Scarsdale needed a win today. Badly. Losers of three straight, the Raiders have watched their flawless season develop a big fat question mark.

They were once 10-0-1. Which wasn’t far off from where they were expected to be. In preseason I annointed them the top Class AA team in Westchester or Rockland. Only Arlington and Fishkill had the potential to be better.

At that point they were feeling pretty good about themselves. In fact junior Andreas Penfold told me they weren’t always bringing their all into every game. Because they were talented, they could get away with it.

Until the three-game losing streak hit. The three opponents — Mamaroneck, White Plains, and Greeley — were very good. But a team with Scarsdale’s aspirations can’t lose three straight to anybody. Had the Raiders lost to New Ro they would have been in full fledged panic mode.

Lucky for them, they can’t lose to New Ro. New Rochelle is 0-7 against Scarsdale since October of 2006, and 35-8-2 against everybody else. I can’t figure it out. New Ro is a very good team. Last year especially. Except they lost to Scarsdale three times last year, including 3-0 in the playoffs.

As usual New Ro played well enough to win today. But Penfold broke a scoreless tie midway through the second half, and despite some chances in the last 15 minutes, it stood up.

Defenders like Jonathon Geremia and Brian Seruya are feeling good about themselves again. Opponents scored nine times on Scarsdale during that losing streak.

As for New Ro, they just have to shake their heads and wonder why they’re jinxed. I could see them winning a couple games in the playoffs. They just better hope they’re not on the same side of the bracket as you-know-who.