THE BUCKLEY RANKINGS

Post Mortem Edition

A large serving of humble pie for the proud prognosticator...actually, the predictions were fairly accurate...got all ten teams in the top ten...got all State qualifying teams in the top five...predicted point totals were pretty close...problems resulted in overestimating my own Firebird contingent (or did they not run to capabilities)...nobody, but nobody, was beating the Friars on this given Saturday...prediction position and predicted points in parentheses

1. St.Anthony's 45 (3)(65)...a remarkable effort by the Friar runners, Coach Toro and the rest of the staff; when finally healthy, they were deadly; sat just off the hotly contested pace and roused to contention when called upon; the "dus briver" was right all along; Toro vs. Dearie in the "steel cage match" at the Feds

2. Chaminade 82 (2)(65)...a tough afternoon when couldn't get 5th man in ahead of Kellenberg's 5th man; were not threatening the winners anyway; at least they have the Sectional title to fall back upon

3. Fordham Prep 103 (4)(107)...Gerry and "his kids" socked it to Buckley and his former Fordham U. teammate Estrella

4. Kellenberg Memorial 107 (1)(82)...the flop of the meet; appeared to be in perfect position at mile mark; were they out too fast?; 5th man ran well; 2nd, 3rd and 4th were simply off their game; no apparent reason or excuse; Naughton provided some (little?) solace; legit September State ranking now seems foolish

5. Regis 153 (5)(171)...solid performance; secured State qualifying position easily; hierarchy at Regis have instituted pre-meet "pasta-fest" at instigation of yours truly

6. St.John the Baptist 210 (9)(277)...very nice job by Cougar athletes and Coach Wood; too bad they missed State Meet by one place in both Boys & Girls; a bright spot in the Meet

7. St.Francis Prep 233 (7)(218)...kind of where they were all year; two-mile relay for Millrose could be scary

8. Monsignor Farrell 243 (7)(226)...as noted in this space, "winning" in the Cities with Sophs is not easy (St.Anthony's last year); things bode very well for next year; I wish that Cuffe would get that grey-sweated horde of Frosh and their friends out of the back hills

9. Xavier 256 (9)(263)..."Heavy D" and "Wheat" (myself) will be going out for the 2 for 1 cocktails at "happy hour" at the South Bend or the Terminal

10.Xaverian 283 (10)(244)...McCartney and Bowes are buying the first round (see # 9)

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     City Champs Edition
       1. Chaminade (65) (wins 6th man tie-breaker)
       2. St.Anthony's (65)
       3. Kellenberg Memorial (82)
       4. Fordham Prep (107)
       5. Regis (171)
       6. St.Francis (218)
       7. Monsignor Farrell (226)
       8. Xaverian (244)
       9. Xavier (263)
     10. St.John the Baptist (277)
I fooled ya. You thought these were the predictions. You didn't think that I would pick against
 my own team. This is how the race would be run ON PAPER (factoring in the best  times for each runner of every school, including other course conversions, over the last month of the season).
Of course, the 2.5 miles is not run ON Paper, but at Van Cortland Park. Here, then, are my predictions (not those of some DyeStat chat room "dus briver")

1. Kellenberg Memorial (7-2)...after dismal Sectionals, the Firebirds have everybody where they want them, in the underdog role; you can't right off proven winners of this senior class (City Champs in Frosh, Soph & Junior Years); runners are ready to unleash a big team effort; and you get value on the betting line
2. Chaminade (7-5)...slight favorite; certainly primed for best effort
3. St.Anthony's (8-5)...appear to be coming on strong; would surprise no one if they won; DyeStat chatters provide the Firebirds with valuable bulletin board ammo
4. Fordham Prep (15-1)...Coach Gerry seen on North 8th and Bedford Ave. (only 3 blocks from my first teaching job at a Lithuanian national school) en route to fine marathon finish; team is looking to finish higher, maybe, even win; that's a stretch
5. Regis...(40-1)...even the pasta party can't close the gap further; but, it looks like another trip to the State Meet
6.Monsignor Farrell...a year or two away; consistency will get them to finish this high; a chance to make the States if Regis falters
7. St.Francis Prep...too "up & down:" Freshmen addition(s) could help; a threat for States on superior performance
8. Xavier...tough campaign for "Heavy D's" troops, but you know they will battle to the end; chance for higher placing
9. St.John the Baptist...must avoid high numbers by the back scorers; ran well in this race last year under Coach Wood's tutelage
10.Xaverian...things have just not fallen into place for a now banged-up Clipper contingent
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week ending 10/27

1. Chaminade...defended their NSCHSAA crown with a solid performance over the 3.1 mile Sunken Meadow course; but the margin of victory was a scant one point over the surprising Friars
2. St.Anthony's...highly motivated "men in black" had something to prove and almost pulled off the upset; rounding to best form at the end of season like we said they would
3. Kellenberg Memorial...Naughton dominates in 16:17, but going from 3rd in the State to 3rd in the League ??? ...ouch.; will use the bye week to regroup; had similar disaster in this meet last year; do not count the Firebirds out just yet; Coach Fassell's "guarantee" was for the Cities, not  the Sectionals
4. Fordham Prep...closing with a rush; have eyes on a higher spot; blowout victory in NY Sectional
5. Regis...vastly improved, but not as much as the aforementioned Rams; Italian Johnny D. should have the team over for a pasta party before Cities
6. Monsignor Farrell...bounced back from a dreadful Easterns, but need more to get one of the coveted State berths
7. Xavier...Redden helps an awful lot, but bottom scorers still leave a lot to be desired
8. St.John the Baptist...Petrina gets help from Baum, but the others need to step up and be consistent; times are comparable to city-based teams
9. St.Francis Prep...the B/Q Section finally gets listed; easy B/Q winner, but times are quite suspect
10.St.Joseph by the Sea...from the Staten Island Riviera...crack top ten for the first time with a better five man average than the "X-men"
11.Xaverian...McCartney must be pulling his hair out; Bay Ridge boys went south, after they looked like they were making some progress; it isn't over 'til its over; perhaps, Buckley and McCartney should collaborate (like the Vichy government?) to right their respective ships
12.Bishop Loughlin...on the improve, but running out of weekends; when's the first 3200 (I'm sorry, Ed), that is, 2 mile relay
13. St.Peter's...Eagles get in trouble after top two
14.Monsignor McClancy...wonderful win by Andrade in B/Q Champs; a very low score by him in Cities will buoy the team's chances (why all the nautical jargon)
15.Holy Trinity...rounding out the "Strong Island" contingent; can post a better team average than some of their NY/BQ counterparts

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week ending 10/19

1. Chaminade...nice 4th at Easterns "A"; fine race by elder McDermott; gets the better of the Firebirds again
2. Kellenberg Memorial...Naughton 2nd in "A" in 12:51; next three scorers superb; Jason and the Argonauts taking time out from the "Golden Fleece" to locate the 5th scorer (45 seconds behind #4); will someone either get healthy or step up?
3. St.Anthony's..."on the road with Charles Kuralt" to Providence; OK 6th at Brown to CBA and Hendricken; must get scorers closer to Flynn
4. Fordham Prep...I was right for a change (certainly, not at the Belmont summer and  fall meets); Regis alumni lawyer type can eat his e-mail for questioning "my powers of prognostication"; Jerry's Rams finish a quality 3rd in "B" race, 86 points in front of Regis; McCabe now in the 13:00000's
5. Regis...halved their ranking from #10 to #5 by beating everybody else; they've always been in the State qualifying picture
6. St.John the Baptist...showed courage entering the Championship Race at Brown; 11th place finish better than it appears; Petrina a quality #1
7. Xaverian...9th in "B" race; did not look impressive, until you looked at everybody else; must improve or will be running in the "Clipper Classic" on 11/16
8. St.Francis Prep...had their chance and failed miserably in Easterns "B"
9. Monsignor Farrell...suffered from the "Sophomore Jinx;" can the younsters regain their form against more seasoned competition? remains to be seen
10.Xavier...Dormer seen destroying a green Van Cortland "port o' potty" after this effort; need to regroup by this Saturday
11.St.Joseph by the Sea...were they in Providence? the Ivy League capital of political correctness couldn't even print out the team scores of Varsity I & II
12.St.Peter's...the Sophs even turned in a weak performance at Easterns
13.Archbishop Molloy...one-pointed Bishop Ford in Easterns "C"
14.Bishop Ford...in close attendance to the Stanners
15.Bishop Loughlin...4th in "D" race at Easterns
16.Monsignor McClancy...at Brown; I can never get a proper read on them; hopefully, the B/Q Sectionals will sort them out
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week ending 10/12

1. Chaminade...OK 3rd to Lansing and Londonderry at Manhattan College; times were nothing to write home about; another showdown with Kellenberg at Easterns
2. Kellenberg Memorial...Buckley drove Estrella (2:33 in Chicago Marathon) to Kennedy Airport for flight to O'Hare, however, the plane left from Laguardia???; had chance to overtake Flyers in rankings and failed; 3rd behind CBA & West Srpingfield (Va.); Naughton race winner, but needs help from "nicked-up" teammates; Giants Coach Fassell GUARANTEES Firebirds will be there when it counts in Cities and States
3. St.Anthony's...everyone thankful that Coach Toro and his son emerged unscathed from fender-bender on Saturday; Friars will be back to fight another day
4. Fordham Prep...a shocker; Chairman Mao's "Great Leap Forward" from #9 to #4; 8th in Manhattan "B" Race; have a top finisher in McCabe, which helps separate them from similar contending teams; had a 14:21 winner at All Hallows; Jerry is smiling again
5. Monsignor Farrell...had a great Soph week at Sectionals and Manhattan; fine balance, but need a #1 killer to step forth; conspiracy theorists will notice my collusion with Cuffe has ended
6. Xavier...running better, but Dormer needs better production from the bottom of the lineup
7. St.Francis Prep...need the consistency of the same seven guys on the line
8. Xaverian...8th in "A" Manhattan race; good 3rd the week earlier at Clinton (Dewitt, not Hillary);
9. St.John the Baptist...ducked Manhattan; the Cougars 4th at the Suffolk Officials Meet was nothing to write home about
10.Regis...a disappointment so far; finished 3rd behind Mickey Mouse and Dumbo at Disney World "1A" Race; Collegiate and the teacups were in close pursuit
11.St. Joseph by the Sea...a slow improvement is seen
12.St.Peter's...among the missing after lackluster 6th at Clinton
13.Bishop Ford...need more quality scorers
14.tie...listed alphabetically, Archbishop Molloy, Bishop Loughlin & Monsignor McClancy (I've run out of energy and my wife is telling me to get off the computer)

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week ending 10/5

1. Chaminade...by virtue of "Marianist Dual Meet" win (25-32) over KMHS; failed to mount a serious challenge against North Rockland at St.Anthony's Invite; Preis got best of Naughton on Wednesday
2. Kellenberg Memorial..."you're never as good as you think you are, but you're never as bad either;" dual meets only count if you win; otherwise discard; State Rankings get sorted out anyway at Manhattan College
3. St. Anthony's...on the improve; won weaker division of own invitational; kind of like winning the old Lapchick Basketball tourney; if dual meet scoring, would have lost to Chaminade by a 27-28 squeaker; the plot thickens
4. Monsignor Farrell...resting from Carolina venture? status quo ante Jaspers; you can readily see the outright collusion between Lions and Firebirds
5. St. Francis Prep...distant 3rd behind killers Shen and Sauquoit Valley at Grout
6. St. John the Baptist...solid 4th to North Rockland & Chaminade at St.Anthony's
7. Xavier...uneventful 5th at the Brewster Bear; Redden returns in fine form; Washingtonville in 6th (if that's any barometer)
8. Regis...was looking for better than 3rd in Small Schools at Sunken Meadow; appears some bodies were missing
9. Fordham Prep...McCabe 2nd to Friars' Flynn in "A-2" St.Anthony's race; only one other scorer in top 30
10.Xaverian...on vacation
11.St.Peter's...also on hiatus; I think that was a different St.Peter's in Delaware
12.St.Joseph by the Sea...seaside vacation
13.Bishop Ford...8th in "Medium Schools" race in Delaware (medium-well or medium-rare???)
14. Monsignor McClancy...Andrade resurfaces at St.Anthony's; needs help
15.Bishop Loughlin...Ed's vacationing in Bermuda with team; will they return for Manhattan College
16.Archbishop Molloy...they've traditionally gone to Grout, but did not see in the results

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 week ending 9/28

1. Kellenberg Memorial...used Van Cortland back hills to tune up for Wed. dual meet showdown with Chaminade; last dual meet win over Flyers in ' 93, when Estrella was a Junior
2. Chaminade...also practiced on the weekend after defeating St.Anthony's on dual meet schedule
3. St.Anthony's...lackluster 2nd to Farmingdale at Sunken Meadow Meet with small fields; Flynn at 16:52, but no one else under 18:10; Toro's teams do get better near end of season
4. Monsignor Farrell...ventured to Great American to place 8th in "AA" race (whatever that is?); can't get a barometer on that one
5. St.Francis Prep...half-milers are adjusting; emerging #1 man
6. Regis...hanging around; waiting for times to drop as quality athletes catch up on summer mileage
7. St.John the Baptist...a step backward with a 3rd in one of the divisions at Sunken Meadow
8. Xavier...traveled to Rochester (not as far as Cuffe) to take 2nd to Ohio's Archbishop Curley in unseeded "AA" race; who were the other teams Moe, Larry and Shemp?
9. Fordham Prep...Jesuit fellow-traveler to McQuaid; placed 8th in seeded "AA" race; McCabe individual 3rd; Burnt Hills is OK, but Rams were four places behind
10.Xaverian...granted, there are missing faces, but stock continues to fall
11. St.Peter's...8th at JFK (Somers) is not going to improve the Eagles standing here
12.St. Joseph by the Sea...mediocrity at Xavier Meet
13.Bishop Ford...very close to "Sea," but not showing signs of a move-up
14.Bishop Loughlin...starting to show themselves as they make the list for the 1st time this season
15.Archbishop Molloy...St.Francis has a real jump on them for BQ Champs
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week ending 9/21

1. Kellenberg Memorial...gave Shen a scare at Guilderland (32-45); easily distanced Essex (Vt.)(78); Naughton breaks course record (14:08 for 2.7)
2. Chaminade...5th at Belmont Plateau vs. tough field; Preis bounces back; dual meet vs. Friars (9/25) & then Kellenberg (10/2)
3. St. Anthony's...lackluster 3rd at Bear Mountain; was Flynn running under an alias, or was he another in the long line of transfers, or was Tony Toro's handwriting so bad that Flynn became Zhan (stick to computer timing, or did Bro. Antonio write the card???
4. Monsignor Farrell...Regis Meet performance will not scare the top three (or those below); throw a blanket over them and next six teams
5. St. John the Baptist...blue collar & white collar team dropped a two point decision   to the bluebloods of Choate (isn't it Choate Rosemary Hall?...who went there?...FDR went to Groton) at Sunken Meadow; at least the Cougars posted some decent times and appear to have four legit scorers
6. St. Francis Prep...OK team score, if there really was a true one, at Regis; need everybody under 15:00, but so does everyone else in this crowd
7. Regis...on balance over Fordham Prep, but should have someone under 14:00
8. Fordham Prep...McCabe gives you a low single digit, but where's the help coming from
9. Xaverian...gotta do better than 9th at Bear Mountain; this week your rating drops like a rock
10. Xavier...when will Redden come with the cavalry?
11. St. Peter's...top two need to bring times down; so do the other five
12. St. Joseph by the Sea...cracks the not-so-elite fifteen
13. Bishop Ford...hanging on for dear life
14. Archbishop Molloy...where did there veteran runners disappear to?
15.we're leaving it blank because I can't find the "MIA" teams and I've run out of McClancy alumni

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week ending 9/14

1. Kellenberg Memorial...dominated at Washingtonville (9/7); scorers either defeated or were near to Red Hook's soph star Raucci (he ran 17:30 at Sunken Meadow this past weekend)
2. Chaminade...got spanked by highly touted Shen Plainsmen at Shaker; no disgrace in that; elder McDermott led the Flyer pack
3. St.Anthony's...close to beating Dearie's State #3 Northport charges on comparative times at Sunken Meadow; have an argument to be ahead of Chaminade
4. Monsignor Farrell...Cuffe's lion cubs jump up in rankings as they maul CHSAA and Staten Island competition at Wagner (9/7); are Cuffe and Buckley in collusion to get their respective teams ranked higher
5. Xaverian...OK at Practice Meet at Van Cortland, but not instilling fear in CHSAA opponents
6. Fordham Prep...right behind the "X-men" at Van Cortlandt
7. Xavier...looked OK sans Redden; with him the Knights/Bruins are 30 points better; coaches and athletes looked like they were ready to stone yours truly when he drove by on Saturday; it's only a cross-country column, not adultery (maybe they know something I don't)
8. Regis...did not appear in mid-season form at Van Cortland; must get it together
9. St.John the Baptist...two good efforts at Sunken Meadow not enough; where's everybody else
10 St.Francis Prep...didn't show much at Sunken Meadow
11 Archbishop Molloy...awaiting the unveiling
12 Iona Prep...still in hiding
13.St.Peter's...not much help for top two at Practice Meet
14 Bishop Ford...respectable showing at Wagner (9/7)
15.Monsignor McClancy...where's Fritz Voltaire (aka Francois Marie Arouet)   

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     (PRESEASON)

 These rankings are not to be confused with the ravings of Dyestat commentators and prognosticators, who possess all the acumen of Doris of Rego Park.