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Schools

Mt. Sinai Football Looks for Playoff Return

Mustangs finished 2010 with a 7-3 record and return many of that team's key components.

Suffolk County Division IV got a whole lot tougher with the addition of Amityville this offseason. The Mt. Sinai Mustangs, a playoff team in 2010, now have another quality foe to deal with.

“I wasn’t thrilled with Amityville coming back into the league,” Mt. Sinai head coach Vin Ammirato said. “Chris Taylor does a great job there and they have probably two of the best players in our division with Da’rell Hatcher and Willie White. They are definitely the team to beat with John Glenn close behind.”

It was John Glenn who gave the Mustangs headaches in 2010, handing the team two of its three loses. A strong Mt. Sinai defense gave up only 144 points in 10 games last season – that includes 92 in just two games against Glenn.

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Add Babylon, Bayport-Blue Point, Greenport and Hampton Bays and Division IV is going to have tough matchups every week.

Head coach: Vin Ammirato

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2010 Results: 7-3

Offense: The Mt. Sinai offense, which averaged 30.7 points per game in 2010, returns the majority of its skill players. Led by third year starter Austin Kay, the Mustangs feel like they finally have the ability to air it out when necessary. That’s a much different situation than Kay found himself in when he started as a sophomore.

“He was given very specific instructions – ‘don’t lose the game for us," Ammirato said. "Just manage the game, don’t do anything to try and win the game, just don’t lose it. Now as a senior Austin really has grown in to that position where we expect him to make big plays and throws and he’s become a vital part of our offense.”

Kay’s main target will be 6-foot-3 senior Pat Hogan.

“Pat and Austin have been working for the past two summers endlessly on the field together,” Ammirato said. “Throw in the mix Sal Sabboneanza, a slot receiver, and it gives us another dimension that we haven’t really had in the past.”

But that added dimension won’t take away from the Mustangs bread and butter -- the run game.

“We’ve always been a running team, that’s been our staple over the entire time I’ve been there,” Ammirato said. “We definitely want to run the football but the good thing is this year that when teams try to load the box up to stop the run we can definitely throw it down the field.”

Ammirato is counting on a stable of four backs to keep the ball moving on the ground.

David Smokler will be the starter at fullback and split carries with Mark Donadio. Pete Natale and Mike Donadio, Mark’s twin brother, will share the carries at halfback.

“All four of those guys, there’s no change,” Ammirato said. “It’s like 1 and 1a. We really don’t lose anything using anyone of those four guys in those spots, which is nice.”

Defense: The defense allowed just 14.4 points per game in 2010 and returns a strong defensive line. Senior Ryan Clark and junior Jake Tabile anchor the line and sophomore Bryan Reed – who Ammirato said could mature into the best lineman he’s ever had at Mt. Sinai – is an emerging force.

T.J. Burns is the only linebacker with starting experience, something that seemed to worry Ammirato slightly.

“That’s going to be the spot that has to get better as the season goes along,” he said. “I think we have some good athletes and kids there but they’re going to really have to mature and get better as the season goes along.”

The secondary is filled with familiar names. The Donadio brothers will start at the cornerback spots and Hogan will man the middle of the field at free safety.

Expectations: 

The Mustangs expect to get back to the playoffs in 2011. That starts in week one for Mt. Sinai with a matchup against Bayport-Blue Point, the only other team to beat the Mustangs in 2010 and hurt their playoff positioning.

“If we win that first game we get to avoid Glenn in the semifinals,” he said. “The kids know how important the opening game is and they’ve really been working hard, which I’m proud of. We told our kids, this first week is actually like a playoff game.”

Key Games

  • Sept. 9 vs. Bayport-Blue Point
  • Sept. 17 at Glenn
  • Oct. 6 vs. Amityville
  • Oct. 21 at Babylon
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