Coach I’s Week 9 Picks: Burke at Goshen and Nine Semifinal Rematches

Burke at Goshen is one of Thursday’s most interesting crossovers. Friday brings nine semifinals, and I’m taking all nine home teams. Each of those semifinal hosts won its regular-season meeting. Beacon’s 12–6 win over Marlboro was the closest of the nine, and that rematch deserves particular attention.

My published pregame record entering this card is 129–36. The Week 8 retrospective makeup card went 16–2; including it gives a combined total of 145–38. That makeup week remains identified separately.

Pregame selections are tracked separately from in-game selections. Monroe-Woodbury is an in-game selection and is excluded from the pregame ledger.

The full card

Team records below are entering the games. All kickoff times are Eastern. Click a matchup for the current score and any schedule changes.

Thursday crossovers

1. Monroe-Woodbury (1–8) at FDR (2–7)

My pick: Monroe-Woodbury. Monroe is the selection, recorded after kickoff. At the time the card was logged, KOT845’s score desk showed FDR ahead 14–0 after the first quarter. This pick will be tracked separately from the 14 pregame selections.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

2. Rondout Valley (4–5) vs. Red Hook (4–5)

My pick: Red Hook. Red Hook enters after scoring 34 against Saugerties and 47 at Cohoes. Rondout comes in off a 14–8 win over Chester and a 32–6 win over Monticello. Red Hook’s offense against Rondout’s defense is the matchup to watch.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

3. Liberty (0–9) vs. Monticello (2–7)

My pick: Monticello. Monticello won the first meeting 24–22 on October 1. That result gives the Panthers a direct reference point, but a two-point margin also gives Liberty a reason to believe this can change. Monticello has struggled since then, including last week’s 32–6 loss to Rondout. I’m taking the Panthers again in a matchup they have already shown they can finish.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

4. Burke Catholic (9–0) at Goshen (6–3)

My pick: Burke Catholic. I’m backing unbeaten Burke in this Class D–Class A crossover. The Eagles followed their 35–14 win at Spackenkill with a 41–6 win at Dover. Goshen has lost to Lourdes and Cornwall after reaching 6–1, but those losses do not erase the Gladiators’ six wins. This is a useful test of how Burke’s production holds up against a larger-class opponent.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

5. Spackenkill (3–6) at Wallkill (3–6)

My pick: Wallkill. Both teams enter 3–6. Spackenkill scored 29 in its loss to Highland; Wallkill scored 24 at Lourdes. I’m taking Wallkill at home, but the Panthers need more stops after allowing 56 to Cornwall and 44 to Lourdes. Spackenkill’s latest performance makes it difficult to treat this as a comfortable home pick.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

6. Minisink Valley (3–6) at Chester (2–7)

My pick: Minisink Valley. Minisink needs a response after Warwick won 27–7 and ended the Warriors’ sectional title hopes. I’m backing Minisink, with its 43–7 win over FDR the week before showing more of what its offense can produce. Chester has lost its last two by six and five points, so the Hambletonians have evidence that they can keep a game within reach.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

Rondout Valley–Red Hook is at Dietz Stadium. Liberty–Monticello is at Glennette Field in Port Jervis. Minisink Valley–Chester is at Chester Commons Park. The crossover label does not make these games part of the sectional championship bracket.

Friday semifinals

7. Valley Central (5–4) at Middletown (9–0)

My pick: Middletown. Middletown won the first meeting 29–7 on October 9 and has reached 9–0. The Middies finished the regular season with a 31–0 win at Kingston; VC was shut out 27–0 by Newburgh. I’m staying with Middletown’s consistency. For VC, the task is creating scoring opportunities it did not find in either of those matchups.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

8. Pine Bush (4–5) at Newburgh (7–2)

My pick: Newburgh. Newburgh won the first meeting 48–13 on October 9. Pine Bush has won three straight since then, finishing with a 42–28 victory at Monroe-Woodbury, so that earlier score needs its current context. I’m taking Newburgh after its 27–0 win over VC. Pine Bush has earned another look, but now has to show its improvement against the Goldbacks.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

9. Lourdes (7–2) at Washingtonville (8–1)

My pick: Washingtonville. Washingtonville won 34–16 on September 3. That opener is a reference point, not a complete description of these teams in November. Lourdes has scored 41 at Cornwall and 44 against Wallkill in recent weeks. I’m taking the Wizards at home, with consecutive shutouts of Warwick and FDR providing the clearest recent support for their defense.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

10. Warwick (2–7) at Cornwall (6–3)

My pick: Cornwall. Cornwall won the October 9 meeting 50–6 and has just beaten Goshen 43–13. Warwick earned this opportunity by winning 27–7 at Minisink; its 2–7 record does not cancel that result. I’m taking Cornwall because the Dragons have both the direct matchup result and sustained recent scoring behind them. Warwick needs a much different start than it had in the first meeting.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

11. Saugerties (4–4) at Port Jervis (7–2)

My pick: Port Jervis. Port Jervis won 33–0 on October 3. Saugerties enters after a 6–0 loss to Marlboro, so generating offense is the central question for the Sawyers. I’m backing Port, which also beat Beacon 24–14 in October. Port’s Week 8 fixture was a forfeit; its last played game was the 56–0 win over Liberty.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

12. Eldred (6–2) at Sullivan West (6–1)

My pick: Sullivan West. Yes, Sullivan West won the first game: 34–6 at Eldred on September 25. The rematch is now at Sullivan West. Eldred advanced with a 14–6 quarterfinal win over Tri-Valley, giving the Yellowjackets another chance to challenge the Bulldogs. I’m taking Sullivan West, with that first meeting supplying a clear reason for the pick.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

13. Marlboro (6–2) at Beacon (8–1)

My pick: Beacon. Beacon won 12–6 on September 25, the closest first meeting among these nine semifinal rematches. Marlboro has since finished its regular season with three straight shutouts, including a 6–0 win over Saugerties. I’m taking Beacon at home, but this is a game where one turnover or one short field could carry more weight than the teams’ overall scoring averages.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

14. Dover (5–3) at O’Neill (6–3)

My pick: O’Neill. O’Neill won 20–0 on October 15. That shutout gives the Raiders the strongest direct evidence in this matchup. Dover scored six against Burke last week, while O’Neill held off Chester 21–16. I’m taking the Raiders to earn the championship meeting with Highland, which has the Class C bye.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

15. Millbrook/Webutuck (5–3) at Pawling (7–0)

My pick: Pawling. Pawling won 44–8 on October 24 and enters unbeaten at 7–0. Millbrook/Webutuck just reversed an earlier loss to Ellenville with a 28–22 quarterfinal win, so the Blazers have already shown they can change a rematch. I’m still taking Pawling. The Tigers’ first result against Millbrook was decisive, and the Blazers need a substantial improvement to close that gap.

Game Center, kickoff and matchup history →

The finals these picks would produce

Class D is already scheduled as Burke Catholic vs. Chester on November 13. This card selects their separate crossover games and does not make a championship pick.

Week 9 schedule and all nine first-meeting results · pregame season ledger · Live Game Centers · Championship paths

Method: one straight-up winner per listed game. The pregame ledger uses the original pregame selections. Monroe-Woodbury and Red Hook are tracked separately. Wednesday’s Ellenville–Fallsburg game was already completed and has no selection on this card. Kingston–Clarkstown North was canceled and is excluded. Original choices will remain visible when results are added. Disclosure: I coach at Middletown.