Mahopac walked into 2026 carrying both the weight of recent history and the uncertainty of reinvention, and that’s exactly what made its season opener against host Yorktown at Charlie Murphy Field so compelling.
You don’t lose three All-Section anchors — Aidan Paris Devane, Oliver Felipe and Justin Chin — without feeling the ground shift beneath you. Those weren’t just good players; they were the spine of a 17-1-1 juggernaut that authored the greatest season Mahopac has ever played, ending in 2025 with the program’s first sectional-final appearance.
And yet on Sept. 3, Mahopac stepped onto the pitch at one of the most atmospheric venues in Section 1 and showed something more. Yorktown vs. Mahopac always carries a charge, but this match had a different kind of electricity: Rebuilding Yorktown was trying to regain its footing; Mahopac was trying to prove it hadn’t lost its own.
The first half was cagey, tense and exactly what you’d expect from two programs that know each other’s tendencies like family.
But the second half?
That’s where Mahopac revealed its new personality: patient, disciplined, opportunistic and willing to let the game come to them.
More important than star power was identity. Three second-half goals — each a little louder than the one before — turned a nervous opener into a statement win.
This wasn’t just a 3-0 non-league victory, powered by a goal from slick sophomore Manny Mejia and two more from promising junior Nick Portanova. It was a message about who Mahopac intends to be post-Devane/Felipe/Chin: resilient, even without the established marquee names; structured, with a defensive shape that denied the Huskers opportunities; balanced, with multiple scoring threats emerging; and unbothered by the moment, even in a rivalry opener on the road.
Yorktown didn’t give anything away. Mahopac earned every inch. Most teams lose three All-Section players and spend a year figuring out who they are.
Mahopac didn’t wait.
The Wolf Pac walked onto one of the most storied fields in Section 1 and played like a team that expects to return to the Class AA final. This opener didn’t answer every question, but it seemingly answered the biggest one: Mahopac isn’t rebuilding; it’s reloading.
Mejia got the Wolf Pac on the board first, scoring off a nifty feed. Jack Rothman and Christopher Flanagan each had an assist. Portanova added an insurance goal and then sealed Yorktown’s fate.
The Wolf Pac followed that win with a 5-0 triumph at Brewster on Sept. 6, fueled by two more goals from Portanova and a pair from senior forward Jack Rothman. Sophomore forward Manny Mejia added another goal and an assist. Junior Dario Dias also recorded an assist.
“It was a great first half against Brewster but a somewhat slow second half,” Wolf Pac coach Chris Mulholland said, “but a good overall performance to get the win and a 2-0 start. We made some adjustments after a slow start against Yorktown, and our guys responded. It was a good challenge for us to open the season.”
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