Rivalry week on tap
-
- May
- 9
I’m sitting here in the office on the heels of another rain-soaked day. With little to do and nothing exciting to see, I just took a quick perusal of next week’s schedule.
The week has an awful lot to offer in the way of league rivalries. On Monday, red-hot Clarkstown South takes on stingy Suffern and Kennedy (right) travels to Putnam Valley, while on Tuesday League II-North rivals Lakeland and Yorktown will meet. The Hornets take a 12-game winning streak into that one (unless, of course, they lose vs. Yorktown tomorrow).
The action continues on Wednesday with Iona Prep at Stepinac when yet another Bronx-Westchester title is at stake. Bitter rivals Mahopac and Carmel meet in a three-game set that culminates on Thursday at Mahopac. Also on Thursday, League I-B rivals Clarkstown South (above) and North Rockland and League II-South rivals John Jay and Somers clash, although John Jay enters its game with an edge over the slumping Tuskers.
Lastly, Keio and Rye Neck meet in a Friday game that reeks of old Class C championship games. Rye Neck has moved up to B since, but this should still motivate them.
Here are my fearless predictions:
Suffern 2, Clarkstown South 1: Robbie Aviles ends the winning streak.
Kennedy 3, Putnam Valley 1: Pat Considine fares well, but the Tigers can’t beat Kennedy’s pitching.
Lakeland 6, Yorktown 2: One winning streak continues.
Iona Prep 2, Stepinac 1: The Prep turns the tables, and wins another division title.
Mahopac 2, Carmel 1…in the series that is: Mahopac has a deeper pitching staff.
Clarkstown South 5, North Rockland 3: The Vikings bounce back quickly.
John Jay 7, Somers 3: The Indians earn their best win in a while.
Rye Neck 8, Keio 5: Does this begin a belated late-season push?
Anyone else have predictions of his/her own?
This entry was posted
on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 9:34 pm by Josh Thomson.
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in
March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of
2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has
since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting,
Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his
fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning
fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and
insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh
graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University,
where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in
history. 
Jake Thomases has covered baseball, hockey, girls basketball, and girls soccer for the Journal News since arriving in 2003. He previously interned at The Poughkeepsie Journal while attending Vassar College. He is socking money away under his mattress to buy the Knicks, at which time he will trade Jerome James to Cleveland for a ham sandwich.
glad to see Josh's prediction. Prep boys will lock up the division this wednesday in a thriller when .. uh whats his name….ADAMI.. pitches a gem
RCK Vs. JJEF 7:00 p.m.
Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill tonight. Then next Sat. RCK Vs. ArlingtonDutchess Stadium. You forgot about us up here again. Doesn't get any better in Section One. These three teams will beat up on each other for the next two weeks, they may be a bit tired of beating up on most of Rockland and Westchester. Check the scores…..Who has Arlington "beat up"?
Lakeland vs. Yorktown game has been moved back to 3pm due to yesterdays rain
Arlington beat up Suffern, clarkstown north, beat JJEf 2 of 3, carmel 2of3, including a 17-2 game
Josh, Lakeland has a 12 game winning streak now not 10.
Arlington also beat perennial powerhouse, Union-endicott (who threw their #1 pitcher) ...also, Kingston (who threw their #1 pitcher), Greeley (who threw their #1)...
Far and away the toughest Section 1 schedule…
EVERY game in league I-C is like a sectional game. In EVERY game there are multiple D-1 prospects from both teams playing.
EVERY game has at least one D-1 pitching prospect…many times D-1 prospect vs. D-1 prospect.
Add to that the non-league schedule of JJEF, Ketcham, Mahopac and Arlington who face the D-1 prospects of those teams.(not Carmel…that is why they only have one win in I-C…cake for non-league schedule).
Stats…come on! Stats are only comparable with a balanced schedule. That is why, even at the college level, stats are difficult to compare. That is why every .300 hitter in AAA does not hit .300 in the Majors.
When a player faces "the best" competition day-in and day-out, there will be a difference in stats which are NOT measureable vs. the player who faces "the best" once in a while.
This is not to say that any other players in other leagues are not great players, or not D-1 players; but a .500 average vs. pitchers who will not even play in college…at any level…is at the very least, not realistic.
Stats only show who is the best within the particular league in which a player competes.
This is why the summer travel teams have become so popular for the college coaches. Not only do they see the best players in one place(friendly towards their budgets), but they also get a look at "the best vs. the best".
Again, the players in easier league may be better players overall than anyone, anywhere. But unless they play against "the best" every day…it is just hype!
My boy is not a D-1 prospect and may not play in college, but I am quite certain that his stats would be elevated, padded, juiced, etc…in many other leagues where the majority of games are blowouts.
josh and realistik, you're both wrong- lakeland has a zero game winning streak
yorktown wins the Sorentino Cup 2-1.
Saw the Lakeland-Yorktown game and it was very well played by both teams. Dan Mason matched Hourihan inning by inning and limited Lakeland to just a few hits. Besides their run I don't think Lakeland ever got a runner to third base. Great job to the Yorktown kids!
The Lakeland-Yorktown game was well played by both sides and was a true pitchers duel. Both teams can really play the game and are very well coached. The teams meet again on Tuesday at Lakeland, I expect another great game.
JJEF beat RCK 6-5 on a two out single in the top 7th. Great comeback from a 5-0 deficit in front of a decent sized crowd at Dutchess Stad. in Fishkill. Ciocchi hit a two run HR.. We'll see what Ketcham is made of now after a tough loss, but a great win for JJEF.
Pelham-15 straight as they beat Gorton 11-2.
Bratone, Szymanski and Sigelbaum all hit homeruns.
Vetrano came in the 6th, struck out the side. He pitched the 7th and got 3 K's along with 2 walks. No one made fair contact on him.
The Stepinac Iona game is most likely going to be a close one but Stepinac is rolling and i know a few kids on that team who say they never felt more confident and that almost all there hitters are getting hot at just the right time, which is always a good thing vs adami.
JJEF has been better than anyone has thought,....and now giving Ketcham a 2nd loss, wonder how far they will go in sectionals
League I-C competition strikes again. If JJEF didn't make multiple errors in the first couple of innings, the game would not have been close. It is possible that all RCK runs were unearned.
Kudos to JJEF…down 5-0 after two ugly innings. JJEF is always in it, if Panik or Ciocchi can come to the plate…especially as the tying or winning run.
It is not even an upset when any team beats another, in this league. Every game is like a Sectional playoff game.
RCK can't feel comfortable going into the next two games with JJEF (Monday/Wednesday). This could be DeJaVu all over again for RCK. Last year they were undefeated until League I-C Schedule.
RCK faces Arlington, for three games, after JJEF. Next Saturday
7pmDutchess Stadium. That series could determine I-C title. Arlington just beat JJEF in two straight games.Im really interested in this Stepinac vs. Iona prep game on Wednesday May 14th!! I believe Stepinac's bats are comin alive ,and they have plenty of pitching. Iona on the other hand places everything on their ace Alex Adami!! I think Stepinac overall played a harder schedule and will WIN this one!!!!
mr. governor…iona and stepinac play nearly identical schedules..stepinac played jay..iona played kennedy..i think those even out. This "harder schedule" has nothing to do with wednesday's game. Iona has a definite ace to place their confidence in, yes, but they also have quite a few pitchers that they are comfortable throwing..after all they have 15 wins with 8 coming from their other pitchers such as roche and morgan, both of whom do not get the credit they deserve. Stepinac does not have a clear cut ace so they entrust big games to either cuadrado, mcbride, or caruso. It will be a great game, I just want to set the record straight regarding the usual "all iona has is adami."
Kennedy beat Put Valley 5-0 behind a tremendous pitchiong performance by their ACE Rich Lennox. Considine is very good. One of the best in Section 1. He should be applauded for his performance yesterday.