By RICK STONE

Now it’s time to Rock ‘n’ Roll! The second season … Playoffs …Single elimination. Lose and you’re gone! For 22 of our teams, this weekend will be the end of the line while 10 move on to the sectional championship games. So with all that in mind, let’s see how things look right now. This will be our final ranking. The playoffs will take care of the rest. “Regular season titles” are nice, but sectional titles are the ones that count.

LARGE SCHOOLS (CLASSES AA and A)

1. MONROE-WOODBURY (8-0) - The Class AA semi: this is where the season begins in earnest for the Crusaders, a team built to get back to Syracuse for the fifth straight post-season. D’Aliso, Connolly and their troops had an easy go of it last week, beating up Pine Bush, 49-7. MW has averaged almost 48 points per game this season. The team that has done the best defensive job against the Purple Juggernaut so far this season is Minisink Valley which held the Cru to 17 points. Of course the Cru ‘D’ also recorded its lone shutout of the season that September evening. MW and MV meet again this Saturday night in an AA semi at Dietz.

2. NEWBURGH (7-1) - The Goldbacks are at full-strength now with a great duo of quick and strong running backs in SNF scoring leader Barry Surrett and versatile veteran Fred Locklary. NFA’s defense has pitched three shutouts this season, but it will be tested by Warwick’s frantic offense in perhaps the most interesting of this weekend’s semi-final matchups. NFA and Warwick didn’t play each other during the regular season.

3. WARWICK (7-1) - The Wildcats are lead by their outstanding, record-setting quarterback Rian White whose coolness under pressure earned them a thrilling one-point victory over Minisink last Friday. Having John Babin and Sam Careccia for receivers doesn’t hurt. Like NFA, Warwick’s only loss this season has been to Monroe-Woodbury. The ‘Cats and ‘Backs meet Saturday night at Faller.

4. MINISINK VALLEY (5-3) - The Warriors stepped up their game last weekend and almost upset Warwick, only to lose in the final seconds on a two-point White-to-Careccia conversion pass. Minisink will now get another shot at numero uno M-W. Last year the Warriors were supposed to meet M-W in the AA title game, but that shockingly didn’t happen. Now they get their shot with a roster not as talented as last year’s star-studded one but a very solid team with lots of fight, nonetheless. Their losses were to M-W and NFA in addition to Warwick.

5. CORNWALL (5-2) - These Green Dragons ain’t so green any more. Last week they scorched Wallkill, 49-7, to clinch the Class A top seed and will meet Saugerties Friday night at Dietz. In week three the Dragons beat the Sawyers, 31-18. Cornwall’s losses were to a good Class AA Ithaca team, 15-7 (on a pair of TD fumble returns), and to powerful AA Newburgh (46-34). Excluding the NFA game, the Dragon defense has allowed only seven TD while the offense, led by RB Tyree Smallwood and QB Tyler Lawlor, has been averaging over 40 ppg since week two.

6. (Tie) VALLEY CENTRAL (4-4) - Neither Valley Central nor Kingston has made the playoffs. VC will return 22 players from its current roster next season. Since those guys were the heart of an unbeaten ‘07 jayvee team, the Vikings can count this as a successful year that looks forward to the next. VC plays at Middletown Thursday. The Middies have lost their last four.

6. (Tie) KINGSTON (4-4) - With all its injury problems the Tigers were still in the playoff race until arch-rival NFA whipped them, 36-7, last week. Like VC, Kingston will look to finish over .500 by defeating winless Washingtonville at Dietz Thursday night.

8. (Tie) PORT JERVIS (4-3) - PJ has the second seed in the Class A playoffs and will meet Wallkill in a semi at Faller Friday night. Port defeated Wallkill, 21-7, two weeks ago. The Raiders count heavily on senior RB Tim Crown who explodes through the hole when his sometimes inconsistent line makes one. Crown rushed for over 100 with a sore ankle in last week’s win over New Paltz. Port is young but has good size and some good athletes who make for a solid secondary.

8. (Tie) WALLKILL (5-3) - Third seed Wallkill fell behind quickly against PJ and trailed at the half, 21-0. The Panther defense, featuring DB Joe Ortiz, then owned the second half; but its offense scored only one TD as Port shut down the Wallkill air game. The Panther ground game has "thunder" in James Schoonmaker. Now it's looking for more "lightning" to cause that thunder, and the Panthers may have it. Elusive RB Dom Calvanico returns to full duty this week after spending most of his time on the sidelines with a sore hip. Coach Vegliando says the junior is now 100%. Another returnee is big defensive lineman Eric Paz who’s back after four weeks of nursing an injury. Port-Wallkill should be an entertaining semi!

8. (Tie) SAUGERTIES (5-2) - The fourth seeded Sawyers were reportedly down in the dumps during practices for the Middletown game. But they showed up at Faller Field and skunked the Middies, 30-0, much to coach Mike Melville's delight. Now Now Melville’s tough crew gets another crack at Cornwall, this time at Dietz. You can bet they’ll be pumped this week.

SMALL SCHOOLS (CLASSES B-C-D)

1. HIGHLAND (7-0) - The Huskies keep the top spot after coming from behind to beat Ellenville last week. The defending Class B champs and top seeded Huskies, with stars Josh Duggan and Mike Fallitik out for the season, are looking to eliminate fourth seed Marlboro en route to their eighth sectional crown. Highland has sufficient depth and had no problem beating the Dukes, 47-8, in the season’s opener.

2. ELLENVILLE (7-1) - The defending Class C champs will be tough to beat in the playoffs. The Blue Devils beat their divisional foes by an average score of 37-6. Top-seeded Ellenville, with its big front wall led by A.J. Borriello and some swift skilled players like RB Doug Lewis, faces fourth seed Millbrook at Dietz this Friday at 4 pm.

3. SULLIVAN WEST (7-1) - Class C second seed Sully West has a potentially dangerous opponent this Friday at Faller - Liberty - whom they beat 32-8 in week two. The Indians have improved since then. Meanwhile SW QB Ryan Alsdorf was taken out early in last week’s close game with Tri-Valley when he reportedly received a rib injury. But the Bulldogs rallied and came from behind to win.

4. ELDRED (8-0) - Class D Eldred should get a good title-game tune up when it meets Burke Catholic this Saturday. The ’Jackets already know first hand that Chester (which bopped Burke last week) will be a handful in next week’s title game.

5. (tie) NEW PALTZ (3-5) - The Class B second seed Huguenots beat O’Neill by two points five weeks ago. Veteran junior QB-DB Jon Diaz, who suffered a concussion, will return to the New Paltz lineup this week. Outstanding DE-OT Gordy Pine, FB-LB Logan Peterson and speedy return man Jamaal Clark have been very impressive of late.

5. (tie) O’NEILL (5-3) - The third seed Raiders have won their last four games, outscoring opponents by an average score of 30-7 during that streak. Four-year starting QB Aaron Kilner, despite a 2008 injury that put him out of action, is still a great leader and record-setting passer. Behind him he has a small army of solid running backs.

7. CHESTER (5-3) - Let’s be honest. Being a Class D champ in Sections One and Nine (and the regional in which their champs meet) is really no big deal in the large state tournament picture since there are only five D schools between the two sections. But don’t tell that to Chester and Eldred who have as hot a rivalry as any around here. Minus a pair of key two-way standouts, Chester soundly beat Burke, 29-8, last week. I heard some cynic say of the game, “It was Chester versus Chester!” The Hambo’s get 1-7 Pine Plains this weekend.

8. LIBERTY (4-4) - After losing their first three games, the Indians have become a different team, one that earned the third seed in Class C. Soph QB Marshon Williams has become an offensive weapon along with Jovaughen Clark. That and a solid line takes the offensive heat off Brandon Tompkins who applies plenty of heat himself on defense. Liberty v. Sullivan West: a good Class C matchup and a hot backyard scrap being moved to the large new stadium in Middletown.