Giants Recognize P’ville’s Becerra on Winning Sectional Title
The Pleasantville varsity football program has received plenty of attention since their 21-8 upset victory over Our Lady of Lourdes last weekend to capture the Section 1 Class B title.
On Thursday, the New York Giants recognized the leader of the 8-1 Panthers, the first Pleasantville squad to win a title since 1991.
The Giants announced that Head Coach Tony Becerra is the recipient of the Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Week for the week of Nov. 4. The NFL team selects one metropolitan area head coach each week during the season to honor commitment to youth football, developing motivated student-athletes and community involvement.
Becerra, a White Plains native and a 1984 graduate of Archbishop Stepinac High School, has been Pleasantville’s head coach since 1998. He started his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in 1990, and also coached at Fox Lane, Dobbs Ferry/Hastings and Horace Greeley before getting the job at Pleasantville.
Becerra will receive a certificate of recognition signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin and a $1,000 check will be granted to the Panthers football program. He will also be acknowledged by a stadium announcement when the Giants host the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.
At the end of the season, the Giants will choose a Coach of the Year, who will receive a $2,000 check that will be donated to the football program at that coach’s school.
The weekly award is named in memory of Rettino, a former Union High School (NJ) coach, for his commitment to football, his community and his players.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/