Leading off today: I didn't take the weekend off from New York high school sports. In fact, I watched large chunks of nine football playoff games, not to mention a bit of volleyball.
That merely qualified me as a slacker at the New York State Sportswriters Association home office, as our Steve Grandin buckled in and watched a whole lot more. Here are his thoughts.
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This past weekend was probably the most interesting one for New York State high school football this year -- there were 42 games, pitting NYSPHSAA sectional champions, the best playing for Long Island championship berths, the premier Catholic teams competing in New York City and Buffalo, and the PSAL's premier teams squaring off for spots in next weekend's conference finals.
And, for some reason, I decided I had to watch 34 of the games (fortunately, my wife looked the other way and let me disappear for hours at a time). I bought a one-month subscription to the NFHS streaming service for all of the NYSPHSAA and Section 11 games; in addition, I was able to watch the Section 8 and CHSFL games on Varsity Media, and the Monsignor Martin championship on WNY Athletics.
Here are some random thoughts from my Thursday through Saturday playoff weekend-watching marathon:
Powerhouse Battles That Lived Up to Expectations:
• (1) Monsignor Farrell and Iona Prep came into their game at No. 2 and No. 3 in the NYSSWA Class AA rankings, and their massive talent on both sidelines showed in IP's 42-20 victory.
• (2) Buffalo Catholic powers St. Francis and Canisius put together an even more impressive showdown, going toe-to-toe the whole way, with St. Francis coming out on top, 41-34.
• (3) Ward Melville upset Suffolk County undefeated large-school powerhouse William Floyd, 31-28.
The Best Rock 'em Sock 'em Game (Small School Division):
In a defensive struggle with a 2-0 score at halftime, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton and Alexander/Pembroke went toe-to-toe before CL/W/B prevailed 11-8.
Teams That Deserved Better:
• (1) New Hartford fell far behind early and battled all the way back to grab a lead with two minutes left, only to see Owego Free Academy kick a field goal with three seconds left for a 36-34 win.
• (2) Monroe-Woodbury led most of the way and stopped a Mamaroneck drive at the 1-yard line in the final minutes, but Mamaroneck came back to pull out a 25-24 victory with a TD pass with no time left.
• (3) Niskayuna saw a victory slip away when Cornwall, which got into the playoffs as a wildcard, used a botched punt to score the winning TD in a 34-28 game.
Surprising Easy Victories:
• (1) Union-Endicott scored 46 points to oust defending state runner-up Whitesboro.
• (2) Brighton had little difficulty rolling to a 28-point win over McKinley, which was coming off a big win over Health Sciences in the Section 6 final.
Biggest Head-Scratcher:
• In the last four years, the Section 9 eight-man champs were outscored 220-50 in the state playoffs; this year, Eldred of Section 9 scored 42 points in the first 13 minutes to roll past Unatego/Franklin/Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, 56-22.
Scarily Impressive Teams Against Solid Foes:
• (1) Newfane powered to a 75-12 victory.
• (2) Massapequa scored 55 points in its Section 8 championship game.
• (3) Chenango Forks had no problem with a 47-24 win.
• (4) Bronxville put up 56 in its win.
• Honorable Mention: Monroe showed sparks of incredible talent, but made enough errors to allow Lackawanna to stay in the game longer than expected.
Long Island Upsets:
• Half of the Section 8 and 11 title games went to underdogs -- No. 2 Ward Melville and Seaford, No. 3 Bayport-Blue Point, and No. 4 Wantagh.
• Best Game I Didn't See:
• In the PSAL's AAA Conference, Frank J. Macchiarola and A. Philip Randolph were infinitely better than their competition but, due to weird seeding, they had to meet in the semifinals, won by FJM, 44-34. Look for those two to join the PSAL's elite division next year; they are that good.
Best of the NYSPHSAA Left:
• In each of the five 11-man classes, there appears to be a strong favorite: Syracuse CBA in AA, Rye in A, Monroe in B, Chenango Forks in C, and Tioga in D. Morrisville-Eaton/Stockbridge Valley/Madison seems best in 8-man, but after Eldred’s huge upset win this weekend, who knows?
Most Interesting NYSPHSAA Semifinal Bracket:
• Tioga, Newfane, Tuckahoe and Greenwich seem to be by far the best four teams in their class.
