Now that the 2008 Hudson Vallet ESG team is all set, I took a few moments to give my thoughts on the selections, the selection process and what the schedule looks like for Hudson Valley in Binghamton.

I put together some thoughts on Thursday’s state semifinal games at Hofstra as well as the state championship games.

Hope you enjoy.

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We should be in store for an interesting week, folks.

And I think it could wind up being a memorable one for Section 1 lax.

It’s been an interesting season of previews of picks.

But there’s been no week that can top this one, gang.

That’s because it’s sectional championship time.

As you will see, I think there are two games that really stand out as having the potential to be great games: Somers at Brewster in Class B and Byram Hills at Put Valley in Class C.

I also provide picks on each of the six games.

Click here for a rundown of all the matchups.

The Section 1 quarterfinals are all set for Wednesday.

As is often the case, the No. 5 vs. No. 4 games appear to have the potential to be the most highly contested.

I three out three picks for you folks on this report. Please ask about any games I didn’t predict that you’re interesting in.

Normally at this time, we have a bunch of scores to report on and get your reactions to — but not tonight.

That’s because it’s the night before the Section 1 tournament starts.

With that in mind, I put together some thoughts.

Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

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Now that we’ve had a little more time to take in the significance of Yorktown’s 13-10 win last night over John Jay, I put together a few thoughts.Download:

OK, Harold, Jeff and I did talk about other things.

Really.

But we did spend a good amount of time previewing “The Game” on Friday. Harold and Jeff gave their picks — and so too did a new addition to the podcast, Alex Myers, who serves as our golf beat writer. As for me, I’m still thinking about it before my big announcement on Wednesday.

Hey folks, it won’t be long now.

John Jay vs. Yorktown — the most highly awaited game of the regular season is just a few days away.

I put together some thoughts as we start the final full week of the regular season and get set for the John Jay-Yorktown showdown on Friday at 7 p.m. at Charlie Murphy Field.

Let me know what you think both here and on our brand-new Previews and picks thread.

Jeff and Harold joined me this afternoon in the operations center of The Journal News and LoHud.com for a lively discussion about some of the events of the last few days, including the Murphy Cup and Briarcliff’s nine-game win streak.

We also looked ahead to some big games coming up, including John Jay at Rye, and even touched on the NCAA Division I tournament that starts Saturday. In fact, I went ahead and revealed who this year’s national champion will be!

Just click the Mp3 button below and let us know what you think.

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We saw some wild and wacky things go down today, folks.

I took a few moments to put together some thoughts:

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Well folks, it’s been a long week for me.

My vocal chords more specifically.

In fact, Thursday night, it was so bad I wasn’t even sure I would be able to speak before we entered the set for “Varsity Central Extra” on RNN. Nothing like going on live TV and wondering if your voice is going to hold up.

But once those bright lights came on, I made it through somehow, someway.

I also made it through our latest video podcast just moments ago.

I talked about three games today: Brewster dealing North Rockland its first loss; Iona Prep beating another established and successful Section 1 program in Somers; and John Jay winning another big non-section test by beating 2007 Class C state finalist Corning East.

Here you go:

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Hope you enjoy it, folks.

We had a pretty lively and interesting discussion. There were some disagreements among myself, Goldie and Gutter, and Jeff really put me on the spot by asking if Chris Bocklet is the biggest high school player I’ve seen.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

We touched ‘em all with this one — classes A, B and C, CHSAA — even a little bit of Long Island and Connecticut.

Just click on the mp3 button below:

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I just recorded some analysis from what I saw and heard today in East Setauket.

Let me know what you think.

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We knew this day would tell us a lot.

And it sure has.

Just a few moments ago, I put together some thoughts.

Among the games I discuss are Yorktown’s huge conquest of Chaminade, John Jay’s defense bouncing back after a shaky outing against St. Anthony’s in a win against Somers as well as Rye’s victory over Lakeland/Panas and Horace Greeley’s one-goal win over Mahopac.

Just click the “Play” button in the LoHud Video icon below.

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OK, so the table wasn’t exactly round — it was actually square and in the operations center of The Journal News and LoHud.com in the heart of the newsroom.

That’s where Jeff, Harold and I gathered for our latest podcast. We took a look back at some big games last week, some big ones coming up and shared our biggest surprises of the season.

Just click on the MP3 button below and let us know what you link.

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I just put together some thoughts on some of this week’s surprising results.

Let’s hear your take as well.

Also gang, be sure to check out our winter all-star sections that appeared today.

Here are the links:

• Westchester-Putnam all-stars

• Rockland all-county

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As we get ready for tonight’s John Jay-Manhasset showdown, I put together some thoughts on Yorktown’s 15-5 loss today at McDonogh and Somers’ 11-4 win over Putnam Valley yesterday.

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Earlier today, Jeff and I got together in the op-center (that’s operations center for short) in the heart of The Journal News’ newsroom at our home office in White Plains for our second podcast of the year.

Hope you like it.

Those of you folks who listened to the ones we did during football, hoops and hockey seasons will remember the music intros. Well this week, we have one for lax. Tell me what you think of it.

First, a quick disclaimer that I should have posted before our first podcast.

I took a few moments to add some analysis to Yorktown’s 16-3 win over Shenendehowa today — and other interesting aspects of the game, including sophomore Joey Porcelli’s big hit in the second half.

You can watch highlights of the game on RNN’s “NewsCenter Now” next week — and don’t forget on our special “Varsity Central Extra” show from 6:30-7 p.m. on RNN on Thursday, we will be taking calls. Just give us a shout at 1-888-RNN-CHAT and talk about your team. (RNN is available on Channel 19 in Westchester and Rockland and Channel 20 in Putnam on cable and Channel 62 on DirecTV.)

Here you go, folks:

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Dan Michella and North Rockland went unbeaten against Rockland County competition last year. How do they look this year? That’s among the topics discussed on the inaugural edition of the “Lax to the Max” podcast. (Photo by Peter Carr/The Journal News)

Hey gang. Jeff Gold and Harold Gutmann joined me today for our inaugural “Lax to the Max” podcast. We recorded it this afternoon in the operations center of The Journal News and LoHud.com, located in the heart of our main newsroom in our headquarters in White Plains.

It’s a bit longer than I had anticipated going in — but we wanted to mention as many teams and players as we could in giving our class-by-class overviews.

It was a pretty lively discussion.

Hope you enjoy — and please let us know your thoughts on some of our bold predictions that come at the very end of the podcast, too.

Just click on the MP3 button below:

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One quick note on the podcast … I had a bit of a slip of the tongue. I meant to say Yorktown will be going for its 27th sectional title in the last 29 years this season instead of saying it had already won 27 in 29 years. The ‘Huskers have won 26 titles the last 28 years.

Somers attackman Joe Marasco, one of the nation’s top junior recruits, was all set to commit to the University of Virginia until paying an unofficial visit to Ohio State this past weekend. (Stuart Bayer/Journal News file photo)

• Click here to read our Daily recruiting updates page.

It seemed like a perfect fit.

The University of Virginia, winners of two national titles in the last five years, was in need of a high-scoring left-handed attackman. The Cavaliers focused on Somers’ Joe Marasco.

And Marasco was all set to become a Cavalier.

Until this past weekend, when an unofficial visit to Ohio State University changed all that.

Now, he told me today, his goal is to help the Buckeyes win their first national championship in lax.

His oral commitment to Ohio State is a very interesting turn of events indeed.

Here’s more:

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Rocky Bonitatibus has become the first Yorktown boys lacrosse player to commit to a Division I school in two years. That’s one of the things I talk about on this video. I also take a look at what ‘Huskers could be next.

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Here’s more on the college choices of Brewster’s Zach Badalucco and John Jay’s Chris Latino.

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On the screen below is a video report I just completed on John DeVito’s selection as Somers coach. We shot this one in our main Varsity Central newsroom in our White Plains building where our reporters are busy each night taking call-ins of varsity game results. As always, just click the play button.

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John DeVito, center, who spearheaded the drive to start boys lacrosse at Somers 14 years ago, has been named as the Tuskers’ new head coach. Former Tusker head coaches Tim Schurr, left, and Jim Donohue, right, will remain on his staff as assistants. (Aaron Houston/Journal News file photo)

It was a volatile summer for the Somers boys lacrosse program.

On June 22, schools superintendent Joanne Marien relieved head coach Tim Schurr of his duties.

In the weeks that followed, Marien and athletic director Roman Catalino were inundated with community reaction — a good portion of which came in the form of 167 comments made on a thread on this blog you can view here.

In the end, the parties involved were able to settle their differences and reach what appears to be a compromise.

Schurr will remain on the coaching staff — though as an assistant — and John DeVito, a 1972 Yorktown graduate who has been a varsity assistant the last three years, will become head coach.

DeVito, who once ran the YAC program and coached many of the area’s all-time greats — including Roy Colsey and current ‘Husker head coach Dave Marr — is well-respected in the lacrosse community.

Another former ‘Husker head coach, Jim Donohue (who swapped roles with Schurr in 2004), will also remain an assistant as will goalie coach Lou Rostin, a Yorktown grad who played at Hofstra.

Somers AD Roman Catalino told me he thinks DeVito is the right man at the right time for the Tuskers.

“He is a terrific communicator who works real well with the kids,� Catalino said of DeVito.

And communication — or lack thereof — may have been one of the roots of all the turmoil in the first place, DeVito said.

For more, here’s a Web update I just posted.

I will be heading over to RNN’s studios for a football roundtable with our own Kevin Devaney and RNN sports anchor Ben Sosenko that will be airing tonight from 5-7 on “NewsCenter Now.” I hope to have a video report on the Somers move up before that. And we will of course have a full report tomorrow in The Journal News and on LoHud.com.

In the meantime, let’s hear your thoughts.