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| Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 Field hockey Villari scores two goals in Suffern win Mounties shut out Clarkstown North SUFFERN -- Nicolle Villari scored two goals and Allie Califano had a goal and an assist yesterday as Suffern defeated visiting Clarkstown North, 4-0 in a Conference IV field hockey game. Emma Patwell scored Suffern’s other goal and Lindsey Cohen and Eva Coenders had assists. Gina Natoli made one save and Kaila Cahoon did not have a save. Suffern coach Bernadette Gannon said Clarkstown North goalie Nicole Cember made 12 amazing saves. O'Sullivan, DeVita fuel Nyack to win over Nanuet UPPER NYACK -- Andie O'Sullivan had two goals and Cristina DeVita finished with a goal and an assist yesterday as Nyack defeated visiting Nanuet, 3-0 in a Conference IV field hockey game. Lauren Plotkin made one save for Nyack, which won its second consecutive game. Hannah Enquist had an assist for a second game in-a-row. Nanuet goalie Katie Bonner made nine saves. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2010 Field hockey Darby goal in second half gives Pearl River a 1-1 draw with Byram Hills ARMONK -- Byram Hills took the lead in the second half, but Bridget Darby had the rebuttal for Pearl River. Darby scord with 7:46 remaining in the game yesterday, lifting visiting Pearl River to a 1-1 draw with Byram Hills. Kate Melkonian scored for Byram Hills early in the second half. Adrienne Ammirati stopped four shots for Pearl River. Pearl River 0 1 -- 1 Byram Hills 0 1 -- 1 Goals -- PR: Bridget Darby; BH: Kate Melkonian. Assist -- BH: Dana Koh. Saves -- PR: Adrienne Ammirati 4; BH: Kelsey Ryan 4. Record -- Byram Hills 1-5-3. ___________________________________________________ Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010 Field hockey Califano's two goals, assist give Suffern win over Pearl River Cohen adds two goals SUFFERN -- Allie Califano scored two goals and added an assist yesterday as Suffern defeated visiting Pearl River, 5-0 in a field hockey game. Lindsey Cohen also had two goals and Emma Patwell scored as Suffern led 3-0 at halftime. Gina Natoli (three saves), Kaila Cahoon (no saves) and Talia Brecher (two saves) combined on the shutout. Pearl River 0 0 -- 0 Suffer 3 2 -- 5 Goals -- Allie Califano 2, Lindsey Cohen 2, Emma Patwell. Assists -- Alexxa Vanderbeek, Lely DeSimone, Allie Califano, Eva Coenders. Saves -- PR: Adrienne Ammirati 10; Suf: Gina Natoli 3, Kaila Cahoon 0, Talia Brecher 2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010
Field hockey Benedetto gives Clarkstown South tie with North Rockland WEST NYACK -- Victoria Benedetto scored in the second half, lifting Clarkstown South to a 2-2 draw with visiting North Rockland yesterday. Benedetto also assisted on Emily Sansone’s goal in the first half. This is the third straight game Benedetto has scored a goal. North Rockland led 2-1 at halftime on the strength of goals from Meghan Onderdonk and Tara Monaghan with Lauren Moore and Jillian Walsh assisting, respectively. North Rockland’s Stephanie Nelson had a big game with 15 saves and Clarkstown South’s Laura Blumenfeld made nine saves. North Rockland 2 0 -- 2
Clarkstown South 1 1 -- 2
Goals -- NR: Meghan Onderdonk, Tara Monaghan; CS: Emily Sansone, Victoria Benedetto. Assists -- NR: Lauren Moore, Jillian Walsh; CS: Victoria Benedetto, Jessica Masciovechhio. Saves -- NR: Stephanie Nelson 15; CS: Laura Blumenfeld 9
Record — South 3-1-2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 Field hockey O'Neill scores two goals in Clarkstown South win Benedetto, Sansone add goals PEARL RIVER -- Deirdre O'Neill scored two goals yesterday as Clarkstown South beat host Pearl River, 4-1. Emily Sansone had a goal and two assists and Victoria Benedetto scored a goal and had an assist. Benedetto and Sansone collaborated on the first two goals. Benedetto scored first, assisted by Sansone, then Benedetto fed Sansone for a goal. Both came in the first half. Liza Kelly and Sansone assisted on O'Neill's goals. Becca Mockley scored for Pearl River, assistsed by Shannon McKiernan. Clarkstown South 2 2 -- 4
Pearl River 0 1 -- 1
Goals -- CS: Deirdre O'Neill 2, Emily Sansone, Victoria Benedetto; PR: Becca Mockler. Assists -- CS: Emily Sansone 2, Victoria Benedetto, Liza Kelly; PR: Shannon McKiernan. Saves -- CS: Laura Blumenfeld 4; PR: Adrienne Ammirati 9. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 Field hockey Suffern scores first three goals in win over Nyack VanderBeek has first varsity goal, Cohen, DeSimone also score UPPER NYACK -- Alexxa VanderBeek, Lindsay Cohen and Lely DeSimone scored as Suffern rebounded from consecutive losses to beat Nyack, 3-1 yesterday. Vanderbeek opened the scoring with her first varsity goal at the 17-minute mark of the first half. Cohen and DeSimone added goals in the second half, three minutes apart. Helen Shabinsky spoiled the shut-out bid, assisted by Hannah Enquist, with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Suffern 1 2 -- 3 Nyack 0 1 -- 1 Goals -- Sf: Alexxa VanderBeek, Lindsay Cohen, Lely DeSimone; Ny: Helen Shabinsky. Assists -- Ny: Hannah Enquist. Saves -- Sf: Gina Natoli 2, Kalia Cahoo 2; Ny: Lauren Plotkin 6.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 Field hockey Mockler goal with seven minutes remaining lifts Pearl River to win Pirates defeat Pelham, 2-1 for first win of the season PELHAM -- Becca Mockler scored an unassisted goal with seven minutes remaining yesterday, sending Pearl River to a 2-1 win over Pelham at Glover Field. It was Pearl River’s first win of the season and the initial victory for new varsity coach Shane Carlacci, as the Pirates improved to 1-2. Liz Prigge scored in the first half, assisted by MaryAnn Keane, giving Pearl River a 1-0 lead, but Pelham evened the score early in the second half. Pearl River goalie Adrienne Ammirati made four saves. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 Field hockey First-half goals give Clarkstown South 2-0 win over Clarkstown North Masciovecchio, Benedetto score for Vikings WEST NYACK -- Jesscia Masciovecchio and Victoria Benedetto scored in the first half yesterday as Clarkstown South registered its second consecutive shut out, 2-0 over Clarkstown North. Laura Blumenfeld made three saves for her second consecutive shut out. Masciovecchio opened the scoring by deflecting a Deirdre O’Neill pass. Benedetto scored her second goal in as many games, converting a penalty stroke. Clarkstown North 0 0 0
Clarkstown South 2 0 2
Goals -- Jessica Masciovecchio, Victoria Benedetto. Assists -- Deirdre O'Neill. Saves -- CN: Nicole Cember 9; CS: Laura Blumenfeld 3.
Records — Clarkstown South 2-1; Clarkstown North 1-1. Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 Field hockey DeFillippio's goal difference for Rams in 1-0 win PEARL RIVER -- Alessia DiFillippio scored a goal in the second half yesterday and the defense made it stand up as Clarkstown North defeated Pearl River, 1-0 in the opener for both teams. Laura Brennan assisted on DiFillippio’s goal. Nicole Cember stopped eight shots for the Rams. “It was a close game,” first-year Pearl River coach Shane Carlacci said. “We had many opportunities to score, but we were unable to come through.” Adrienne Ammirati had two saves for Pearl River.
Clarkstown North 0 1 -- 1 Pearl River 0 0 -- 0 Goal -- Alessia DiFillippio. Assist -- Laura Brennan. Saves -- CN: Nicole Cember 8; PR: Adrienne Ammirati 2. Records -- Clarkstown North 1-0; Pearl River 0-1. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benedetto, O'Neill fuel Clarkstown South win, 2-0 WEST NYACK -- Victoria Benedetto opened the scoring in the first half and Deirdre O’Neill kept it going, also in the half, yesterday as Clarkstown South defeated Nyack, 2-0 in a non-league match. O’Neill set up Benedetto’s goal, then finished off a pass from Jessica Masciovecchio. Laura Blumenfeld made 12 saves to record the shutout. Laura Plotkin had six saves for Nyack. Nyack 0 0 -- 0 C. South 2 0 -- 2 Goals -- Victoria Benedetto, Deirdre O'Neill. Assists -- CS: Deirdre O'Neill, Jessica Masciovecchio. Saves -- Ny: Lauren Plotkin 6; CS: Laura Blumenfeld 12.
Records — Clarkstown South 1-1; Nyack 0-1. | |
Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 Football Pearl River, Tappan Zee meet in Independent League final Second meeting of the season after Tappan Zee won opener, 9-2 Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com Pearl River and Tappan Zee opened the season against each other in the annual Orange Bowl rivalry and now the teams will conclude tonight in Independent League title game. Tappan Zee will host the game, scheduled for 7 p.m. The Dutchmen won the first meeting, 9-2, in week one. Both teams have had excellent seasons and enter with 7-1 records. After the opening-week loss, Pearl River has reeled off seven consecutive wins, including last week's 31-19 win over Port Chester. Senior captain John Donovan celebrated his 18th birthday with 10 tackles, two sacks and an interception. The Pirates also own a win over arch-rival Nanuet, breaking the Golden Knights' 13-year-old hold on the Little Brown Jug. Next to winning the Little Brown Jug, senior captain Kenta Umezaki could no have scripted a better ending to the season. "We got off to a tough start with the loss to Tappan Zee in the first week, but our coaches told if we just kept working hard, we would see them again," said Umezaki, who was presented with the Little Brown Jug immediately after the game. "We, the seniors, never thought this day would come, where we would have a chance to play in a game like this. That, plus it's a Friday nigh lights game." Pearl River is making its first bowl appearance since 1995, when the Pirates defeated Somers, 35-14 in a Class B bowl game. Pearl River coach Jeff Michael is happy for his team and program, especially his seniors. "It's great to hear students, parents, and townspeople talking about Pearl River football," Michael. To be participating in a league championship is a great experience, and it gives younger players in the system something to strive for. "The seniors have worked hard in our system to get to where they are now. Some have been a part of the Pearl River football family since 7th grade. For the seasons, it's a culmination of hard work, dedication and execution." Tappan Zee's lone loss came to Rogers High School of Rhode Island on Oct. 2. Since then, the Dutchmen have won four consecutive games, including a 34-8 win over Byram Hills last week. Tappan Zee Ahtletic Director Liam Frawley said the team last appeared in a bowl game in 1993, when the Dutchmen played in the Coaches Bowl. "This is a real positive step for our program," Tappan Zee coach Andy DiDomenico said. "Our kids have done things the right way this season, on and off the field. This is a great way to finish an excellent season. We hope to gain some momentum from this season going forward. "As for tonight, our kids are looking forward to playing Pearl River again. These games are always highly competitive and bring out the best in both teams. Overall, I think it is a great thing for football in Orangetown. Many Tappan Zee and Pearl River players played Orangetown Patriots Pop Warner football together in grade school." Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 Football Clarkstown North to play in the Don DeMatteo Bowl Rams to face Yorktown, 8 p.m., at White Plains High School Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com What began as a season full of promise for the Clarkstown North continues coming to fruition. Clarkstown North defeated North Rockland for the first time in 30 years, won its league title, a first-round play-off game (over Scarsdale) and advanced to the Section 1 Class AA semifinals. Despite a 6-3 loss to Mahopac, denying the Rams a berth in the Class AA title game, they did receive a reward for their fine season. Clarkstown North will play Yorktown, tonight at 8 p.m. in the Don DeMatteo Bowl at White Plains High School. The game is named in honor of the late Gorton varsity football coach and brother of Somers' head man, Tony DeMatteo. The Rams and the Cornhuskers both enter the game with 6-2 records. Clarkstown North 11-year coach Joe Trongone said he thinks the last time the Rams played in a bowl game was when current New York Giant linebacker Keith Bullock played. "It has definitely been a great year for North football and the school in general," Trongone said. "There has been alot of school spirit here this season, something I have not seen in a long time. The support from the administration, parents and student body has been tremendous. I think this is something definitely to build on and will keep the kids motivated to work hard in the offseason. "This team had a terrific work ethic in the offseason and it continued right through the season. There was no one superstar on this team. Each player contributed in their own way, whether they were a starter, special teams' player, or scout-team player. They truly defined the word teamwork. I am proud of the loyalty and commitment from this fine group of young men. I truly believe they have put the Clarkstown North football program on the map and have made a lot of people excited about it." Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010 Football Brophy's two touchdowns lead Pearl Rivcr to 20-0 win over rival Nanuet Little Brown Jug returning to Pearl River for first time since 1996 Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com NANUET -- Once the official whistled the conclusion of the annual Pearl River-Nanuet football game, it touched off a joyous celebration. The Pearl River football team was in complete euphoria for it just accomplished something the program had last done in the previous century. Pearl River had just defeated Nanuet, 20-0 to win the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 1996. The team was joined by their peers as a huge throng of the Pearl River student body came rushing out of the stands and on to the field once the game finished. The Pirates exchanged hugs with each other and with their peers as proud parents took numerous photos. Nanuet Athletic Director Frank Mazzuca presented Pearl River captain Kenta Umezaki with the prize -- the Little Brown Jug. Umezaki was immediately mobbed by his teammates. “Seriously, it was holding a new-born baby,” said Umezaki of receiving the Little Brown Jug. “It was incredible. “When the fans came running out on the field, I saw Joe Walsh, my best friend since we were kids, and he was the first one to give me a hug. Seeing the fans run on the field was incredible.” Pearl River won its fifth consecutive game, improving to 5-1 on the season. The Pirates will host Byram Hills Saturday. Pearl River received two touchdowns from quarterback Mike Brophy, but more importantly, the defense shut down Nanuet. The Golden Knights managed just 138 yards total offense and had two turnovers. “This is a natural high,” said Brophy of the win. “This is one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever felt in my life.” The Pirates took control of the game in the final eight minutes of the first half and the initial series of the second half. Pearl River marched 99 yards, in 14 plays, on its final series of the first half, then opened the second half with a nine-play 59-yard march. Both were capped by Brophy bulldozing his way into the end zone. The teams were trading punts through the first quarter and-a-half when Chris Moynihan’s punt, from the Pearl River 48, was downed at the Pirates' 1-yard line by Andy Augustin. Brophy, who also lined up at nose tackle on defense, put his head down and bulled his way to the 7-yard line on the first play, providing Pearl River with some breathing room. Three players later, Chris Spadaccini scampered 28 yards on a sweep. Pearl River moved to Nanuet’s 38-yard line when Spadaccini ripped off another huge gainer, to the 18, but the Pirates were flagged for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of first-and-10 at the 18, Pearl River was pushed back to its own 46. Brophy would supply the big play on third-and-long, connecting with Francis DePinto for a 39-yard gain to Nanuet’s two. Brophy plowed in on the next play and Connor O’Sullivan added the extra point with 1:42 in the half. “We felt we had a mismatch with one of our fastest receivers against I think a freshman,” Brophy said. “We ran the go route. We had run it once before, but this time it worked out.” Despite the two penalties, senior John Donovan said the offense did not get discouraged or upset. “We’ve had a few unfortunate calls go against us, but we’ve come back from adversity before this season and capitalized on when we’ve been down. “Not scoring on that drive was not an option so we were focused on punching it in. That definitely got us excited, but we knew we couldn’t then get complacent because Nanuet is a great team.” Pearl River carried the momentum it snared at the end of the first half into the second half. Opening on its own 41, Brophy went 13 yards on a quarterback draw. One play later, Spadaccini (100 yards on 16 carries) took a toss and went 34 yards, to the Nanuet 7. Brophy punched it in from the one on fourth-and-goal with 7:35 on the clock. The defense took over from there. On it first three series of the second half, Nanuet (3-3 overall) gained 26 yards and Frances Gannon had an interception. “We were working on our defense all week and also threw in a couple of new formations,” said Donovan, who also had a sack. “Half of playing defense is reading your keys and the other half is playing to the best of your ability.” Nanuet penetrated Pearl River territory just twice. The Golden Knights reached the Pearl River 49 in the first half and moved to the 37 on its final series of the game. Nanuet coach Rich Conklin credited Pearl River with controlling the line of scrimmage. “We couldn’t sustain anything on offense,” Conklin said. “I give them credit, they made the plays when they had to.” Pearl River 0 7 6 7 -- 20 Nanuet 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Second quarter -- Mike Brophy 2 run (Connor O’Sullivan kick) Third quarter -- Mike Brophy 1 run (kick failed) Fourth quarter -- Francis Gannon 5 pass from John Brebbia (Connor O’Sullivan kick) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 Football Pearl River, Nanuet renew rivalry today, 2 p.m. Both teams have 4-1 records Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSporysNews.com In preparation for its biggest game of the season, Pearl River felt the best approach was a low-key attitude. The Pirates will travel to archrival Nanuet for a 2 p.m. game in the annual Brown Jug matchup. Both teams enter with 4-1 records, with Pearl River riding a four-game winning streak. Emotions will be running high today when the teams take the field, but Pearl River has not allowed itself to get caught up in the hype surrounding the game. “We know and understand that this is a rivalry game, but we are treating Nanuet like any other team on our schedule because we know that every game is important if we want to make it to the playoffs,” Pearl River senior Chris Spadaccini said. “We’ve controlled our emotions week, stay level and focused on what we need to do individually and as a team.” Pearl River has maintained its focus even after a thrilling win over Beacon last week. Spadaccini caught an 80-yard touchdown pass, from quarterback Mike Brophy. with 1:52 remaining in the game and Connor O’Sullivan tacked on the extra point for a 14-13 win. “We had been keying on the free safety throughout,” said Spadaccini, who also had a 3-yard scoring run. “We were going with two deep routes. We told Mike to check the free safety and I was going to make the route deeper than usual. “Mike looked off the free safety, pump-faked it to Sean (Wilson) and threw a perfect pass. The offensive line did an amazing job as it gave him at least five seconds for the play to develop.” The Pirates overcame adversity, losing three starters during the game, including quarterback John Brebbia and fullback/linebacker Kenta Umezaki. Brebbia went out with a minor injury and Umezaki was lost to dehydration. “We had to fight through it and still get the job done against Beacon,” Spadaccini said. “Coach (Jeff Michael) talked about resiliency and we showed we had it.” Even with the big win over Beacon, Pearl River quickly turned its attention to Nanuet, winners of three consecutive games since a loss to Pelham in week two. “Coach talked about staying focused and having fun,” Spadaccini said. “He said that’s when we play our best, when we are having fun. “Practice went extremely well this week. It was hard, but it was also crisp and smooth.”
Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010 Football Pearl River takes two-game winning streak into today's Peekskill game Pirates offense erupts, scoring 53 points in the two wins Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com Pearl River was facing a major test in its second game of the season. Pawling marched to the Pearl River 17-yard line in the first quarter and appeared to be on the verge of scoring a touchdown. Thunder and lightning soon blanketed the area which forced a postponement of the game for two days. When the teams resumed the game, Pearl River’s stiffened, halting Pawling. The Pirates had grabbed the momentum and went on to a 29-0 win. Pearl River showed that it was not a one-week thing as the Pirates bounced Port Chester, 24-12. Pearl River was trailing, 6-3, before Chris Spadaccini turned the game into his own personal highlight film. Spadaccini returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, followed that with a 60-yard punt-return touchdown, and capped his day with a seven-yard scoring run. Pearl River is currently 2-1 and will travel to Peekskill for a 1:30 p.m. game today. The Pirates early-season play has given them a confidence boost. In fact, Pearl River played well in its 9-2 opening-game loss to Tappan Zee. “We felt the one big positive was the way our defense played against Tappan Zee,” senior tight end/defensive end John Donovan said. “Despite that one drive, we felt we were able to shut down their passing game and their running game. “We came out a little deflated that Thursday against Pawling. We felt the lightning was a good thing. We had a walk-through session the next day to adjust to their offense and defense and came out fired up Sunday.” While Pearl River’s defense was stifling Pawling, the offense was grinding out chunks of yardage and monopolizing the clock. Donovan said Pearl River was prepared for Port Chester, but the Rams caught them with a big pass play early. This resulted in Port Chester’s first touchdown, which made Pearl River angry. “We came together and said we didn’t want that to happen again,” Donovan said. Following the touchdown, Spadaccini took over the game, scoring on the interception and punt returns. Port Chester closed the half with a touchdown, closing the gap to five at 17-12. Whatever momentum Port Chester may have gained by its lat touchdown was quickly doused by Pearl River’s offense. The Pirates had a lengthy touchdown march, consuming 8:30 of the third quarter with Spadaccini concluding it. “That was a big drive,” Donovan said. “Chris played an unbelievable game. He had a pick-six for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown and a rushing touchdown. He was remarkable.” Pearl River has continued to do what it set out to do, improve on a daily basis and play sound football. The Pirates have responded to first-year coach Jeff Michael. The new Pearl River coach is not a stranger to the program. He was the Junior Varsity coach, but also helped out with the varsity. “Coach teaches at the high school and he interacts with us in school on a daily basis,” Donovan said. “He set the bar really for the entire team. “Everyone was ready to go throughout the summer. We had a lot of team camaraderie and became a cohesive unit.” The result has been two wins in three games and an offense which has generated 53 points in its last two games. “The whole team seems much more committed this year,” Donovan said. “We will do anything it takes, not only in practice, but in games also.” Pearl River has accomplished this, especially in its last two games.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turner, Macalena score two touchdowns apiece in Clarkstown North win Rams run for 272 yards, led by Turner's 141 SUFFERN -- Tareek Turner set the tone early for Clarkstown North yesterday. Turner took a hand off and scampered 80 yards for a touchdown. It was the beginning of an explosive night for the Rams’ offense as it beat county-rival and host Suffern, 29-7. Clarkstown North rebounded from its first loss of the season last week, to Mahopac, running for 272 yards, led by Turner. The senior halfback had 14 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Dan Macalena had 15 carries for 65 yards and also scored two touchdowns. Charlie Regalbuto led a solid defensive effort with a team-leading 15 tackles. Macalena, who had five tackles, including a sack, also registered an interception.
C. North 7 7 8 7 -- 29 Suffern 0 0 7 0 -- 7 1st quarter -- CN -- Tareek Turner 80 yd. run (Marco Cavaliere kick) 2nd quarter -- CN -- Dan Macalena 5 yd. run (Marco Cavaliere kick) 3rd quarter -- CN -- Dan Macalena 21 yd. run (Nick Windman run) 4th quarter -- CN -- Tareek Turner 5 yd. run (Marco Cavaliere kick) Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010 Football Tappan Zee remains undefeated with win over Albertus Magnus McWilliams scores twice as Dutchmen rally from 12-point deficit ORANGEBURG -- Tappan Zee found itself facing its first deficit of the season yesterday. Albertus Magnus jumped out to a quick 12-point lead in the first quarter. The Falcons' lead would be brief though, as the Dutchmen came storming back. Tappan Zee scored four touchdowns in the second and third quarters, rallying to a 31-12 victory over Albertus Magnus. The Dutchmen improved to 3-0 and have outscored their opponents, 71-20. It was the second consecutive game Tappan Zee scored 31 points. James McWilliams and Billy Bodner got Tappan Zee on the board, in the second quarter, with a 30-yard scoring strike. Tahj Vines added the two-point conversion. The defense gave Tappan Zee the lead when Joe Letizia returned an interception 27 yards for a score. A second straight Vines' two-point conversion gave Tappan Zee a 16-12 lead. McWilliams increased Tappan Zee's lead with a 56-yard run in the third quarter. The special teams contributed the final touchdown as Kevin Dinnegan returned a punt 38 yards for a score. McWilliams led Tappan Zee with 68 yards rushing, followed by Letizia (65 yards) and Vines (62 yards). McWilliams completed three of six passes for 76 yards, including a pair of 30-yard strikes to Bodner and Dinnegan. Shane Hovorka and Brendan Donahue headlined the defense with 10 and eight tackles, respectively. Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 Football Clarkstown North off to great start after impact win over North Rockland Rams are 2-0 and will host Mahopac tonight Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com North Rockland was in the shadow of Clarkstown North’s end zone, threatening to score a late touchdown and steal a victory from the Rams. That was the appearance, but the reality was the Rams’ defense would not allow it to happen. Clarkstown North halted the Red Raiders on four plays from the 2-yard line and came away with a huge, 14-6 win. Mike Paolini batted down a fourth-down pass to preserve the win. It was Clarkstown North’s first win over North Rockland since 1979, but more importantly, it pushed the Rams’ record to 2-0 going into tonight’s game with Mahopac. “We didn’t quit the whole game,” said senior halfback/cornerback Tareek Turner. “It was definitely intense having the fans and coaches cheering for us. It was a great experience to make the stop on the goal line. We all had faith in each other that we were going to stop them.” The win followed a 47-14 blow out of Gorton in week one. The two wins have the Rams ahead of the last two years, when they finished 4-5 each year. The Rams set themselves up for this season with their performance last year. Even though the record doesn’t indicate it, Turner said last year was successful. “We were all juniors last year on offense and defense,” said Turner, who rushed for 88 yards against North Rockland. “Even though we were a young team, we all got valuable experience from playing. “Last year, not only did we gain experience, we also worked on the skills that we needed to be successful. We followed that up by working hard all summer. We were hoping that all of our hard work would pay off.” Even after its huge win against Gorton, the Rams remained focused on their task -- North Rockland. After rushing for 226 yards against Gorton, the Rams ground out 285 yards against North Rockland. Five backs ran the ball, led by Turner and Billy Delay, who ran for 56 yards. Christian Bouquet, who had 49 yards rushing, and quarterback Luke Sullivan had touchdowns. The Rams’ quick start has the student body buzzing. “It definitely felt good to beat North Rockland, especially this being my senior year,” Turner said. “We gave the school a lot of spirit with this win. This is a good way to start the season.” Turner noted that he and his teammates spent little time enjoying the win. They were back on the practice field Monday, preparing for Mahopac. “We had to put the North Rockland game behind us and keep everyone focused for Mahopac,” Turner said. “Coach (Trongone) kept telling us that we can’t live off of that one win. We have to keep practicing hard and continue doing what we are doing.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, Sept. 20, 2010 Football Brebbia, defense send Pearl River to 29-0 win over Pawling Quarterback throwns two touchdowns, Madigan leads stifling defensive showing PEARL RIVER -- Following a one-day layoff after the game was suspended in the first quarter Friday because of torrential thundershowers, Pearl River returned to the field yesterday and erupted in the second quarter. The Pirates scored three touchdowns and the defense was unyielding in a 29-0 win over visiting Pawling in a non-league game. Pearl River improved to 1-1 and has allowed nine points to date. Quarterback John Brebbia completed eight of 10 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns -- to Chris Spadaccini and Tom Kilkenny. Spadaccini also added a scoring run. Connor Madigan led the defense with eight tackles and John Donovan collected six tackles. Francis Gannon and Sean Wilson had interceptions and Kenta Umezaki recorded a sack. The game resumed with 3:14 remaining in the first quarter. First-year Pearl River coach Jeff Michael noted that Pawling had the ball third-and-goal on the Pearl River 17 when the game returned, but that was as far as the Tigers would go. "I felt the big difference was that we played mistake-free football," Michael said. "To start the game we recovered an onside kick and proceeded to fumble our first play from scrimmage, and had a tough time blocking. After that quarter ended, it was like we woke up. Kenta Umezaki rang the "alarm clock," so to speak, with big runs on offense and solid hits on defense." Umezaki scored Pearl River's first touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Connor O'Sullivan connected with Wilson on a two-point conversion. Spadaccini increased the Pirates' lead with a 27-yard scoring run and then Brebbia hit Kilkenny for a nine-yard touchdown strike to cap the scoring in the quarter. O'Sullivan kicked both extra points. Brebbia and Spadaccini teamed up for the final touchdown, in the fourth quarter, on a 31-yard pass. O'Sullivan added his third extra point. Umezaki finished with 15 carries for 69 yard and had a 19-yard reception and Spadaccini had three carries for 43 yards. Pearl River amassed 293 yards on offense, including 185 on the ground. "What impressed me the most was how we responded after a tough loss to Tappan Zee," Michael said. "Losing the Orange Bowl drained us mentally. Instead of packing it in, we turned the Pawling game into a statement game about the direction we wanted our season to go. We could either heal right away or "die" a little more each week." | |
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Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 Football Tappan Zee sails to consecutive wins to open the season Dutchmen 'winging' it on offense and defense has been stingy Tony Pinciaro TonyP@RocklandSportsNews.com James McWilliams sensed a change was coming in the final weeks of the 2009 season. Tappan Zee, which had installed a new offense during preseason, was beginning to run smoother offensively. As a result, the Dutchmen closed the season with two solid games, a loss and a win in the final game. “We got the win in our last game and had played well in the previous game,” said the 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior quarterback. “Coming into the preseason we felt petty good because we were in the weight room all summer working out.” The momentum gathered from the conclusion of the 2009 season, has carried over into the current season. Tappan Zee is currently 2-0 after beating archrival Pearl River, 9-2, in the season-opener and rampaging over Peekskill, 31-6. The Dutchmen will look to keep their undefeated run going when they host Albertus Magnus tonight at 8. When Tappan Zee began practice in August, it immediately grasped the single wing after learning it last year. “We came in with the knowledge of running it last year, now we just had to execute it,” McWilliams said. “We also had good numbers in the weight room. We were dedicated to lifting and have continued lifting in season.” McWilliams, who scored the touchdown against Pearl River, and had a team-leading 111 yards rushing and a touchdown against Peekskill, felt the team was focused from day one. “Playing Pearl River in our first game, that prepared us a lot more for the season,” McWilliams said. “That was our biggest game of the year. We were fired up for that game, even more, because people felt we were going to lose. “Our defense played amazing that game.” The defense turned in another solid game against Peekskill, but it was the offense that showed its diversity. Sophomore halfback Joe Letizia ran for 75 yards and a touchdown and senior halfback Tahj Vines added 64 yards and a score. Senior Kevin Dinnegan caught a touchdown pass from McWilliams. McWilliams said Tappan Zee was able to maintain its focus after the win over Pearl River by stressing one word -- respect. “The theme the week in practice was respect and how we wanted to respect our opponent,” McWilliams said. “We did that and came out and played like we knew we had to play.” Tappan Zee is following the same theme with Albertus Magnus. The Dutchmen don’t want the Falcons winning and having bragging rights in the county for the next year. The Dutchmen have a different outlook at this point of the season as opposed to last year. “Winning our first two games has given us confidence in our abilities and what we can do as a team,” McWilliams said. “It’s a good feeling being 2-0.”
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