High School Soccer

BY ADAM RONIS

Finally, the Suffolk predictions are here!!!! There's been an outcry for my thoughts and I'll never let you down. I needed some more time to formulate my thoughts on this county. This is going to be a very exciting postseason in each class. Don't bet your savings on my picks, because I think these games are real difficult to pick and I could see several teams winning it. Now, for the envelopes please.

Class AA
My pick: Smithtown West. If you've followed me all season, and if you haven't, welcome just in time, this is a tough bracket. I'm going with No. 3 Smithtown West. The team has reached the finals three straight years and I think this is the year for a title. The key game for them could be the second round game against Northport. That's a very arduous matchup for a quarterfinal game. I see Smithtown West beating Sachem East in the championship game.
Sleeper: No. 6 Northport. I wanted to pick this team to go far, but the potential quarterfinal matchup with Smithtown West stoppped me. Northport has reached at least the semifinals for six straight seasons. If Northport beats Smithtown West, it could win it all.
Other thoughts: All the Ward Melville fans will bash me for not mentioning it. But, read my preview prior to the season. I picked WM as a sleeper and it's a number one seed (high five!). The defense is very good, but the way Suffolk has gone this season, I don't see the seeds playing out. Again, I see six teams that could win it all...North Babylon has been good all season, but it got a tough bracket...It seems people forgot about Sachem East after it lost some key players from last season's championship team. SE is playing very well and has enough players that were part of a team that won 20 consecutive games last year. This team is dangerous...Another team that played real well down the stretch is East Islip, which could spoil a few team's championship aspirations.

Class A
My pick: Islip. There's no way I would have picked them halfway through the season. Islip, the two-time defending champs, was decimated by graduation and started 0-5. Since then, 9-1-1. I give them a slight edge over Shoreham-Wading River because Islip played in a more competitive league.
Sleeper: No. 4 Eastport-South Manor. A potential semifinal matchup with Islip won't intimidate this group. ESM has defeated and tied Islip this season. ESM doesn't have a gaudy record, but has been hampered by injuries.

Class B
My pick: Bayport-Blue Point. BBP moved down to Class B after playing in Class A last season when it lost in the quarterfinals. Almost the entire team is back and a championship is on the way.
Sleeper: Southold/Greenport. A surprising season for this team, which lost a lot from last season.

Class C
My pick: Stony Brook. It's a flip of a coin here since Stony Brook and Mercy are the only two teams. The teams tied twice in the regular season.

Picks
Class AA: Smithtown West over Sachem East
Class A: Islip over Shoreham-Wading River
Class B: Bayport-Blue Point over Mattituck
Class C: Stony Brook over Mercy