Doherty's Dandy Dozen: Ranking Rockland's Top Fall Sports Teams

The Clarkstown South girls volleyball team won the Section 1 Class AA championship and reached the state semifinals this fall.

Head Coach John Pardy's Vikings (19-4) also went undefeated against Rockland County competition with strong seasons from sisters . 

Those accomplishments earned Clarkstown South volleyball the top spot in Doherty's Dandy Dozen, former Pearl River Athletic Director and Rockland County sports expert Dan Doherty's ranking of the top teams in all fall sports in Rockland County for 2012. 

Doherty brought the rankings back this week after not doing them for about a year. He uses results from Federation, state, section and Rockland County competition, overall records, head-to-head competition, strength of schedule and final state rankings among his criteria.

The rankings are as follows, with accomplishments by the top 12:

1. Clarkstown South girls volleyball (19-4)

• Reached State Class AA semifinals
• Section 1 Class AA champions
• Undefeated in Rockland County
• Undefeated league champions

2. Nanuet girls cross country (5-3)

• Third in state Class B championship meet
• Ranked No. 6 in the state in Class B by the NYSSWA (New York State Sportswriters' Association)
• Finished 11th in New York State Federation meet.
• Section 1 Class B champions (breaking Pearl River's 33-year streak of section championships)
• Rockland County Meet Champions
• League champions

3. Suffern girls cross country (8-0)

• Finished 5th in state and Federation Class A championship meets
• Ranked No. 4 in the state in Class A by the NYSSWA
• Won Section 1 Class A championship
• Won league championship

4. Suffern Field Hockey (13-1-3)

• State regional Class A finalist
• Section 1 Class A champions (first ever from Rockland)
• Undefeated in Rockland County
• Co-league champs

5. Tappan Zee boys cross country (6-2)

• Fifth in state Class B championshp meet
• Ranked No. 9 in state Class B by NYSSWA
• Section 1 Class B champions
• Rockland County meet champions
• Second in league championship meet

6. Pearl River girls soccer (16-2-3)

• Ranked No. 5 in state Class A by NYSSCOGS (New York State Sportswriters & Organization for Girls Sports)
• Reached state playoffs
• Section 1 Class A champions
• Undefeated league champions

7. North Rockland girls soccer (17-2-1)

• Ranked No. 15 in state Class A by NYSSCOGS
• Lost Section 1 Class A championship game to Arlington on penalty kicks
• Undefeated league champions

8. Pearl River boys cross country (7-1)

• Ranked No. 6 in state Classs B by NYSSWA
• Finished 12th in state Federation meet
• Finished second in Section 1 Class B championship meet
• Finished second at Rockland County Championships
• League meet champions
• League dual meet champions

9. Pearl River girls cross country (7-1)

• Ranked No. 7 in state Class B by NYSSWA
• Finished third place in state Federation championship meet
• Second in Section 1 Class B championship meet
• Finished 3rd in Rockland County championship meet
• Second in league championship meet
• Undefeated league dual meet champions

10. North Rockland boys soccer (18-2)

• Ranked No. 12 in state Class AA by NYSSWA
• Lost in Section 1 Class AA championship game

11. North Rockland Football (7-2)

• Ranked No. 18 in state Class AA by NYSSWA
• Lost to eventual state champion New Rochelle in Section 1 Class AA championship game

12. (tie) Suffern girls tennis (13-1)

• Section 1 tournament semifinalist
• Rockland County team tournament champions
• Undefeated in Rockland County
• Undefeated league champions

12. (tie) Tappan Zee girls cross country (7-3)

• Ranked No. 11 in state Class B by NYSSWA
• Third place in Setion 1 Class B championship meet
• Third place in league championship meet

Special Recognition: Suffern boys volleyball (13-2)

• One of only four teams in Section 1
• State regional semifinalist
• Ranked No. 7 in state Division 1 by NYSSWA
• Section 1 Division I champions

Honorable Mention

• Albertus Magnus football
• Albertus Magnus girls soccer
• Albetus Magnus girls volleyball
• Clarkstown North football
• Clarkstown South girls soccer
• Nanuet boys cross country
• Nanuet football
• Nyack boys soccer
• Nyack field hockey
• North Rockland boys cross country
• North Rockland girls cross country
• Suffern girls swimming and diving
• Tappan Zee girls swimming and diving
• Tappan Zee girls tennis

Note: For honorable mention, team must appear in final state rankings, make semifinals in Section 1, win a Rockland County meet championship or win a league championship.