Lohud Boys Lacrosse Scoreboard.

Ardsley 5, Hen Hud 1

Goals: A – Talia Rubino 2, Samantha Torrellas, Becky Mari,Olivia Curtin. HH – Deanna Marriott.

Assists: A – Maric 2,Torrellas, Emma Closter.

Saves: A – Molly Segal and Emma Jacobson 5. HH – Diana Guariglia 12.

Halftime: Ardsley 3, Hen Hud 1

Noteworthy: Rubino scored to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead in the final minute of the opening half.

Sleepy Hollow 3, Eastchester 2

Goals: SH – Callie Derechin, Emily Rodriguez, Emma Cusanelli. Ea – NA

Assists: SH – Emma Cusanelli 2, Emily Rodriguez. Ea – NA.

Saves: SH: Lavese Gilchrist 8. Ea: NA

Halftime: Sleepy Hollow 2, Eastchester 2

Noteworthy: Emily Rodriguez beat two defenders 20 minutes after the intermission and set up Emma Cusanelli, who netted the game-winner.

Irvington 2, White Plains 1 OT

Goals: I – Zoe Maxwell 2; WP – Julia Mancini.

Assists: None.

Saves: I – Rebekah Rosman 12. WP – NA.

Halftime: Irvington 0, White Plains 0

Noteworthy: Mancini scored with 44 seconds to go in regulation to force overtime. Maxwell converted her second goal four minutes into the second overtime.

Suffern 4, New Rochelle 1

Click here for Adrian Szkolar’s game story.

Arlington B 1, Nyack 0

Game not reported

Taylor Turchick (6) jumps with joy after scoring what would prove to be the only goal of the game as Somers edged Pawling 1-0 in the first day of the Somers Tournament.

Taylor Turchick (6) jumps and celebrates with teammates after she scored what proved to be the winning goal in Somers’ 1-0 win over Pawling during the opening day of the Somers Tournament.

Last year was painful. No other word for it.

And elephants have long memories.

The Somers Tuskers field hockey team faced Pawling in the second game of Somers mini tournament Friday night. Last year, the two tied in the final of the four-team tournament. But no one wanted a tournament to end in a tie, so there was a shootout.

Pawling won.

Friday, though, the Tuskers advanced to Thursday’s final to face Mahopac (a 5-0 winner over Yorktown), finally breaking a scoreless tie with 20:37 left to play and picking up the 1-0 win.

Turning point: The goal belonged to last year’s leading Somers scorer, senior Taylor Turchick off a corner. Turchick buried the ball to the right of Tiger goalie Lauren Sullivan, who had four saves, one a beauty on Elizabeth Wilson with 52 seconds remaining.

“Our team practices a lot. We’re constantly doing corners,” Turchick said. “We know how to work together.”

Player of the game: Turchick was, of course, the player of the game, being, as she explained, in the right spot.

“The team counts on me to get there,” she said.

And Turchick wasn’t about to miss. Last year’s shootout loss was officially counted as a tie because Section 1 doesn’t allow overtimes and shootouts in non-playoff games.

But it still stung like a loss.

“We really wanted it,” Turchick said of Friday’s game, noting Somers knew going in it would be fairly well matched.

Stat line: Ths Tuskers did win both the shot and corner count. No ball got through to Somers goalie Jess Monaco despite the Tigers pouring on the pressure and having two of their four penalty corners (Somers had seven) in the game’s final two minutes.

Sheidan DeVito and Michelle Croen got the assists on Turchick’s goal.

Quotables: “I’m excited. All the girls are excited to play,” Turchick said.”We really give it our all, even in this heat.”

“I like that we were coachable and were making a lot of adjustments on the fly and we passed really well,” Somers coach Jamie Pryschlak said, praising her team’s mental toughness.

Of edging Pawling after last year’s shootout loss, she said, “They knew that feeling (of losing). They wanted to win on our home field and start on a strong note.”

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Journal News field hockey recaps

Field hockey recaps

Mia Bettino scored four times and Ellie Walsh had a goal and four assists as Bronxville opened it 2016 field hockey season with a 6-0 win over host Harrison Friday.

Hadley Barr had the Broncos’ other goal.

Bronxville goalie Katie Gordon was tested only once and made the save.

Harrison goalie Nellie Fisher had 10 stops.

Clarkstown South’s Zach Gloskin, left, fights for the ball during their game at Suffern Sept. 16, 2014. Suffern won 1-0.

2016 Clarkstown South Vikings
Coach — Michael Ludwig
12th year as head coach

What was your final record last season and where did you finish in the playoffs? 2-14. Did not qualify for sectional play.

Who are your key returning players?
Zachary Gloskin – Forward (12)
Brendan Lynch – Midfield/Defense (12)
Connor O’Brien – Midfield/ Defense (12)
Quentin Szeker-Cortes – Midfield (12)

Who are the key players that you lost to graduation? Adam Gloskin, Kevin Maloney and Vanya Lasner.

Did you gain or lose any players from the U.S. Academy system? No.

Who is the most skilled offensive player on your team? Zachary Gloskin.

The best defender? Connor O’Brien and Brendan Lynch.

The fastest? Zachary Gloskin.

The biggest hustler? Zach Haime and Bryan Rosales.

What do you consider to be your team’s biggest challenges for the season? Our biggest challenge will be to build some confidence by putting some goals in the net early, winning our 50-50 balls and playing intense defense.

What would you like your team identity or motto to be? I would like the 2016 Clarkstown South team to play hard, play clean and play intelligently.

Up next: Peekskill

I’ll be posting these previews every day leading up to the start of the high school season in early September. Coaches, if you did not receive a capsule email and would like to participate, please fill out the questions below and send them to me at vmercoglia@lohud.com.

Tappan Zee is hosting Byram Hills at noon.

It appears the weather is going to cooperate, at least for today.

Again, you can visit the blog later tonight for recaps on all of the games that have been reported. Share a score if you’re out watching, @hoopsmbd and I’ll retweet along the way.

September 3

Saunders at Tuckahoe, 9 a.m.

Carmel at Beacon, 10 a.m.

Byram Hills at Tappan Zee, noon

Mamaroneck at Harrison, 1 p.m.

North Salem at Lakeland, 2 p.m.

Peekskill senior midfielder Oswald Annang is a lohud boys soccer 2016 Elite 11 selection.

2016 Peekskill Red Devils
Coach — JP Iasillo
Third year as head coach

What was your final record last season and where did you finish in the playoffs? 10-6, lost in Class A outbracket play.

Who are your key returning players? Oswald Annang, Birch Lazo-Murphy, Juan Velez.

Who are the key players that you lost to graduation? Kevin Lazaro, Christian Quinde, Tyler Smith, Adrian McClennan, Erick Gonzalez.

Did you gain or lose any players from the U.S. Academy system? None

Who is the most skilled offensive player on your team? Oswald Annang (Senior forward – Finished third in scoring in Section last season, lohud player of the week in September of last year, League MVP last season).

The best defender? David Macas, Elvis Carchipulla, Jorge Basilio.

The fastest? Oswald Annang.

The biggest hustler? All players.

What do you consider to be your team’s biggest challenges for the season? To improve upon our record from last season and to advance further in sectional play.

Up next: Riverside

I’ll be posting these previews every day leading up to the start of the high school season in early September. Coaches, if you did not receive a capsule email and would like to participate, please fill out the questions below and send them to me at vmercoglia@lohud.com.

Journal News/lohud Super 7 volleyball team pick Mychael Vernon of Ossining tries to block a shot during a multi-team scrimmage at Clarkstown South High School Sept. 3, 2016.

Mamaroneck’s Leslie Morales dives for a shot the ball during a multi-team scrimmage at Clarkstown South High School Sept. 3, 2016.

Nyack’s Valerie Nilan goes for the spike over Scarsdale’s Adriana Nicolaievsky during a multi-team scrimmage at Clarkstown South High School Sept. 3, 2016.

WEST NYACK — After securing its first section championship in nearly three decades last season, Scarsdale’s girls volleyball program has turned its focus from a title chase to a title defense. The Raiders may have graduated a pair of all-state hitters in Kristine Fink and Tatiana Tiangco, but head coach Ann Marie Nee said she’s seen a stronger bond in the team during this year’s preseason.

“I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Nee said Saturday morning. “I think this team right now wants it really bad, too. It’s a large team, but there’s already a sisterhood that’s kind of developed.”

Scarsdale was one of a dozen teams that attended Clarkstown South’s annual preseasons scrimmage tournament Saturday, a final glimpse at what Section 1 has to offer this season before regular-season matches for most teams get underway. Also on hand was North Rockland, a Class AA program that has had coaches in all classifications buzzing this preseason.

The Red Raiders edged Scarsdale in their final game of the tournament, 27-25. North Rockland head coach Colette Jurman said the win should give the team “some nice confidence” going into the regular season.

“Before we started the match, I told the girls, ‘Let’s give it all we’ve got and see what we can do against them,'” Jurman said. “I really think they stepped up to the challenge and showed them who we are.”

The annual event usually includes an eclectic field of teams, from section title contenders, to sleeper teams, to teams on the rise, to teams in a rebuilding phase. For many, the tournament puts opponents on their radar that otherwise may not have been there until later in the season. “Peekskill made big strides in all their positions,” Clarkstown South head coach Paul Bacsardi said of the Lady Red Devils, who won just four matches two seasons ago. “There’s a lot of good, quality teams here this year. It was nice.”

North Rockland junior Madison Monahan (13) was named to the Journal News/lohud Super 7 volleyball team this year. Sept. 3, 2016.

Peekskill sophomore Kiara Adams and North Rockland junior Madison Monahan were both selected to the Journal News/lohud Super 7 volleyball team last week — a preseason list of the top returning players in the area. Scarsdale junior Annemarie Horn and Ossining freshman Mychael Vernon were Super 7 finalists who were also in attendance Saturday.

“I just like seeing all the faces — whether it’s new (players), returnees, obviously the parents come support their kids, and the coaches,” Bacsardi said. “They get to shine their program, and it’s just nice to see them come back each year and put a hard effort in.”

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

New Rochelle’s Corbin Acree (21) catches a pass over the middle while covered by North Rockland’s Michael Csernecky (33) during football action at New Rochelle High School Sept. 3, 2016. New Rochelle won the game 34-13.

New Rochelle’s Romeo Holden (2) looks for some running room in the North Rockland defense during football action at New Rochelle High School Sept. 3, 2016. New Rochelle won the game 34-13.

New Rochelle’s Romeo Holden (2) puts on a few moves as he runs the opening kickoff back for a touchdown against North Rockland during football action at New Rochelle High School Sept. 3, 2016. New Rochelle won the game 34-13.

Romeo Holden returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown as New Rochelle defeated North Rockland 34-13 in football action at New Rochelle High School Sept. 3, 2016.

NEW ROCHELLE – The football offseason is so long that even state semifinalist New Rochelle hadn’t played a game in more than nine months, which gave Romeo Holden ample time to imagine how his season would start. In mere seconds Saturday, the junior’s dream became a reality.

New Rochelle’s Romeo Holden puts on a few moves as he runs the opening kickoff back for a touchdown against North Rockland during the season opener for both teams on Saturday at New Rochelle High School. New Rochelle won 34-13.

Holden returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to jump-start what would be a 34-13 season-opening victory over North Rockland.

“I did,” Holden said. “Every day I thought about starting a game off great like that.”

Holden received the kick at the 9 and burst through the initial hole to find a wave of blockers in front of him. He scored nearly untouched.

“That was a great way to start the season,” junior quarterback Keion Hiland-Jones said. “It gave Section 1 a rude awakening to how we’re going to play all year.”

The touchdown was one of two for Holden, who had two more called back for blocking penalties as well. Still, North Rockland eventually regrouped against the defending Class AA champ. A muffed punt return set up one touchdown and junior Dylan Senatore found some holes in the Huguenots’ pass defense.

North Rockland’s Jayden Cook catches a pass in front of New Rochelle’s Jayden Lambert at the 1-yard line, setting up North Rockland’s first touchdown, during Saturday’s game at New Rochelle High School. The Huguenots won 34-13.

New Rochelle led just 21-13 at halftime, but its pass rush ramped up in the second half. Junior Lloyd King brought pressure to force a quick throw on a screen pass that was intercepted by sophomore defensive end Khairi Manns.

Manns, the younger brother of former star linebacker Bubby Manns, also caught one of two touchdown passes from Hiland-Jones. Holden caught the other.

“There’s a lot, a lot, a lot of changes we need to make, but we’ll clean things up for next week,” Hiland-Jones said.

Player of the game: Romeo Holden, New Rochelle. In addition to his touchdown on the opening kickoff, Holden rushed for a game-high 72 yards on just seven carries and caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Stat line: New Rochelle (1-0) — Jared Baron had 11 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown and had a sack. Nashiem Hiland atoned for a first-half fumble by scoring the game’s final touchdown when he broke two tackles en route to the end zone. … Hiland-Jones split time with junior Jonathan Saddler and finished 6 for 15 for 77 yards and the two scores. North Rockland (0-1) — Senatore went 8 for 19 for 135 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for a score. … Bradley Garland caught two passes for 68 yards and Jayden Cook, a sophomore, caught a touchdown by outjumping a New Rochelle defender in the end zone.

Quotable: “I’m really excited by what we have,” North Rockland coach Tom Lynch said. “Offensively, we moved the ball in the first half; we just have to get more consistent. Defensively, we were on the field the whole second half. I think our kids played hard, but they got worn down.”

Twitter:@lohudinsider

Eastchester’s Constantine Caviris (12) gats the carry during their 22-20 win over Harrison at Eastchester High School in Eastchester on Saturday, September 03, 2016.

Eastchester head coach Fred DiCarlo walks the sideline in the first half of their 22-20 win over Harrison at Eastchester High School on Saturday, September 03, 2016.

Eastchester quarterback Mark Cacciola (11) drives up the middle during their 22-20 win over Harrison at Eastchester High School on Saturday, September 03, 2016.

Eastchester’s Matt Roche (3) gets the hand-off during their 22-20 win over Harrison at Eastchester High School in Eastchester on Saturday, September 03, 2016.

EASTCHESTER – Somebody had to make a play.

The list of viable options was thin with quarterback Mark Cacciola saddled with painful leg cramps and running back Matt Roche slowed by a hip issue. Both were struggling just to get back to the line of scrimmage.

Ryan Blume came to the rescue.

The senior tight end kept a critical fourth-quarter drive going with a sideline catch-and-run Saturday, then made a grab on the goal line and went spinning into the end zone with 4:43 left to help Eastchester post a 22-20 win over Harrison.

It was the first major upset of the new season.

“No one really gave us a chance,” said Blume, who also came up with a number of important stops on defense.

Go figure.

“It was one of our bigger wins because I don’t think anybody expected it,” Eagles coach Fred DiCarlo said.

Eastchester played like a sizable underdog in the first half.

The Eagles were struggling offensively, gaining just 18 yards before the intermission. Helmets were getting slammed. Players were venting on each other.

Harrison was on the verge of increasing a 13-2 lead.

Eastchester quarterback Mark Cacciola is taken down by Harrison’s Kyle Stalteri (30) and Brian Newsone just short of a touchdown during the Eagles’ 22-20 win over Harrison at Eastchester High School on Saturday.

“No chance,” Blume said when asked to assess the odds of Eastchester winning the game at that point.

A timely goal-line stand by the Eagles in the final minute of the first half saved the day. Cacciola went 44 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter to reset the mood. He had to leave the game when the cramps flared on the next scoring drive, but Constantine Caviris stepped in, scored on a 1-yard plunge, then added the conversion run to build a 16-13 advantage.

The Huskies answered with 10:08 left in the game and were sitting on a 20-16 lead when Eastchester scraped together one last drive.

Player of the game: When things were coming apart in the first half, Eagles tackle Joe Hrivnak responded with 300 pounds of straight-up optimism.

Turning point: Harrison was about to insert the dagger, but quarterback Michael Cherico was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-two from the 4-yard line.

“The goal-line stand was the key,” DiCarlo said. “We knew that we’d be getting the ball to start the second half and just said, ‘Let’s get one and put the pressure on them.’ It worked almost to perfection. We got a good kick return. We got a big play. There wasn’t a magic speech at halftime, everybody kind of just regrouped.”

Stat line: Cacciola ran for 68 yards and threw for 81 yards. … Eastchester had an early 2-0 lead when a punt snap went into the end zone and led to a safety. … Cherico and Frank Nannariello combined for 157 yards in the air for the Huskies. … Stephen Windisch led Harrison with five catches for 81 yards and Matthew Rossi had a catch-and-run that went 60 yards for a TD in the second quarter.

Quotable: “You know, when you play this game you have to find a way to mentally get through anything,” Cacciola said. “We needed this win. It made us much stronger as a team. We know to believe in each other through everything.”

Twitter: @hoopsmbd

Westlake and coach John Castellano, pictured during the 2015 Class B state semifinals, won their season opener 41-8 over Putnam Valley.

Defending Section 1 Class B champ Westlake wasted little time announcing itself as a contender again. The Wildcats beat visiting Putnam Valley 41-8 on Saturday in their season opener and scored on their first three offensive plays of the game.

Junior Rob DiNota, the new starting quarterback, had nine carries for 257 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown. Joe Ferri added 105 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Westlake graduated 17 seniors from last year’s team — including nine starters on defense.

“It’s a work in progress, but I was happy with how they responded,” coach John Castellano said. “It was a nice win to get started with a group of young kids.”

Nanuet 20, Ardsley 14 (OT): At Nanuet, Tom Fay scored the winning touchdown on a 17-yard run. Connor Breit rushed for 68 yards and two scores. Julian McGarvey rushed for 120 yards and a TD and threw for another.

Fox Lane 19, Port Chester 12: At Port Chester, Tanner More had 29 carries for 126 yards and Jacob Payson threw touchdowns to Nathan Lee and Kevin Downes.

Edgemont 14, Briarcliff/Hamilton 7: At Briarcliff, Edgemont had five interceptions, including two apiece by Ahmad Allen and Meshack Ngowi. Lucas Bayuelo scored both Panther touchdowns.

Scarsdale 28, Mount Vernon 26: At Mount Vernon, Barry Klein threw for 82 yards and hit Robert Keith with a touchdown. Ezekiah Bacchus rushed for 77 yards and a pair of scores.

Pleasantville 13, Albertus Magnus 7: At Parkway Field in Pleasantville, Ian Esliker rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers. Jack Howe added 12-for-20 passing for 103 yards and threw a TD to Jack Minerva.

Irvington 22, Croton-Harmon 8: At Irvington, Tim Mezaros rushed for two touchdowns and Liam Toolan threw a 25-yard TD to Sydney Thybulle.

Sleepy Hollow 48, Long Island Lutheran 20: At Long Island Lutheran, Sleepy’s Sean McCarthy threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Lopez rushed 14 times for 96 yards and three scores and had an interception.

Friday’s highlights:Lorenzo Henderson had 15 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns in Ramapo’s 24-20 win at Suffern. He also returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown and had a hand in 17 tackles. … Tyreke Smith had 16 carries for 153 yards and scored four touchdowns in Spring Valley’s 38-0 defeat of Greeley at Torne Valley Field. … Messiah Horne had 13 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns in Somers’ 41-12 win at Lakeland. … Jack Guida had 135 yard rushing and a touchdown and returned an interception for a score as Brewster won 20-7 over visiting Lourdes, the defending Class A champion. … Kevin Colman rushed for 156 yards and three scores in Pelham’s 38-0 win over Palisade Prep at Glover Field. Artie Viggiano, a Pelham alum, won his head coaching debut. … Mike Ferrara rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns and Eric Pasqalone caught two scores from Ralph Gonzalez in Valhalla’s 48-8 win over visiting Hastings.

Lohud Boys Lacrosse Scoreboard

Saunders 2, Tuckahoe 1 OT

Goals: Tl – Olivia Day. S – Anohy Lopez, Denyce Ruiz.

Assists: None.

Saves: Tk – Katie Doherty 23. S – NA 5.

Halftime: Tuckahoe 0, Saunders 0

Byram Hills 2, Tappan Zee 1

Goals: BH – Maddie Berry, Arielle Zaccagnino. TZ – Theresa McGovern.

Assists: BH – Ilyse Lipman, Kallie Hoffman.

Saves: BH – Emma Fruhling 8. TZ – Emma Chalusian 6.

Halftime: Byram Hills 2, Tappan Zee 1.

Carmel 2, Beacon 0

Game not reported

Soccer ball on grass

RESULTS FROM SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

New Rochelle 3, Great Neck North 1: At Jericho, Harwan Alzuabidi had a goal and an assist and Omar Tejeda and Leonardo Vargas also scored.

Lakeland 6, Peekskill 2: At Lakeland, Matias Prando and Nick Foci each scored twice and Dhruv Girgenti had a goal and an assist.

Byram Hills 1, Jericho 1, 2 OT: At Jericho, David Noel scored for the Bobcats on an assist from Neil Dan.

Mamaroneck 2, Syossett 1: At Jericho, Jack Spiridellis and Alex Alma each scored for the Tigers.

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Valhalla defeated Albertus Magnus 3-2 in the Westchester vs Rockland boys soccer challenge at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak Sept. 26, 2015.

The 2016 high school soccer season is still in its infancy, but Monday will be as significant of a day as you’ll find in early September.

The fourth annual Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge will be held at the World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg and all five games will impact the pecking order in Section 1. The top four teams in the Class A rankings will be competing — Pearl River, Byram Hills, Tappan Zee and Lakeland — and whichever team impresses the most will likely stake a claim to the No. 1 ranking. There are also two intriguing Class AA match-ups, as well as a Class B showdown between Valhalla and Albertus Magnus.

All told, Monday will mark the first noteworthy day of the new season. Let’s take a crack at some predictions…

A LOOK BACK: Results from the 2015 Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge

Albertus Magnus vs. Valhalla, 2 p.m. on Field 1: Last year’s meeting between these Class B contenders went down to the wire, with Albertus equalizing in the 72nd minute before Kaio DaSilva won it for Valhalla in the 78th. DaSilva and a host of others have graduated for the Vikings, but they got off to a nice start with a 2-0 win over Croton-Harmon in their season-opener on Friday. Ricky Thomas is a name to remember for a Valhalla team that wants to prove it’s still a threat. Prediction: Valhalla 2, Albertus Magnus 1

North Rockland vs. Scarsdale, 2 p.m. on Field 5: Scarsdale is coming off of a 15-win season and a trip to the Class AA semifinals, which makes it fair to label the Raiders as the favorite. But North Rockland is returning its core after a middling season in 2015 and believes its ready to take a step forward. The Red Raiders opened with a lopsided 4-1 win over Carmel on Friday and would love to make a statement against a well-respected Scarsdale squad. Prediction: North Rockland 1, Scarsdale 0

Byram Hills vs. Tappan Zee, 4 p.m. on Field 1: Are the Bobcats and the Dutchmen developing a bit of a rivalry? If they keep playing nail-biters like they did last year, that certainly could be the case. Byram held off TZ in overtime during last season’s Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge, but the Dutchmen got the last laugh in the playoffs with an overtime victory of their own in the Class A semis. That loss has haunted the Bobcats since, and with many returners from that team, they’ll be highly-motivated for this one. Prediction: Byram Hills 2, Tappan Zee 1

Mamaroneck vs. Suffern, 4 p.m. on Field 5: Some coaches are calling the Mounties a sleeper in Class AA this season because of their experience and team speed, which should make this an entertaining game to watch. The Tigers also boast a seasoned roster with a lot of returning talent, and they’ll be looking to show that the preseason hype is warranted. A quality win here would reinforce Mamaroneck’s status as one of the front-runners in Class AA. Prediction: Mamaroneck 3, Suffern 1

Lakeland vs. Pearl River, 6:30 p.m. on Field 5: This game will be the main event and features the match-up with the most history. The Hornets and the Pirates have established a tradition of playing each other annually, and about five years ago, it was Lakeland which owned the rivalry. In more recent history, it’s been Pearl River with the upper hand, including a 2-1 win during their championship season last year. The Hornets may have the deeper team in 2016, but the Pirates’ grind-it-out style of play always seems to give them trouble. This may be the toughest game to pick, and it’s definitely worth sticking around for. Prediction: Pearl River 3, Lakeland 2

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Scarsdale High School will be the first to field a Boys volleyball team in the county on Sept. 2, 2016.

SCARSDALE – This time last year, there was nothing for Jeremy Wolfe to look forward to on the volleyball court.

He was the team manager for the Scarsdale girls volleyball team, which went on to win the Class AA section championship, but the school had no boys volleyball team for him to play on. Scarsdale wasn’t alone.

Westchester County was never represented in the Section 1 boys volleyball league — started in 2008 — until Wolfe and classmate Steven Wetchler spearheaded a change with help from Scarsdale’s administration.

“It’s been a few years in the making,” Wolfe said during practice Friday morning, one week before the program’s debut varsity boys volleyball match against reigning section champs Clarkstown South.

“It feels good to just start something that hopefully will progress in the future throughout Westchester,” said Wetchler, who was named a co-captain alongside Wolfe.

ZACCHIO: Mixed competition rules are a grey area

ZACCHIO: Yonkers volleyball deserved better

The juniors put in the legwork through the years of recruiting classmates to take an interest in the sport, but both credited the arrival of athletic director Ray Pappalardi as the driving force to get the job done at the administrative level.

“For me, boys don’t have a lot of choices in the fall, and if you look at the choices they do have, it’s either cross country, soccer, or football.” said Pappalardi, who served as the athletic director at Edgemont since 2008 before coming to Scarsdale. “Volleyball offers a very different type of opportunity for kids to be physically active and to compete.”

“Typically, the type of student who plays football would not be the one who would choose volleyball,” he added. “I was looking to capture some boys who were not participating in athletics and give them an opportunity.”

Scarsdale boys volleyball head coach Jim Williams also attributed part of the sport’s rising popularity to parents who want to minimize their children’s risk of injury.

“As a classroom teacher, I see that,” said Williams, who was the girls varsity ‘B’ head coach before taking the reins of the boys program. “Last year, I had two students who had concussions in my class and it really debilitates their ability to do work.”

In March, HealthGrove, a website that publishes data-driven articles and visualizations, published a breakdown of top 20 sports that cause the most injuries to high school students, which they classified as athletes between ages 13-17.

Football and soccer checked in as the second- and third-most injury-causing sports to high school athletes with 118,886 and 45,475 total injuries, respectively. Volleyball was ranked eighth with 14,304 injuries to both male and female athletes.

Scarsdale said it hopes its inaugural season will kick-start a movement of more Westchester County programs, and the Raiders are not alone.

“We’re behind the times,” said three-time state champion Hen Hud girls volleyball head coach Diane Swertfager, who also serves as the Section 1 girls volleyball coordinator. “The Buffalo area has tremendous boys volleyball, and Massachusetts as well. I really hope that before I retire there’s a boys team in my school district.”

Boys volleyball, in general, has a number of factors going against it.

There’s little exposure of the sport, compared to other fall sports such as football and soccer. There’s the outdated belief that volleyball is a sport “just for girls.” There’s also the uninformed belief that boys volleyball players wear spandex shorts during matches.

“People think that because it’s basically only played by girls, they think, ‘What? Volleyball? That’s not really for guys. That’s just not a guy’s sport, it’s just for girls,’ because that’s all they see,” Wolfe said.

That stigma does not bode well for the growth of the sport when its target audience is a group maturing adolescents who are constantly protecting their self-image and reputation in the halls of high school.

The Scarsdale boys will undoubtedly change that perception with their season this year. The question is, who will be next?

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Soccer ball on grass

2016 Riverside Rams
Coach — Lloyd Drummond

What was your final record last year and where did u finish in playoffs? 15-3-1; Lost to Tappan Zee in quarterfinals in Class A.

Who are your key players returning? Jose Tovar (F), Rodrigo Luna (D), Esad Mackic (MF), Amado Balbuaena.

Who are key players lost to graduation? Freddy Nava and Franco Gutierrez.

Did u gain or lose any players from academy? No .

Who is your most skilled offensive player on the team? Jose Tovar and Esad Mackic.

The best defender? Rodrigo Luna, Kwaku Owusu and Christian Salazar.

The fastest? Jose Tovar.

Biggest hustler? Rodrigo Luna.

What do you consider to be your team’s biggest challenges for the season? Replicating the offensive production of last season.

Up next: Ardsley

I’ll be posting these previews every day leading up to the start of the high school season in early September. Coaches, if you did not receive a capsule email and would like to participate, please fill out the questions below and send them to me at vmercoglia@lohud.com.

LH Logo: Varsity Scores And Schedules

HIGH SCHOOL

Sunday’s events

No events scheduled

Monday’s events

Boys soccer

Westchester/Rockland tournament

Valhalla vs. Albertus Magnus, 2 p.m.

Scarsdale vs. North Rockland, 2 p.m.

Byram Hills vs. Tappan Zee, 4 p.m.

Mamaroneck vs. Suffern, 4 p.m.

Lakeland vs. Pearl River, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s events

Boys soccer

Eastchester at White Plains, 4:15 p.m.

Lourdes at Brewster, 4:15 p.m.

Yonkers Montessori at North Salem, 4:30 p.m.

Tuckahoe at Woodlands, 4:30 p.m.

Rye Neck at Pawling, 4:30 p.m.

Briarcliff at Bronxivlle, 4:30 p.m.

Panas vs. Peekskill at Torpy Field, 4:30 p.m.

Pelham at Sleepy Hollow, 4:30 p.m.

Putnam Valley at Horace Greeley, 4:30 p.m.

Keio at Rye, 4:30 p.m.

Beacon at Carmel, 4:30 p.m.

Arlington B at Haldane, 4:30 p.m.

Irvington at Ardsley, 4:30 p.m.

Westlake at Solomon Schechter, 4:30 p.m.

Scarsdale B at Edgemont, 4:30 p.m.

Ossining at John Jay, 5 p.m.

Clarkstown North at Nyack, 6 p.m.

Girls soccer

Clarkstown North at Nyack, 4 p.m.

Somers at Eastchester, 4:15 p.m.

Solomon Schechter vs. Ardsley at Ardsley MS, 4:15 p.m.

Hastings vs. Pelham at Glover Field, 4:30 p.m.

Tappan Zee at Yorktown, 4:30 p.m.

Westlake at Harrison, 4:30 p.m.

Haldane vs. Croton-Harmon at Spencer Field, 4:30 p.m.

Pleasantville at New Rochelle, 4:30 p.m.

North Rockland at Ursuline, 4:30 p.m.

Non-league opponent at Clarkstown South, 4:30 p.m.

John Jay at Pearl River, 4:30 p.m.

Hen Hud tournament

Carmel vs. Fox Lane, 4:15 p.m.

Panas at Hen Hud, 6:30 p.m.

Field hockey

John Jay at Lakeland/Panas, 4:15 p.m.

North Salem at Somers, 4:15 p.m.

Ossining vs. Croton-Harmon at CET Field, 4:30 p.m.

Briarcliff at Sleepy Hollow, 4:30 p.m.

Pawling at Fox Lane, 4:30 p.m.

Panas at Brewster, 6 p.m.

Volleyball

Peekskill at Riverside, 4:15 p.m.

Albertus Magnus at Clarkstown North, 4:15 p.m.

Yorktown at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m.

Beacon at Brewster, 4:30 p.m.

Eastchester at Somers, 4:30 p.m.

Pelham at John Jay, 4:30 p.m.

Ardsley at Horace Greeley, 4:30 p.m.

Byram Hills at Fox Lane, 4:30 p.m.

John Jay-EF at Ossining, 4:30 p.m.

Haldane at Mahopac, 4:30 p.m.

White Plains at Carmel, 4:30 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow at Roosevelt, 4:45 p.m.

Tennis

John Jay at New Rochelle, 3:30 p.m.

Albertus Magnus at White Plains, 4 p.m.

Dobbs Ferry at Pleasantville, 4:15 p.m.

Solomon Schechter at Briarcliff, 4:15 p.m.

Pawling at North Salem, 4:15 p.m.

Westlake at Woodlands, 4:15 p.m.

Valhalla at Croton-Harmon, 4:15 p.m.

Haldane at Tuckahoe, 4:15 p.m.

Rye Neck at Bronxville, 4:15 p.m.

Port Chester at Blind Brook, 4:15 p.m.

Mamaroneck at Ursuline, 4:15 p.m.

Somers at Hen Hud, 4:15 p.m.

Panas vs. Peekskill at Depew Park, 4:30 p.m.