Being a willing sleeper myself – albeit of a much different fashion – it struck a chord with me when blog contributor “on vacation” suggested I list a few sleepers for the playoffs.

First of all, you’ve probably noticed that I tailor many of my discussions and much of my analysis toward what I expect to happen or what I think could happen in the postseason. I do this because in sports I believe playoffs matter and most everything else is just filler.

Secondly, I also relish the idea of upsets. In high school sports in particular, there are so few upsets that drama often unfolds with very little actual drama. If you have attended many Section 1 football games these last few years, as I have, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Basketball is better, but not always.

What’s that mean? Sleepers — not just actual sleep — is near and dear to my sports-crazed heart. And when I look for a potential sleeper, I need to see these elements for a team to qualify:

1. They must have shown the ability to beat a quality team. It’s not fair to tab a team as upset-minded if it hasn’t shown the ability to pull off an upset. Example: In 2005-06, Nanuet had succeeded vs. a strong schedule, then beat defending champ Albertus Magnus and undefeated Pelham to win Class B.
2. They must have a dominant player. In basketball, dominant players more often than not lead to an upset on the singular strength of their performance. Example: Melissa Awerdick, Ossining over Mount Vernon in 2005; April McBride, New Ro over Scarsdale in 2006; Justine Gray, Kennedy over Hastings in 2006.

There are other factors, like foul trouble, experience and coaching, but I feel the two elements I listed are the basic ingredients I want to see in a sleeper. So here – if I were the coach of a highly-seeded team – are the opponents I’d rather avoid in the playoffs.

Class C —

Hamilton: This one’s easy…and it’s mostly based on tremendous sophomore Shereen Lightbourne. Her team may not have that one quality win yet, but it has beaten every Class C opponent on its schedule except for Dobbs Ferry. Athletically, Lightbourne is a terror, capable of producing that type of game where she announces her presence at the County Center. No one wants to see that happen on their watch.

Class B —

Hastings: The Yellow Jackets have beaten Putnam Valley, Irvington and Blind Brook and I saw them give Albertus a game through three quarters earlier this season. Not only do they have a potentially dominant player in Nora Skrelji, but a second-banana capable of carrying the team in Allie Long. In the playoffs, Hastings may just do what Kennedy did to it in last season’s Class B quarterfinals.

Woodlands: Now here’s a team that’s unpredictable. Do you know the Falcons lost by five to Albertus and just beat Rye, but lost to Ardsley, Nanuet and Eastchester by double digits? They are tough to figure. I’m not saying they’ll win it all, but with electric sophomore guard Porsha Postell, this is a team capable of walking in the back door at the County Center if given the right early-round matchups.

Putnam Valley: Clearly, this is a different type of sleeper. The Tigers are one of the three or four best teams entering the Class B tournament, but with the recent absence of Kim Kastuk, they’ve probably fallen a step behind Albertus and Briarcliff as gold ball favorites. People may sleep on them over the next few week, but if Kastuk returns healthy, they have a good shot to upset Briarcliff and Albertus and win it all. Christine Kemp is the type of player who can turn a game.

Class A —

Tappan Zee: Seriously, Albertus Magnus would be right in the Class A mix with Pearl River and Lakeland if it were a larger school and the Dutchies beat Albertus a few weeks ago. That game keeps ringing in my head, even after TZee lost twice to Pearl River (one of the losses coming last night.) Sinead Brady and Brittany DiMarco are the type of shooters who can burn defenses from deep when they get hot. Could that happen against Pearl River or Lakeland? Probably not, but that Albertus win proved that anything is possible for the Dutchies.

Class AA —

Scarsdale: If Christine Yankou hadn’t been injured before the semifinals last season, the Raiders may have very well been White Plains’ opponent in the final. They were sizzling hot and had taken a game at White Plains down to the final minute late in the season. Now, after a series of tough losses, Scarsdale has seen White Plains, Lourdes, North Rockland and Ursuline all move to the forefront as championship material, yet I don’t know that any of them has a player who can dominant as effortlessly as Jackie Alemany. She plays playoff-style basketball: aggressive and capable of piling up points at the free throw line. Like Putnam Valley, the Raiders are a sleeper who could win it all with a good draw and some good fortune.

Poughkeepsie: I don’t know too much about the Pioneers, but I do know they are athletic and have a solid go-to girl in Bianca Storts, who would be good enough on the right night to lead them to an upset.

Ossining: Teams a year away from contending are often good sleeper candidates because the end of one season often brings a few signs of hope for another. Ossining is, in the eyes of many, a year away, but with a dominant low-post force like Brittany Garrett and coach Dan Ricci, who treats designing plans for big games the way a hungry lion would a big ole steak, The O may be a team to fear.