In retrospect, I wish I would have been at Byram Hills. Before the semis I tabbed Byram-Harrison and Scarsdale-New Ro as the two best matchups. We (as in The Journal News) were going to cover both but we’re understaffed this fall and my editor couldn’t free up another reporter. So I gambled that the AA game would be the better one. I was wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, Scarsdale made for a good story with its 3-0 win over New Rochelle. The Raiders completely took New Ro out of its element in a way no team has this season. It’s just that they were too effective. They scored twice in the first 12 minutes and from then on the defense held serve.

Meanwhile things were cooking at Byram Hills. Harrison took an early lead, gave it up in the second half, and eventually took the undefeated state champs to a shootout. The Huskies prevailed there, 4-3, stunning the Bobcats. I can only imagine the scene on the Harrison sideline. What a tense game.

Oh well, no use crying over spilled PKs. It was a pleasure to watch a sterling defensive club in Scarsdale. They disrupted New Ro in a way I didn’t think anyone could. Think about what the Huguenots did this year. They led the section in scoring, both total and per game. They put up at least two goals in EVERY game. Scarsdale actually beat New Ro twice before yesterday, and even in those games the Huguenots put up a pair. They had a bevy of good shooters.

Scarsdale’s D took care of them. The star was junior Daniel Ben-Ami, who covered Arturo Barajas like a glove. It was funny to watch him follow New Ro’s talented scorer like a puppy dog, never letting him get more than 10 feet away. It was clear that the Ben-Ami’s gameplan was to stick him every minute and not worry about the other aspects. Senior Greg Wizeman also did a nice job in the back.

Keeper Daniel Kelly (right) was spectacular when tested. Francesco Sandoval got free at one point and unleashed a low shot that looked like a stone skipping on a pond. How Kelly got a fist on it, laid out on the ground, I’ll never know.

Adam Rose scored the first two goals. Peter Friedman fed him a nice through pass eight minutes in, which he pocketed. Five minutes later Santiago Rigby made a sweet spin and crossed to Rose for an open goal. Hiroki Kobayashi sealed the game in the 68th minute with the third goal.

The players told me afterward that they preferred to see Greeley in the championship because it would be a rematch of last year’s title game, which they lost in a shootout. They didn’t get their wish, as Fishkill beat Greeley 1-0 in the other semi. So no rematch. They’ll console themselves with a victory over Fishkill.

With six straight shutouts, all over good teams, who’s to say they can’t do it?