Grid Notebook: Yorktown, Somers, Panas Qualify for Class A Playoffs; Mahopac to Face New Ro’ in Class AA Opening Round
By Ray Gallagher
Examiner Sports Editor
The playoffs are upon us, folks, and there are several local teams with a legit shot at contending for the Class A crown, including both top-seeded Yorktown and No.2 Somers who will host their respective opening-round games this Friday (7:00 p.m.). Panas will hit the road for its playoff game, giving us three Class A hopefuls from the NWE-area who hope to still be playing on November 8th, the date of the sectional championship. Class AA Mahopac will represent Putnam County in the playoffs.
CLASS A
John Jay’s goal was to contain Yorktown junior RB Nick Santavicca, among the leaders in Section 1 rushing this season. And while the Indians did indeed bottle up the 5’8” Santavicca, they opened the door for Yorktown QB Ryan Baker to expose the Jay secondary in the Huskers’ 27-14 league-title-clinching over the host Indians last Friday night.
Baker, the unheralded 5’8” speedster, connected on 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and a TD pass to Matt Varriano, which gave the Huskers a 27-7 lead with 5:26 left in the third.
Santavicca, Brandt, Dedvukaj added TD runs and the state-ranked (No.10) Huskers (7-0) locked up their second league title under Coach Mike Rescigno, plus a No.1 seed in the upcoming Section 1 Class A playoffs this week.
Yorktown, the No.1 seed from League A, will host No.4-B Nyack this Friday (7 p.m.) in what used to be a classic playoff matchup throughout much of the ‘90s; when Yorktown was winning four Section 1 titles from 1993-98 and a pair of state jewels (‘93-‘94).
The Huskers made two defensive stands inside the 5-yard line in the final 14 minutes to preserve the victory and Husker DE Dan Del Bene was in on several crucial stops.
“We practiced this week the hardest we’ve practiced all season,” Del Bene said. “Everyone was really serious, very little joking around. We were all business. We set the bar very high at the beginning of the season and this league title was one of our goals. But we want to achieve more and be the best that we can be. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”
John Jay Coach Jimmy Clark admitted his team was essentially one-dimensional on account of an injury to senior QB Ryan Lee, who suffered a hand injury the week before against Fordham Prep and was limited to running the ball against Yorktown. With Lee forced to play halfback most of the night, WR/QB Hunter Keech took over under center; thus the Indians lost their lone significant receiving threat and Yorktown would not be run on.
“Our defense has probably been the most underrated and least talked about,” Yorktown Coach Mike Rescigno said. “People like to talk about offense but our defense is the real deal. They decided to take a couple of players away from us on offense, and I thought Baker stepped up and played well for us. That’s why this is a team game. We do have something special going on here. That’s been our mantra: to play for each other and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. I honestly feel like I’m in my house, with my family when we’re together. It makes me feel like I have the best job in the world.”
The No.1A Yorktown – No.4B Nyack survivor will challenge the No.2B Sleepy Hollow vs. No.3A John Jay winner in the sectional semis.
“We’re all zero and zero now going in to the playoffs,” John Jay Coach Jimmy Clark said, “but that Yorktown team is good, really good up front. I was very impressed by their linebackers, too. Hopefully, we get another crack at them when we’re at full strength, no excuses though; they were the better team tonight and they made the big stops when they had to.”
DLs Logan Peters, Del Bene, Justin Vega and Andrew Wasila threw up a brick wall up front, combining for 27 tackles and five sacks, including two apiece by Del Bene and Wasila.
SOMERS (6-1) locked up the No.2 seed in League A and will face No.3 Panas from League B Friday at 7:00 p.m. So we have the state-ranked (No.12) Tuskers, the most consistent Class A program in Section 1 the last decade, against a schizophrenic Panther program that shocked Sleepy Hollow, 25-21, in Week 6 and jumped Nyack in the standings.
PANAS (4-3) gave Somers its toughest out last season in a 29-26 Tusker triumph in the semis and Panther QB Justin Lee, who threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns to beat Sleepy Hollow, will test the Somers secondary early and often this Friday night in the playoff rematch. Lee also rushed for 50 yards. Defensively, Lee chalked up a pair of sacks, including one to seal it in the final minutes, and recovered a fumble. Lee’s go-ahead 62-yard touchdown pass to Jared Reyes was a running spiral that sent Panas into the Class A playoffs.
Panas rushed for 212 yards, mostly on the strength of junior RB Joey DeLuca, who went for 117 yards on 19 carries, including a TD. He added a team-best 10 tackles on the other side. Somers will load up to halt DeLuca, which might free up WR Nayquan Harris, who had three grabs for a 104 yards and an 85-yard TD. WR Jared Reyes caught two TD passes, including a 62-yarder as the Panthers erased a three-TD deficit. The prolific Panas offense will face its toughest test of the season against a Tusker defense led by junior DL Tom Castelluccio, who might just be good enough to play at the next level.
Somers comes in having crushed BREWSTER, 49-24, behind a sterling effort from senior FB Timmy Fazzinga. Fazzinga rushed for 122 yards and three scores. RBs Joe Spor and Andrew Gross each scored for the Tuskers, who will utilize their vastly superior depth to wear down Panas.
“We’re not ready yet but we will be,” said Fazzinga, who has six TDs in the last three games and over 118 yards the last four games. “We just need to have a good week of practice. It’s going to be a tough game and we’re looking forward to the challenge. The O-line came out strong and played great. I had all the room in the world to run. Nick Mignoli at tackle Dan Rannekleiv at center and Brenden Smith at tackle were great.”
Somers gashed the Bears (2-5) for 319 yards with nine different ball carriers toting at a 7.6 yards per clip. Brewster, which scored twice in the fourth quarter, rushed for just 53 yards, so they relied on the big arm of QB Matt Catalano, who fired for 338 yards and two TD passes. He also rushed for a score.
So Panas has to like the fact that Somers can be thrown on this season, which is atypical for the two-time reigning sectional champions, who saw its special teams produce a pair of TDs, including a 98-yard return from slick sophomore Messiah Horne and an 87-yarder by Spor.
The No.1B Rye vs. No.4A Beacon winner will face the No.2A Somers- No.3B Panas winner in the sectional semis on Halloween weekend. We like Somers and Yorktown to survive and advance.
CLASS AA
MAHOPAC BACK IN HUNT
The Mahopac Indians (5-2) are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, courtesy of a 35-13 stomping of defending Class AA champion White Plains, which has fallen on seriously hard times at 1-6.
The fourth-seeded Indians’ reward is top-seeded New Rochelle this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The winner will challenge the Arlington/North Rockland winner in the semis on Halloween weekend.
Mahopac senior RB Max Littleton busted into beast mode, scoring three TDs to lead a devastating rushing attack. QB Dan Foley and RB Charles Heady also found paydirt for the Indians, who were defeated by New Rochelle in the 2010 Section 1 championship.
The Indians will need to be at their absolute best against one of the premier programs in the state, currently ranked No.3.
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