High School football practice underway

On Wednesday morning, all 56 Nassau County high school football teams began preparation for the upcoming season, scheduled to open with a Conference I game between Farmingdale and Baldwin on Friday, Sept. 9.

Freeport, Garden City, Lynbrook and Seaford are out to defend county championships. Head coach Russ Cellan’s Red Devils will also attempt to become the first team to win the Rutgers Cup in back-to-back seasons since Hempstead in 1985-86.

Freeport and Seaford are ranked at the top of their respective conferences (I and IV), while Carey and Lawrence are seeded ahead of Garden City and Lynbrook in II and III, respectively.

The first three days of practice are non-contact, with helmets and cleats the only equipment permitted. Protective pads and blocking devises will be used beginning Monday, Aug. 22. Scrimmages can be held after the completion of 12 practices.

Eight-game schedule continues

Nassau went back to an eight-game regular-season schedule in 2008 after playing only seven games every year from 2003-07. It needed approval from New York State since teams advancing to the county championships play an 11th time. Most games will be played on the traditional Saturdays, beginning Sept. 10. But the list of Friday night games in Nassau continues to grow and stood at 18 as of last Monday. In addition, Week 4 games this year will take place on Thursday, Oct. 6, with Yom Kippur beginning at sundown the following day.

Conference hoppers

Six teams switched conferences based on enrollment figures, including locals West Hempstead and Valley Stream Central.

Valley Stream Central, which came within percentage points of qualifying for the Conference II playoffs in its second year under head coach Frank Chimienti, returns to its former stomping ground in Conference I and faces a challenging schedule highlighted by games against perennial playoff teams East Meadow (Sept. 24), Baldwin (Oct. 6) and Farmingdale (Oct. 15.)

For openers, the 10th-seeded Eagles host Port Washington at Firemen’s Field on Sept. 10. Herricks moved out of Conference I. “We’re excited about the huge challenge,” Chimienti said. “We’ll be up against some great programs. The biggest difference between Conferences I and II is the depth of the conference itself as well as the individual teams.”

West Hempstead, which entered 2010 mired in a 17-game losing streak, finished 4-4 in Conference III and is expected to challenge for a playoff spot this fall in Conference IV. The Rams are ranked fifth and open at home versus Oyster Bay on Sept. 10. They’ll face four-time defending county champion Seaford the following Saturday and see locals East Rockaway (Oct. 1) and Malverne (Oct. 6) down the road. “We have eight starters back on offense and about half returning on defense,” West Hempstead head coach Dom Carre said. “We were one of the smallest teams in Conference III and now we’re the largest school in Conference IV.”

In other movement, Floral Park and Roslyn are new to Conference III while Carle Place moved out. Floral Park opens at Hewlett, Roslyn hosts Bethpage, and Carle Place gets Herricks in a battle of Conference II newcomers. 

Few coaching changes

Of the 23 teams slated to appear in the Herald’s 2011 Football Preview special pullout section, only one has a new head coach this season. Phil Onesto is set to lead South Side after serving as an assistant varsity and JV coach in the district for four years. The Cyclones are coming off a 2-6 campaign and are seeded No. 11 in Conference III. “It’s been good so far,” Onesto said. “Turnout at offseason workouts was pretty good. We averaged 35 kids per day and they’re eager to get started.”