PREVIEW
Making the transition from underdogs to top dogs
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Ryan Olson is one of the top three quarterbacks in the county, according to Bishop McGann-Mercy Coach Joe Read.
For the first time in their 11 years under Coach Leif Shay, the Blue Waves will enter a season as a top seed. They know full well, however, that being the preseason favorite to win Suffolk County Division II is a burden as well as an honor. It makes them targets.
"It's nice knowing you're number one, but everyone's coming for you," senior quarterback Tim Velys said. "Everyone wants to beat you."
Miguel Maysonet is Riverhead's all-time rushing leader, and ranks 16th on Suffolk County's all-time list with 3,552 yards.
Certainly, the Blue Waves have a lot to feel good about. They return a sizable chunk of last year's team, which went 6-3 and lost in the division semifinals to the West Islip Lions. It was Riverhead's fourth playoff appearance in five years.
With standout players like running back/outside linebacker Miguel Maysonet, tight end/linebacker Andrew Smith and Velys, nothing short of a disaster should prevent the Blue Waves from returning to the postseason, which now allows eight teams from each division instead of four. What they do once they reach the playoffs, however, will determine the success of their season.
Jon La Gue was an all-division lineman for Riverhead last year.
Riverhead has one of the premier running backs in the county in Maysonet. The senior is Riverhead's all-time leading rusher with 3,552 yards, which ranks him 16th on Suffolk's all-time rushing list. Last year Maysonet averaged almost eight yards per carry, with 1,489 yards. He ran for 19 touchdowns and caught a pass for another. "Every time he touches the ball, he's a threat to score," said Shay, noting that Maysonet has fully recovered from a broken bone he suffered in his foot this past spring.
When the Blue Waves throw the ball, they hope to be able to rely on the left throwing arm of Velys, a senior who underwent surgery on his left shoulder in June after sustaining a labrum tear and damage to his rotator cuff while pitching in a baseball game. Shay said Velys was a week or so away from playing, and put his chances of playing in Saturday's season-opener at 20 percent. Last year Velys completed 47 of 102 passes for 724 yards, with eight touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 80.
Pat Lowth is one of Bishop McGann-Mercy's reliable receivers.
Maysonet and Velys were all-county players last year as was Smith, a senior who led the team with 76 tackles.
Gilliam, offensive tackle/defensive tackle Jon La Gue (6-foot-3, 340 pounds) and center/defensive tackle Robert Hale were all-division selections.
Running back/defensive back Greg Meyer, fullback/outside linebacker Michael Smith and guard Piotr Kuryzna are also returning starters. Also offering varsity experience are H-back/linebacker Will Lehmann, linebacker Michael Luce, defensive end/tight end Ed Shriber, wide receiver/defensive back Nick Grefe and linebacker and special teams player Tim Dayton.
Malcolm Caster, a middle linebacker/running back who transferred from Wyandanch, is new to the team. He should make an impact, along with other newcomers like wide receiver Tim Fitzgerald, free safety/wide receiver Edwin Perry, defensive back/wide receiver Joe Maglione, offensive tackle/defensive tackle Christian Plank and guard/defensive tackle Mike Powers.
The pieces for a big season appear to be in place. Said Gilliam, "We just have to put the puzzle together."
With the number of playoff teams coming out of Division IV being increased to eight from four, the Bishop McGann-Mercy Monarchs (3-5 last year) have a great opportunity. As the 14th seeded team among Division IV's 14 teams, McGann-Mercy could reach the playoffs for the first time since 1992.
Not that Coach Joe Read is looking that far ahead. His focus is on the team's season-opener tomorrow night in Center Moriches. The Red Devils, who are in their second varsity year, are seeking their first varsity win and Read wants to make certain it doesn't come at McGann-Mercy's expense.
"Honestly, I don't know who my second game is" against, he said. "There's no point in thinking about it, because if we are to have any kind of success, we have to beat Center Moriches. We're 14th; we can't look past anybody."
At the same time, Read acknowledged that he fully expects his team to finish among the top eight in the division, and said the Monarchs have the skill to take them to the playoffs.
The Monarchs have all returning players at their skill positions, starting with senior quarterback/defensive back Ryan Olson, who Read rates as among the top three quarterbacks in the county. "He can throw, he can run, and he's smart," Read said. "That's a lethal combination, and he's got guys to throw to."
Wideouts like Pat Burney, Pat Lowth and Drew LaGrasse are reliable receivers. Olson can also hand the ball off to running backs Bryan Conrad and Anthony Marone, a freshman who Read said doesn't play like one.
Of course, much will depend on how the offensive line does. David Wulforst is the center, with Pat Bradley and Nick Tombs at the guard positions. Lasha Bukia, who is from Georgia (the nation, not the state) plays offensive tackle. The other offensive tackle position is up for grabs.
The Monarchs aim to be the highest-scoring team in the division this year. They enter the second season under Read, making the transition from a conservative offense to a free-wheeling one. "Last year's team, it took them a while to understand that we're loose and free," Read said. "We have the potential to score at any point, and this year's team knows that."
McGann-Mercy had the third-ranked defense in the division last year, and Read believes the defense may be even stronger this season.
More than half of the players on the roster are seniors, including wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Del Vecchia, lineman Tony Fornsel (6-3, 260) and lineman James McNaught.
The team's younger players are: lineman Tim Bard (6-2, 255), running back/linebacker Steve Lane, lineman John Puertas, wide receiver/linebacker Henry Read (the coach's son) and lineman Robert Terry.
The Monarchs' 18-player roster is marked by a dichotomy. "The returning guys know what to expect, and it's been so easy progressing because of the returning group," Joe Read said. "The other side of that, though, is we have guys that have never played football ever before who we need. But that group of seniors is so strong, they're like an extra coach out there."
"We're 14th because of the numbers," he continued. "Skill-wise, if we stay healthy and that line performs, we can surprise a lot of people."
Tombs, for one, has his sights set high. "We should do better than we did last year," he said. "I think Mercy deserves a championship."
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