Class C Somers Laxers Stomp B Greeley, Class D up for Grabs

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays

If we were to rank Examiner-area boys lacrosse teams, there is no doubt who we’d put atop the current rankings. 

After watching last Tuesday’s 20-6 beatdown of NYS Class B ranked (No.3) HORACE GREELEY in astonishment, it would be Class C state-ranked (No.4) SOMERS that would surface as the cream of the crop as we head down the home stretch of the regular season. 

The last time Somers was this good #IMO was when Yorktown’s Andrew McElduff got right up in my face with a classic #FUGallagher in May of 2002 after the Jordan Rabidou-led Tuskers, as I had predicted in that sectional championship season for Somers, shocked Yorktown in the regular season for the first time in Tusker history. The honorable Duff Man, who went on to play at UNC with his All-American brother, Stephen, and I were good before and thereafter, but nobody could believe the changing of the guard that day.  

So, in what could only be described as a mind-boggling, head-scratching win last week, Somers (8-2 overall, 7-0 in Section 1) dominated Greeley (9-2, 7-2) from start to finish in every single facet of the game, including Matt Mayfield’s dominance at the X. The senior middie rooted his stick into the Tusker turf and won 23 of 24 faceoffs to set the tone, opening the door for the Iglesias brothers – senior Miguel (7G, 4A) and sophomore Tristan (5G, 1A) – to combine for 17 points. It was total domination from start to finish and totally unexpected, given twice-beaten Greeley’s hot start to the 2025 campaign.

“For sure, I think what really helped us play so well was that we came out hot from the first whistle and we were firing on all cylinders with the offense and defense playing well,” said Notre Dame-bound Tusker Miguel Iglesias (29G, 25A, 54P). “And with Matt playing so well at the face-off X and our offense shooting so well it gave us tons of confidence and was a good team win.”

Somers Coach Jordan Hirsch enjoyed it from his viewpoint, heaping credit upon the entire organization.

“Greeley has talent all over the field; a real mix of young and veteran talent on that team and they have a very aggressive style,” Somers coach Jordan Hirsch said. “I thought Coach Spillane had an excellent game plan dialed up for our defense and the defensive unit executed it really well. They played with a lot of urgency and a high activity level. Our offense played selfless and I was really pleased with the ball movement and player movement to create scoring opportunities. When the ball moves the way it did and the offensive flow moves the way it did, it is really fun to watch. The things that we really emphasize on a daily basis; riding, clearing and ground-ball play were all done pretty efficiently, which I think were the biggest keys to maintaining a lead against a really good team. I was really proud of how our team sustained their effort, energy and focus throughout the whole game.”

Greeley has to learn from this: Headlines and state rankings are distractions they cannot afford to dwell on when there’s work to be done. Trust me, Yorktown, which has defeated Greeley in all six previous sectional championship settings between the two, took note of the vulnerability.

“It was a really tough loss,” admitted Quaker captain Jameson Blakeslee (23G, 14A, 37P), second in Greeley scoring to Matthew Byrne (33-46-79). “Somers is a great team, but losing like that was unacceptable. We have been working non-stop since then, and as you saw during the Rye game, we can compete with any team.”

But can anyone in Class C challenge Rye and Somers, the current No.1 and 2, respectively, in what could be a whale of a title tilt? It’s unlikely, however, Class B Harrison, the current No.1 seed, could conceivably throw a giant monkey wrench at what would be a salivating Greeley/Yorktown hookup. It’s tough to imagine that Harrison, which hasn’t beaten anybody any good, gets the top seed and forges a Yorktown/Greeley semifinal #SayItAintSo! But it lines up as such now.

Would be one of those ‘meh’ championship games if Harrison was to get there, as the Huskies are not very good. Yorktown would have to beat Greeley either way, wherever it may be, but a championship setting would satisfy more local lax fans. Harrison will likely lose to Rye and Pelham in the days ahead, so that will take them down a notch and make it a close call for the No.1 seed. Just hope that Yorktown and Greeley find themselves on opposite sides of the bracket, or Class B could be something less than intriguing. 

To its credit, Greeley did bounce back with a 20-5 win over rival FOX LANE behind multipoint efforts from Luke Dessi (6G, 2A), Blakeslee (6G), Byrne (3G, 7A) and Jake Gashi (2G, 2A). Dessi, a frosh, now has (40-8-48) on the season. 

The current eighth-seeded Foxes (4-7 in Section 1) – led by Owen Baker (36G, 10A, 46P) – much like No.6 MAHOPAC (7-5), No.5 LAKELAND/PANAS (5-4) – led by Oban Rader (13G, 17A, 30P) and No.7 BREWSTER (4-6) – led by Luke Cunningham (16G, 21A, 37P) – would do well to reach the sectional semis at this point, but May’s just getting started and anything can happen down the stretch. 

We like Coach Joe Macchi’s Rebels to figure out a way as usual; unless the same Jon Bota-coached Wolf Pac team that beat John Jay CR, 8-7, – behind multipoint efforts from Brayden Torrey (2G, 1A), Derrick Lorusso (2G), Gavin O’Keefe (1G, 1A) and Bryan Margolis (1G, 1A) – can find a way to maintain a tradition-rich Final 4 appearance. We like both L/P and Mahopac to bust a bracket should they see Harrison.

Two-time reigning Section 1 Class D champion PLEASANTVILLE, the current No.2 seed, is chasing undefeated North Salem for the top seed. While North Salem has a proven, veteran coach in first-year mentor Vin Savastano, the Tigers are another one of those teams that have not stockpiled quality wins, much like current No.3 seed Irvington. It’s more likely that, if the current seeds hold true, we see No.4 Bronxville (6-4 overall, 5-3 in Section 1) and Pleasantville (6-4, 5-1) vying for Class D supremacy, unless a dark horse like No.7 PUTNAM VALLEY makes for a classic bracket-buster. If the Dakota Bourgie-led (27 G, 18A, 45P) Tigers can reach the Class D semis this spring, we’d consider that a substantial upgrade and hope for a 2026 title crack. Either way, Class D may not have the kind of overall talent it has had in recent years, the field is up for grabs #WhoGonnaHamtIt. 

“As of right now, we’ve got a lot of respect for everyone in Class D,” Pleasantville senior captain Nich Reich (27G, 19A, 46P) said. “We did lose a strong senior group, but now toward the end of the season, we’ve grown together and found an identity as a team. We’re still growing into who we want to be as a team this year, hoping to peak at the right time. 

“Bronxville is always well-coached and plays hard,” he added. “We’re not taking anything for granted. We know nothing’s given — it’s all earned. We just want to keep our heads down, stay locked in and take it one game at a time. Still a long way to go. I know the boys and I want it really bad, so we’re just going to attack each day with a winning mentality.”

 

GIRLS LAX

How ’bout this for some drip: Three of the current top four Class B seeds are out of the Examiner-area, including No.1 FOX LANE (10-1 overall, 8-0 Section 1), No.HORACE GREELEY (8-3, 7-3) and No.4 YORKTOWN (8-5, 7-4), which means the Final 4 bracket figures to be loaded with the silky state-ranked locals… No.8 Fox Lane, No.7 Greeley and No.9 Yorktown, with No.11 Ursuline on their tails. Such little separation in the state polls could indicate a ridiculously competitive sectional tournament.

In Class D, state-ranked (No.3) PLEASANTVILLE got back on course after the Greeley debacle a week prior by knocking off Eastchester (17-7), BYRAM HILLS (15-3) and CROTON (18-2) by a combined 50-12 count. 

In the wins over Byram and Croton, Faith Brown (14P), Ella Collins (23P) and Sam Schultz (9P) went off for the Panthers (9-2). Dudes, the future is bright over yonder in P’ville. And recent off-field accomplishment are among the highlights of the spring as P’ville’s Katie Wildley, a three-sport athlete and Class of 2025 salutatorian, recently chose UVA as her path to future greatness #PvilleKillingIt. 

 

BASEBALL

In a put-up-or-shut-up week, Coach CJ Riefenhauser’s Class AA YORKTOWN Huskers screamed ‘We are Legit”, improving to 10-3 overall while winning six of the last seven games, including recent wins over Class AA state-ranked (No.8) MAHOPAC and Class B (No.13) PUTNAM VALLEY, who, like it or not, are the Section 1 Class B favorites heading into the postseason. Yorktown, as evidenced by a 10-0 win over the Wolf Pac, is peaking at the right time, but peaks are cliffs in an instant in America’s pastime. 

“It was a great team win against Mahopac,” Riefenhauser said after Husker P Derek Patrissi fired five scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

Huskers Alex Ornstein (2 RBI), Brian White (2-3, 2RBI, 2SB) and Gabe Iavarone (2-2, 2R, RBI) had their way with Mahopac.

“We are in a good place right now,” said Riefenhauser, the former Mahopac great and MLB hurler. “We just need to focus on getting better game by game.”

Gonna be a wild ride to SUNY Purchase – home of the sectional finals – with the Huskers, Wolf Pac (11-4) and state-ranked (No.9) FOX LANE, the 2024 runner-up Foxes (12-2), striving for glory, in a wildly competitive Class AA. Recent history suggests Fox Lane will find a way to the finals, and senior C/3B Logan Mammola recently caught fire, destroying balls last week, including a home run in a 6-3 win over GREELEY and three hits (2 2B) and six RBI in a 14-10 win over Suffern.

Back to Put Valley in closing, if this unit fails to find its way to the Class B sectional finals it’ll be disappointing, though nothing is shocking in baseball #AnyGivenDay. Four PV hurlers combined a no-hitter in a 19-2 rout of Haldane, including Sean Carroll (1IP,  2K), Nicky Benedetto (1 IP, 3K), Drew Peverini (2IP, 6K) and Jake Peterson (1 IP, 2K). However, the Tigers (12-2), the current No.1 seed, could not make that “statement win” when they lost 9-3 to Yorktown.

 

FLAG FOOTBALL

Without the necessary history behind the sport, we don’t quite know how to measure the quantics of Section 1 in regards to flag football, but we can assure you that reining Class B sectional champ and state-ranked (No.5) Class B BREWSTER (12-0) is still pretty damn good and remains on track to win a third championship in four years, or at least challenge to do so behind an near-impenetrable defense (46 points allowed in 11 games) that has posted five shutouts.

 

DAVID TABER/CHRIS SMAJLAJ PHOTOS