Time to Recharge Batteries, Prep for 2024 Sports Campaign
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
Here’s the thing about August: It can be uncomfortably hot and humid and can draw all kinds of robust weather patterns that can wreak day-to-day havoc, including hurricanes like this here Debby, tropical storms, rip currents and much, much more.
But it also signals the beginning of the end of summer, meaning we’ve got a month-and-change to make the most of it before it’s back to the grind, gang.
I’ll be doing so from my usual LBI hotspot the next 12 days, Exit 63 on the Garden State Parkway, just over the causeway, for my annual trek to Surf City, N.J. (Thanks Funcle Mike, Aunty Lori, Ms. Anita and Poppa Joe #MuchLove.)
The week will be a crossover between the pure joy spent with family members I adore, but it will also serve as time to begin a deep dive into the Section 1 sports circuit, a plunge I’ve been taking now for some 35-plus years.
The beach brings out the best in me, I like to think. There’s something about the roar of the ocean that soothes the soul. The calming sound of waves has a meditative quality, which allows me to kick back and dig into my annual Section 1 grid previews. I’ve reached out to all of the football coaches in The Examiner regions this past week, and many have already hit me back with the information and insight we’ll drop on y’all in late August. (This labor of love requires time and patience to deploy.)
I can guarantee you’ll be hearing a lot about reigning two-time NYSPHSAA Class A champ Somers and 2023 Class AA state runner-up Carmel High. Both programs have gone ahead and flipped the section on its head with some of the finest football we’ve ever seen between White Plains and the northernmost tip of Putnam County where Carmel will introduce us to first-year Coach Brendan Connolly. Connolly has a lot on the line with the Rams seeking a fourth consecutive Section 1 title.
He won’t have to dig too deep into his bag of tricks to find one of the greatest rushers in Carmel history in All-NYS senior Tristan Werlau #AsAdvertised. What he will need to dig a little deeper for is figuring out a way to rebrand the winning culture established by former longtime legendary coach Todd Cayea and last year’s interim mentor Tom Donahoe, who showed stones of steel in last year’s sectional title triumph over Arlington #FakePuntAndAll.
But football and a winning culture has long been part of Connolly’s life. He hailed from the Edgemont High program where he starred as a wide receiver for his dad, the former storied coach Brian Connolly, who guided Edgemont to five Section 1 titles (1995-2001) and three straight NYSPHSAA crowns (1998-2000).
One can only hope for a seamless transition, kind of like the one Somers boss Anthony DeMatteo Jr. assumed when taking over for his father, who together have led the Tuskers to four straight sectional titles (five since 2016) and three NYSPHSAA crowns since 2016. With a pair of two-way All-NYS players in senior Mason Kelly and junior speedster Dean Palazzolo chomping at the bit to make another run, it will take every ounce of being to prevent the Tuskers from a five-peat in 2024.
Saddle up, boys and girls. We’re in for a wild ride come September, especially if former five-time Section 1 Class B champion Pleasantville can rebound from last year’s stunning 35-21 sectional title loss to mighty Rye in the post-Picart (Daniel/Aidan) era. They were perhaps the best set of twins we’ve covered since Tommy and Tracy Cotrell at Walter Panas back in the wee 90s.
#Sidenote: Don’t sleep on Hen Hud this fall. There’s some pre-season buzz out of that camp.
Later, I’m #BeachBound.
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.
