Will Barnes, Bedell meet again-- in LIC?

It was a reunion of sorts for the stars of the 2010 Long Island Class I football championship.

There was Isaiah Barnes, the Freeport quarterback who rushed for six touchdowns and passed for another as the Red Devils outscored Floyd in a shootout, 62-35. Grinning ear to ear and having some fun with Floyd's Stacey Bedell, Barnes proudly flashed his new championship ring for him to see.

"I'm going to get another one of these," Barnes laughed at a photo shoot that brought the two players together. "We have some work to do but we'll get it done."

Bedell peeked over Barnes' left shoulder and admired the ring. "Yes, I need one of those in my senior year," Bedell said. "Yes I do."

The two, who became close friends after last year's championship encounter, joked around a bit but they know what lies ahead. They realize what it takes to get to the LIC. And both feel the pressure of the expectations to return to the big game after putting on a show last year.

Bedell was also spectacular, scoring four touchdowns in the loss. He returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. He returned an interception for a score. He did it all -- and it wasn't enough.

"It's not going to be easy just to get out of Suffolk," Bedell said. "We have to play one game at a time. You just can't look ahead."

While the potential of a Bedell-Barnes rematch this season makes for great conversation, others will have a say in whether that becomes a reality. Longwood is deep and ready for a championship run and Sachem North is loaded with talent and looking to avenge its only loss last season -- 40-34 to Floyd for the county crown. Freeport's path appears easier but heavy graduation and new faces on the offensive line may present some hurdles.

"Let's not anoint title winners until we play the games," cautioned Floyd coach Paul Longo. "We'll have our hands full."

Freeport-Floyd is the appetizer for a fall sure to be filled with interesting story lines. Sayville quarterback Steven Ferreira is on the cusp of breaking the all-time career record for passing yardage and touchdowns. He leads the top-seeded Golden Flashes in Suffolk Division III and needs 1,408 yards to surpass St. Dominic Thorp Award winner Tony Capozzoli (1972-75).

Bellport, the defending Long Island Class II champion, moves down to Suffolk Division III, and although the Clippers were decimated by graduation, they're still the Clippers. There is a big change up top as Joe Cipp III, known as Sonny, takes over for his father, the legendary coach Joe Cipp Jr. Sonny won a Long Island Class I title at Longwood in 1998 and has guided the Bellport offense to two LI titles. He's studied well and knows how to win. But don't be surprised if you see Joe Jr. on the sidelines.

Is this the year that Carey finally supplants Garden City as the Nassau Conference II representative in the LIC? The Seahawks were poised for that run in 2010 but couldn't get past the Trojans, who reached the final in 21 of 26 years.

And which school emerges in Division II with the departure of Bellport? Could this be the first time we see Newfield or West Babylon in an LIC? Or will top-seeded and perennial title contender East Islip, which has been to the county final in three of the last four seasons, return to the show?

Oceanside grabbed our imagination last year and looked as if it could get past the top programs in Conference I, but traditional powerhouse programs Farmingdale and Freeport extinguished that possibility. But weren't we fixated on the Sailors' first ride to the postseason since the inception of the Big Four playoff system in 1984? Who will be this year's Oceanside?

We know the favorites. We know the stars. It's the ones we don't know about that'll demand our attention. It happens every fall. Enjoy the ride.