Nassau County Football: Week 8

Posted Thursday, October 27, 2011 4:18 pm

Freeport's Maurice Irby.

J. Heck/Herald

A handful of playoff spots remain up for grabs heading into the final week of the regular season in Nassau County football. For some teams, it'll be the conclusion of the 2011 campaign. For others, playoff positioning, including home-field advantage in the first round, is on the line.

Freeport (I), Garden City (II), Bethpage (III) and Locust Valley (IV) are undefeated and leading their respective conferences.

Freeport visits Baldwin (5-2) to renew one of Nassau's best rivalries on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The teams met in the opening round of last year's playoffs and could meet down the road at Hofstra in the semifinals. East Meadow (6-1), which lost last week's showdown with the Red Devils, is at Syosset. Oceanside (3-4) hosts Farmingdale at 2:30 p.m.

In Conference II, Kennedy (4-3) is looking for a fifth straight win and is home against New Hyde Park (5-2) at 1:30 p.m. The Cougars trail eighth-place Calhoun (3-4) by seven points in the power rankings. The Colts host Carey. Elmont (5-2), which plays Wantagh on Homecoming Day, could host either Long Beach (4-3) or Mepham (4-3) in next week's first round. The Marines get a visit from Herricks, while the Pirates are home against Garden City.

In Conference III, defending champion Lynbrook (5-2) will try to avoid taking a two-game losing streak into the playoffs when it travels to Bethpage. Lawrence, which beat the Owls last week, visits Sewanhaka. Hewlett (4-3) plays its Homecoming game against Plainedge, and South Side visits Floral Park. On Friday at 7 p.m., Valley Stream South (3-4) is at Glen Cove.

In Conference IV, Mineola and Clarke are clinging to the last two playoff spots but East Rockaway (3-4) would knock one out with an upset of Locust Valley. The Rocks lost in OT to Clarke last week. The Rams host North Shore. Mineola is home to Malverne, which needs a win and some help to play in November. Roosevelt visits West Hempstead (6-1) in a battle of playoff-bound teams.

Enter the Herald's Pigskin Contest to win a $25 gift card to Vincent's Clam Bar. This week's game is Freeport-Baldwin. Select the winning team and final score. Email your guess to sports@liherald.com.