Carmel-’Pac Grid Match Moved; New League Alignments

Another August seems to have flown by, leaving September, the start of school, and the fall season just a heartbeat away.

On the area high school scene, there are a number of changes that will affect the upcoming season.

The budget crisis that has affected schools has cut the number of games in all sports across the board, but it might be felt the most in football, which had only seven regular-season games to begin with.

That number has now been reduced to six.

Our two Courier area Class AA teams—Mahopac and Carmel—are scheduled to play five league games, then a sixth game—a non-league crossover— will be played to round out the regular-season slate.

The sixth game is supposed to be against an opponent with a similar record, with the goal being to create a fair matchup. If two teams are vying for a final playoff spot, those teams could face each other, creating a virtual “wild card” game.

Rams coach Todd Cayea told us he likes the premise. “I think it’s a good format, it’s good for football,” he said.

Fair enough. It may, indeed, be an improvement over the way those seventh week games had previously been planned—which included, on occasion, picking names out of a hat.

One unfortunate victim of the new format will be the timing of the Carmel- Mahopac football game, which has traditionally been held the last week of the regular season.

The last few years the game has been even bigger than usual, with both teams having strong seasons, and with playoffs, seedings, post-season momentum, as well as the normal bragging rights, all on the line.

This year’s Carmel-Mahopac game will happen in week three of the season. It will still be important – every game in a six-game season is obviously crucial— but there’s no doubt it will lose a little juice.

The atmosphere will be a little different.

Does it hurt the rivalry?

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Cayea said earlier this week. “John Jay East Fishkill has become a good rival, and Cross River (newly added to the league) can also be a good rival.”

My guess is that some of the players might be less-than-thrilled with the change, but the game will remain what it has been - big.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Rams quarterback Ryan Shilling said. “It was at the peak of the (season)… the last game before sectionals, playoff implications… But we’ll be ready for Mahopac whenever it is. It’s always a big game.”

The rivalry has been a bit lopsided in recent years, with Carmel winning 10 of the last 11 matchups. “After the current streak, we just don’t want to be the team to lose,” Shilling said.

And the Indians are certainly aching to turn the tables.

The teams will meet to decide this year’s Bryan Higgins Trophy winner on Saturday, September 26, at Mahopac at 1:30pm.

In Class A, Brewster has its six-game regular-season schedule set already, and so does Class C, which includes Putnam Valley. The Courier will begin covering PV varsity sports this September.

Opwning dates include: Beacon at Brewster (7pm), Mahopac at Arlington (7pm) and Lincoln Hall at Putnam Valley (7pm) – all on Friday, September 11. Carmel will open at RCK on Saturday the 12th at 1:30pm.

Also of note – leagues in all sports have once again been realigned – in an effort to cut down on travel and resulting costs.

And this we like - Mahopac, Brewster and Carmel will now be in the same league in all sports across the board, fall, winter and spring– with the one exception being football. Also in the same league will be Lakeland, Yorktown and Panas.

“The advantage is that the games are all close, and it could bring back some great rivalries,” said Mahopac Athletic Director Frank Miele. “I think the kids are looking forward to it, and the parents are as well. The rivalries can be good.”

For our Courier readers, having Carmel, Mahopac and Brewster all in the same league will also be good. The changes are based more on geography than enrollment, so as long as we’re not getting lopsided competition, we’re looking forward to seeing our three area high schools face off in almost all sports.

I can tell you right off the bat that the Carmel and Mahopac boys (and even girls) soccer teams won’t be complaining about not being in the same league as the always-dominant Dutchess schools. And it’s also a good thing to eliminate those ridiculous, non-competitive games against Yonkers teams.

But Carmel and Mahopac may want to keep a Jay or RCK or Arlington on the slate as a non-league game, since playing good competition is the best way to get better.

“What we lose is the ability to (see if we) measure up against those teams,” Carmel boys coach Mike Gizzo said about losing the old league, which had Carmel facing John Jay, Arlington and RCK twice a season. “But we don’t go to Yonkers and play the weak teams, either. So it evens the competition across the board.”

On a different note, can someone please explain to me what Jim Rice was talking about last week when he lumped Derek Jeter in the same group as A-Rod and Manny Ramirez, claiming current MLB players are only worried about dollar signs and personal accomplishments, rather than team goals.

Are you kidding me? Rice clearly has not been paying attention. Jeter? – here’s a guy who consistently refuses to discuss personal accomplishments, always downplays injuries, and is always all about the team. And winning.

And here’s Rice – who once told a beat reporter that what he likes most about baseball is “the first and 14th of each month” – a reference to his paydays.

I’d also wish someone would explain to me the thinking behind that TV ad for Smirnoff Vodka. You know the one – all the kids are on the roof of some high rise, filling an empty swimming pool with foam, mattresses, pillows – whatever – then drinking their vodka and jumping in.

Huh?

Are they telling us that one way to enjoy our vodka is to fill empty cement pools with such items – then drink vodka and leap in?

And boy, haven’t the Yanks been fun to watch the last few months? But can you imagine where this team would be without Mark Teixeira? Can you imagine if Yankee fans had been counting on A-Rod to be the man in the middle of the lineup? He’s hit a few big home runs recently, yes – but his production has dropped remarkably in recent months. Yeah, he was 4-for-4 in one game against Boston last weekend – in a lopsided blowout where the Sox pitchers knew the game was out of reach.

When will he give us some meaningful – and consistent - contributions again? And of course the biggest question – can he contribute in October.

You have to wonder how his mental state has been since the steroid revelations came into the public eye. Knowing his entire career has been tarnished in a way that can never be forgotten. That’s big, and with a head case like A-Rod, who knows how he’ll handle it – or what toll it will take on him and his production - in the long run. Is it possible his best days are behind him?

Only time will tell.