Smithtown Varsity Football: 2010 Preview

2010 is a rebuilding year for both cross-town Bull teams. Smithtown West made the playoffs, but finished with a mediocre 4-4 record last season, while Smithtown East's weak performance left them 2-6. 

Head coaches Pete Cerullo (West) and Jim Saladino (East) broke down the upcoming season lineups, top players, key games and discussed their overall expectations for each program.

Record last year: 4-4, Division II

Head coach: Pete Cerullo

League/division pre-season ranking: Division II, ranked 9th

Position Breakdown:

The offensive line is anchored by senior guard Fred Walter, junior guard Matt Morganelli, senior tackle Ryan Mathie and junior tight end Zack Naja.

The backfield features senior fullback Mike Barusch, junior tailback James Powell and senior quarterback Kyle Keenan.

The receiving corps is led by returning All-County starter Anthony Gatto, a senior. He'll be joined by receivers John DeLuca, a senior, junior Steven Kelly and sophomore Kyle O'Rourke.

The defensive line features Walter and Morganelli at the tackles, flanked by Naja and Mathie at the ends, with senior Alfred DiLoretto and junior Frank Mannino rotating in.

Barusch and senior Chris Anzalone will start at middle linebacker, flanked by Gatto and senior Nick Marchand at outside linebacker.

Cornerbacks Keenan and DeLuca will lead the defensive backs, helped by two freshmen: free safety Matt Helberg and cornerback Logan Greco.

Top Players:

Senior WR/OLB Anthony Gatto. "He's just a great athlete," Cerullo said of the All-County receiver. "He's a terrific player. He'll carry the ball, too, at running back."

Junior TB James Pannell. He will miss the season opener against Smithtown East because of a recent appendectomy. Greco, the freshman, will see playing time at running back while Pannell is out.

Senior FB/ILB Mike Barusch. Didn't start last season but will be a key player on both sides of the ball. "He's going to be an outstanding player for us this season," Cerullo said.

Senior G/DT Fred Walter. The returning senior anchors the offensive and defensive lines, which both feature plenty of experience.

Senior QB/CB Kyle Keenan. This is Keenan's first year as the starting QB and he "is doing a nice job," Cerullo said.

Expectations:

Smithtown West made the playoffs last year, finishing sixth in Division II at 4-4 with a power rating of 111.25, and a top-eight finish is once again the team's main objective. "We always shoot for that," coach Cerullo said. "I think if we can stay healthy, we'll be a very competitive team. I like our defensive line and I think we have good running backs, and our quarterback brings something extra to the table because he can run also."

"We lost a lot from last year but the kids are working real hard and I think they're a solid team," Cerullo continued. "I'm real happy with how they came into the season. The kids have the right attitude and they're looking good."

Key Games:

Sept. 11 vs. Smithtown East: The season opens with a bang as the crosstown rivals play for local bragging rights.

Sept. 16 at West Babylon: Game two of the season is an early test against a playoff team that had the same power rating as the Bulls in 2009.

Sept. 24 vs. North Babylon: A home game against the top-ranked team in Division II and the defending Suffolk County champions. The Bulldogs were unbeaten last season until the Long Island championship game.

Oct. 9 vs West Islip: Homecoming game marks the midpoint of the season and the start of the final three-game stretch.

Oct. 29 vs. Half Hollow Hills West: The Division III champion moves up to Division II this season, adding a new wrinkle to the Bulls schedule.

Record last year: 2-6, 12th place, Division II

Head coach: Jim Saladino

League/division pre-season ranking: 12th, Division II

Position Breakdown:

Senior guard Tim Kopiske and junior tackle Connor Winship, both returning starters, anchor the offensive line. Sophomore Bran Balkam is the other guard. Senior Trevor Danzi, a guard/fullback, and sophomore tackle/center Dennis Lestrange are also "in the mix" to start, according to Coach Saladino.

Senior Grant Gaska, in his first year as the starting quarterback, leads an offensive backfield that will run the wing-T offense and lean heavily on three-year starter Chris Vlasaty, a senior fullback. Senior halfback Alec Federico, a two-year starter, will carry the ball at tailback, along with sophomore Jake Koppelman. Senior Brendan Canese is a first-year starter at wingback. Senior P.J. Connelly returns at wide receiver, and junior Michael Conlon will start at tight end.

East runs a 4-4 defense with five players rotating at the interior positions: seniors Chris Caballero and Patrick Winters, juniors Semih Bal and Bobby Delhay, and sophomore Nick Costello. Winship, Lestrange and Conlon will rotate at the two end positions on the line.

Kopiske, Danzi and Balkam will be the inside linebackers, with Vlasaty and Federico on the outside. Junior Mike Buono is the free safety, with Connelly and junior Tim Devlin at the corners. Koppelman and sophomore Christian Vetter will also see time in the defensive backfield.

Top Players:

Senior G/ILB Tim Kopiske. He's 5-10 and 185 pounds, but bangs with the big boys with superior leverage and strength that Saladino says comes from his wrestling background. "He's a tough, hard-nosed kid."

Junior T/DE Connor Winship. A "big, athletic kid," said Saladino of the 6-2, 225-pound Winship, a stalwart on both lines.

Senior FB/OLB Chris Vlasaty. A tough, physical runner and excellent defender, Vlasaty is "a quiet leader on the team," said Saladino.

Junior DT Semih Bal. "He's a monster," Saladino said of the rock-solid Bal, who could be a force at 6-3, 245 pounds.

Expectations:

Coach Saladino said he's brought up 15 sophomores in what is literally a rebuilding season for East. While the roster has a number of first-year varsity players at key positions, the team's home field is in the process of getting a new surface and is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1. Until then, East's home games — including the homecoming game on Sept. 25 — will be played at Smithtown West.

"We're going to shoot for .500," Saladino said of the team's goal this season. "That's realistic. With eight teams in the playoffs, you finish 4-4, depending on who you beat, that could possibly get you that eighth spot."

Key Games:

Sept. 11 at Smithtown West: No problem getting up for this season-opening road game, with area bragging rights on the line.

Sept. 25 vs. Half Hollow Hills East: Homecoming game, at Hills West because of field work at East.

Oct. 2 vs. Copiague. Second straight home game is against another team that could be fighting for one of the final playoff spots.

Oct. 9 at Comsewogue: The Warriors move up from Division III after a 4-4 season.

Oct. 16 vs. Bellport: The final game of a key three-game stretch that will go a long way toward determining East's fate in the division.