YONKERS, N.Y. ? Crosstown rivals Saunders and Gorton clash in an opening day match-up at Gorton High School Saturday at 1:30 p.m. as seven Yonkers schools open the 2012 football season.
Roosevelt visits Briarcliff and Yonkers High travels to Lakeland for 7 p.m. Friday games. The remaining five kick off at traditional Saturday openers. Roosevelt was winless in 2011, and Yonkers went 1-8.
Gorton, the only winning program in the city last season, comes off a successful 6-3 rebuilding season in which the Wolves made the Class A playoffs, only to be edged by Ossining in the opening round. Coach Dan DeMatteo has his team thinking playoffs again.
Saunders, which has had six coaches in the past 10 years and was 3-6 last year, takes the field under coach Mel Carrozza, who was named head coach this year and has stayed on despite losing his job as school athletic director.
A revived Lincoln hosts Peekskill at 1:30 p.m. and coach Rob Bannister and his new staff of former Yonkers players have the Lancers upbeat and ready to correct last year's 0-9 record.
Riverside hosts a good Sleepy Hollow team at 1:30 p.m. at Roosevelt High School. The visiting Horseman can move the ball and also play good defense. The hometown Ravens, led by a good defense, hope to get a couple of early wins after going 1-6 in 2011.
Albertus Magnus of Rockland, always a strong team, visits Palisades Prep at 1:30 p.m. at Tibbett Brook Park. The Prep, 0-9 last fall, is also building its program under second-year coach Darin Fields.
Yonkers-Montessori, a small-school program in its first year under longtime Hastings High School assistant coach Steve Yurek, hosts Lincoln Hall, a Somers-based academy, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
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