Lohud Boys Soccer Rankings: Mamaroneck begins at No. 1
It's still early -- check that: very early -- but that doesn't mean that we can't have a little fun with some rankings. I've been checking in with as many teams as I can, picking coaches' brains and going over countless notes from last season. I've tried to pinpoint which teams have the most coming back, and which have been hit the hardest by graduation. These rankings will probably change dramatically in the coming weeks, but on the eve of the first full day of the regular season, this is how I'd rank 'em...
TOP 10 OVERALL
1. Mamaroneck – The only team in Section 1 to go undefeated in the regular season last year has a chip on its shoulder after being upset in the Class AA semifinals. The Tigers return seven starters at key positions and have a transfer in Yeison Baragas who I’m told can really play. They should be explosive – and very hard to beat – once again.
2. John Jay-East Fishkill – The team that gave Arlington its toughest test in the playoffs was its neighbor and league rival, and by all accounts, it’s the Patriots who return more established varsity talent. JJEF took the Admirals to PKs in the Class AA semis and look like a legitimate title contender this year with the likes of Nikolas Angyal and Ryan Metz back.
3. Arlington – Of course, you could make the case that the two-time champ Class AA champs should start the season at No. 1 because of its past successes. But you could also argue that the Admirals should be lower after graduating 17 seniors, including every single one of their starters from last year. Due to all of its inexperience, we really won’t know what Arlington is until we see how its first few games turn out, but I’m not expecting a huge step back.
4. Horace Greeley – The only team to beat Mamaroneck last season is hoping that the momentum from its surprise run to the Class AA final, where it pushed two-time champ Arlington to the brink in OT, will carry over. The Quakers lost their opener to Mahopac on Friday, but we know that they have a habit of slow starts and strong finishes.
5. Port Chester – The Rams are always a threat, and after having only two senior starters last season, they're loaded with talent and experience. They were very young last season after reaching the state title game in 2012, but now have enough skill coming back to enter the section title mix once again.
6. Lakeland – Many view the Hornets as the favorite in Class A with three of their four All-Section players returning, plus a handful of other starters. Lakeland has skill all over the field, which has prompted coach Tim Hourahan to switch to a more offensive style of play. Known for defense in the past, the Hornets should put up plenty of goals this season.
7. Byram Hills – Few teams are as consistent at the Bobcats, who have reached the Class A semis for eight consecutive seasons. They've made five finals appearances in that span with four titles, the last of which coming in 2010. Byram should always be considered a threat.
8. Pelham – Coming off of their first section title since 1994, the Pelicans will need to replace a lot of offense – namely Aidan Murray and Charlie Livingstone, who were the main score of goals at Pelham for the past three years. But the Pelicans have plenty of talent returning on defense, which could lead to a different style of play.
9. Mahopac – The Indians lost some goal-scoring threats to graduation, but they return their most valuable player -- goalkeeper Mike Bernardi. He's probably the best in the section and will keep Mahopac in just about every game.
10. Scarsdale – It's a new era for the Raiders with Paul Brooks taking over as coach after a successful run under Joseph Cipriano, but plenty of talent remains to keep Scarsdale in contention.
On the fringe: Keio, Ketcham, North Rockland, Pearl River, White Plains
CLASS AA
1. Mamaroneck
2. John Jay-East Fishkill
3. Arlington
4. Horace Greeley
5. Port Chester
6. Mahopac
7. Scarsdale
8. North Rockland
9. White Plains
10. Ketcham
On the fringe: Carmel, Fox Lane, Ossining
NOTES: Coming out of the gates, Mamaroneck looks like the team to beat, but there are several others that will have their say before the year is over. The depth has been pretty good in AA the past few seasons... Mahopac picked up a nice 2-1 win over Greeley on Friday, which temporarily eased some of the concerns about the Indians' ability to put up goals. If they keep it up, they'll be moving up... North Rockland was young last year, and in turn, comes into this season with a very well-rounded looking team. The Red Raiders will be strong in the back and have a few potential weapons that could emerge offensively... White Plains almost always has the talent to compete with anyone in the section; we'll just have to see how quickly this mesh under new coach Jack Gigli... Ketcham graduated some significant players, but coming off of an 11-win season, the Indians deserve to stay in the top 10 for now.
CLASS A
1. Lakeland
2. Byram Hills
3. Pelham
4. Pearl River
5. Keio
6. Yorktown
7. Spring Valley
8. Eastchester
9. Somers
10. Tappan Zee
On the fringe: John Jay, Nyack, Sleepy Hollow
NOTES: While the depth in Class AA looks strong this year, the only team that has looked particularly strong in the preseason thus far has been Lakeland. Byram, Pelham, Pearl River and Keio all took heavy hits to graduation, but those were the best teams in the class last year, so they'll get the benefit of the doubt going into 2014... Two teams that are new to Class A will provide some intrigue. Both Yorktown and Spring Valley have dropped down this season after finishing in the top 10 in AA last year. Word is that the Huskers have looked pretty good this summer... Coming off of its first playoff win in at least a few years, Eastchester could carry some momentum over with several key returners... Somers had a rough season in '13, but they've looked explosively offensively in recent scrimmages under new coach Chris Pietris... TZ will need to find a suitable replacement for graduated keeper Juan Umana, but they made strides last year in Jon Jacobs' first season at the helm.
CLASS B
1. Bronxville
2. Valhalla
3. Edgemont
4. Blind Brook
5. Irvington
6. Woodlands
7. Rye Neck
8. Briarcliff
9. North Salem
10. Hastings
On the fringe: Albertus Magnus, Putnam Valley, Westlake
NOTES: Blind Brook is the three-time defending champ, but the road to a four-peat will be more difficult than any of the previous runs. The Trojans played mostly seniors in '13 and lost their most significant non-senior returner (Matt Streichler) to an academy team. We should know by now to never count them out, but coach Jozef Pomoryn seems to feel that this year will be an uphill battle... Bronxville has been in two of the last three section title games against Blind Brook and brings back 14 seniors, plus several skilled juniors and sophomores. The Broncos were right there last year and will have a very similar looking team... A team that looks equally as loaded as Bronxville is Valhalla, which returns nine seniors who will start, plus All-State junior Kaio DaSilva. Coach Sandro Prosperino has had his team trending upwards for a few years now, and this could be the year that they finally get to that section title game... Edgemont drops back down to Class B after a year in A, and the Panthers have already made their mark with an opening 2-1 win over Blind Brook... Irvington is coming off of one of its best seasons in recent memory. The key will be finding a way to replace Section 1 small school player of the year Ben Ovetsky up top... Woodlands brings back a talented team, led by senior striker Prince Kermue, who scored 26 goals last season... Rye Neck also brings back some significant players, while teams like Briarcliff and North Salem were hit pretty hard by graduation after having strong seasons.
CLASS C
1. Haldane
2. Solomon Schechter
3. Hamilton
4. Tuckahoe
NOTES: The reigning champs deserve to start the year at No. 1, particularly when you consider that their best player -- senior striker Aidan Draper -- is back. I do believe that Schechter will be right on their heels, though. The Lions' current senior class has a handful of players that have been with the team for three or four years... Hamilton has fallen off after winning the section a couple of years ago, but they showed some signs of life at the end of the season and have had some talented players come through the program. Maybe this is the year the Red Raiders force their way back into the mix.
Photo by Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News