Lohud – USA Today High School Sports

MAHOPAC – With nothing left to do but burn the clock, Dobbs Ferry appeared to have the Class C championship in its grasp Friday night at Mahopac High School. But one fumble was all it took to put the Eagles back on their heels against top-seeded Woodlands, which suddenly had a second life.

The emotional swings of the final minutes took one last turn when sophomore Jack Capuano forced one more fumble. It clinched a 21-14 victory for the second-seeded Eagles, who captured a second straight Class C title.

Dobbs will return to Mahopac at 4 p.m. on Nov. 12 for the state quarterfinal against either Burke Catholic or Millbrook, which play for the Section 9 championship Saturday.

Dobbs Ferry quarterback Patrick Straub turns for a handoff during the Eagles’ 21-14 win over Woodlands in the Section 1 Class C championship game at Mahopac High School on Friday.

Capuano’s strip was the final deciding play in a second half of did-you-see-that moments. Teammate Najee Smith put Dobbs ahead 21-14 on a 2-yard plunge with 1:47 remaining that capped a 10-play, 68-yard game-winning drive.

Woodlands had turned the momentum in its favor during a 13-second span in the third quarter when it scored both of its touchdowns. Quarterback Aaron Robertson, playing for the suspended star Amari Bilal, carried the Falcons into the end zone with 5:01 left in the quarter. They struck again on the ensuing kickoff when Sadique Stewart stripped the returner and kept on running 40 yards for the tying score.

The teams traded possessions over some tense minutes until Dobbs Ferry mounted its winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Woodlands quickly moved the ball across midfield, but it lost the first of two fumbles in the final two minutes. The ball was recovered by the Eagles’ Jordan Lyerly, but Dobbs fumbled on its possession, giving Woodlands the one last chance that was ended by Capuano’s forced fumble.

Dobbs Ferry’s Jordan Loran (55) reacts after a turnover in the Eagles’ 21-14 win over Woodlands in the Section 1 Class C championship game at Mahopac High School on Friday.

Player of the game: Najee Smith, Dobbs Ferry. Smith not only scored all of the Eagles’ touchdowns, he was a force all night. Smith ran for a game-high 136 yards to earn offensive MVP honors and was a major factor on defense for the victors.

Turning point: With Woodlands driving in the final minute, Robertson was stripped by Capuano at the 15-yard line. It allowed Dobbs Ferry to kill the remaining seconds in a game that featured three fumbles in the final two minutes.

Stat line:Dobbs Ferry (7-2) — Smith needed 23 carries to accumulate his 136 yards and had all three touchdowns. Capuano added another 118 yards on the ground. Woodlands (6-3) — Aaron Robertson rushed 16 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Danny Adair also rushed for a touchdown. … Defensive lineman Omar DeBerry was named the game’s defensive MVP.

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Dobbs Ferry’s Najee Smith (7) with a carry during their 21-14 win over Woodlands in the Section 1 Class C championship football game at Mahopac High School on Friday, November 4, 2016.

Dobbs Ferry’s Jordan Lyerly (22) breaks a tackle by WoodlandsAndrew Broudwiack (22) during their 21-14 win in the Section 1 Class C championship football game at Mahopac High School on Friday, November 4, 2016.

VALHALLA – They should be weaker. And with two ties this season after five seasons of only wins, some might have sensed vulnerability.

But while the Lakeland field hockey team still faces two potential roadblocks from claiming its eighth straight state title, Saturday it looked every bit a state champion.

The Hornets, winners of nine Section 1 Class A championships and eight consecutive Section 1 Class B championships, recorded an 8-0 Class B regional final win over Section 9 Red Hook. The result was never in doubt.

Lakeland will play Section 6 Iroquois Saturday at Maine-Endwell High School in the Class B semifinals. The finals will be held there the following day.

Before Saturday’s game, Lakeland coach Sharon Sarsen said she didn’t know much about Red Hook.

And it wasn’t like Lakeland could have scouted the Raiders during the Section 9 playoffs. Red Hook, which fell in the regional final 5-0 to Lakeland in both 2009 and 2010, is the only Class B field hockey team in Section 9, so it had no playoffs.

But Lakeland looked like it had seen plenty of Raider games.

“It’s amazing,” Lakeland’s Kelsey McCrudden said of her team’s offensive resurgence.

A big part were penalty corners, with Lakeland netting seven of its goals off its 31 corners.

“Corners have been a big issue for us. Now we’re finally putting them on cage and putting them in the goal,” senior forward Meghan Fahey said.

McCrudden and Fahey each had two goals – not a bad day for Fahey, who was home sick for a good portion of the week.

“I was out of school all week. I’m a little tired but I’m ready for next weekend. I hadn’t moved from bed for a couple of days. It’s a great day to be back,” she said.

The Hornets appear to have recovered from losing five all-state players to graduation.

“At the beginning of the season a section title was a really big goal for us,” Fahey said. “Now with what we’ve accomplished as a team we’re looking amazing. From the way we started the beginning of the season, we’ve had a big improvement.”

Player of the game: The still-not-100-percent Fahey, who also had two assists to go along with her two goals.

Stat line: Besieged goaltender Julia Shaffrick had 19 saves and Chloe Smith had one for Red Hook.

Cali Cortese, McCrudden and Fahey each had two goals for Lakeland, while Mia Lennon and Julia Wanamaker each had one.

Quotables: “I’m so excited,” Cortese said. “I can’t wait to see the big challenge in front of us. I know we’re good enough tot take it on. We just need to continue with our corners and get our shots off and I think we’ll be reay.

McCrudden indicated winning another regional title still resonated with her.

“It stays just as great,” she said.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Lakeland celebrates their 8-0 win over Red Hook in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Lindsay Palmaffy (12) works foir a rebound in front of the goal during their 8-0 win over Red Hook in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Caroline Cahill (7) splits the Red Hook defense during their 8-0 win in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Meghan Fahey (10) controls the ball near the end-line during their 8-0 win over Red Hook in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Cali Cortese (1) works the ball during their 8-0 win over Red Hook in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Julianna Cappello (11) splits the Red Hook defense at mid-field during their 8-0 win in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Lakeland’s Caroline Cahill (7) takes a shot on goal during their 8-0 win over Red Hook in the Class B regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

VALHALLA – Last year’s result in the NYSPHSAA regional finals was something Bronxville wanted to erase Saturday at Viking Stadium at Valhalla High School.

The Broncos lost to Section 4’s Whitney Point by six goals in the Class C regional finals.

The three-time Section 1 Class C champion’s defense and two goals carried Bronxville to a 2-0 win over Section 9’s Rondout Valley, the Broncos’ first regional-championship victory in two years.

“It’s awesome,” Broncos senior midfielder Ellie Walsh said. “We’ve been working all season for this. Last year, we didn’t advance out of regionals and I think we just want to come out stronger. We’ve been working harder this year to advance further this year.”

What stood out the most in the game for the Broncos was the play of their defense, something coach Jacquelyn Frawley stressed leading up to the game.

“We focused a lot on the defensive,” Frawley said. “We heard about their great corners on the offense so we pushed really hard in and they’ve been doing it all season. So we didn’t do much different but they knew they had to step it up.”

All the scoring came in the first half, with Kat Ungvary connecting on a rebound of a shot from Hadley Barr with 19:39 left in the half. Walsh completed the scoring on a breakaway with 2:38 left in the half to give the Broncos some breathing room.

Ungvary said her goal was being in the right place at the right time.

“Completely,” Ungvary said. “I didn’t think it was going to go in. I didn’t think it was going to count. It was crazy.”

The Broncos had more opportunities on the offensive end, but Ganders goalie Courtney Smith made 17 saves. Broncos goalie Katie Gordon had one save on the day. Walsh had a pair of defensive saves in the game.

Bronxville will face Section 3’s Cazenovia Saturday at 4 p.m. at Maine-Endwell High School in the state semifinals.

The last time the Broncos were in the state final four was 2014 when they got upended by Whitney Point, 2-0. They know what they need to do to win a state title.

“We’re going to work on offense,” Frawley said. “To finish and compete and keep our momentum going to a certain point on the offensive end. To keep the offense improving.”

The Broncos had eight corners for the game to the Ganders’ 11.

Twitter:@LoHud_Debbie

Bronxville celebrates their 2-0 win over Roundout Valley in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Sophie Kohloff (9) fires a pass through the Roundout Valley defense during their 2-0 win in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Mia Bettino (3) works past Roundout Valley’s Paige Bogart (6) in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Mia Bettino (3) works past Roundout Valley’s Makaylah Mutz (9) in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Claire Kramer (15) feeds a pass up the side-line during their 2-0 win over Roundout Valley in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville Fiona Jones (13) works the ball around a Roundout Valley defender durubg their 2-0 win over Roundout Valley in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Hannah Weirens (15)works past a Roundout Valley defender during their 2-0 win over Roundout Valley in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Bronxville’s Hannah Weirens (15) works the ball up the side-line during their 2-0 win over Roundout Valley in the Class C regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

New Rochelle’s Felipe Tobon, top, heads the ball during Saturday’s Class AA regional final against Newburgh.

MIDDLETOWN – In Felipe Tobon’s mind, he’s a defender, first and foremost.

That’s always been his natural position, but New Rochelle coach Jarohan Garcia recognized versatility in the junior’s game and granted him the freedom to push forward on offense when the moment is right.

“From the beginning of the season, I never thought about going up close to the goal at all,” Tobon said. “But my coach told me, ‘Felipe, you have a good attacking mentality,’ and that’s when I started going up for the team.”

Tobon has picked his spots and contributed six goals for the Section 1 champion Huguenots — none bigger than the one he scored on Saturday.

Less than six minutes into overtime of the Class AA regional final against Section 9 champion Newburgh Free Academy, it was Tobon on the finishing end of a Cristian Valencia corner kick. The unforgettable 2-1 win pushed New Rochelle into the state semifinals, where it will play the Long Island champion (either Section 8’s Calhoun or Section 11’s Brentwood) back at Faller Field next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

“I was very nervous because they were playing very intense,” senior Harwan Alzuabidi said. “I don’t know what happened to us in the second half, but we kept our heads up. Our captain (Ethan Manley) talked to us and was like, ‘We have to take this home. We didn’t come this far to lose. We’re making history.’ ”

New Rochelle’s boys soccer team celebrates after winning Saturday’s Class AA regional final against Newburgh.

The Huguenots (12-4-4) looked like their normal selves in the first half, with Alzuabidi bouncing a goal in off of the far post in the seventh minute while the defense did not allow a shot on goal.

“The first half, we were playing really solid,” Alzuabidi said. “Coach tells me to always pressure and I read the play. I got the ball, worked hard for it and I just shot it.”

They took that 1-0 lead into halftime, but after allowing an own goal in the 45th minute that tied the score, New Ro seemed to drift anyway from its possession-based style in favor of more ineffective, long passes.

“They knew what they were playing for and we forgot what we were playing for,” Tobon said. “We kept trying to kick it up, and this isn’t the first time that we’ve done this. We’ve done it in other games, too. It’s something we’ve been trying to work on because when we score a goal, we tend to sit defensively, and that’s something that we can’t do.”

The lackadaisical play led to Manley speaking up before the game went to overtime, and his teammates responded.

The result is a trip to the New York State final four next weekend, where the Huguenots can take aim at their first state championship since 1986.

“It’s great to represent the school in a positive manner,” Tobon said. “It’s great to have a coach that has changed the program so much and brought us to where we are as a team. Soccer was never big at New Rochelle High School, so it’s good to bring our school this success.”

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

New Rochelle’s Cristian Torres, left, and Newburgh’s Jose Alvarez, right, fight for the ball during Saturday’s Class AA regional final.

New Rochelle’s Marcos Garcia takes the ball down the field during Saturday’s Class AA regional final against Newburgh.

VALHALLA – Sometimes coaches push the right buttons.

But of late, 17-year Scarsdale field hockey coach Sharon Rosenthal almost seems to have a touch of psychic in her.

Rosenthal, who captured her first Section 1 title earlier in the week, guided her team to a 5-0 win over Section 9’s Kingston Saturday in the Class A regional final at Valhalla High School.

And she did so relying on the play of a couple of promising ninth-graders and a senior who’s one of the area’s top players.

Moved from defense to forward, freshman Elizabeth Scarcella scored the Raiders’ all-important second and third goals.

The Raiders’ first and fourth scores belonged to another freshman, Sophia Franco, who Rosenthal moved up from junior varsity for post-season play.

Scarsdale defeated Kingston 5-0 in a Class A regional final at Valhalla High School on Saturday.

“I think everyone is really strong in their positions and we have really good captains,” Franco said of the Raiders’ success. “We’re just a big family and community.”

Rosenthal, who had her soon-to-be-1-year-old baby, Remi, in her arms post-game, said of Franco and Scarcella, “They came out great. No fear today and they got the job done.”

With the win, the 17-2-1 Raiders advanced to Saturday’s state section semifinals to face Section 3’s Baldwinsville. The game will be played at noon at Vestal High School.

Kingston, now 14-1-2, had won 10 consecutive Section 9 Class A crowns. But that comes with a qualifier since, currently, there are only two Class A schools in the section.

The score could have been more lopsided but for goalie Abby Brocco’s 12 saves, some coming off penalty corners and in traffic.

Player of the game: The Raiders’ last goal was scored by its game star, senior Erin Nicholas, who also had three assists.

Turning point: Scarsdale led 1-0, courtesy of Franco’s goal off a scramble that followed a penalty corner with 17:05 left in the first half, when Scarcella also found the back of the cage.

That occurred with about 6:55 left. Nicholas made a beautiful cross-net pass to Scarcella on the left backdoor and Scarcella tapped it in.

Stat line: Scarcella’s other goal came with 21:31 left in the second half as she picked up a rebound off a Nicholas shot and got it in on the left side of the net.

Franco scored off a corner and a Nicholas assist with 5:23 left and Nicholas scored unassisted with 4:25 left.

Scarsdale had a huge 18-2 penalty corner advantage.

Scarsdale’s Lila Horwood had two saves.

Quotables: Scarcella, who termed her squad the “nicest, most welcoming, hard-working team,” thinks Scarsdale can go far at States.

“Our energy and we’re so optimistic,” she said when asked why. “We have amazing passes and just work together.”

Twitter: @HaggiertyNancy

Scarsdale’s Erin Nicholas (16) takes a shot on goal during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale defeats Kingston 5-0 in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Paige Panessa (15) works past a Kingston defender during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Sophia Franco (19) splits the Kingston defense during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Erin Nicholas (16) works past a Kingston’s Juliana Sickler (3) during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Emma Schwartz (8)works past Kingston’s Angela Van Pelt (15) during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Erin Nicholas (16 works past a Kingston defender during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Scarsdale’s Elizabeth Scarcella (2) controls the ball during their 5-0 win in the Class A regional championship field hockey game at Valhalla High School on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Hastings’ Jackson Silverstein (11) celebrates with Diego Rodriguez (13) after scoring to put the Yellow Jackets up 3-0 during a New York State Class B regional final game between Hastings and Carle Place at Mitchell Field in Garden City on Saturday, Nov. 5th, 2016.

GARDEN CITY – Jackson Silverstein likes his pasta and fried chicken.

Especially if it’s on the house.

After getting a taste of that in their trip to the New York State final four last year at Middletown, Silverstein and his Hastings teammates clinched another trip upstate with a convincing 4-0 win over Long Island champions Carle Place in the Class B regional final at Mitchel Field on Saturday.

“Our defender, Nate Constantine, he said that you always want that free food at the States dinner,” Silverstein said. “It’s all the good stuff. That’s what we’re looking forward to more than anything, but we’re looking to go back and go farther than we did last year.”

The action was frequent in the game’s opening minutes, with both teams trading chance after chance. In the 19th minute, Hastings struck first, with Reid Kolken finishing off a pass from Silverstein to put the Yellow Jackets up 1-0.

In the 30th minute, Hastings managed to get the ball down the left side, and took a 2-0 lead after Silverstein took a lay-off pass from Ian Charles in the box and finished.

Only a minute later, with Carle Place still recovering from his goal, Silverstein stole the ball from a defender near the goal line, cut to the middle and calmly finished to break the game wide open.

“That can be a big heart-breaker for the other team,” Silverstein said. “Three-nothing in the first half is a rough one to come back from.”

Hastings controlled possession in the second half, with Julian Jacobs rounding out the scoring in the 53rd minute.

The Yellow Jackets’ defensive line, featuring two of the top small-school players in the state in Alex Bourgeois and Oscar Pereira, played a big role early on. The duo led the collective effort to shut out Carle Place’s star player, Tommy Browne.

“Their names are starting to get out there, and if you have one striker that you rely on, it’s very difficult to get past those two,” Hastings head coach Fred Sandhop said.

Browne, who came into the game with 16 goals on the season, was held in check and had few chances to influence the game.

“We knew what he could do, so we just told everyone to pressure him and don’t let him get the space he needed,” Bourgeois said. “We just saw how he played at first, and then got a feel of it and shut him down.”

Hastings will take on Section 2’s Ichabod Crane in the Class B state semifinals next Saturday at Middletown High School at 1:45 p.m.

Last year, the Yellow Jackets dominated possession in that game, but fell to East Aurora 1-0.

“We felt against East Aurora that we dominated, but sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good,” Sandhop said. “Everyone has just gelled, especially in the last few weeks. We feel we are peaking at the right moment. It’s state championship or nothing.”

It’s more than just the state championship: don’t forget about the free food.

“We knew the talent that we had on our team,” Bourgeois said. “Getting back to states was our goal all season. We just wanted it that bad. We came out and showed that.”

Twitter: @Szkolar_Lohud

CROSS RIVER – One down, two to go.

Panas, in the midst of what is expected to be the best season in program history, walked through the Section 1 Class A final in a 25-11, 25-3, 25-9 sweep of Pelham at John Jay-Cross River High School on Saturday.

The win gave Panas the first of its three major title goals for the season — sectional, regional, and state. The Panthers (18-0) reached the Class A state final last year for the first time in program history and returned a number of players from that roster.

The top-seeded Panthers have been remarkably impressive this year, sweeping every opponent during the regular season and taking home top honors at three weekend tournaments, but Saturday’s display was arguably the best Panas has been to date.

“Today, we played the way we’re capable of playing,” Panas head coach Joe Felipe said after the win. “That’s kind of the pregame talk: ‘Who can play like themselves today?’ and we were able to play our brand of volleyball.”

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Tulane-committed junior and reigning Westchester/Putnam player of the year Yvette Burcescu overpowered the third-seeded Pelicans (17-4) with her jump serve, which she developed with Felipe over the past year. The heavy topspin and speed of the serve makes it difficult for defenders to get a clean pass in the air.

“It was disastrous for them,” Felipe said, describing Burcescu’s jump serve against the Pelham defense. “It’s a weapon. We can score with it. We can get other teams out of system.”

While several Panas players names are already on the lips of local volleyball aficionados, many of the roaring supporters in the Panthers’ fan section were exposed to eighth-grader Jillian Dolman for the first time.

Dolman, who said she was not expecting to get in the match, served an ace for the final point to close out the match. The crowd erupted with a “She’s-in-eighth-grade!” chant in her honor.

“Everybody is really accepting of me,” Dolman said of being one of the youngest players on the roster. “Everybody just makes me feel like part of the team, and it’s just a really great atmosphere.”

Panas will play in the state regional semifinals Wednesday at SUNY Ulster at 5 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.

Felipe said the team dropping their first set of the year to Hen Hud in the section semifinals Thursday “woke them up,” but that it likely led to Saturday’s stellar performance.

“I think it was a good thing for us,” he said. “Dropping one set isn’t the end of the world, especially if it wakes the team up.”

“This would be a great time to start peaking,” Felipe added.

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Panas dominated Pelham in the Section 1 Class A volleyball final Saturday, 25-11, 25-3, 25-9, at John Jay-Cross River to repeat as section champion.

Pleasantville celebrates after defeating Westlake 28-21 to win the Section 1 Class B football championship against Scarsdale at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

MAHOPAC – Westlake needed the better part of two quarters to wrestle momentum away.

Pleasantville only needed one play to steal it back.

A blocked punt by Thomas Browne was exactly what the Panthers needed after letting a lead get away. He won footrace to the ball and set Pleasantville with a critical first-and-goal in a tie game.

It wasn’t like the game was lacking drama.

Three plays later, Jack Howe delivered a nine-yard scoring pass to Brian Reda to get Pleasantville back on top. It was by far the biggest sequence of a 28-21 victory over the Wildcats in the Section 1 Class B Championship game Saturday at Mahopac High School.

It was the first title for the Panthers since 2013.

“Really, this is unbelievable,” Pleasantville quarterback Jack Howe said. “They definitely had some momentum going into halftime. We just did whatever we could to stay in the game, then we pulled it out.”

The undefeated Panthers (10-0) could not have started any better.

It was a 14-0 lead after Declan McDermott won a 22-yard race to the pylon and Howe found Jack Minerva on a 22-yard toss into the end zone.

Westlake quarterback Rob DiNota got his team back in the game when he connected with Haseeb Ashar on an eight-yard slant for a touchdown with 21 seconds left in the opening half. DiNota went down the left sideline for a 56-yard TD run three minute after the intermission.

Suddenly, the score was knotted and the Wildcats seemed to be in control.

Pleasantville went three-and-out, but the defense came on and put Westlake in neutral, forcing the DiNota punt.

Browne promptly changed the game.

“I took a step to the side, swam past the guard, put my hand up and the ball hit me right in the forearm,” he said. “DiNota was running with me. He was trying to beat me to the ball, so I was pushing and shoving. I knew if we got that ball, that was going to help us win this game and it did. We got it. That was the highlight of my season.”

Howe missed the PAT, but the Panthers managed to come up with a fourth-down stop at their own 36 to keep Westlake (8-2) from answering. McDermott then capped a 12-play drive with a four-yard run. Howe threw for two points to make it a 28-14 lead with 7:17 to go in the game.

Pleasantville next plays in the state quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Dietz Stadium against Section 9 champ New Paltz.

Player of the game: Ian Esliker was the defensive standout for Pleasantville, helping to set a tone and keeping the Wildcats from getting a first down until three minutes were gone in the second quarter.

Turning point: Seriously? It has to be the blocked punt. Westlake coach John Castellano was having DiNota quick-kick the entire game because protection on punts has been an issue for his team.

“We’ve tried every which way but loose,” he said. “And we were having success with that quick-kick stuff. It was just a matter of time. I probably shouldn’t have called it there. I probably should’ve taken my chances on a regular punt.”

Stat line: DiNota ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. He also scored on a 20-yard run with 3:49 to play. … Howe completed 10 of 20 passes for 102 yards and two TDs.

Quotable: “I think Westlake underestimated our offense,” Esliker said. “And our unity as a team.”

Twitter: @hoopsmbd

Pleasantville’s Declan MMcDermott beats three Westlake defenders into the end zone for a touchdown during the Section 1 Class B football championship Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016. Pleasantville defeated Westlake 28-21.

Westlake’s Haseeb Azhar couldn’t hold on the pass while being defended by Pleasantville’s Jake Farrelly during the Section 1 Class B football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016. Pleasantville defeated Westlake 28-21.

MIDDLETOWN – Shaelynn Guilfoyle is fearless.

Pearl River’s undeniable scoring threat has the chassis of a Chihuahua, but makes up for it with a pit bull approach. The senior forward kept an unexpected playoff run alive, propelling the Pirates to a 2-1 win over Goshen on Saturday in a Class A regional championship at Faller Field.

Guilfoyle netted both goals and kept the Gladiators in chase mode.

“She is probably the heart of this team,” Pearl River midfielder Cate Feerick said. “She makes everybody laugh. She motivates us on and off the field. She can also be really intense.”

Yep, there are moments where even her teammates are just a little intimidated.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better in my last season,” Guilfoyle said. “This is where I wanted to go. I’ve wanted to go to states for a long time. I want to win states. That would be awesome.”

The Pirates are heading for Cortland next and will play Section 5 champion Spencerport on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Tompkins Cortland Community College.

It’s the program’s first NYSPHSAA semifinal appearance since 1999.

Guilfoyle was the headliner, but Pearl River was getting contributions from every position and was very well organized from the start. A diving save by Katherine Carstensen thwarted a breakaway chance for Goshen early on. Guilfoyle had to leave the game after getting pushed across the end line and went crashing into a pole that holds up protective netting.

She was sidelined for seven minutes.

And shortly after Guilfoyle came back on the field, she got the best kind of payback, scoring on a breakaway with 10:55 to go in the first half.

“I feel like we came together after I got pushed,” the University of Scranton commit said. “It wasn’t so much that we wanted revenge. It was more like, ‘We’re here. You can’t push us around. We’re going to win this game.’ If you want to play physical we’re going to beat you with speed and skill.”

Guilfoyle scored again with 2:07 left in the first half.

“Shaelynn has been just outstanding,” Pirates coach Tim Peabody said. “I think she figured out how badly she wanted to win this. She figured out there’s no substitute for leading by example. Sometimes being a captain is hard because not every kid is comfortable with the vocal part of the job, but Shaelynn figure out that her leadership came through effort and sacrifice and and example.”

Player of the game: Guilfoyle is on quite a run and has delivered the decisive goal in each of the last three playoff wins.

Turning point: Pearl River was playing well from the start, but the intensity was noticeably dialed up after Guilfoyle went crashing into the pole and left the game with 24 minutes to go in the first half.

Stat line: Carstensen finished with four saves and Kate McNally had the lone Pearl River assist. … Madi McGuire scored for Goshen with 5:27 to go.

Quotable: “We’re the underdog, so we’re excited.,” Feerick said of the upcoming NYSPHSAA semifinal game. “We can’t wait. We are looking to make a big move.”

Twitter: @hoopmbd

The Pearl River girls soccer team celebrates after winning the Class A regional final against Goshen.

Pearl River’s Tara Guilfoyle, right, and Goshen’s Skylar Stitskin, left, fight for the ball during Saturday’s Class A regional final.

Pearl River’s Shaelynn Guilfoyle, left, takes the ball down the field during Saturday’s Class A regional final against Goshen.

Pearl River’s Kerry Tyer, left, and Goshen’s Alex Stack, right, fight for the ball during Saturday’s Class A regional final.

Matthew Pires of Somers gets airborne on his way to a 60-yard punt return against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

MAHOPAC – Two plays into Saturday’s much-hyped Class A championship, Yorktown had swarmed Somers, feeding off a massive and boisterous crowd. But then the Tuskers turned, as they do, to Matt Pires, the senior who has put Section 1 defenses on their heels all season.

Pires caught a short pass from Kevin Olifiers and started running, breaking through arm tackles en route to a 68-yard touchdown. It seemed to shock the Huskers and Somers never gave them a reason to refocus, beating them 42-6 to win a third Section 1 title in five years.

“I had so much adrenaline on that play,” said Pires, who scored three touchdowns and was named the game’s most outstanding back. “I was just hoping to get a first down and keep the drive alive, but I had some great downfield blocks and made a couple moves. I thought we came in here high, but that play got us to where we needed to be.”

The Tuskers maintained that intensity all night. They forced four turnovers, had Yorktown’s playmakers on the run and fed the ball to their stars, Pires and senior Messiah Horne.

It was a stark turnaround from Somers’ 34-13 loss at Yorktown on Sept. 16.

“The difference between us in the third game and now, it’s like the North and the South Pole,” said coach Tony DeMatteo, whose team will return to Mahopac at 12:30 Saturday for a state quarterfinal against Section 9’s Cornwall. “It’s because of deliberate practice. We’ve gotten better every single week.”

The Tuskers built a 14-0 lead at halftime behind two scores from Pires, but he and Horne — who rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns — turned it on in the second half as their team built a 42-0 lead.

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The wheels on the bus seemed to come off in all the critical situations over and over again,” coach Mike Rescigno said. “We’ve been a disciplined football team all season, but it just wasn’t our night.”

Player of the game:Matt Pires, Somers. From the opening touchdown of the game to his 62-yard punt return in the third quarter, Section 1’s most dangerous playmaker left his imprint again. He had 133 yards on nine offensive touches and scored three more touchdowns.

Pires, who missed almost all of last season with a broken ankle, now has 19 touchdowns as a senior.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” DeMatteo said.

Messiah Horne of Somers takes Yorktown’s Dominick Cijoffi into the end zone as he scores during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Turning point: Yorktown found itself trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, but the explosive Huskers had moved the ball well. They were down to the Somers 10 when a snap to quarterback Jose Boyer hit a receiver in motion and was eventually recovered by the defense. It was the beginning of a mistake-filled game for Yorktown that included two interceptions and two lost fumbles.

Stat line:Somers (9-1) — Until Somers’ last drive, Horne, Pires and Olifiers carried the ball on 44 of their team’s 45 offensive plays. … Vincent DiFilippo had two interceptions and Jack Gilroy had two sacks and recovered a fumble. Yorktown (9-1) — Brandon Meyreles had a team-high 87 yards rushing. Brett Makar added 11 carries for 77 yards and caught a 32-yard touchdown from Boyer late in the fourth quarter. … Boyer spent much of the game under duress. He finished 5 for 15 for 96 yards and was sacked three times.

Quotable: “Honestly, I’m not surprised at all,” Pires said. “Our defense, we were at the high school at 1:30 today. We knew what we were doing and our line was unstoppable tonight. They pushed back Makar, they pushed back Boyer and that’s a big reason why we won this game.”

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Somers quarterback Kevin Olifiers scores on a keeper against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Matthew Pires of Somers gets airborne on his way to a 60-yard punt return against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Messiah Horne of Somers takes Yorktown’s Dominick Cijoffi into the end zone as he scores during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Somers quarterback Kevin Olifiers scores on a keeper against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Matthew Pires of Somers gets airborne on his way to a 60-yard punt return against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Somers quarterback Kevin Olifiers scores on a keeper against Yorktown during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Messiah Horne of Somers takes Yorktown’s Dominick Cijoffi into the end zone as he scores during the Section 1 Class A football championship at Mahopac High School Nov. 6, 2016.

Rye Country Day School’s Natalie Alpert (9) celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime in the 2016 NYSAIS field hockey final at Manhattanville College on Nov. 6, 2016.

PURCHASE – For the last year, a second’s hesitation that resulted in a disallowed goal has been on Natalie Alpert’s mind.

In the 2015 New York State Association Independent Schools field hockey championship game, Alpert shot for Rye Country Day School in the decisive shootout sequence. Alpert scored, but the officials ruled that the time allotted for her attempt had expired. Hackley went on to win that game, 2-1.

“Ever since, I’ve been upset by that,” Alpert said. “I should have gotten the shot off sooner.”

On Sunday, Alpert found a loose ball inside the circle and wasted no time, knocking it into the Hackley net with six minutes remaining in overtime, giving Rye Country Day School a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish on their way to the 2016 NYSAIS championship.

“It was kind of a scramble in front of the goal,” Alpert said of the play that resulted in her game-winning goal. “I just knew I had to take the shot. You don’t get a lot of time when you’re in the corner to get the shot away, so I just tried to get it away as quickly as possible.”

CLASS A: Scarsdale beats Kingston 5-0 to advance to state semis

CLASS B: Defending state champ Lakeland routs Red Hook in regionals

CLASS C: Bronxville erases regional final loss with 2-0 win

After a scoreless first half, Hackley got on the scoreboard 40 seconds into the second stanza when Karina Bridger tapped in a loose ball in front of the Rye Country Day net.

The Wildcats would answer 15 seconds later, when Olivia Friedberg carried the ball down the right side, drove to the Hackley net and fired a shot that beat Hornets goaltender Jennifer Canoni inside the far post.

Several minutes later, Hackley grabbed a 2-1 lead when Bridger flipped her stick and rifled a high backhand shot past Wildcat goalie Ruthie Reynolds.

Again, Friedberg answered back quickly for Rye, scoring on a sharp angle shot along the goal line that was deflected into the Hackley net, tying the game at two.

The Wildcats continued to pressure the Hackley defense during the overtime, earning two penalty corners, the second of which led to Alpert’s goal.

“I’m very happy for her,” said Rye Country Day head coach Georgette Summers. “She’s been a consistent force for us all season, and this just put an exclamation point on it.”

Player of the game: Rye Country Day’s Alpert scored the game-winner in overtime, and had several other chances to score during regulation.

Stat Line: Rye Country Day’s Olivia Friedberg had two goals, Natalie Alpert had one, and Ruthie Reynolds made eight saves for the Wildcats. Hackley’s Karina Bridger had two goals, and Jennifer Canoni made 14 saves for the Hornets.

Quotable: “Hackley and Rye Country Day, for field hockey and lacrosse, that’s usually who’s in the (NYSAIS) final,” said Summers, who also coaches Rye Country Day’s girls lacrosse team. “And Jenny Leffler is their coach (for lacrosse) too, so we’re always battling it out.”

Twitter: @LeifSkodnick

Rye Country Day School (in white) celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime in the 2016 NYSAIS field hockey final at Manhattanville College on Nov. 6, 2016.

Hackley School’s Karina Bridger defends against Rye Country Day’s Katherine Holtby during the 2016 NYSAIS field hockey final at Manhattanville College on Nov. 6, 2016.

Hackley School’s Meghan Cunningham attempts to move the ball past Rye Country Day’s Natalie Alpert during the 2016 NYSAIS field hockey final at Manhattanville College on Nov. 6, 2016.

Hackley School’s Karina Bridger defends against Rye Country Day’s Olivia Weaver the 2016 NYSAIS field hockey final at Manhattanville College on Nov. 6, 2016.

NEW ROCHELLE – Shortly after putting the finishing touches on another lopsided win over Fordham Prep, Iona Prep learned that a major impediment in its pursuit of a championship had been cleared.

The third-seeded Gaels shut out the rival Rams 41-0 to open the CHSFL AA playoffs Sunday behind four touchdown passes from Mike Apostolopoulos, including three to Ki’Shyne Shipmon. They will now host Xavier in the semifinals after the No. 7 seed upset favorite Christ the King, which was the only league opponent to beat Iona Prep during the regular season.

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“My first immediate thought was that now we’re playing a home game rather than going out to Queens to play a playoff game,” said Gaels coach Joe Spagnolo, whose team will play Xavier at 1 p.m. on Saturday. “But any time you play Xavier, it’s going to be an extremely physical game. They’re well-coached. They do a really good job.”

Iona Prep proved how dangerous it could be early and often against Fordham Prep. Apostolopoulos connected with Shipmon on a 25-yard score on the opening possession and Rodney Samson Jr. made it 13-0 just 3:11 into the game when he broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown.

“All week in practice we kept saying, they’re going to be hungry. They want revenge on 70-20,” said Shipmon, whose team beat Fordham Prep by that score on Oct. 15. “So we practiced hard and prepared for them the right way.”

Apostolopoulos connected with Shipmon seven times for 89 yards and finished 7 for 21 for 259 yards.

Player of the game: Ki’Shyne Shipmon, Iona Prep. Since he transferred from Yonkers Montessori this summer, the junior has thrived as a hybrid back for the Gaels. Shipmon has played on both sides of scrimmage and proven equally adept as a runner and receiver.

“He brings a lot of energy,” Apostolopoulos said. “And he can do everything.”

Stat line: Iona Prep (6-3) — The Gaels ran just 38 plays and compiled 436 yards. … Samson Jr. rushed eight times for 119 yards and two touchdowns and had one of the team’s four sacks. … Mike DeGasperis caught five passes for 95 yards and Johnryan Freeman caught two more, including a touchdown. He also had a sack. Fordham Prep (4-5) — Matthew Valecce went 10 for 16 for 91 yards.

Quotable: ”
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I think we won the line of scrimmage,” Spagnolo said. “Our O-line has been gelling really well. Our d-line has gotten better each week. We are pretty skilled on the perimeter so if we do well up front the rest usually works itself out.”

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Iona Prep’s Michael DeGasperis finds a path against Fordham Prep in the quarterfinals of the Catholic High School Football League Nov. 6, 2016 at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Iona Prep won, 41-0.

Iona Prep head coach Joe Spagnolo during the quarterfinals game against Fordham Prep in the Catholic High School Football League Nov. 6, 2016 at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Iona Prep won, 41-0.

Fordham Prep quarterback Matt Valecce in action against Iona Prep in the quarterfinals of the Catholic High School Football League Nov. 6, 2016 at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Iona Prep won, 41-0.

Iona Prep’s Ki’Shyne Shipmon finds a path against Fordham Prep to score a touchdown in the quarterfinals of the Catholic High School Football League Nov. 6, 2016 at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Iona Prep won, 41-0.

Iona Prep’s Ki’Shyne Shipmon looks back after scoring a touchdown against Fordham Prep in the quarterfinals of the Catholic High School Football League Nov. 6, 2016 at Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Iona Prep won, 41-0.

Another Section 1 volleyball tournament is in the books. Fifty-three matches played, four champions crowned, way too many hours worked, and not nearly enough hours of sleep taken.

Hendrick Hudson defeated Yorktown during Section 1 Class A girls volleyball quarterfinal at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose Nov. 1, 2016.

To make everyone’s life (including my own) a little more convenient, I’ve included every single link from this year’s tournament in one post so that you can easily find whatever it is you’re looking for. I’ve listed the posts below in chronological order, starting with pre-tournament information and ending with my gamers from the section finals.

For those curious, my Zacketology predictions finished at 45-8, for a winning percentage of 84.9 percent. While that percentage ranks third overall in my six years on the beat, this was the first year I ever correctly predicted every champion. My overall record in the Section 1 tournament now stands at 277-50, which works out to an 84.7 winning percentage. Over that time, I’ve correctly predicted 20 of 29 possible champions.

Pre-tournament information

VOLLEYBALL: Complete Section 1 volleyball tournament schedule

VOLLEYBALL: Section 1 volleyball tournament preview

COLUMN: Don’t count any team out in Class AA

ZACKETOLOGY: Section 1 volleyball tournament predictions

Outbracket

GAMER: Harrison regroups in outbracket to top Lakeland

PODCAST: Mike Zacchio talks Section 1 volleyball

First round

GAMER: Tappan Zee outlasts Eastchester in five-set playoff thriller

RECAPS: First round results (all classes)

PODCAST: Recapping the Section 1 first round

Quarterfinals

GAMER: North Rockland sweeps defending champs Scarsdale

GAMER: Hen Hud avenges loss to Yorktown in five-set thriller

RECAPS: Class AA, Class C quarterfinal results

RECAPS: Class A, Class B quarterfinal results

Semifinals

GAMER: Ursuline advances to third section final in six years

GAMER: Westlake outlasts Ardsley in five-set Class B semifinal

RECAPS: Class AA, Class C semifinal results

RECAPS: Class A, Class B semifinal results

Finals

CLASS AA PREVIEW: Ossining vs. Ursuline

CLASS A PREVIEW: Panas vs. Pelham

CLASS B PREVIEW: Lourdes vs. Westlake

CLASS C PREVIEW: Pawling vs. Dobbs Ferry

CLASS AA FINAL: Ossining ends 11-year title drought with sweep in ‘AA’ final

CLASS A FINAL: Panas dominates in Class A final, repeats as champs

CLASS B FINAL: Westlake edges top-seeded Lourdes for Class B crown

CLASS C FINAL: Dobbs Ferry falls to Pawling in Class C final rematch

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

HIGH SCHOOL

Sunday’s results

Field hockey

NYSAIS Finals

At Manhattanville

Rye Country Day 3, Hackley 2 (OT)

Monday’s events

No events scheduled

Tuesday’s events

Volleyball

NYSPHSAA Regional semifinals

At SUNY Ulster

Class AA: Section 9 vs. Ossining, 3 p.m.

Ossining celebrates their win over Ursuline School during Section 1 girls volleyball Class AA finals at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose Nov. 4, 2016.

There is a certain celebrity that comes with being the best in sports. The top teams and players get the press from reporters, praise from fans, and respect from their opponents, but the narrative shifts from, “What can they do?” to “What they have to do,” once the postseason rolls around.

That’s the cost of being the best, which, for local volleyball teams this past week, meant being the No. 1 seed in the Section 1 tournament. With prominence comes expectations, and those expectations only grow as a team becomes more successful throughout the season.

Some handle it better than others.

Panas rolled to a second consecutive Section 1 Class A title Saturday, handily sweeping third-seeded Pelham in under an hour’s time. The Panthers (18-0) dropped just one set all year, which came to Hen Hud in the semifinals Thursday.

“I don’t want to say they weren’t ready for it, but I think they were a little shocked at how hard somebody played against them,” Panas head coach Joe Felipe said of the Hen Hud match.

CLASS AA FINAL: Ossining ends 11-year title drought with sweep in ‘AA’ final

CLASS A FINAL: Panas dominates in Class A final, repeats as champs

CLASS B FINAL: Westlake edges top-seeded Lourdes for Class B crown

CLASS C FINAL: Dobbs Ferry falls to Pawling in Class C final rematch

Ossining (20-1), which won its first title since 2004 on Friday, welcomed the hype it had built up this year, and wished there was more.

“You told us we were the underdogs, we were mad,” Ossining freshman Mychael Vernon said, smiling, referring to the Journal News/lohud pegging the Pride as a “sleeper” team in Class AA at the beginning of the season.

Pawling (16-0), on the other hand, has been “playing nervous” as the season winds down and the Tigers’ wins pile up, according to head coach Jessica Pulford.

“I feel like there’s such a bull’s-eye on their back this year that they’re scared,” Pulford said, after repeating as Section 1 Class C champs against Dobbs Ferry on Friday. “The last game and this game, they’re terrified of losing because they think everybody’s hyped up this year as, ‘It’s Pawling’s year! It’s Pawling’s year! It’s such a big year — you’ve got to do it this year!’ and I think they’re playing scared.”

All four 1-seeds reached the finals in their respective classes at this year’s tournament, while three 2-seeds also advanced to the title match. Westlake was the only 2-seed to emerge victorious, knocking off Lourdes in an unbelievable Class B final Saturday.

Westlake Captain Kelly Martin celebrates a point near the end of their match against Lourdes during the Section 1 Class B volleyball final at John Jay High School in Cross River, Nov. 5, 2016. Westlake beat Lourdes 3 games to 2.

Westlake senior setter Caleigh Carr said the team “came in very calm” and “very confident” to the title match. Wildcats coaches Carmen Bates and Gina Perino each said they prefer to be the underdog as opposed to the top dog. Bates said she was nervous when the Journal News/lohud predicted Westlake to win the section title at the beginning of the season.

Perino, an assistant at Westlake, is also the head coach of softball at Pleasantville. She said the key to managing expectations with players is to praise the positive aspects of their game, but not let them get away with bad habits.

“When they do something that is great, I’m all in it with them,” she said. “When they’re not playing up to their expectations, we’re like, ‘No, that’s not going to work,’ and Carmen is the same way, so we feed off each other, which makes it a great fit.”

Perino lost in the section finals for volleyball, basketball, and softball her junior year of high school before going undefeated in all three sports the following year. Perino said focus can waver with age.

“Maybe even at the college level — you’re expected to win, and then sometimes you see these upsets where nobody had a right to beat them, but they probably sat back and didn’t do the things they needed to do,” she said. “As much as your coaches can say, ‘You better buy into this,’ the older you get, sometimes you don’t.”

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

What, you thought volleyball was over just because the Section 1 tournament is over?

Following a thrilling week of volleyball, we are down to our final five local teams, who are the Section 1 representatives in the NYSPHSAA tournament. Congratulations to Ossining, Panas, Westlake, and Pawling on winning section titles this weekend. There was no Class D tournament this year, but Tuckahoe will be the state representative as the only local Class D team in the section.

The week is going to be so hectic, it’s Sunday night as I’m typing this and I still don’t even know where I’ll be half of the week.

What you missed:

Ursuline defeats New Rochelle during Section 1 Class AA volleyball semifinals at Ursuline School in New Rochelle Nov. 2, 2016.

Column: With success comes celebrity, expectations

What: Having the No. 1 seed in a playoff tournament often comes with headlines, praise, and respect, but it also comes with lofty expectations. Do locals prefer to be the top dog, or the undedog? I spoke to several section champions over the weekend for this week’s column, which ran in the paper Monday, Nov. 7.

Tournament coverage: Section 1 volleyball tournament

What: Every link from this year’s tournament (results posts, game stories, predictions, podcasts, etc.) in one convenient place for you all.

Coverage plans: Nov. 7-13

A view of press row at the Westchester County Center during the Section 1 basketball tournament.

The following schedule includes all of the events going on this week, and not necessarily what I will be covering, personally. As you’ll see in some cases, I obviously will not be able to be in two places at once. Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information at @Zacchio_LoHud. You can also follow me on Snapchat and Instagram at the same handles for additional content and coverage.

Monday, Nov. 7

OFF

Column on 1-seed pressure is in print and online

Speaking on a panel for beat reporting at the APSE regional meeting at Marist College, 9:30 a.m.

Creating the Section 1 volleyball tournament recap post

Quarterfinal volleyball match in Nyack, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 8

ELECTION DAY! (Go vote!)

Sports staff meeting, 2 p.m.

Class AA state regional semifinal: Ossining vs. Minisink Valley at SUNY Ulster, 3 p.m.

Class C state regional semifinal: Pawling vs. Millbrook at SUNY Ulster, 5 p.m.

Section 1 boys volleyball championship at Suffern, 5 p.m.

Facebook Live chat, 8 p.m. — tentative time, may be held at 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 9

Class B state regional semifinal: Westlake vs. Spackenkill at SUNY Ulster, 3 p.m.

Class A state regional semifinal: Panas vs. Cornwall at SUNY Ulster, 5 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 10

Boys volleyball state regional semifinal at Clarkstown South, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 11

OFF

My new book, “Inside Out,” is officially available on Kindle!

Saturday, Nov. 12

Class D state regional semifinal (Tuckahoe) at Pelham, 11 a.m.

Class AA state regional final (Ossining) at Corning-Painted Post H.S., 12 p.m.*

Class B state regional final (Westlake) at Corning-Painted Post H.S., 2 p.m.*

Class C state regional final (Pawling) at Corning-Painted Post H.S., 4 p.m.*

* — if victorious in regional semifinal

Sunday, Nov. 13

Class A state regional final (Panas) at SUNY Oneonta, 2:30 p.m.*

Class D state regional final (Tuckahoe) at SUNY Oneonta, 4:30 p.m.*

* — if victorious in regional semifinal

Irvington’s Lucas Garcia reacts to a referee after receiving a yellow during a Class B boys soccer quarterfinal game at Irvington High School Oct. 28, 2014.

The United States Soccer Federation is offering referee certification courses locally.

The entry-level courses, which are being offered locally in December, January and February, will be held at Rye, Larchmont, Ardsley and White Plains.

Listings of classes and information can be found on www.wsroref.com.

Online registration is at www.wsroref.siplay.com. For additional information, contact esoccer@verizon.net or call 914 472-3196.

Nanuet is show hoisting the Little Brown Jug in 2014. The Golden Knights beat Pearl River 20-14 in overtime on Nov. 5, 2016 to retain the Jug.

The Little Brown Jug game between Nanuet and Pearl River reached its golden anniversary Saturday, but the teams still managed to accomplish a first in the rivalry.

Nanuet won 20-14 at Pearl River High School when junior running back Jake Stein scored from a yard out on the final play of the game. It was the first Little Brown Jug game ever decided in overtime.

CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP: Pleasantville makes the big play, gets the big win

CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP: New Rochelle romps to repeat as Class AA champions

“It’s something that is very cherished in our towns and this was the 50th anniversary of the game,” Nanuet coach Phil Carbone said. “It was very rewarding to see all the seniors go out on that note. You don’t often get to win your last game and to have it be a game of such magnitude.”

The Golden Knights (7-3) were forced to regroup after Jonathon Farley’s 5-yard run on fourth down with about 5 minutes remaining pulled Pearl River into a 14-14 tie. Nanuet responded by driving into Pirate territory, but had its last-ditch pass intercepted on the final play of regulation.

Pearl River picked up a quick first down to start overtime, but Nanuet’s defense earned a fourth-and-goal stop at the 1. On the ensuing possession, Stein and senior Connor Breit carried the offense to within range, setting up Stein’s winning touchdown.

Breit had not only scored a touchdown earlier in the game, but his punting pinned Pearl River inside its 10 on five occasions.

“That was a real difference-maker in the game,” Carbone said.

The victory bumped Nanuet’s all-time series lead to 34-15-1.

Attendance spikes at Section 1 finals: Saturday’s Class AA, A and B championship tripleheader may have produced the biggest single-day crowd in Section 1’s 15-year history at Mahopac High School. After an average number of fans watched New Rochelle and Scarsdale in the Class AA final, the rivalries played in the Class B and A finals pushed the crowds beyond capacity. The 2,500-seat bleachers were filled for both games and hundreds of fans lined the fences that faced both end zones and, at times, stood several rows deep. Section 1 executive director Jennifer Simmons said the estimated crowd was 5,200.

CHSFL PLAYOFFS: Iona Prep routs Fordham as playoff path opens

Harris Jr. making a difference for Stepinac: With key players out for the season and others nursing injuries, sophomore Shawn Harris Jr. has found a role for Stepinac. The Mount Vernon resident returned a kick for a touchdown for the second straight week, this time bringing a kickoff 89 yards to the house. He also raced for a 68-yard touchdown run during No. 3 Stepinac’s 44-21 defeat of No. 6 Chaminade in the CHSFL AAA quarterfinals.

“I was thinking about that all week, getting another chance against the same team,” said Harris Jr., who brought a punt back for a score the previous week — also against Chaminade. “It worked out.”

The Crusaders (7-2) will now have an opportunity to avenge one of their regular season losses Saturday when they visit No. 2 Monsignor Farrell at noon. The Staten Island school won 23-20 at Stepinac on Oct. 15 on a last-second field goal.

“We’re confident we can beat them because we’re ready,” Harris Jr. said. “We’re preparing this week very seriously. The coaching staff has done a great job of geting us ready for this game.”

Matt Pires scored three touchdowns in Somers’ 42-6 defeat of rival Yorktown in the Class A championship game at Mahopac High School on Nov. 5, 2016.

Player of the Week: Matt Pires, Somers. Other players had more yards from scrimmage over the weekend, but Pires’ play set the tone for Somers’ resounding 42-6 upset of previously unbeaten Yorktown. The senior had a stress-inducing impact on the Husker defense from his first touch, a 68-yard catch-and-go touchdown from Kevin Olifiers. That play gave Pires his third touchdown against Yorktown on just his fourth touch this season. That ratio declined throughout the night, but Pires still added two more touchdowns in what was a stirring performance.

CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP: Somers turns the tables on Yorktown in rematch

Coach of the Week: Tony DeMatteo, Somers. Championship weekend at Mahopac High School included several notable team achievements. Three schools beat higher-seeded opponents after losing by three touchdowns or more during the regular season. One of them was Somers, and it was DeMatteo’s team that executed the biggest turnaround. The Tuskers led Yorktown 42-0 at one point by dominating every phase of the game. The most stark difference from their first meeting, a 34-13 Husker win on Sept. 16, was Somers’ dominance at the line of scrimmage. At 74, Section 1’s all-time winningest coach proved again that he remains at the top of his game.

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Dobbs Ferry falls to Pawling in Class C final rematch

Dobbs survives wild finish to repeat as Class C champ

Section 1 Cross Country Championships

Defending state champ Lakeland routs Red Hook in regional

Bronxville erases regional final loss with 2-0 win

Tobon's OT goal sends New Rochelle to the state semis

Scarsdale beats Kingston 5-0 to advance to state semis

Boys soccer: Hastings routs Carle Place for another trip to states

Panas dominates in Class A final, repeats as champs

Pleasantville makes the big play, celebrates the big win

Guilfoyle keeps Pearl River in play for a state title

Somers turns tables on Yorktown in championship rematch

Field Hockey: RCDS tops Hackley 3-2 for NYSAIS Title

Iona Prep routs Fordham as playoff path opens

Volleyball: Section 1 tournament recap

Pre-tournament information

Outbracket

First round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Finals

Varsity scores and schedule - High school sports scores and schedule

Zacchio: With success comes celebrity, expectations - With prominence comes expectations, and those expectations only grow as a team becomes more successful throughout the season. Some teams handle it better than others.

The week ahead in volleyball: Nov. 7-13

What you missed:

Coverage plans: Nov. 7-13

Soccer: USSF offering local referee certification courses

The Fifth Quarter: A Little Brown Jug rivalry first