MAHOPAC, N.Y.—The Mahopac HS football team was able to move the ball in last Friday night’s Class A quarterfinal at Harrison’s McGillicuddy Stadium, but the Wolf Pac had trouble finishing drives and stopping the Huskies offense when it mattered most, in a 14-7 loss.
Mahopac (5-4) will close out its season Thursday at 6 p.m. with a match-up at Class AA quarterfinalist Ossining (6-2). Harrison (5-3) travels to take on Somers, the defending champion.
“They ran the ball well,” Pac coach Dominick DeMatteo said of Harrison’s Marco Marisi (100 yards, TD) and Damian Nikollaj (88 yards, TD). “But we held them to seven points in the first half. I thought we ran the ball well. The difference was we didn’t finish our drives. In the second half, we moved the ball well, also. They just got one more than us.
”I’m really proud of the effort we put forth,” he added. “We came up a little short. They have some good skill players.”
Mahopac moved the ball on two of its first three drives, but each stalled and ended with a punt. The Pac’s final possession of the half ended with a 47-yard field goal attempt from Kyle Pinto that fell just short with a wind gust picking up just as Pinto connected.
Harrison scored on its first possession of the second quarter, taking advantage of a short field after a punt from the Pac 16. The Huskies started on the Mahopac 45, and scored moments later on a 25-yard run by Nikollaj.
Mahopac’s opening drive of the third took the Pac to the Huskies 34, where QB Ethan Dedvukaj was intercepted.
Harrison took that turnover from midfield and marched to the Pac red zone, and looked poised to score. But the Pac defense stiffened and got a few big plays—a QB sack from captain Landon Varley, and a blocked field goal by Matt Bentivenga—to keep Harrison off the board.
But after a Mahopac three-and-out, the Huskies drove again, this time for the decisive score, an eight-yard run by Marisi to make it 14-0 with 10:30 remaining in the game.
Mahopac put its only complete drive together later in the quarter as senior Jack Clifford ripped through holes opened by the O line. The Wolf Pac capped the drive with a one-yard plunge by Clifford to make it 14-7 with 5:17 left. But Harrison picked up a pair of first downs to run out the clock.
Clifford had a monster game, running 37 times for 151 yards and a TD. Dedvukaj completed 11-of-15 attempts for 77 yards and one interception. Nick Tardio and Matt Dugan each had three receptions, and Michael Trinchitella and Ryan Sacco led the team with five tackles each. Varley had a sack, while Dean Ulaj and Billy Baumann combined on another one. Bentivenga blocked a field goal.
“Jack has given us a great effort all year, he’s a hard-nosed football player,” DeMatteo said of Clifford. “We have all the confidence in giving him the ball. He ran like a beast tonight, and we’re just super proud of him.
“Landon Varley also really stepped up tonight,” the coach added. "He went the whole game on D, rotated on offense. We moved him from tackle to D end mid-season, and it’s been a good fit. He really gave a great effort—in leadership, and his play.”
Tardio, a senior captain, said his team fought to the end.
“We played really hard, and played to the last minute,” Tardio said. “I’m proud of everyone on this team. We couldn’t get the job done, but we’ll move forward, and end the season the right way. This team has been like a bunch of brothers, family. We’ve been together for as long as I can remember. I love nothing more than these guys.”
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