Throughout the season, until the state finals in early December, I will give my predictions for every game involving Section 1 teams and other local schools. That started last week with the Week 0 games.
Here’s a look at the results (sort of) for those picks, plus a breakdown of each Week 1 game:
Week 0 record: 15-6
2022 Overall Record: 15-6
Latest rankings:How we rank Section 1 teams ahead of Week 1
Player of the week:See the top contenders in the race for the best of Week 0
Last week’s picks:Predictions for every Week 0 game in Section 1 and the Lower Hudson Valley
Week 1 Predictions
friday games
Carmel (0-0) in New Rochelle (1-0), 6:00 p.m.: This should be a closer game than last year, when Carmel allowed almost nothing in a 28-0 win. The Rams will be tough up front and New Rochelle will need to hang in the line of scrimmage to win. The selection: Carmel.
Pleasantville (0-0) at Pearl River (0-0), 6 p.m.: The defending Section 1 Class B champions open the season away from home, but Pleasantville should be sure to play a Pearl River team with plenty of new faces. The selection: Pleasantville
Scarsdale (0-0) at White Plains (0-0), 6 p.m.: There is some talent but also some youth here on both sides. Scarsdale jumped into White Plains early last year and held on to win 21-6. The selection: scarsdale
Byram Hills (1-0) at Hen Hud (0-0), 6 p.m.: Byram won two meetings against Hen Hud last year, the second of them in the Class B quarterfinals. The Bobcats have a veteran team this year and they will be tough, especially with a game under their belt. The selection: Byram Hills
Ossining (1-0) at Mamaroneck (0-0), 6:00 p.m.: Ossining should be feeling good after last week’s win over Greeley, who won the Section 1 independent title last year. But the Pride face a much more daunting challenge against the mighty Mamaroneck this week. The selection: mamarocuello
Panas (0-1) at Tappan Zee (1-0), 6:30 p.m.: Behind Robert Brown’s 160 yards and two touchdowns, Tappan Zee passed Ramapo last week. The Dutch could be a force playing against independent foes this year, but Panas has improved. This should be a good game. The selection: Tappan Zee
John Jay-Cross River (0-1) at Somers (0-0), 6:30 p.m.: Traveling to Somers is never easy, but these Tuskers enter the year with the expectation of once again being one of the best Class A teams in the state. The selection: Somers
Rye Neck (0-0) in Valhalla (0-0), 7:00 p.m.: These teams didn’t play last year, but Rye Neck struggled against the elite Class C teams. Valhalla certainly falls into that category. The chose: Valhalla
Greeley (0-1) at Edgemont (0-0), 7 p.m.: Edgemont was very competitive against the best Section 1 independents last year, including Greeley, who beat the Panthers 26-15. The chose: Greeley
Lakeland (1-0) at Nyack (0-0), 7:00 p.m.: This will be the head coaching debut of Nyack’s Dan Berkowitz. Lakeland’s Ryan Shilling made his debut last week, earning a 23-8 win over rival Panas. The selection: nyak
Port Chester (0-1) at Spring Valley (0-0), 7 p.m.: Just a couple of years ago, Spring Valley was a perennial Class AA and A playoff team. Returning quarterback Jaiden Scott should bring some explosiveness to the offense. The selection: spring valley
Harrison (1-0) at Clarkstown South (0-0), 7 p.m.: These teams feature two of the best kickers in Section 1. Clarkstown South’s Ryan Levins was all over the county last year. Harrison’s Nick Reed is a Division I draft pick who went 6-for-6 on extra points and 2-for-2 from the field last week. The selection: Clarkstown South
Clarkstown North (1-0) at Pelham (1-0), 7 p.m.: For two teams with quality talent to replace, last week couldn’t have gone much better. This will be different. They played a very physical game last October, won by Pelham. The selection: Pelham
Yonkers Force (1-0) at Ketcham (0-0), 7 p.m.: The Force won last week, beating St. Dominic 26-15. Head coach Anthony Fava said it was for assistant Keshon Bediako, who died suddenly days before the game. The selection: Ketcham
Suffern (0-0) at Arlington (0-1), 7 p.m.: Suffern got off to a rocky start, going to Dutchess County a week after an Arlington team with high expectations lost its opener. He’ll keep an eye out for Mounties’ Don Dorcelly, who could be one of Section 1’s breakout stars this season. The chose: Arlington
Fox Lane (0-1) at Yorktown (1-0), 7 p.m.: Yorktown had one of the best wins of Week 1, but the Huskers will have to beef up their pass defense after John Jay’s Craig Galea threw for over 400 yards. But Yorktown has the talent and size up front to be a Class A playoff contender. The chose: york city
Rye (1-0) at Brewster (0-0), 7:00 p.m.: This should be an interesting matchup. Rye moved the ball all over the field in last week’s win over Cornwall, but Brewster projects to be strong defensively. There’s no better time for the Bears to show it than now. The chose: Rye
Yonkers Brave (0-1) at John Jay-East Fishkill (0-0), 7 p.m.: One of the players who has received a lot of attention from coaches in the preseason is John Jay’s junior Brady Feliciotto, a dual-threat quarterback who will power the Patriots’ offense this season. The chose: John Jay East Fishkill
Mount St. Michael (0-0) at Kennedy Catholic (0-1), 7 p.m.: Kennedy faced arguably the best ‘AA’ program in CHSFL last week and suffered a 30-0 loss to Holy Trinity. The Gaels have a much more winnable game against Mount, whom they beat by three touchdowns last year. The selection: Kennedy
Nanuet (0-0) in Bronxville (0-1) in Haindl Field, 7:30 p.m.: Nanuet certainly can’t get caught looking ahead to next week’s championship rematch with Pleasantville. Bronxville showed just how much potential it had against Section 9 champion Port Jervis. Luke Stephens, a 6-foot-5 receiver, could be a problem for the Golden Knights. The selection: bronxville
saturday games
Pennington (0-0) at Rye Country Day (0-0), 1 p.m.: After missing the 2020 season due to the pandemic, Rye Country Day faced a bit of a rebuild last year. But with some stars returning, the Wildcats are poised for a better season. The Pick: Rye Country Day
Hackley (0-0) at Fieldston (0-0), 1:00 p.m.: Joe McDermott, a former Super 11 quarterback at Hackley, takes over his alma mater. He will replace Vic Quirolo, whose Hornets went 5-2 last year, including a win over Fieldston. The selection: Hackley
Monsignor Farrell (1-0) in Stepinac (1-0), 1:30 p.m.: These teams meet after both won promising season starts. It’s a rematch of last year’s CHSFL ‘AAA’ semifinal, a game won by Farrell, who snapped Stepinac’s six-year streak of championship game appearances. The selection: Stepinac
Ramapo (0-1) at Poughkeepsie (0-0), 1:30 p.m.: Poughkeepsie, which was last year’s runner-up in the Section 1 independent league, was scheduled to play Kingston last week but withdrew from the game due to roster limitations. The selection: Ramapo
Peekskill (0-0) at Hastings (0-1), 1:30 p.m.: Last week’s 40-24 loss to Blind Brook was a first for Hastings. It was the team’s first game as a combined team with nearby Greenburgh-North Castle. The selection: hastings
Briarcliff/Hamilton (1-0) at Ardsley (0-0), 1:30 p.m.: Briarcliff/Hamilton dominated 40-0 against the Woodlands in their season opener, but this is an opponent on a whole other level. In the team’s return to Class B last year, their loss to Ardsley was really the only game they struggled in. The chose: ardsley
Mount Vernon (0-0) at North Rockland (0-1), 1:30 p.m.: North Rockland’s defense struggled to stop Monroe-Woodbury in last week’s loss, but don’t be surprised if the Red Raiders look back a few months and realize they faced a Section 9 champion. . The selection: north rockland
Mahopac (1-0) at Eastchester (1-0), 1:30 p.m.: Both teams put over 40 points on the board in their first games of the season. Expect a very different and more defensive game this time. Give Mahopac an early lead, and that could decide the winner. The selection: Mahopac
Ferry Dobbs (0-0) at Albertus Magnus (0-0), 3:00 p.m.: It will be a Dobbs Ferry team with a new look, but don’t expect a big drop. The Eagles will have plenty of talent on the field as they begin their Class C title defense. The selection: dobbs ferry
Morristown-Beard (1-0) at Sleepy Hollow (1-0), 3 p.m.: This will be a tougher challenge, but it’s already been a bright start for Sleepy Hollow. Five different players scored in their 42-0 win over the Yonkers Brave last week. The chose: sleepy Hollow
Tuckahoe (0-0) at Westlake (0-0), 3 p.m.: These two teams expect to play games well into November. For Tuckahoe, which has Dobbs Ferry next week, the toughest tests of the regular season come immediately. The chose: west lake
Putnam Valley (0-0) at Blind Brook (1-0), 3 p.m.: One name to know this season for Blind Brook is JP D’Inverno, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver who will give opponents trouble with his size and athleticism. The selection: blind creek
Woodlands (0-1) at Croton-Harmon (0-0), 3 p.m.: Croton lost six of seven to finish last season, but the only win was a 20-8 victory over the Woodlands. The selection: crotone
Haldane (0-0) at Irvington (0-0), 3:00 p.m.: Haldane’s offense should thrive this season thanks to the development of quarterback Ryan Van Tassel, who should be the team’s primary playmaker the next two seasons. The chose: haldane
Iona Prep (0-1) at Cardinal Hayes (0-0) at Macombs Dam Park, 3 p.m.: This isn’t a picnic, but it amounts to a break in the schedule sandwiched between games against Archbishop Hoban and nationally ranked Don Bosco Prep. Iona Prep made some uncharacteristic errors that led Hoban to score 36 straight points in the Gaels’ 43-14 loss at Ohio last week. If they can clean that up, they’ll start to find their footing as a team. The chose: ion preparation
Josh Thomson is the sports editor for The Journal News, the Poughkeepsie Journal, and the Middletown Times Herald-Record. He can be reached by email at [email protected], on Twitter at @lohudinsiderand on Instagram at @lohudinsider.
