Versatile Mascoll Paces Mahopac; Somers Survives Yorktown

Carmel Escapes with W; P’Ville Tripped up as New Era Begins

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays

There’s something to be said about a student athlete that not only excels at their particular craft on the field of play, but does likewise in the classroom and plays multiple instruments in the school band and advanced jazz ensemble… meet Mahopac junior RB/LB Nate Mascoll, who scored a pair of touchdowns – one via his 117 yards on 19 carries and another off an electrifying 59-yard catch and run to paydirt – in the Wolf Pac’s 24-19 win over visiting FOX LANE Friday night.

Mascoll weaved in and out of the Fox Lane defense, something he’s accustomed to doing in a busy everyday life. As a two-sport standout who also excels on the baseball diamond, Mascoll’s training regimen keeps him focused and busy, forcing him to manage a consuming off-field schedule; in which he’s somehow maintained a high-honor roll placement every quarter since the sixth grade to present. He plays trumpet in an advanced jazz band and invite-only jazz ensemble, and has performed in various band competitions for Mahopac High School. He is also in the Science Research program and is on the Spanish and Science National Honors Societies as a sophomore inductee with more on the horizon. Oh, and he also plays piano and sings just for fun.

One can search every crevice of Mahopac to find a slight on Mascoll; only to come up empty. Beloved by students and staff, Mascoll is well on his way with a 4.0 GPA as he hopes to blend his love of sports and science into a STEM Field (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Pediatrics, Sports Medicine-type college degree at a university who would be lucky to have him.

“Nate is a very special young man,” Mahopac grid Coach Dominick DeMatteo confirmed. “On the field and in the classroom, whatever he does, he excels. He’s not just a great running back for us. He’s also very good on defense and a terrific leader.”

So much so that he was named one of Mahopac’s captains. On the field Friday, Mascoll was the top two-way player, leading the Wolf Pac to a 2-0 start.

“He fuels everything he does, all we do is just love him,” his mom, Jessica, a Mahopac grad, said.

It’s what they do in Mahopac #NateTheGreat.

Around the GRID

Luke Ryan, a junior LB, spotted the Foxes a 6-0 lead at 10:38 of the second quarter when he pounced on a questionable fumble (caused by Mac Keller) and chugged 68 yards to the house for a scoop-six.

Mahopac RB Jack Clifford rushed for 63 yards and a TD 17 carries to help move the chains with Mascoll. Dedvukaj, just a sophomore, impressed by throwing for 139 yards and one TD, hitting on 6 of 8. Kyle Pinto, among the finest kickers in the section, hit a pivotal 41-yard field goal.

Fox RB Declan Connor had a rushing touchdown and Keller snared a fourth-quarter TD pass from QB John Czernyk to provide a faint late glimmer of hope.

 

CLASS A

SOMERS vs. YORKTOWN was everything we bargained for. The host Tuskers packed the house. Yorktown traveled well, and the fans were treated to an early-season matchup we can only hope to duplicate in the postseason. Somers walked off happily with a 16-12 come-from-behind win, and Yorktown walked off knowing full well that had they come out sharper and not kicked its initial punt to Somers junior RB Dean Palazzolo, who brought it 46 yards to the house, the Huskers might have come out on top. When you hold the Somers offense to a pair of TD’s, chances are you come away with a W, but ‘Dean the Dream’ struck again, hauling in a fourth-quarter TD strike from QB Miguel Iglesias with 2:44 remaining to secure the win.

“We definitely didn’t play our best football, but we came together at the end and pulled out the win,” Palazollo said.

Yorktown came away disappointed but satisfied at the same time, knowing full well that they gave the two-time reigning NYS champion Tuskers hell for four quarters. Had they established the run game, which is easier said than done, Yorktown had a better chance after taking a 12-10 lead with 5:51 to play.

“I thought we fought really hard but started slow,” said Yorktown QB Kaden Gonzalez (16 for 27, 204 passing yards), who struck for a pair of TDs to Tyler Galante (6 grabs, 60 yards, 3 tackles) and Johann Moeritz (4 grabs, 69 yards, 4 tackles). “Our coaches prepared us with a great game plan and we just have to execute. This game most definitely boosted our confidence for the long season ahead and just time to get back to work. Take it step by step.”

Step by step, should it be so kind, would lead us to a playoff rematch.

It wasn’t pretty but BREWSTER pitched a solid shutout in a 13-0 win over host LAKELAND Friday.

Brewster RB Tre Ficarra scored on a nine-yard scamper the Bears’ first possession for a 7-0 lead. Brewster QB  KJ Dillon connected with Nick Smith on a 56 yard pass for the final margin. Defensively, the Bears were led by Abe Sanchez (8 tackles, 4 TFL),  Luke Cunningham (7 tackles) and Marco Parrello (6 tackles), leading to the shutout effort. Josh Walker ran behind OL’s Luke Johnson, Jack McKenney, Cameron Lamoreaux, Dylan Welker and Adrian Martinez for 84 yards on 19 carries with Ficarra adding another 47 yards on six carries.

“Defense played great and the offense did enough to keep us in good field position all day,” Brewster Coach Ed Mulvihill said. “We improved from week one and that’s a goal for us this year: Get better each week.”

Lakeland (0-2) is hoping to do the same after QB Anthony Frobose (8 of 15 for 144 yards, 7 rushes 30 yards, 1 rec 21 yards), Robbie Policastro (11 rushes, 54 yards) and Michael DiCioccio (4 grabs, 114 yards) led the offense and Nick Alleva (7.5 tackles), Nick Ferrante (5.5 tackles, 1 sack), Joe LaPeruta (7 tackles) and

Mike Zummato (5.5 tackles) led the defense.

It looks like Pearl River murdered HEN HUD in the Pirates’ 42-13 win last Thursday, and, on paper, they did, but the Sailors (1-1) went across the river, and, by all accounts, they competed behind QB Joey Abboud (73 yards passing, 1 TD, 54 rushing yards), Justin Parkes (13 rushes, 116 yards, TD) and WR Hunter Kennedy-Brown (3 receptions, 62 yards, TD) #BetterDaysAhead.

 

CLASS AA

Reigning Section 1 Class AA champion and NYS runner-up CARMEL found out quickly that the loss of so many veterans will put some strain on the Rams this season, and league rival John Jay EF put them to the test in Friday’s 45-34 season-opening win for the host Rams.

Playing with house money, Carmel RB Tristian “Cash” Werlau had himself a day and then some, rushing 11 times for 193 and two scores, while adding a receiving element to his game (5 receptions for 76 yards and 1 TD). He also had three tackles (1 TFL) and a sack.

“He’s a great player, we just need to get him in space,” first-year Ram boss Brendan Connolly said of his All-NYS back. “He had a 50-yarder called back. too.”

Ram QB Brian McGrory (13 of 17 for 287 yards, 4 TD’s) found Werlau often, and then spotted WR’s Thomas Connolly (4 catches, 125 yards, 2 TD’s, plus 5 tackles) and Aiden White (3 catches for 81 yards and 2 TD’s, plus 8 tackles, INT) for massive gains and scores.

King Mercer and Teddy Galbraith each forced a fumble while the Butler boys, Teddy and Hudson, recovered those fumbles.

Werlau admitted there’s work to do but it was a solid showing for the most part.

“It felt great to be back on the field with my teammates,” he said. “The offense is really coming together, especially with Brian McGrory at quarterback and our linemen and receivers. There’s just so many weapons we have on offense to really spread out defenses.

I think the first half everyone played great, but in the second half we were losing a lot of guys to cramps, which was crucial for the team, so I think we just need to be more prepared with our conditioning and work ethic in practice and we will be good.”

 

CLASS B

PLEASANTVILLE discovered early on that the post-Picart era will take some getting used to as the Panthers (0-1) suffered a humbling 33-7 loss to Class B heavyweight Bronxville in Friday’s season opener. With so much to replace on both sides of the ball, the Broncos were a tough opening-day draw for a Panthers club that lost in last year’s Class B final to Rye after going back-to-back as sectional champs and state runner-ups in 2021-22.

“We’re definitely very excited and ready to play the game we love,” senior DB/WR Nick Reich said prior to the loss to the Broncos. “We’ve worked really hard during the summer and now it’s finally week one. We know what we’ve lost but we’re identifying our strengths and what we’ve got back.We’ve got lots of great leaders returning and we’re ready to kick it off.”

BRIARCLIFF knocked off Edgemont, 27-12, behind a pair of TD passes from QB Kyle Vincent (14 of 28, 169), who found Bears receivers Luke Murray (6 for 169, TD) and William Burch (5 for 60, TD) early and often. Bears RB John Solari (12 rushes, 124 yards, 2 TD’s) did the bulk of the damage on the ground. Chase Sedacca (18 tackles, sack) was a ball-hawking monster on the other side of the ball, and Max Amador and Sean Fortunate each picked off a pass for the Bears (1-1).

BYRAM HILLS suffered a 21-7 setback to Pelham and dropped to 1-1. Michael Nezaj accounted for Byram’s only TD on a 70 yard reception. Liam Porter led the Bobcat defense with 12 tackles and Michael Bordoni had an interception and recovered a fumble caused by Daniel Leff.

 

CLASS C/D

If anyone took notice of Class C VALHALLA’s 34-0 thrashing of Tuckahoe it was Class D HALDANE, which more than matched any team in the section on the scoreboard in a 55-28 win over Woodlands. It’ll be Haldane vs. Tuckahoe for all the Class D marbles in the end, so, odds are, the Blue Devil coaching staff is well aware of the beating Coach Dan DeMatteo’s Vikings put on the Tigers in Coach D’s Viking debut.

Haldane QB David Powles rushed for a score and threw a pair of TDs to Jake Thomas and Fallou Faye, who also electrified the crowd with a pair of kick returns to the house, while RB Alex Gaugler rushed for 113 yards and two TDs on 14 totes.

Class C WESTLAKE defeated Class B Ardsley, 18-16, in the Wildcats’ season opener. QB Brayden Lingeza threw for 136 yards and a pair of TD passes, including a 43-yarder to Nicholas DiNapoli and a 66-yarder to Cole Barnett. The game turned on a dime when Marco Piazza scooped up a 40-yard fumble recovery for TD. Additionally, the defense rallied behind James Miele (8 tackles) and INTs from Jake Zaino, Jack Losito and Anthony Nigrelli.

 

INDEPENDENT LEAGUE

PANAS’ big Gianni Generoso rolled up on paydirt three times in the Panthers’ 55-14 win over Poughkeepsie while Jack Doherty and Jayden Carter each rushed for another. Lucas Delima and Christian Salomon each snagged a TD pass and Salomon returned a punt for a score.

GREELEY’s Ben Weinstein crossed the plane twice, once on the ground and once via air in the Quakers’ 31-14 win over Class C PUTNAM VALLEY. Athletic Jameson Blakeslee also reeled in a TD grab for the Quakers.

“Horace Greeley came out of the gate strong against us,” PV Coach Ryan Elsasser said. “We came out flat and Greeley took full advantage of that. They were a very well coached team that was flying around the field. We had a few guys rested for this game in preparation for Tuckahoe and our seconds were definitely tested this week, which was good. It was also good to be able to move some guys out of position and see what they could do. We had a few early mistakes, a tipped ball was caught for a TD to start the game. They picked up one of their own fumbles and took it all the way for six, and a FG hit the up-rights and bounced in. If it could go wrong this week, it sure seemed to, but that is what happens when a team is moving full speed every play, which those Greeley kids did.”

Examiner-area coaches should email rgallagher@theexaminernews.com or rygallaghersports@gmail.com with stats and comments for inclusion in our weekly Grid Notebook. If they don’t send it, you won’t see it and you’ll know why.

 

RAY GALLAGHER/ANDY JACOBS/DAVID TABER/GIL McMAHON PHOTOS