croton plays on tomorrow at 2 in the Class C final against Southwestern. Rye plays Sunday at 4 p.m. versus Oneida in the Class B championship.

Both games will be aired live on our website. This is the link to view both games.

I’ll be checking in live throughout the games with updates, stats, analysis and play-by-play in the fourth quarter if the games are close. I know many of you watched the New Rochelle and Nyack games from last weekend and were a little lost in the final minutes. Is there anything else I can do to assist in your viewing? I can give down-and-distance and time, full play by play, whatever you want. Let me know.

I had a few stories in today’s Journal News. The main one was on how Croton-Harmon and Rye, Section 1’s two finalists, were probably the most polar opposite teams left in the state tournament. Rye is the perennial power. Croton is the ultimate Cinderella.

There’s the 5 things you need to know about the weekend.

I took a close look at each team and handed out some awards for each side. I’d like to hear your thoughts, too.

Here’s the week by week on how Croton-Harmon got to the Dome.

Here’s the week by week on how Rye got to the Dome.

The end of the football season is nearing. But today we got a late entry for the upset of the year.

Cardinal Hayes stunned Mount St. Michael in their annual Turkey Bowl matchup today at Mount, ending a 26-year losing streak. The final was 39-34, as you can see plastered across the Cardinal Hayes web site.

Stepinac beat White Plains, 29-14, and Fordham Prep ended its two-year skid by beating Xavier. Stepinac-White Plains was shown live on our web site. The Fordham Prep was on MSG and you can watch the replay tonight at 10 or tomorrow.

Other than that, I spent the day with my family and barely watched the NFL games. I’m really excited for this weekend’s trip to Syracuse. The state finals at the Carrier Dome is my favorite event of the year. But the players and the interest built for Rye and Croton-Harmon has made me even more eager. I’m sure if you’re a Croton fan, turkey never tasted this good.

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. It’s not because of the football. It’s really because, in the last few years, I’ve learned to understand the meaning of saying ‘thank you.’

Those are two words that sometimes lose meaning and are never really said enough. By this point, you’ve probably stuffed yourself with turkey and sat in front of the television. I hate to be a preacher, but before the day is over, take a minute to thank somebody close to you and think about all the things you appreciate in life.

I want to say thanks to all of you for being loyal readers and contributors to this blog. It’s been an incredible experience and I owe you all a huge debt of gratitude for your support.

We’ll have a huge spread in tomorrow’s Journal News to preview the weekend’s action, so go pick it up. I’ll be setting up Christmas decorations with my wife. Not looking forward to checking all those bulbs.

Here’s the reply of Wednesday’s show. Rob Santangelo of Rye was our guest and he did an excellent job. Very funny dude who offered some great insight to Oneida, coach Dino Garr and the Rye locker room. Enjoy.

This is the end of line as far as predictions go. If I had to estimate I’d say I was about 13-percent correct for the year, which is actually up from last season.

Class C state championship
Croton-Harmon (11-1) vs. Section 6’s Southwestern (12-0)
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Why Croton-Harmon can win: Not only is this not the same team that started the season, it’s not the same one from three weeks ago. The emergence of guys like Tyler Keppler and Tyler Dorien as stars changes how you must defend the Tigers. As was the case with Saranac Lake last week, the speed Croton has could be too much for Southwestern to match up with.
Why Southwestern can win: The size Southwestern has up front is a little frightening. Most of the guys are veterans, too, and this is a team that’s moved down to Class C after two very good years in B. Zack Sopak matches up well with Nick Mainiero at quarterback, and this team knows how to win close games.
Who will win: Croton-Harmon. I’ve seen a lot of these feel-good stories get to the final step and the teams fall flat. Will Croton be the same? It’s hard to imagine considering how good Mainiero has been and how balanced the Tigers are around him.
Score prediction: Croton-Harmon 17, Southwestern 13

Class B state championship
Rye (12-0) vs. Section 3’s Oneida (11-1)
When: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Why Rye can win: There’s really no limit to how good this team can really be. We saw it on Saturday when the Garnets shut down a highly-touted Hudson Falls offense in the 34-7 rout. As long as they’re healthy — which isn’t exactly the case right now — this team shouldn’t have a problem moving the ball or keeping Oneida out of the end zone.
Why Oneida can win: Rye has faced some good quarterbacks this season. But none are quite like Ryan Kramer. The senior is a shaped like a fullback and runs like a receiver, and can do so many things once he breaks the pocket. He’ll test the discipline of this Garnets defense.
Who will win: Rye. The state’s longest winning streak, 24 games, will be carried over into next year when the Garnets (likely) move up to Class A. Connor Eck and Kyle Ramalho should be rested and ready for this game. And even if they’re not, there’s so much depth on this team.
Score prediction: Rye 28, Oneida 7

Turkey Bowls
Stepinac 22, White Plains 14: This really all depends on whether Joe Collins and Maurice Easterling are healthy, which I’m not 100-percent confident they are. If one can play, I still like the Crusaders chances. I think they’ll be eager to get last week’s 55-7 loss to Holy Trinity out of their mind with a win over their rival.
Xavier 28, Fordham Prep 21: It’s been a rough season for the Rams, who were ousted by Stepinac in the CHSFL AA playoffs. Xavier has an elite back in Seamus Kelly, who has 2,408 rushing yards. Plus Xavier has fared well against AAA opponents.
Mount St. Michael 35, Cardinal Hayes 13: The Mounties have owned this matchup for the better part of three decades and I don’t see it ending this year.

Since there was only seven teams playing this past weekend, I again decided to cut the Game Balls doled out from 10 to 5. There were some tough choices but here’s what I came up with:

Game Balls
5. Tremayne Williams, New Rochelle: Even in defeat, Williams was clearly the best player on the field. He scratched and clawed for everything he got against Monroe’s physical and disciplined defense, rushing for 52 yards on 13 carries, and catching four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded seven tackles, many of which came in crucial spots, but it wasn’t enough as New Rochelle lost 10-8 in the Class AA state semifinal.
4. Kyle Ramalho, Rye: Forget the fact that he only rushed for only 36 yards. What Ramalho did on defense in the first half of Rye’s 34-7 rout of Hudson Falls in the Class B semifinal was incredible. Despite primarily playing offense in recent weeks to rest his ankle, Ramalho completely dominated the game and was the main reason Hudson Falls’ prolific running back Joe McMurry managed only 14 yards in the first half. Ramalho, by the way, ran for two touchdowns on offense.
3. The Iona Prep offensive line: Nick Biagioni, George Apostolopoulos, Teddy Mottola, Jordan Reid and Mark Parascandola. Who needs size up front? This highly underrated group went out on Saturday and controlled the tempo on every play of Iona’s 48-35 win over St. Anthony’s in the CHSFL AAA Division final. The Gaels mounted 506 yards of offense, including 419 on the ground, as they finished the season undefeated and as champs for the first time in 41 years. This group likely won’t be remembered as much as the backs. But this team wouldn’t be champs without them.
2. Tyler Dorien, Croton-Harmon. Not a bad time for a career game for Dorien. The junior ran for 74 yards on 10 carries, caught a touchdown, intercepted two passes and kicked the go-ahead field goal from 33 yards out in the fourth quarter to lift the Tigers into the state championship. Croton’s 23-14 win over Saranac Lake in the Class C semifinal had plenty of heroes. Dorien, though, did it every facet of the game.

I’ll announce the Player and Coach of the Week on tomorrow’s Varsity Central Live, which begins at 7:30 p.m. We’ll be discussing the past weekend’s games, especially Nyack, Iona Prep and New Rochelle, and look ahead to the weekend in Syracuse. Rye’s Rob Santangelo will be our special guest.

Obviously most of your teams are out of it by this point. But I ask that you support the show for one more week.

In case you’re wondering, we’ll be airing both games live on our website.

Now this is what I call practice. Indoors, out of the cold and, most important, not way up at Putnam Valley.

Croton-Harmon decided to have practice today at Velocity Sports Performance in Elmsford, the lovely training facility that has a large indoor turf surface. It’s not big enough to run a full practice, and the ceiling is too low to throw passes. But for what the Tigers wanted to do today, it was perfect.

Normally I go to practices and stay for a half hour or so. Today I decided to stay the entire time, partially because I had a story to work on but also because I had nothing else to do. Hey, there are only two teams left. And I’m not quite ready to turn the page to basketball season just yet.

I spoke to coach John Catano about his team’s state championship opponent, Southwestern. They’ll meet on Saturday for the Class C title at the Carrier Dome at 2 p.m. Catano said the tapes pretty much confirmed what we already knew: Southwestern is big up front, the QB is a stud and the backs and linebackers are physical.

But can they handle the speed? I asked Catano and he didn’t really answer. I’ve never seen Southwestern. But I’m pretty certain they haven’t seen backs as quick as Tyler Keppler, Tyler Dorien and Nick Mainiero, or faced a line that’s as quick as Croton’s. I’ve been saying for weeks that the speed of this Croton team is deceptive but decisive. Just watch the replay of Saturday’s win over Saranac Lake and count how many times Keppler and Dorien got one step to the outside and turned it into a 12-yard gain. Throw Mainiero passing to Joe Tralli indoors, and 220-pound Dan Luntz barreling up the middle, and this is a very complete team.

For an indoor practice today, there was some good contact. These guys hit. At one point, one of the starters got into it with a guy on the scout team and they wrestled to the floor. Nobody tried to break it up and they both rose to their feet and walked in opposite directions.

“You’ve got to like that,” Catano said. “Even though it looked like two old ladies hitting each other with their purses.”

I think a moment like that refocuses a team. Croton has been so caught up in the pageantry of getting to the state championship and the fantasy of playing in the Dome. Having two guys playing past the whistle reminds everyone, though, that this is about football, not fanfare.

By the way, the Croton crowd at Dietz Stadium was awesome. The turnout was great and the chants were loud. Even down on the sideline, you could feel the sense of pride coming from the community. I saw plenty of former players in the stands and against the fence. While I’m sure there is some jealousy, they feel the pride, too.

Joe Streany, a former Croton player who’s helping as an assistant this season, said it best today:

“I called some of friends this weekend and told them these guys were going to the Dome. They couldn’t believe it. They were like ‘remember how hard we worked to get there and we didn’t even get close.’ And I told them how these guys are making it look so easy.”

It’s amazing and it’s true. Croton is making it look almost too easy. Last week was supposedly a close game looking at the score. But the Tigers completely dominated the game with 407 yards and nearly 32 minutes of possession. They won handily the week before and stormed past Westlake in the Section 1 final.

When I drove home today after practice, it hit me again how remarkable this season has been for Croton. If the Tigers can somehow muster up one more victory and capture the state title, it will be one for the ages.

There’s a difference between being a bad team — and having your opponent make you look bad.

If you were at Rye-Hudson Falls game on Saturday, you’d know exactly what I mean. Hudson Falls got beat 34-7 in the Class B state semifinal. Was Hudson Falls bad? No. Rye was just that good.

Many of the Rye players insisted that Hudson Falls was the best team they’ve faced all season. When you play a first quarter like the one the Garnets played in that game, and get an effort on the defensive line from Kyle Ramalho, you’re not going to lose very often.

Rye was nearly perfect in the first half, moving the ball at will and completely shutting down a Hudson Falls offense that put up ridiculous numbers throughout the season. Cole McCormack ran the ball as well as I’ve seen him all season. Connor Eck, the ever-improving sophomore quarterback, was on point and the undersized offensive line pushed around a Hudson Falls team that hadn’t seen a group that quick and smart all season.

So why am I talking about a game three days after it happened? Because at Rye yesterday, the team was still feeling the effects of it.

Eck. Ramalho. McCormack. Topher Triano. William Ramsey. All were at practice. None were suited up because of injury.

The sight of five of your best players standing on the sideline in street clothes a week before the state championship isn’t very comforting. It was only Monday, which is typically a light day of practice for most teams, even ones on the brink of their third state title in four years.

Eck’s ankle, which knocked him out Saturday’s game before the half, is just a sprain and he was walking around but in an air cast. Ramalho, McCormack, Triano and Ramsey didn’t have serious injuries. They were hobbled, though, after a physical night against Hudson Falls.

Ramalho injured a finger in the first few minutes but didn’t miss a play. It was all bandaged up and he detailed what doctors had told him.

“So I guess that’s it, huh?” I said. “You’re not going to play?”

He laughed. “It’s just a finger… I’ve been playing on a bad ankle for two years. I’m not going to miss the state championship for a finger.”

Neither will the other guys, at least I don’t think so. Eck is the one who’ll have to be monitored closely this week. He’ll likely be limited at practice for the next few days. But again, expect him to be out there on Sunday.

It should be an interesting game for Rye. Like 2005, they go into this game as a clear favorite, which isn’t an ideal position for any team playing for a state championship. With Oneida located just 30 minutes away and the team playing for its state football title, there will be a huge crowd. I think, though, this team will like that environment. They might even thrive off of it.

Every scouting report I’ve gotten on Oneida in the last two days has centered around quarterback, Ryan Kramer. He’s an exceptional athlete who can run and throw, and won’t be afraid to take a hit. If Kramer faces a Rye defense similar to the one at Dietz on Saturday, he better expect plenty of them, too.

Despite what I believe is the beginnings of a serious cold, I think I’ll be venturing up to Croton-Harmon later this afternoon. I’ve felt terrible all morning. But I’m not one to pass up the chance to hang out with John Catano, so I’ll likely get in the car and go.

Here’s some info on the teams Rye and Croton-Harmon will face for state championships this weekend at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. If you find any more, please pass along the link or share your knowledge:

Class B
Rye (12-0) vs. Section 3’s Oneida (11-1)
When: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Five things to know about Oneida
1. Oneida, which is located 30 minutes East of Syracuse, is enjoying its best season in school history. It had never won a sectional title before this year. It’s only loss was to Norwich, a Class B team from Section 4. Norwich went 5-3 in Section 4, including a loss to Chenango Forks, the school Rye has faced for the state title four times.
2. Quarterback Ryan Kramer has had a stellar season. He’s 80 for 133 passing for 1,635 yards and 19 touchdowns, and has rushed for 608 yards and 13 touchdowns. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two in the state semifinal win over Bath. Oneida coach Bill Carcini recently called Kramer: “the best all-around quarterback — in terms of running and passing – that Oneida has ever had.”
3. The Oneida defense has shutouts in three of its five playoff games, and is allowing an average of 9.5 points per game. It hadn’t allowed more than 14 points in a game until the state quarterfinals. In that 27-21 win over Waverly, Oneida came up with a stop on its own 5 in the final minute to hold on for the upset.
4. There’s two big bodies on the defensive line: sophomore Brandon White, who’s 6-2, 296, and senior Will Jones, a 5-11, 352-pounder.
5. Oneida has a good receiver in Brandon Miles, a 5-11, 200-pounder who has caught 35 passes for 631 yards and 11 touchdowns. The best running back, Rick Rossi, had rushed for a team-leading 876 yards going into last week but could be questionable for the game. He reinjured his ankle in the third quarter and needed to carried off the field. According to a story I found online, he was walking afterward without a limp.
Early impressions: It’s hard to imagine anybody in Class B is going to be able to compete with the Rye machine I watched on Saturday night. Oneida had a few close games this season. But the fact that it lost to a middling team in Section 4 makes me wonder. The Syracuse region always has good football, so I’m not making any predictions until I know a little bit more this week.
For more information: The Syracuse Post Standard, led by the legendary Neil Kerr, covers Oneida football.

Class C
Croton-Harmon (11-1) vs. Section 6’s Southwestern (12-0)
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Five things to know about Southwestern
1. Southwestern High School is located in Jamestown, which is located on the Western tip of the state, just off Lake Erie. It’s really far and it’s been snowing there for weeks (picture right). Croton High School is 375 miles away from Jamestown. As reference, in the time it would take to get to Southwestern High School, you could drive from Croton to Richmond, Virginia, or from Croton to Boston and back.
2. The Trojans moved down from Class B this season after going 8-2 in back to back years. They swept through Section 6 play, winning by an average of 23.8 points. They outlasted perennial power Le Roy, 38-35, in the state quarters before a 20-6 win over Elmira-Notre Dame last week. Southwestern led Le Roy 38-20 with three minutes to play before hanging on.
3. Southwestern has a pair of talented running backs in junior Levi Bursch and sophomore John Mistretta. Bursch rushed for 70 yards and caught three passes for 55 yards in the state semifinals. He’s gained 939 yards and 16 scores. Mistretta has rushed for 704 yards and nine touchdowns.
4. The quarterback, Zack Sopak, battled a thumb injury but still managed to run for 150 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He took over snap out of the shutgun because he couldn’t handle the snap. Stopping him is the key. Sopak has completed 77 for 129 passes for 1,313 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions). He’s also rushed for 727 yards and eight touchdowns on 111 carries (6.5 avg). Also an interesting tidbit, Sopak is a Type 1 diabetic.
5. Southwestern’s defense was suffocating in the state semifinal win over Elmira Notre Dame, allowing just 96 yards on the ground. Jeff DeVlieger, a senior linebacker, had 11 tackles in the win.
Early impressions: The idea that Southwestern was a very good Class B team the last two years and moved down to Class C is somewhat concerning. Of course, Westlake did the same thing this year and we all know what happened there. An injured thumb, and a serious disease, hasn’t slowed Sopak. Nick Mainiero might have finally met his match at quarterback. Should be a great faceoff.
For more information: The Buffalo News has coverage of all the Section 6’s teams. Keith McShea has a good blog on football, which he’ll update throughout the week. The Jamestown Post-Journal is also a good reference.

I’ll be stopping by Rye and Croton-Harmon this week to provide some practice updates.

Varsity Central Live is set for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Rye lineman Rob Santangelo will be our special guest. Thanksgiving on Thursday, sleep on Friday and then I’ll head up to Cuse on Saturday morning. Should be a fun weekend.

And then, basketball on Monday.

If you’re around today, I encourage you to head over to White Plains High School at 1:30 for the Exceptional Senior All-Star Game.

The rosters are posted below, and clearly it’s going to be a star-studded affair. It’s supposed to be a little more mild than the last two days. Do the yardwork in the morning, tape the Jets game (they’ll lost to Tennessee anyway) and you’ll be back home before the Giants kickoff (and they’ll stomp the Cardinals).

Section 1 football president Andy Verboys emailed me the rosters.

Click below to view:

Move over, Sammy Maldonado. Make room, Harold Gayden. Jeff Mack might have outdone you both.

The Iona Prep junior had one the greatest individual performance in a championship game this area has ever seen tonight in the CHSFL AAA championship. Mack rushed for 394 yards and seven touchdowns in a 48-35 victory over St. Anthony’s at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Long Island.

Iona Prep finishes the season 12-0, undefeated for the first time since 1967, and ends St. Anthony’s seven-year reign as Catholic champs.

The numbers Mack put up in this game are almost too great to wrap your brain around. Harold Gutmann covered the game and I’m anxious to steal his notebook on Monday and look at this play by play.

Greg Schuster of Clarkstown North set the Rockland County record with 382 yards and seven touchdowns in a 61-56 non-playoff bowl game against Scarsdale last season. If you remember back to 1998, Maldonado scored seven touchdowns and rushed for 355 yards in the Section 1 Class C championship win over Sleepy Hollow. In 1981, Harold Gayden of Sleepy Hollow rushed for 403 yards in a loss to Lourdes. Shockingly, Gayden didn’t get the MVP of the game since his team lost.

Mack won and took home the hardware. We can debate which one is the best forever. But to do it against St. Anthony’s in the title game is really something special.

We can also now discuss Iona Prep’s place among the best teams in the Lower Hudson Valley this decade. I won’t go all-time because my knowledge only goes back to the late 90s.

I’ll always say that the New Rochelle of 2004 was the best I’ve seen — yes, even though it lost and the 2003 team won it all. In my opinion, here’s the short list of the best teams of the decade:

1. New Rochelle 2004
2. New Rochelle 2003
3. Nyack 2000
4. Iona Prep 2008
5. Mount St. Michael 2006
6. Nyack 2003
7. Iona Prep 2005
8. Edgemont 2000
9. New Rochelle 2000
10. Harrison 2002

Thoughts?