Second year head coach Rob Carroll is encouraged by what he has seen from the Hicksville Comets in the preseason. For this reason, he feels the team is better than their preseason ranking of No. 13.
“Last year was a tough year for us,” he said in regards to their 1-7 season. “But we improved as it went on and played in some very competitive games.”
The team ended a 15-game losing streak last season with a 26-19 victory over Uniondale. They also were barely edged 20-14 by Hempstead on a last minute score. The rest of the games featured several lopsided scores, which is why Carroll believes the team is being overlooked.
“Last year I didn’t know if we were ready, but I think we’re going to surprise some people. I really do,” said Carroll. “We are returning a lot of skill position guys.”
The team will be counting on an experienced offense that features quarterback Kyle Carroll (no relation to Head Coach), running back Tommy Orlando and wide receiver Rob Schmidt—all seniors.
The lynchpin will be the offensive line, which Carroll admitted will be one of the challenges the team will have to overcome. The team will be starting three first-year varsity players, although they did start for the JV team last season that went 5-3 and Carroll said they are all very talented.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team will be relying on the veteran playmaking of the secondary. Carroll noted that two of the starters will be entering their third year on varsity. “We should be able to hang with the passing game—we have a lot of speed, we have a lot of talent out there,” he said. The leader of the defense, linebacker Brian Bell, will be a key cog in stopping the running game.
“The defensive line could be our struggle, but I think we have enough good guys out there—they’re coming together. So I think we’ll be alright,” he said.
Carroll has also been impressed with the way the team has approached the offseason. “These guys, they want it. They get it. The little things are the key to winning here, and I really think we have some good things working for us,” he said.
The biggest obstacle could be the competitive. The conference is very talented—although it is top heavy with Farmingdale, Massapequa, Oceanside and Syosset. Of those four, the Comets will only play Syosset and it won’t be until Week 8. They will have to play Freeport and MacArthur, two teams with elite talent.
Working in their favor could be the approach of the opposition. Coming off two rough seasons, not many teams will be expecting a juggernaut. “Teams might not be taking us as strong. Maybe we can surprise a lot of people,” he said.
The team will kick off its 2014 campaign against Jimmy Kelleher and MacArthur on September 13 at home.
