High School Football

When Sachem North junior quarterback Trent Crossan sought some help with his passing technique, he turned to his friend, Floyd quarterback A.J. Otranto. When Otranto, a senior, needed to improve his running skills, he sought out Crossan.

Their teams are the top two seeds in Suffolk Division I for the 2012 season, and Floyd vs. Sachem North has emerged as one of the county’s best rivalries...

With explosive and record-setting running back Stacey Bedell the focal point of Floyd’s offense last season, quarterback A.J. Otranto rarely got to display his passing chops.

But Bedell is gone, taking his considerable skills to the University of Massachusetts, and for Floyd to repeat as Long Island Class I champion in 2012, Otranto must have a big year.

The rugged senior embraces that...

East Meadow (10-1) takes on Floyd (9-3) in the Long Island Championship at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2011 at Stony Brook University. Follow along in the live chat below with Cody Derespina, Laura Albanese and Bob Herzog.

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Running back Stacey Bedell and offensive lineman Brendan Winters hope to lead Floyd to a third straight Suffolk Division I title....

There’s a difference in Floyd quarterback A.J. Otranto this year. A big difference.

"I gained about 30 pounds since last year," the junior 5-11, 185 junior said. He definitely looked stronger at the Colonials’ early practices last week, so I quizzed him about his workout regimen.

"Serious weights?" I asked.

"Serious food," Otranto replied...

According to MSG Varsity's Jared Greenberg, Floyd rising senior Stacey Bedell has verbally committed to play football at Villanova next fall.

The running back/defensive back is expected to play offense for the Wildcats, who are weighing a decision to join the Big East. They currently play in the FCS (formerly Division I-AA.)

Bedell, a first-team Newsday All Long Island...

FREEPORT STATS

PASSING

Isaiah Barnes 5 of 8 for 125 yards 1 TD, 1 INT

Jere Brown 1 of 1 for 54 yards

RUSHING

Barnes 23 carries for 206 yards, six TDs

Maurice Irby 10 carries for 75 yards, one TD

Daniel Olivier 10 carries for 73 yards, one TD

RECEIVING

Jeff Williams four catches for 103 yards

Evan Lapice one catch for 54 yards

Jere...

There were no real surprises in last week’s semifinals, so the only changes are in spots 7-10. Nine of the teams in my Top 10 will be playing for either a county title or, in the case of St. Anthony’s, the CHSFL crown.

Zog’s Top 10

1. Sachem North (10-0). The Flaming Arrows continued to dominate, earning their second straight trip to the Division I championship by beating...

Good afternoon, folks. Just a couple of programming notes before we post our top 10 teams and county final previews later today/early tomorrow...

First, MSG Varsity will be airing a special Thursday edition of Friday Night Football tomorrow night at 7 p.m., as Mike Quick, Carl Reuter and Gregg Sarra will call the Conference I final between No. 1 Freeport (9-1) and No. 3...

Chalk prevailed for the most part in the first week of the playoffs, so there were no changes in my Top 10. The only semifinal game this week that matches two top 10 teams occurs in Division I, where No. 2 Floyd hosts No. 3 Longwood in a rematch of a game won by the Lions during the regular season. It’s also one of those “backyard brawl” games that should be very intense.

Zog’s...