Talk about a two-way threat. New Paltz’s Khariff LaBoy was dominant on both sides of the ball for the second week in a row in a 33-6 Section 9 Class B win at Spackenkill on Thursday.

Spackenkill had a player shadowing LaBoy when he was playing running back all game, which isn’t a surprise. And how did that work out?

LaBoy, a senior, rushed for 131 yards on 12 carries and three scores. He added a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Spackenkill defeated New Paltz in the Class B playoff semifinals in each of the last two seasons.

“It feels pretty good when you have a guy following you like that, trying to stop you,” LaBoy said. “He would come in the box, he would line up as a defensive back. He was a rover and his job was to stop me. It just comes down to who wants it more. But I couldn’t have done it without my fullback and offensive line.”

LaBoy scored on runs of 1, 13 and 65 yards. He was just as big last week in New Paltz’s 27-7 season-opening win over Monticello. In that game, LaBoy rushed for 99 yards with three all-purpose touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Spackenkill, New Paltz (2-1, 1-0 Class B) John O’Donnell added 62 rushing yards.

After a Nick DeMarco sack, Austin Hekking picked up the ball, racing 30 yards for a touchdown. Deron Dixon had 10 solo tackles for New Paltz, which only led 7-0 at halftime.

“In the second half, all cylinders were on,” LaBoy said. “We just were firing and it felt good.”

Next up for New Paltz is a showdown at 7 p.m. Friday at two-time defending Class B champion Marlboro. New Paltz beat Marlboro for the 2010 Class B title. Marlboro’s Class B game against Dover on Thursday was rained out.

“Khariff is unbelievable,” New Paltz coach Tom Tegeler said. “He’s playing at such a high level and it’s fun to watch. Khariff is just playing that good.”

Friday
Goshen at Saugerties, 4 p.m.
Warwick at Monroe-Woodbury, 4 p.m.
Valley Central at Pine Bush, 4 p.m.
Minisink Valley at Newburgh Free Academy, 4 p.m.
Wallkill at Port Jervis, 4 p.m.
Washingtonville at Kingston, 4:30 p.m.*
Hazleton Area (Pa.) at Delaware Valley (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Eldred at Roscoe, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
James I. O’Neill at Liberty, 10 or 11 a.m.*
Chester at Tri-Valley, 1 p.m.
Marlboro at Dover, 1 p.m.
Millbrook at Pine Plains, 7 p.m.
Roosevelt at Middletown, 4 p.m.
Sunday
Onteora at Rondout Valley, 1 p.m.
Monday
Highland and Red Hook, 6 p.m.
* – resumption of games already underway

LIBERTY – It was some game, well, at least for three-plus quarters.

Thursday’s showdown between Liberty and James I. O’Neill – a rematch of last year’s Section 9 Class C championship – was postponed with 3:02 left in the third quarter due to thunder and lightning. O’Neill will travel to Liberty to resume the game at 10 or 11 a.m. Saturday.

Liberty running back Shakree Gibson, who rushed for 98 yards, talked about the postponement:

Trailing 13-6, Liberty had the ball on O’Neill’s 21-yard line with a first down when the game was postponed. O’Neill, the two-time defending Class C champion, defeated Liberty 35-14 for last year’s title.

O’Neill took a 6-0 lead 2:27 into the game on a 54-yard pass from quarterback Keegan West to Malik Chambers. Chambers, who rushed for 188 yards in last week’s win over Chester, caught the ball up the middle, dashing from just across midfield to the end zone. Liberty tied it 6-6 with 45.8 seconds left in the first quarter when offensive lineman Tarik Johnson jumped on a Quinn Jackson fumble in the end zone.

Jackson had run about 10 yards to O’Neill’s 1-yard line when he lost the ball. But Johnson was quick to pounce on it. West put O’Neill ahead 13-6 on an 8-yard touchdown run three minutes into the second quarter.

Here is West’s TD run:

Before the game was postponed, Liberty was stopped on fourth-and-goal on three different trips inside O’Neill’s 10-yard line.

Take a look at one of the series that resulted in a fourth down stop:

The field at Liberty was cleared at about 6 p.m. due to thunder and lightning – a downpour ensued. It continued to storm and the game was postponed at about 7 p.m. The start of the game was also delayed 15 minutes due to thunder and lightning.

CENTRAL VALLEY – The much-anticipated showdown – Warwick vs. Monroe-Woodbury – had so many different storylines.

One remained the same. All Monroe-Woodbury, all day. Monroe-Woodbury took out Warwick 33-0 on Friday in a non-league match-up of two Section 9 Class AA heavy hitters.
Quarterback Kevin Carr was the star for Monroe-Woodbury, completing 17-of-23 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He added 86 rushing yards and a score. Carr connected on touchdown passes to Jesse Kaffenberger and Ricky Giraldo. Kaffenberger finished with 125 receiving yards.

Here is what Carr and Giraldo had to say after the big win:

Entering Friday, Warwick hadn’t beaten Monroe-Woodbury since 1979. In the teams’ last 10 meetings, the Crusaders had outscored Warwick by an average of 25.8 points per game. On Friday, it was more of the same.

It was an impressive performance by Monroe-Woodbury (2-0) all around. The Crusaders led 21-0 at halftime, shutting down Warwick’s offense and – by that time – the result already seemed like a certainty. It was.

Cole Gennett opened the scoring for Monroe-Woodbury (2-0) with a 1-yard run with 2:39 left in the first quarter. Carr scored on a 45-yard run to make it 14-0 midway through the second and hit Kaffenberger for a 14-yard score 1:39 before halftime. Carr added a 66-yard touchdown off a screen pass to Giraldo in the third quarter.

Matt Paul kicked a 33-yard field goal for Monroe-Woodbury and the Crusaders put up a safety in the closing seconds. Up next for Monroe-Woodbury? The Crusaders host Newburgh Free Academy at 7 p.m. Friday. The Goldbacks put away Minisink Valley 49-7 on Friday.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t get any easier for Warwick, which hosts big, bad Pine Bush at 7 p.m. Friday. OK, now back to the Crusaders. We talked about the offense and now let’s give the defense a much-deserved pop.

Monroe-Woodbury’s ‘D’ shut down Warwick quarterback Brad Garcia, who rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Goshen last week. The Crusaders held Garcia to 57 yards on 20 carries and have allowed just seven points in two games.

The long drought against Warwick aside, this game was hyped for other reasons. Former Warwick coach James Sciarra is now a volunteer assistant with Monroe-Woodbury. In January, Warwick Superintendent Raymond Bryant informed Sciarra that he wouldn’t be recommended by the school board to return this fall. Sciarra, a math teacher at Warwick, went 40-25 in seven seasons with the Wildcats.

After putting Warwick away 37-6 during the regular-season last year, Monroe-Woodbury dealt the Wildcats a heartbreaking 14-13 last-minute loss in the semifinals of the Class AA playoffs last November. Carr said he was happy to help Sciarra get a win against his former team.

Check back for more on Warwick vs. Monroe-Woodbury in Saturday’s editions of Varsity845.com online and in print in the Times Herald-Record. Also, the game will be featured in my Varsity845 video wrap, which will be online Saturday night. Also, follow me on Twitter on justinrod845.
Looking forward to Week 3!

New Paltz vs. Marlboro almost has an Army-Navy feel to it. Of course, the rivalry isn’t as big as the yearly service academy showdown.

However, the mentality is similar.

At New Paltz, it’s beat Marlboro.

At Marlboro, it’s beat New Paltz.

Marlboro hosts New Paltz in a Section 9 Class B showdown at 7 p.m. Friday. Of course, Highland hopes to make some noise in Class B this fall. For now, the division belongs to Marlboro and New Paltz, with Spackenkill – the Class B runner-up the past two seasons – falling on hard times.

“Both teams are good,” said Marlboro quarterback Ryan Cary, coming off rushing for 301 yards and four touchdowns in a 61-14 win over Dover last week. “It’s definitely going to be hard hitting. It’s going to be fun to play under the lights and see what it brings.”

New Paltz defeated Marlboro 13-0 for the 2010 Class B title. Since then, it’s been all Marlboro in Class B. The Iron Dukes are the two-time defending Class B champions. During that run, Marlboro beat New Paltz 28-7 and 34-12 in two regular-season match-ups.

Here is what New Paltz running back/defensive back Khariff LaBoy had to say about the latest showdown with Marlboro:

LaBoy has, perhaps, been the most dangerous two-way threat in Section 9 through two games. He already has 230 rushing yards, seven all-purpose touchdowns and three interceptions, including one that was a pick six. Of course, Marlboro also has some firepower to go along with Cary, making his debut under center this fall.

In previous years, Cary, a three-year starter, played running back, wide receiver and defensive back. In the backfield for Marlboro is running back Marsallis Faircloth, who put up 262 yards and five touchdowns in the Dover demolition.

It should be some game on Friday in Marlboro.

Five keys to Marlboro-New Paltz

1. Marlboro must contain LaBoy: Of course, Marlboro does. But it’s easier said than done. LaBoy is looking for a big game and, if he goes off, New Paltz could be in business.

2. New Paltz must have a Plan B: Maybe LaBoy carries New Paltz, but he can’t be relied on to do all the heavy lifting. And what if, gasp, Marlboro can contain him? Someone else needs to step up for New Paltz – no matter what type of game LaBoy has. New Paltz running back Nick DiMarco (115 yards, one touchdown) certainly could provide another answer for New Paltz.

3. The Faircloth Factor: Last week against served as Faircloth’s coming out party. He transferred back to Marlboro this season from Xavier in New York City. But how good is he? He looks pretty darn good. New Paltz is another stage for Faircloth to show us all what he’s about.

4. The battle of the defenses: Marlboro has allowed 14 points this season and New Paltz 13. Of course, each side hasn’t seen an offense such as this. Marlboro junior linebacker Sam Galage already has 26 tackles for Marlboro and Ryan Greaven, another linebacker, has 21. LaBoy is a factor on defense, but Cary likely won’t throw his way too much. New Paltz linebacker Deron Dixon has 35 tackles.

5. The quarterback situation: Cary is going to be Cary, a big-time player, who likes the big spot. But this is first time as the man, so to speak. Odds are he handles the showdown, no problem. Meanwhile, New Paltz quarterback Harrison Zraly isn’t, at this point, in Cary’s class yet. Zraly doesn’t have to be Peyton Manning against Marlboro. But he has to run the offense efficiently and not turn the ball over. At some point, New Paltz will likely need a big play out of him to beat Marlboro.

Give me you prediction on Twitter @justinrod845

1. Newburgh (2-0): QB Donovan Fields getting some FCS attention, including Villanova and Cornell.

2. Pine Bush (2-0): In wins over Cornwall and Valley Central, Pine Bush has held opponents to a combined minus-22 of rushing yards.

3. Monroe-Woodbury (2-0): Keeping with the defensive theme, the Crusaders have allowed seven points in two games, with seven sacks.

4. Cornwall (1-1): Two of the top quarterbacks in Section 9 – Cornwall’s Mike White, and Pat Dorrian of Kingston – meet on Friday.

5. Marlboro (2-0): Ladies and gentlemen, meet running back Marsallis Faircloth. Faircloth introduced himself to Section 9 with 262 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Dover last week.

6. Roosevelt (2-0): Plays at Wallkill on Friday in a Class A showdown and potential statement game – for both teams. Roosevelt has outscored Port Jervis and Middletown 72-8.

7. Warwick (1-1): After being stopped cold by M-W’s defense last week, it doesn’t get much easier for Warwick as it hosts Pine Bush on Friday.

8. Kingston (1-1): Every quarterback has to have at least one good receiver, right? The Cornwall-Kingston showdown also features two of the most trusted receivers locally – Shawn Marchant of Kingston and Cornwall’s Chris Bauer.

9. Valley Central (1-1): VC looks like playoff material in what could be a wide-open league.

10. New Paltz (2-0): Running back and defensive back Khariff LaBoy bringing two-way threat to a whole new level. He has 230 rushing yards, seven all-purpose touchdowns and three interceptions this season.

Small schools

1. O’Neill (2-0): Big props to linebacker Matt Newlin, who stopped dangerous Liberty quarterback Quinn “Action” Jackson on the goal line on a two-point conversion in the closing seconds last week, to preserve O’Neill’s 21-20 win.

2. Chester (1-1): Chester, a Class D school, gets another stiff Class C test with Burke Catholic on Friday

3. Burke Catholic (2-0): Can anyone stop RB Matt Przybocki? He has 354 yards and seven touchdowns.

4. Millbrook (2-0): After putting up blowout wins over Spackenkill and Pine Plains, Tri-Valley could be the ‘Brook’s next victim.

5. Liberty (1-1): Gutsy effort in 21-20 loss to O’Neill last week, and really impressed with Liberty’s sophomore RB/LB Kevin Morgans.

Monroe-Woodbury. Newburgh Free Academy. It’s almost game time. it’s almost on.

Monroe-Woodbury hosts Newburgh at 7 p.m. Friday in a Section 9 Class AA Division I showdown. You could make the case that, these days, this is the premier local rivalry in any sport.

Both teams enter 2-0.

Both teams have put up consecutive blowout wins.

Both teams have one goal in mind, whether they admit it or not, to win a Section 9 title – or bust.

Both teams want a shot at each other.

“We definitely know this is going to be one of the toughest games all year,” Monroe-Woodbury running back/linebacker Cole Gennett said. “We know they have a lot of talent and what they bring to the field. We have been looking forward to this game since the offseason.”

This rivalry goes back, way back, to when the players on both sides were toddlers. Back in 1997, Newburgh defeated Monroe-Woodbury 20-14 to win the Class AA championship. A rivalry was born.

The teams’ would meet for the title for the next four years in a row and seven of the next nine years. Since ‘97, when it all started, Monroe-Woodbury and Newburgh have battled for the Class AA championship nine times with the Crusaders taking five games. The rivals’ have not played for the Class AA title since 2008 when Monroe-Woodbury won 16-7.

When Pine Bush won the Class AA championship last season, defeating Monroe-Woodbury 20-16 in the final, it marked the first time since 1996 that the Crusaders or Newburgh didn’t take home the crown.

As for Friday? We will see two teams that are playing well. Newburgh has opened up the season with easy wins over Iona Prep (46-21) and Minisink Valley (49-7). Meanwhile, Monroe-Woodbury easily took out St. Francis Prep (35-14) and Warwick (33-0).

Newburgh, the second-ranked Class AA team in the state, has run team off the field – literally – putting up big-time rushing numbers with junior running backs Anthony Dubose, Natore Dennis and Aaron Forbes making plays. Dubose has 238 yards and six touchdowns, Dennis has rushed for 253 yards and six scores and Forbes has 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Newburgh quarterback Donovan Fields is also fleet of foot, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown.

“Nobody has stopped our running game so far,” Fields, a senior, said. “That’s our bread and butter, really. It’s a hard match-up for other teams.”

As for Newburgh’s vaunted running attack, Gennett said: “We know all of their running backs are skilled. We have to gang tackle, we have to rally to the ball like we have all season, and make plays.”

Monroe-Woodbury has been impressive with a balanced attack on both sides of the ball. In two games, Monroe-Woodbury’s defense has allowed 14 points with seven sacks. The Crusaders shut down Warwick quarterback Brad Garcia, coming off a 216-yard performance against Goshen, last week.

On offense, second-year starter Kevin Carr has run the offensive effectively once again, making plays running and throwing the ball. He has two strong receivers in Jesse Kaffenberger and Ricky Giraldo. Gennett is the featured running back in the backfield. The Crusaders will try to break a two-game losing streak against Newburgh. Newburgh beat Monroe-Woodbury in Central Valley 7-0 two years ago to end the Crusaders’ impressive 63-game win streak against local opponents. The Goldbacks went on to play for the Class AA state title, losing to Orchard Park.

Newburgh beat Monroe-Woodbury 16-10 last season, but the Crusaders still won the Class AA Division I regular-season title. The Goldbacks didn’t make the playoffs. Of course, you figure – even in September, the latest edition of Monroe-Woodbury-Newburgh will have playoff implications.

It should be some game and we all can’t wait.

We all know about the two big-time rivalry games lined up for Friday night: New Paltz at Marlboro in a Class B showdown and Newburgh at Monroe-Woodbury in a match-up of Class AA heavy hitters.

So those are the main events.

But there is a pretty good under card lined up for Friday under the lights. Wallkill hosts Roosevelt in a pivotal Class A game. Cornwall remains the favorite in Class A, but Wallkill and Roosevelt are next in the pecking order, and very dangerous.

Wallkill, proud, gritty and tough, has advanced to the Class A title game six straight years, winning the title in 2010. Cornwall has won back-to-back Class A championships and seven of the last eight shiny plaques. Roosevelt, which moved from Class AA this season, wants to be on top of Class A with Wallkill and Cornwall.

“We’ve watched the film on them all week and, obviously, we know Roosevelt is a good opponent,” said Wallkill quarterback Joe Pillitteri, who has completed 34-of-62 passes for 618 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions this season. “We feel like we are playing all right, right now. I don’t think we have reached our peak. We have shown flashes and I’m looking forward to us playing all four quarters.”

Wallkill opened the season with a 42-24 loss to Valley Central and defeated Port Jervis 20-13 last week. Pillitteri hit Nick Rohl on a 51-yard touchdown pass with 1:26 to pull off the wild win at Port Jervis. Meanwhile, Roosevelt has pulled a page out of Wallkill’s playbook, circa 2010.

Like that championship Wallkill team, Roosevelt has forced an abundance of turnovers – 10 to be exact already this season. That includes six interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Roosevelt, located in Hyde Park in Dutchess County, has returned two interceptions and a fumble for touchdowns.

“Our defense is playing very well,” Roosevelt coach Brian Bellino said. “It’s been crazy. They are very opportunistic. I’m a defensive guy, I love it. We have been able to make things happen.”

As for parading into Wallkill on Friday, Bellino knows it isn’t going to be easy.

“They told me Port Jervis is a tough place to play, but Wallkill is crazier,” Bellino said. “We went there a few years ago and they made us look silly. At Wallkill, you have to walk through the fans and all that. It’s definitely crazy, but it’s a good atmosphere.”

Over the last two years, bruising running back Josh Villafane has anchored Wallkill’s offense. Villafane graduated and the Panthers have gravitated a bit more to the pass. Pillitteri has plenty of options to connect with down the field. Sean Puleo, Rohl, Nick Gomez and Brandon Purdy have all caught touchdown passes this season. Purdy has 170 receiving yards and Gomez has 148.

“We’re very excited about this, it’s our first home game,” Pillitteri said. “Roosevelt is athletic and very skilled. This would be a good time to put it all together and come out with the win.”

CENTRAL VALLEY – Another week, another big-time statement game for Monroe-Woodbury.

Wow! That’s all you can say after the Crusaders’ latest win, 35-14, over rival Newburgh Free Academy on Friday night in a Section 9 Class AA Division I showdown.

At the start of the year, everyone figured Class AA would come down to the three-pack of Monroe-Woodbury, Newburgh and defending champ Pine Bush. Keep in mind, your favorite hack prognosticator, J-Rod, predicted that the Crusaders would be the odd team out.

Let’s just say I don’t have any trips to Vegas planned any time soon. Right now, this division looks like it belongs to Monroe-Woodbury (3-0, 1-0 Class AA). While the Crusaders were beating up Newburgh, Warwick beat Pine Bush 52-26 in a non-league game. Monroe-Woodbury took out Warwick 33-0.

There is much more football to be played, but Monroe-Woodbury has been impressive, allowing 28 points in three weeks, an average of 9.3 points.

Monroe-Woodbury’s heroes against Newburgh? There were plenty of them. Running back Cole Gennett, a junior, rushed for 117 yards and three all-purpose touchdowns. For good measure, Gennett, who also plays linebacker, had an interception.

Quarterback Kevin Carr put up 237 yards and two scores. He’s been sensational in three games. Meanwhile, Monroe-Woodbury’s defense held down a Newburgh team which scored 95 points in wins over Minisink Valley and Iona Prep.

“It feels awesome,” said Monroe-Woodbury defensive lineman Rob Kelly, who made plays all night. “We just played great. Our offense did incredible, our offensive line up front had a great performance. Everyone just stepped up big time. We believed in ourselves. We have the guys to do it and we had a great defensive game plan. We were in the right spot every time.”

Newburgh (2-1, 0-1 Class AA) entered the much-hyped showdown as the second-ranked Class AA team in the state. The Crusaders were 23rd in the poll. Many fans felt that it could be a preview of the Class AA championship.

If it is, Monroe-Woodbury owned round one. The Crusaders scored the first three touchdowns of the game on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Gennett and a 61-yard run by Carr. The Goldbacks, who had scored 95 points in their first two games, made it 21-7 when Aaron Forbes scored on a 67-yard run as time expired in the first half.

However, it was more Carr, more Gennett, to start the second half when they connected on a 55-yard screen pass for a touchdown just 3:15 into the third quarter to make it 28-7. Carr, who started at quarterback last season, added a 15-yard rushing score later in the second half to make it 35-7.

Forbes finished with 214 rushing yards, but Monroe-Woodbury’s defense shut down Newburgh’s two other dangerous running backs, Anthony Dubose and Natore Dennis. Dubose rushed for only 49 yards and Dennis had 11. The bruising pair had combined for 491 yards and 10 touchdowns in Newburgh’s first two blowout wins.

With the big victory, the Crusaders also broke a two-game losing streak in, perhaps, the best rivalry in Section 9.

Newburgh beat Monroe-Woodbury in Central Valley 7-0 two years ago to end the Crusaders’ impressive 63-game win streak against local opponents. The Goldbacks went on to play for the Class AA state title, losing to Orchard Park. Newburgh defeated Monroe-Woodbury 16-10 last season, but the Crusaders still won the Class AA Division I regular-season title.

The Goldbacks didn’t make the playoffs. Monroe-Woodbury went on to lose to Pine Bush in the Class AA championship. It marked the first time since 1996 that Monroe-Woodbury or Newburgh didn’t win the title.

“It feels great,” Monroe-Woodbury center Nick Dillon said. “I’ve been waiting two years for this. It was a big game for all of us and it means a lot. They are a great team and we are a great team, too. This proves a lot for us. It doesn’t mean we will win every game, but this is what we will look to do every time out.”

1. Monroe-Woodbury (3-0): After blowout wins over Warwick and Newburgh, this is an easy call. Monroe-Woodbury is the new No. 1 and it doesn’t look like the Crusaders are going away for a while.

2. Newburgh (2-1): At 0-1 in Class AA Division I, every divisional game is now like a playoff game.

3. Pine Bush (2-1): Stat of the week? The Bushmen gave up minus 18 rushing yards in their first two games of the season. Warwick quarterback Brad Garcia, however, torched Pine Bush for 345 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-26 win last week.

4. Cornwall (2-1): First-year running back Kevin Gangemi is coming on, following up his four-touchdown performance against Monticello with 159 yards and a score against Kingston last week.

5. Warwick (2-1): After a 33-0 loss to Monroe-Woodbury, Warwick couldn’t have bounced back any better. Another good test against Kingston on Saturday.

6. Marlboro (3-0): The Iron Dukes are 32-4 in the coach Rich Ward era – three-plus years.

7. Wallkill (2-1): The cardiac kids pulled off an amazing comeback, defeating Roosevelt 35-28 in overtime on Friday. Wallkill used a fourth-quarter touchdown to escape Port Jervis with a 20-13 win two weeks ago.

8. Kingston (1-2): Kingston continues a tough four game-stretch against Warwick. Up next? Kingston hosts Pine Bush and Monroe-Woodbury in consecutive weeks.

9. Middletown (2-1): Are the Middies for real? We will find out Friday when they travel to Pine Bush.

10. Highland (3-0): Before the season, the Huskies told us they were going to be improved and a factor in Class B. So far, they have backed up their talk.

Small schools

1. James I. O’Neill (3-0): The Raiders should cruise against Spackenkill on Friday, before the big test – hard-charging Millbrook.

2. Chester (2-1): Chester definitely picked up a few first-place votes in the poll after dismantling John S. Burke Catholic last week.

3. Millbrook (3-0): Millbrook is outscoring opponents 147-44 this season. Running back Henry Cardinal leads Millbrook with 460 yards and seven touchdowns. Four other players have rushed for at least 100 yards and two scores.

4. Burke Catholic (2-1): The lopsided loss to Chester was a shocker, but don’t expect the Eagles to just go away. They are a Class C player.

5. Liberty (1-2): Banged up and bruised, Liberty plays at Ellenville in a non-league game that likely won’t be a layup.

Today, my Section 9 semifinal playoff practice tour took me to two Class C schools, James I. O’Neill and John S. Burke Catholic.

O’Neill is the two-time defending champion and Burke Catholic is certainly a contender for the title. The Raiders have been without reliable quarterback Keegan West for the last two weeks due to a broken thumb on his non-throwing hand. O’Neill will certainly need him against Millbrook (8-0) in the semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday at Faller Field in Middletown.

So, is West a go? As it stands now, West is what they call in the business, a game time decision.

Here is what West had to say. He didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday:

O’Neill (5-3) is also out with hard-hitting linebacker Matt Newlin, out with a shoulder injury. The Red Raiders face Millbrook and its dangerous Wing-T offense. Millbrook defeated O’Neill 28-21 on Oct. 4.

Millbrook has to be the favorite, but O’Neill is a tough and gutsy bunch. You figure, if West is healthy and in the fold, the Raiders will make a game of this. Enter O’Neill wide receiver Nathan Shepherd. Shepherd will likely start at quarterback if West can’t play. Running back Malik Chambers has also seen time under center with West out.

Shepherd had this to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKsZZabQKrI

After O’Neill, it was on to BC, Burke Catholic. The Eagles have won five in a row since losing to Chester on Sept. 20. Each BC win has been by at least 15 points. The Eagles took out Liberty 46-12 last week.

Burke Catholic faces Liberty again in the Class C semifinals on Friday. BC two-way lineman Brandon Rawlins talked about Liberty, Part 2:

The Eagles did the job on Liberty last week without starting quarterback Justin Fenical, out with an ankle injury. Is Fenical a go this week? See Keegan West. Fenical, a junior, is also a game time decision.

With Fenical on the bench last week, standout running back Matt Przybocki was under center for Burke Catholic. He takes snaps as the back-up, but hadn’t seen game action since his youth days. Not a problem.

Przybocki threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two against Liberty last week. We caught up with Przybocki:

Stay tuned for the Varsity845 semifinal playoff show, which will be posted on V845 and on my Twitter account (justinrod845) later tonight.

MIDDLETOWN – After James I. O’Neill’s 22-16 Section 9 Class C semifinal playoff win over Millbrook on Friday night, O’Neill coach Anthony Finochio joking jabbed at me, stating “You wrote our obituary in the paper today.”

I picked a Millbrook win which, of course, meant O’Neill was in good shape. Because we all know J-Rod’s picks aren’t always golden.

Anyway, here’s to O’Neill, one win away from its third straight Class C title.

Coming into this game, the Raiders had lost three of four games, including a 28-21 defeat to Millbrook (8-1) on Oct. 4. The difference in the rematch was a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Keegan West with 11.7 seconds left in the third quarter. Malik Chambers added the two-point conversion to give O’Neill its margin of victory.

O’Neill will play John S. Burke Catholic for the Class C championship at 3 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. Burke Catholic defeated Liberty 24-19 in the other Class C semifinal on Friday at Dietz. The Eagles defeated O’Neill 36-21 on Oct. 11.

Millbrook, from Dutchess County, entered Friday as the favorite. Not only were the Blazers undefeated, they had outscored opponents 368-147 this season, piling up blowouts. Not only was O’Neill slumping, especially by its standards, but West was nursing a broken left thumb.

He wore a big cast during the Millbrook game, his first action since sustaining the injury in a 36-21 loss to Burke Catholic on Oct. 11. Entering the Millbrook showdown, West and Finochio called him a “game time” decision. You figured West would play and he did.

Running back Malik Chambers had 146 yards rushing and picked off a pass by Millbrook quarterback DeVon Jackson at the O’Neill 10 with 2:17 remaining, returning it to midfield, to seal the big win. Great job, O’Neill.

“The key was our will to win,” Chambers said. “In our hearts, we wanted it, because we lost to Millbrook earlier in the season. We just wanted to make a statement to Section 9. We are coming for the Section 9 championship, it’s been our championship. Tonight, we wanted to play a heck of a game, and we did.”

Cornwall quarterback Mike White spent part of Saturday watching Marist’s 42-35 win over Jacksonville in Poughkeepsie.

White may end up spending a lot more time at Marist. White, the 2012 Varsity845 Player of the Year, told the Times Herald-Record on Saturday that he has formally received an offer to play at Marist in the form of a grant that would cover about 80 percent of his expenses. Marist, a Football Championship Subdivision school (formerly Division I-AA), costs approximately $45,000 annually to attend.

“I love Marist, it’s my No. 1,” said White, before attending Marist’s 42-35 Pioneer Football League win over Jacksonville in Poughkeepsie on Saturday. “I just want to give it a little time to see if it anything else comes around. But I will spend some more time at Marist, see how much I like it and probably accept the offer.”

White expects to make his college decision within the coming weeks. He has an official visit scheduled for Marist on Nov. 21. University at Albany, another FBS school, and Division II Stonehill College (Mass.) and Southern Connecticut State have also shown interest in White. He and the Green Dragons (8-1) take on Wallkill for the Section 9 Class A championship at 7 p.m. on Friday at Faller Field in Middletown.

White, a senior, has led Cornwall to the last two Class A titles.

The J-Rod Express hit three practices today. It was an efficient trip – to Monroe-Woodbury, to Chester and, finally, John S. Burke Catholic.

Of course, all three teams are playing for Section 9 championships this weekend. Monroe-Woodbury takes on Newburgh at 7 p.m. Saturday at the premier venue in Section 9 – bar none – Faller Field at Middletown High. Of course, Monroe-Woodbury vs. Newburgh has evolved into one of the top rivalries in Section 9.

The expectation is that this showdown will be better than Round 1 on Sept. 20. Coming off a 33-0 win over Warwick, the Crusaders cruised to a 35-14 win over Newburgh. Monroe-Woodbury scored the first 21 points of the game and led 35-7.

Newburgh (8-1) has won six games in a row since the Monroe-Woodbury debacle in September, defeating Warwick 40-14 in the Class AA semifinals last Saturday. Monroe-Woodbury blitzed Washingtonville 56-17 in the other semifinal behind six all-purpose touchdowns by Kevin Carr.

At Monroe-Woodbury, we talked to linebacker Brendan Fee:

Next, it was on to Chester, the overwhelming favorite to win its fourth consecutive Class D title. Chester (7-1) takes on Roscoe (5-3) in the Class D championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. The Hambletonians defeated Roscoe 64-0 on Oct. 4.

Chester has outscored opponents 400-77 this season. Since losing to James I. O’Neill 33-28 to open the season, the Raiders have won seven in a row by a combined margin of 372-44. The Hambletonians, the 2011 Class D state runner-up, has three shutouts.

At Chester, we checked in with two-way lineman Chris Wittekind:

I ended the tour at Burke Catholic, seeking its first Class C championship. The Eagles won the Class B title in 2005. Burke Catholic took some lumps as a young team last season, but it has led to this.

The Eagles are one of the hottest teams in Section 9, winning six in a row since losing to Chester 34-8 on Sept. 20. To win the Class C title, Burke Catholic will have to take out two-time defending champ James I. O’Neill. The Class C championship is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Dietz.

O’Neill graduated plenty of talent from last year’s team, which became the first Section 9 team since 1996 to win a Class C state playoff game, defeating Woodlands 35-18. The Raiders are banged up – quarterback Keegan West is coming off a broken left thumb – suffered in a 36-21 loss to Burke Catholic on Oct. 11.

Still, O’Neill is a proud team, and isn’t ready to give up the title of champs. O’Neill defeated previously undefeated Millbrook 22-16 in the Class C semifinals last Friday. We wrap up our interviews with Burke Catholic two-way lineman Brandon Rawlins:

MIDDLETOWN – How many much anticipated games, in any sport, at any level, live up to the hype?

Well, this one did.

In an instant classic, Monroe-Woodbury defeated Newburgh Free Academy 31-30 on Saturday at Faller Field to win its first Section 9 Class AA championship in three years. The Crusaders (10-0) move on to play Christian Brothers Academy-Albany in the opening-round of the Class AA state playoffs at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

Matt Paul’s 26-yard field goal with 1:22 proved to be the game-winner. Paul had shanked a 19-yard attempt, wide left, in the first half. Monroe-Woodbury trailed by nine points midway through the fourth quarter. We talked to the man of the hour, Paul:

This marks Bernie Connolly’s first Section 9 title as Monroe-Woodbury’s head coach. Of course, he was previously an assistant coach, a valuable cog during the Crusaders’ run of seven Class AA titles from 2004-10. Volunteer assistant James Sciarra, who came over from Warwick during the offseason, also is part of a Section 9 Class AA championship team for the first time.

M-W vs. Newburgh, Part 2 was certainly much better than the first meeting on Sept. 20. The Crusaders won that game in Central Valley 35-14, scoring the first 21 points of the game. Early on, you could tell that this Newburgh team was for real. Quarterback Donovan Fields rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns for the Goldbacks and Aaron Forbes had 144 yards.

“Newburgh wanted it much more this time,” Monroe-Woodbury quarterback Kevin Carr said. “Last time, they came out, they didn’t want it. This time, they hit hard. They ran as hard as they could. They came out to play.”

Of course, so did Carr. Here is more from him:

He rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, throwing for 193 yards and a score. Carr also helped engineer the game-winning drive that let Paul’s big boot. Monroe-Woodbury had pulled to within 30-28 on a 3-yard run by Cole Gennett with 6:39 remaining.

Down 30-28, Monroe-Woodbury got the ball back after Newburgh couldn’t convert a fourth-and-goal at the Crusaders’ 8-yard line with 4:14 remaining. On the game-winning drive, Monroe-Woodbury drove up the field in 10 plays, which ate 2:49 off the clock. Newburgh called a timeout before Paul’s kick, but it was true, setting off a celebration. The Goldbacks had one last chance, starting at their own 27-yard line with 1:12 remaining.
However, Austin Cain’s interception of Fields near midfield, sealed Monroe-Woodbury’s dramatic win.

What a game! Great stuff.

My colleague, Will Montgomery, will be posting the V845 Saturday night wrap, with interviews and footage from the Class AA, B and C championships, soon. Check it out on varsity845.com. I will post it on Twitter (follow me at justinrod845).

Class AA
Monroe-Woodbury vs. Christian Brothers Academy, 7 p.m. Saturday at Dietz Stadium, Kingston

Class A
Cornwall vs. Somers, 7 p.m. Friday at Dietz Stadium

Class B
Marlboro vs. Pleasantville, noon Saturday at Mahopac High School

Class C
John S. Burke Catholic vs. Rye Neck, 3 p.m. Saturday at Dietz

Class D
Chester vs. Tuckahoe, 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mahopac

Rosters for the Section 9 exceptional senior game were released on Monday night.

The game is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday at Newburgh Free Academy, with practices running Wednesday through Friday. Team National defeated Team American 24-11 in the all-star game last November at Newburgh. It marked the first game of its kind locally since the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association held an exceptional senior game from 1977-82.

There are modified rules, including no blitzing. Seniors from any Section 9 team are eligible for the game. Players from Section 9 championship-winning teams won’t play with the first round of the state playoffs set for this weekend. Section 9’s champions are Monroe-Woodbury (Class AA), Cornwall (A), Marlboro (B), John S. Burke Catholic (C) and Chester (D).

Teams were picked based on nominations from Section 9 coaches. Goshen coach Ed Killenberger will lead the American team and Matt Polanis of Port Jervis will lead the national squad. Class AA coaches led the all-star teams’ last season.

American Team
Offensive line: Quentin Bade (Spackenkill); Anthony Merritt (Highland); Elijah Harrell (Kingston); Matt Gesner (Warwick); Kieran Miller (Wallkill); Tyler Wendover (Pine Plains); Nick Raylor (Millbrook); James Grennan (Warwick); Cody Franskevicz (Sullivan West).
Wide receivers: Brandon Purdy (Wallkill); Francisco Moreno (Middletown); Zach O’Connor (Sullivan West); Ryan Merget (Highland); Ryan McGrath (Goshen); Sean Puleo (Wallkill); Shawn Marchant (Kingston); Lucas Grand (Saugerties).
Quarterbacks: Pat Dorrian (Kingston); Joe Pillitteri (Wallkill).
Running backs: Khariff LaBoy (New Paltz); Lucas Graves (Goshen); Henry Cardinal (Millbrook); Kyle Kilner (James I. O’Neill).
Defensive linemen: Taylor Hughes (James I. O’Neill); Francis King-Nnamani (Warwick); David Baker (Wallkill); Matt Macagne (Valley Central); Capen Burbank (Warwick); Troy Grant (New Paltz); Jake Vickery (Saugerties).
Linebackers: Deron Dixon (New Paltz); Nick DiMarco (New Paltz); Zack Tonyes (Goshen); A.J. Buchanan (Highland); Dustin MacKenzie (Onteora); Matt DeRonda (Valley Central); Marvin St. Vil (Middletown); A.J. Sakac (Warwick).
Defensive backs: Zack DeCarlo (Wallkill); Joe Daley (Millbrook); Phil Goska (Warwick); Luis Cerquera (Pine Plains); Cole Jordan (Kingston); Jake Ryan (Kingston); Billy Winnis (Spackenkill); DeVon Jackson (Millbrook); Jarrett Orndorff (Valley Central).
Kicker: Jake Mc Manus (Kingston)
Coach: To be determined.

National Team
Offensive line: Mike Risio (Newburgh); Carl Schroeder (Roosevelt); Julius Graves (Liberty); Kevin Brannigan (Liberty); Alberto Hernandez (Tri-Valley); Anthorn Waldron (Newburgh); Zach Paino (Minisink Valley); Michael Sommers (Rondout Valley); Ben Zitz (Red Hook) Theodor Ross (Red Hook); Jason Lawrence (Ellenville).
Wide receivers: Shawn Talmadge (Minisink Valley); Terry Duncan (Monticello); J.T. Whritner (Newburgh); Brett Steers (Rondout Valley); Thomas Reardon (Rondout Valley); Dan Acosta (Red Hook); Nik Dilles (Eldred); Brian Moore (Red Hook).
Quarterbacks: Keith Malak (Rondout Valley); Quinn Jackson (Liberty); Dan McNamara (Pine Bush); Matt DuPilka (Roosevelt).
Running backs: Kyle Gainer (Minisink Valley); Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis); Matt Crown (Port Jervis); Justin Hoskins (Roosevelt); Josh Santiago (Rondout Valley); Gary Gaeta (Ellenville); Brad Dreher (Roscoe); Mike Martin (Pine Bush).
Defensive linemen: Laron Smith (Newburgh); Donovan Li (Rondout Valley); Scott Flanick (Pine Bush); Anthony Fasano (Washingtonville).
Linebackers: Matt Mallory (Pine Bush); Dan O’Connell (Washingtonville); Julian Gottlieb (Eldred); Eric Rosario (Newburgh); Dan Pelkey (Roosevelt); Austin LeDuc (Minisink Valley).
Defensive backs: Joe Wise (Pine Bush); Luke Pena (Newburgh); Liam Fogarty (Roscoe); Mike Bryan (Roosevelt); Jalen Williams (Newburgh); Gage Flieger (Port Jervis); David Sicina (Port Jervis); Jon Harned (Monticello).
Coach: Matt Polanis (Port Jervis)

On Tuesday, I was just chillin – literally. I headed out to three practices in the bitter cold, Monroe-Woodbury, Cornwall and Chester.

Monroe-Woodbury practiced at Middletown’s Faller Field on Tuesday. Of course, Faller was the scene of the instant classic on Saturday: Monroe-Woodbury’s dramatic 31-30 come-from-behind win over Newburgh Free Academy in the Section 9 Class AA championship.

Monroe-Woodbury (10-0) next faces Christian Brothers Academy-Albany in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs at 7 p.m. Saturday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. On Tuesday, I talked to two of Monroe-Woodbury’s standouts this season, defensive lineman James Chambers and wide receiver/defensive back Jesse Kaffenberger. As you will see, they are fine young men of few words.

Enter a cliché: Chambers and Kaffenberger let their play do the talking. Chambers has been solid all year and Kaffenberger can make plays on both sides of the ball. Let’s go to the video tape:

On to Chester, where I tracked down two of the best quotes in Section 9, linemen Chris Wittekind and Nick Seabrook. Chester faces Tuckahoe in the Class D state quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mahopac High School. The Hambletonians are 0-6 against Tuckahoe in the state playoffs.

On this day, we have to give Seabrook the edge over Wittekind on quality of sound byte. As for hairdo? Advantage, Wittekind.

Always a pleasure, guys, and lots of fun.

We wrapped up at Cornwall, where on Tuesday the dynamic duo, quarterback Mike White and wide receiver Chris Bauer, were reunited. White and Bauer, graced the front page of Varsity845’s must-read Section 9 football preview section.

Bauer returned to the team on Tuesday after missing almost a month with a punctured lung, sustained in a win over Saugerties in October. He was expected to miss the season, but was cleared by his doctor on Tuesday, much to Bauer’s surprise. Bauer has 13 touchdown receptions this year and his five against Saugerties is a Section 9 single-game record.

At Cornwall, I also ran into the always entertaining wide receiver Klayton Kelly, who photo bombed one of my videos. Not a problem. He wanted some attention, so we got a picture of him, and posted it on Twitter (follow me @justinrod845).
Some Cornwall players also Punk’d back-up offensive lineman Marc Gomez, telling him I wanted to interview him. He came up to me and an awkward moment ensued with his teammates playfully laughing. There was no interview.

But it’s cool, Marc. Glad I got to meet you. And this one goes out to Gomez and all the reserves who selflessly work their tail off all year, knowing they likely will never get the glory.

Gomez and Cornwall take on Somers in the quarterfinals of the Class A state playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Dietz. Cornwall beat Somers in the state quarters last year. We wrap up with White and Bauer, who are apparently on Team No-Shave November.

I definitely had a good time “chillin” on Tuesday. See you on the practice trail real soon.

As you will see from the video below, John S. Burke Catholic running back Matt Przybocki can be a man of few words.

OK, so we will do the talking for Przybocki, a junior. He’s had a big-time season for the Eagles, rushing for 1,763 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. Przybocki put up one of the biggest games of the season – in the state – in Burke Catholic’s 48-40 overtime win over James I. O’Neill in the Section 9 Class C championship last weekend.

Still, Przybocki is a humble kid, he doesn’t like to even talk about himself much. Again, we can do it for him. Here are 12 things to know about Przybocki:

1. Matt has always been the kid who never had problems making friends.

2. Matt has proven he is the best fisherman (trout, bass, freshwater) in the house, even though his younger brother, Mark, and dad, Ron, try to tell him they are as good. Even though they know Matt is better.

3. Matt ran for junior class president this year at Burke Catholic and lost by three votes to his friend and teammate, Joe Grasso.

4. Matt was the offensive player of the year at the Jim Kelly Football camp in 2011.

5. Matt works for the Town of Crawford opening or closing the town park in Bullville. It helps with a little money while maintaining a busy athletic schedule. Matt also cuts neighbors lawns and snow blows driveways in the neighborhood to make extra cash.

6. Matt recently decided he wanted to go to college to be a physical education teacher.

7. Matt likes most country music.

8. Matt loves to vacation in the summer at his grandfather’s who has a house on Lake Erie.

9. Matt, like his siblings, have the initials MVP: Matthew Victor Przybocki. His dad orchestrated the MVP thing. It wasn’t an accident.

10. Matt is a Green Bay Packers fan. His room was painted in the Green Bay colors. He also likes the Yankees.

11. Matt is a little gullible. His friends joke about that a lot. Matt believes in Big Foot and UFO’s.

12. Matt likes scrambled eggs and ham for breakfast, and a roast beef sandwich for lunch. He likes chicken wings and Prime Rib when he goes out to dinner.

MAHOPAC – The streak is over!

Chester scored a historic 26-21 win over Westchester County power Tuckahoe in the quarterfinals of the Class D state playoffs on Saturday at Mahopac High School.

Before Saturday, Chester had been 0-6 against Tuckahoe in the state playoffs, dating back to 2003. During that span, Tuckahoe had outscored Chester, 213-52, including 34-18 in last year’s quarterfinals.

Chester was a Class D state finalist in 2011. However, this win is as historic as any during that run. Chester didn’t have to go through Tuckahoe that year, instead, picking apart Haldane in the state quarterfinals.

So how does it feel to finally beat Tuckahoe? We asked Chester running back Lawrence Young, who rushed for 91 yards with two all-purpose touchdowns.

Chester held off Tuckahoe with a gutsy call by coach Ron Stover of which running back Matt Perry found himself smack in the middle. Leading 26-21 with 3:43 remaining, Stover called for a fake punt on a fourth-and-5 play from Chester’s 38-yard line. Perry took the direct snap, ran to the right side, and with the help of a big-time Mike Volkmer block, ran 17 yards to Tuckahoe’s 45-yard line for the first down.

From there, Chester ran the clock out, sparking a celebration at midfield.

Here is what Perry said about the big fake punt.

There were plenty of other stars for Chester. Volkmer ran with passion, he ran hard, all game, finishing with 145 yards and two touchdowns. It was fun to watch. He would score the clincher, a 4-yard run that gave Chester a 26-14 lead, with 8:15 remaining.

Let’s talk to Volkmer.

Volkmer’s second touchdown was set up when sophomore Dan Wittekind blocked a Tuckahoe punt and recovered it at the Tuskers’ 10-yard line. Wittekind’s older brother, Chris, a senior, is a Chester veteran.

Chester moves on to play Moriah in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. Moriah defeated Cambridge, 34-32, in the quarterfinals Saturday.