BY JONATHAN SKUZA
Four Section V Boys’ Soccer teams will look to bring home top honors this weekend when New York State’s best convene in the Middletown area. McQuaid (Class AA), Spencerport (Class A), Avon (Class C), and Fillmore (Class D) will take the field Saturday in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) semi-finals looking to qualify for Sunday’s championship games. Here’s the breakdown:
Class AA: Saturday, Nov. 12th, 4:45 PM at Middletown High School (Faller Field Turf)
MCQUAID JESUIT KNIGHTS (17-0-2/Rochester City Athletic Conference)
vs.
CONNETQUOT THUNDERBIRDS (16-2-3/ Section XI)
How they arrived here: McQuaid (No. 6 NYSSWA Class AA) opened sectionals with a 7-0 win over No. 8 seed WOIS/Edison/Franklin/SOTA before defeating defending sectional champions Hilton in the semifinals and Brighton in the Class AA finals. The Jesuit Knights earned a spot in the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Clarence in the Far West Regional.
Second-seeded Connetquot opened the postseason with wins over Bellport and Patchogue-Medford before beating No. 3 Commack, 2-1 on Garfield Gillespie’s second-half goal. The Thunderbirds secured their first Suffolk County title when they outlasted No. 5 Smithtown West in PKs, 4-2 and clinched a spot in the state semis for the first time in program history on goals from Andrew Johnson and Matt Cottone in a 2-0 victory over Plainview-Old Bethpage in the Long Island Class AA final.
Players to Watch for McQuaid: Andrew O’Neil Sr. A 13 goals, 8 assists; Casey Montesano Sr. A 11 goals, five assists; Kevin Miller So. A 11 goals, two assists; Jacob Sevene Sr. MF eight goals, 13 assists; Niyen Ruffin Sr. Gk 64 saves, four goals allowed, 1252 minutes in goal.
Players to Watch for Connetquot: Matt Cottone Jr.; Aidan Friel Sr. Center Back.; Garfield Gillespie So.; Robert Herrera Jr.; Matthew Iparraguirre Sr.; Andrew Johnson Sr; Tyler Moore Sr. GK; Brandon Vecchia Sr.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO HERE.
Coaches: Nino Pilato (McQuaid), John Zambriski (Connetquot)
History 101: McQuaid making its third trip to the state semis, and the Jesuit Knights are looking to reach the finals for a second time. Section V is 9-12-3 all-time against Section XI schools in the postseason including a year ago when Hilton fell to West Islip in the AA finals, 5-0. McQuaid has one of Section V’s nine wins over their counterparts from Long Island – a 6-o victory over Half Hollow Hills in the 2017 state AA championship. McQuaid lost to Shenendehowa (II) in its only other state semifinal appearance.
What’s at stake: A spot in Sunday’s NYS Class AA final against the Scarsdale (I) vs. Cicero-North Syracuse (III) winner.
Class A: Saturday, Nov. 12th, 10:00 AM at Monroe-Woodbury High School
SPENCERPORT RANGERS (16-4-1/Monroe- Division 2)
vs.
AMITYVILLE WARRIORS (18-1-1/ Section XI)
How they arrived here: Spencerport (No. 13 NYSSWA Class A) started sectionals with a 6-1 win over No. 14 seed Gates-Chili then defeated No. 6 seed Greece Arcadia 4-nil before defeating No. 2 seed Webster Thomas 1-0 and defending champion Pittsford Sutherland 2-1 in the Class A finals. The Rangers clinched a spot in the semi-finals with a 4-1 victory over Niagara-Wheatfield in the Far West Regional.
Top-seeded Amityville started the playoffs with wins over Islip and Elwood before Laurent Desir, Robert Perez and Hugo Rodriguez each found the back of the net in a 3-1 win over Half Hollow Hills West for the Warriors second consecutive county championship and seventh overall. Perez nodded in a Norvin Martinez-Hernandez free kick late in regulation to lift Amityville to a 3-2 win over Glen Cove in the Long Island championship.
Players to Watch for Spencerport: Kyle Milburn Jr. A 21 goals, 10 assists; Justice Hinman Jr. A 13 goals, five assists; Joey Weaver Sr. MF one goal, 12 assists; Josiah Warrington Jr. MF six goals, an assist; Jack Distaffen Jr. GK 77 saves, 20 goals allowed, 1670 minutes in goal.
Players to Watch for Amityville Memorial: Edwin Acosta Sr.; Matthew Katz Sr. GK; Hugo Rodriguez Sr. MF; Roberth Perez Sr. MF; Laurent Desir Sr. MF; Steven Grant Jr. Sr. D; Stanley Louis Sr.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM DENNIS JOYCE HERE.
Coaches: Jody Wyant (Spencerport), Mike Abbondondolo (Amityville).
History 101: Spencerport is making its third trip to the state semifinals and first since 1979 when the Rangers lost to Vestal (IV), 2-0 in a game played at Rochester’s Holleder Stadium. Amityville lost to Somers (I), 7-2 in last year’s Class A state final. The Warriors defeated Brighton, 2-0 in the 2018 semis on the way to their second title in four years. Section V is 9-12-3 all-time against Section XI schools in the postseason including a year ago when Hilton fell to West Islip in the AA finals, 5-0.
What’s at stake: A spot in Sunday’s NYS Class A final against the Christian Brothers Academy (III) vs. Beacon (IX) winner.
Class C: Saturday, Nov. 12th, 4:45 PM at Goshen High School
AVON BRAVES (21-0-0/LCAA- Division II)
vs.
HALDANE BLUE DEVILS (16-2-0/Section I)
How they arrived here: Avon (No. 1 NYSSWA Class C) opened sectionals with a 7-nil victory over No. 9 seed Canisteo-Greenwood then defeated No. 5 Geneseo 1-0. The Braves continued with a 3-nil victory over No. 6 Williamson in the Class C1 finals, then defeated Class C2 champion Red Creek in the state qualifying match. Avon continued with another 3-nil victory over Portville in the Far West Regional to reach the semi-finals.
Haldane (No. 5 NYSSWA Class C) defeated Hamilton 8-2 to capture its first sectional title since 2013. The Blue Devils then beat Rhinebeck, 2-1 in a subregional before clinching a spot in the state final four with a 2-0 win over Pierson-Bridgehampton.
Players to Watch for Avon: Lee Hartke Sr. MF 32 goals, five assists; Dominic Patti Jr. A 10 goals, 11 assists; Austin Lattuca Jr. A nine goals, 14 assists; Hudson Volpe Sr. MF six goals, six assists; Evan Masten Sr. D nine assists; Christopher Kashorek Sr. GK 60 saves, three goals against, 1680 minutes in goal.
Players to Watch for Haldane: Ryan Eng-Wong Sr. 32 goals; Clem Grossman Sr.; Ronan Kiter Jr. GK; Brandt Robbins So.; Matt Silhavy So.; Will Sniffen Sr. Center Back; Max Westphal Jr.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM CHRIS CECERE HERE.
Coaches: Tony Patti (Avon), Ahmen Dwidar (Haldane)
History 101: Avon is making its first trip to the state semifinals. Section V has a record of 13 wins, 11 losses and 1 tie against Section I in postseason play. A year ago, Hilton defeated Mamaroneck, 3-2 in the AA semis.
What’s at stake: A spot in Sunday’s NYS Class C final against the Maple Hill (II) vs. Cooperstown (III) winner.
Class D: Saturday, Nov. 12th, 11:15 AM at Middletown High School (Faller Field Turf)
FILLMORE EAGLES (21-0-0/Allegany – Division I)
vs.
GREENPORT PORTERS (6-12-0/Section XI)
How they arrived here: Fillmore (No. 2 NYSSWA Class D) started sectionals with a 9-0 victory No. 8 seed Alfred-Almond then defeated No. 4 Keshequa 3-nil and went on to win the Class D1 finals against No. 2 seed HAC 4-0. Fillmore qualified for states with a 3-nil victory over Class D2 champion Mount Morris. The Eagles defeated Ellicotville 2-nil in the Far West Regional.
Greenport (No. 6 NYSSWA Class D) defeated Chapel Field Christian 5-2 to advance to the semi-final.
Players to Watch for Fillmore: Mitchell Ward Sr. A 44 goals, 18 assists; Henry Sardina Jr. MF 15 goals, seven assists; Eben Schilke Jr. MF nine goals, 16 assists; Zach Sisson Jr. MF six goals, 15 assists; Layton Sanasith Jr. A eight goals, three assists; Jack Cool Jr. MF nine goals, three assists; Luke Colombo Sr. GK 90 saves, six goals allowed, 1660 minutes in goal.
Players to Watch for Greenport: Ricky Campos Jr.; Declan Crowley Sr.; Luis Masin So.; Daniel Rivas So.; Milton Veliz Jr.
Coaches: Jarrett Vosburg (Fillmore), Greg Dlhopolsky (Greenport)
History 101: Fillmore is making its third trip to the state semis in as many attempts (Complications surrounding Covid-19 cancelled the 2020 state tournament) but first under Jarrett Vosburg. The Eagles went to PKs a year ago to outlast Chazy (VII) and reach the program’s first state final since 2000. Greenport last reached the state semis in 2005.
What’s at stake: A spot in Sunday’s NYS Class D final against the Southern Cayuga (IV) vs. Chazy (XII) winner.
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