By PHIL DUSENBURY

To avoid future needless repetition, let me say this: keep in touch with our “Section Nine Record Book” page if you want to keep up with our record-breakers. It should continue to change weekly this season.

Unsurprisingly, our current top two teams are the source of my having to engineer weekly updates of that page. Monroe-Woodbury coach Pat D’Aliso, his stellar quarterback Dan Scalo and those two defense-haunters from Warwick (Rian White and John Babin) are keeping me busy. (Among many other things, I truly thank God for the word processor. I wish there were personal computers when I was a college student with all those papers to bang out on the antique instruments called typewriters! But, as usual, I digress.)

Let’s start with Coach D’Aliso who, since 1988, has taken a good football program and turned it into one of the state’s very best. This Friday night the Crusaders will be out to make D’Aliso the winningest coach who ever walked the sidelines of Section Nine. M-W’s 63-18 romp over Valley Central was D’Aliso’s 194^th career head coaching victory which tied him with the legendary Joe Viglione who had coached at both Port Jervis and Warwick.

D’Aliso’s overall record to date is 194-57-1 while Vig’s was 194-89-1, so the M-W mentor obviously has a higher winning percentage (77% to 68%). Viglione still has more victories as a Section Nine coach than does D’Aliso (193-172) who was also the head coach at Pulaski High up in Oswego County from 1977-81 when he notched his first 22 wins. D’Aliso may have one eye glancing toward retirement; but with his office in the new high school overlooking the gridiron, he’s still focused on winning football games. Meanwhile Port Jervis former head coach Bob Corvino is third in victories with 161 and had a 69.4 winning percentage.

Dazzling Dan Scalo, probably the best of D’Aliso’s long list of outstanding quarterbacks, is moving up in the record book as well. A quick, elusive and powerful running back whose position happens to be quarterback in the Cru spread, Scalo’s 166-yard performance against VC last Friday moves him up to eighth on the career rushing yardage list with 4,318 yards. He should move up at least two more rungs this season and may even challenge former Crusader Matt Stack’s team record 5,187 career rushing yards. Time and state tournament play will tell.

In term of passing, Scalo is now #2 in career passing yardage with 2,946 yards.  Add that to his rushing figures and you have a whole lot of total yards: 7,264 to be precise.

Over in Warwick the Wildcats’ Wildcat offense (I had to say that) is really generating yardage. Quarterback Rian White is one SNF player who is truly tuned in to this site’s record book. It motivates him. His personal goal beyond helping his team win a title is to challenge Kevin Arduino’s incredible heroics at Cornwall last year. Last Saturday his six TD passes set an SNF single-game record! He now has 21 TD passes so far this season. Just surpassing Greg Sullivan, he is already #3 in career passing yardage (2,787 yards) and #4 in seasonal passing yardage (1,716 in 2008). He and Scalo are keeping me busy.

Then there’s White’s buddy and prime target, John Babin, whose four TD catches last weekend tied him with Kingston’s Corey Kotsol for most TD receptions in a season - 13. And this season may not even be half over for coach James Sciarra’s unbeaten squad. Babin also leads the pack with most receptions in a game, in a season and in a career!

White-to-Babin has been money in the bank. And Warwick has a couple more fine receivers to make matters even more difficult for opposing defenses.

D’ALISO IN RETROSPECT

Pat D’Aliso’s climb to the top of the coaching mountain started with the worst nightmare a parent can imagine - the death of a child. The coach’s story of recovery can never be told without mentioning the healing powers of friendship, especially that of his longtime compadre and right-hand man Bernie Connolly. A few years back D’Aliso told us this:

“(Bernie and I) go all the way back to 1988 when the school had fired the head coach and asked me to take the job. I wasn’t too sold on the idea until Bernie walked into the building looking for a job. We met and immediately struck up a friendship. That’s when I told the school I’d be the head coach but only if they’d hire him as an assistant. ’That’s the guy I want,’ I said.”

It was a wise choice and a partnership that has helped make D’Aliso and his program the extraordinary success it continues to be.

“We grew up just six miles apart,” the coach, a native of Orangeburg, continued. “Then we lived just two miles apart when we both lived in the Minisink school district. But we never knew each other before 1988.”

The one-time head coach at Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, Connolly has been more than just a brilliant coordinator for D’Aliso.

“He’s the best defensive coordinator in the state. He proved that at the (2004) Governors Bowl when his (New York) defense scored twice against New Jersey.

“He’s a great coach, coordinator and my best friend.”

After D’Aliso’s son had died following the 2003 season, a lot of people did their best to help the coach through the most trying of times. His friend and former head coach John Moson was one. But the key to D’Aliso’s being able to function again normally was the patient constancy of Connolly.

“I couldn’t even talk to the kids after all that happened. I wouldn’t have been able to cope without him. I’ve been able to get through it thanks to football and my friends in it.”

It was Connolly’s arrival that had inspired D’Aliso to get back into head coaching and Connolly’s friendship and loyalty that encouraged him to stay at the helm in the face of tragedy. M-W is now shooting for its fifth straight appearance in the state title game and its second state Class AA championship.

A FEW SIGNIFICANT STATS FROM WEEK FIVE

RUSHING: Travis Mann (Chest) 14 x 156 x 1 TD … Doug Lewis (Ell) 18 x 145 x 3 TD … Ryan Alsdorf (SW) 12 x 130 x 2 TD … Tim Pezzullo (BC) 14 x 111 x 1 TD … Austin Erlwein (SW) 6 x 101 x 2 TD … Darryle Griffin (O’N) 3 TD … Barry Surrett (NFA) 3 TD … Tim Crown (PJ) 3 TD … Dan Scalo (MW) 166 yards & 2 TD … Trevor Officer (MW) 128 yards & 3 TD … Peter Keenan (Mill) 20 x 112 x 2 TD … Willie Valk (Saug) 25 x 103 … Sean Benison (Chest) 22 x 95 x 2 TD … Cory Bilyeu (Mill) 5 x 86 x 2 TD … A.J. Latta (PB) 2 TD.

PASSING: Ryan White (War) 12 x 17 x 242 x 6 TD … Ryan Alsdorf (SW) 8 x 15 x 160 x 2 TD … Aaron Kilner (O’N) 4 x 8 x 100 … Kevin Freeman (MV) 190 yards & 2 TD … Dan Scalo (MW) 2 TD … Shane McNamara (VC) 2 TD … Bryan Henry (Eld) 3 x 3 x 100 x 2 TD … Jon Diaz (NP) 7 x 20 x 119 x TD … Dan Shannon (BC) 7 x 17 x 112 x 1 TD … Matt Relyea (High) 5 x 12 x 101... Troy Correa (LMR) 8 x 15 x 100 yards … Chris Stawski (PJ) 3 TD … Andrew Harcher (Wall) 2 TD … Tim Poll (Saug) 7 x 15 x 127.

RECEIVING: John Babin (War) 6 x 132 x 4 TD … Jon Hindes (Saug) 5 x 98 … Pat Laird (MW) 2 TD … Hector Santana (VC) 2 TD … Charlie Wolff (Eld) 2 TD … Chad Hecht (Wall) 2 TD … Ross Abbott (LMR) 4 x 44.

DEFENSE: Bryan Henry (Eld) 3 interceptions and 9 tackles … Patrick Doty & Sean Jollata (O’N) - each returned interceptions for TD … Eric Holden (FDR) 16 tackles … Nick Kustas (Spack) 16 tackles … Josh Duggan (High) 10 tackles … Rocky Perry (High) 8 tackles & sack … Mike McGrath (King) 39-yard fumble return TD … Sean Benison (Chest) fumble return for TD … Joey Gleeson (Chest) 63-yard interception return for TD … Wallkill forced 5 turnovers (3 interceptions).

KICKING: Pat Laird (MW) 9 x 9 PATs to remain perfect ... Kyle Cazzetta (MV) 4 PAT and 2 FG (28, 35 yards) … Alex Cordisco (PJ) 6 x 6 PAT and FG … Scott Bolstad (High) 4 x 4 PAT, 30-yard FG … Matt Clark (O’Neill) 41-yard FG … Mike Demshick (NFA) 22-yard FG … Aidan Little (Mill) 5 x 5 PAT, 4 touchbacks.

COACHES’ COMMENTS: “It’s fun this year. We’re flying high and the kids are learning more and more each week. Right now the only problem I have is getting the starters into the third quarter, so we’re looking for a close game. I know we’ll get one (on the 16^th) when we play Chester. We (the seniors and head coach) are going out together, and we want a title.” -- Eldred coach Frank Kean who’s in his final season of coaching and who has a strong senior-laden squad. … “Our kids stuck it out and found a way to win.” -- Kingston coach Jeramie Collins on his team’s gutsy overtime victory. … “We got away from (using our running backs) a little bit the first few games. We got back to what we do tonight.” -- O’Neill coach Tim Hendershot whose team got in gear to beat Marlboro by a surprising 30 points. … “We scored three quick touchdowns in the first quarter. Our line played very well.” -- Ellenville coach Anthony Borriello on his unbeaten team’s victory over Liberty. … “All I could think was ‘Where did that number 47 come from?’” -- Port Jervis coach Mark Trotta, coming out of the visitors’ locker room at halftime with his team holding a “comfortable” 42-7 lead over stunned Goshen. The #47 was Minisink RB Andrew Haelen who had returned to action against Port in week four and rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Warriors to a 28-8 win. Trotta was still stunned himself.

EXTRA POINT: Colgate is scheduled to appear on ESPNU Thursday night at 7 pm. As many of you know, Dan Scalo’s predecessor, Greg Sullivan, is Colgate’s quarterback and is tearing it up! Colgate’s opponent will be Princeton. Time Warner carries ESPNU on Channel 170. I don’t know about Cablevision.