Mahopac football’s 2026 Section 1 Class A storyline is already taking shape, and the tension is exactly where coaches often put it — in the trenches. The Wolf Pac has several elite skill-position players, but this season will swing on whether a rebuilt offensive front can keep the engine humming.
As is always the case in football, if the offensive and defensive fronts don’t hold up, there are going to be some major issues. Mahopac has two of the finest skill players in Section 1 in senior QB Ethan Dedvukaj and senior WR/DB Ryan LaRue, but if the unit along the offensive line struggles, this game-breaking duo is going to be up against it.
The good thing for coach Dominick DeMatteo’s squad (5-4 last season) is that both return with All-Section ability and the determination to get the Wolf Pac howling, as does senior WR/DB Nick Lucia, another talented skill player.
In addition to losing several key big boys up front, Mahopac will also need to replace the steady two-way play of first-team All-NYS DB/RB Nate Mascoll, who chalked up one of the finest seasons in the program’s history. Mascoll’s 2025 campaign was a masterclass in versatility, physicality and clutch play. Replacing his production — and his leadership — will require multiple players to step into bigger roles.
“Definitely losing a player like Nate, who got the ball mostly for us, was a significant loss,” said Dedvukaj, a two-time All-League player. “He made it look easy when running the ball. His shoes will be very hard to fill. As of right now, our RB room has been more talented than ever. (Junior) Jack Egan and (junior) Ryan Grabeklis are getting most of the reps during camp, showing that they can get the job done and be significant contributors in the run game. As of right now, we are just blocking out the noise and getting ready for preseason.
“Me and LaRue are obviously still gonna have that connection, and after camp that connection has only gotten stronger,” added Dedvukaj, who has been a Swiss Army knife his first two varsity seasons, completing 150 of 274 passes for 1,937 yards and 16 TDs while also rushing 46 times for 255 yards and a score. He’s also the team kicker/punter, with nine touchbacks and a 45.2 net punting average. “LaRue is very talented and will be unguardable this season.”
Still, the offensive line has to do its job, including returnees Jack Kadan, Max Smolinski and Johnny Feaver.
“They are getting countless reps as part of last year’s line,” Dedvukaj said. “Our line will be filled with a lot of talented and young players but also some veterans. Obviously, losing Benti (Matt Bentivenga) and Peter (Grishaj) were a big loss, but I think with time and effort this line has the chance to be as good, if not better than last year.”
After a disappointing 28-21 quarterfinal playoff loss to Harrison last season, the Wolf Pac is entering 2026 with a different mindset, with a handful of veterans taking on much larger roles, including seniors Sal Garufi (TE/LB), Eddie Saccente (OL/DL) and Luigi Luce (OL/LB), plus experienced juniors Matt Asadoorian (WR/DB) and Kevin Gerleit (WR/DB) and varsity junior rookies Justin Lopez (WR/DB), Nick Minnix (RB/LB) and Grabeklis (RB/DB). The Wolf Pac will also welcome back Iona Prep transfer Sean Carson, a talented sophomore LB/RB.
“‘Win the Week,’ that’s our motto,” DeMatteo said. “Our team goals are always to win the Marano Trophy, win the Higgins Trophy and to win a sectional championship. However, to accomplish those goals, we have collectively decided that this year we need to ‘Win the Week.’”
The coach said mastering the small details will be essential to improve on 2025.
“I absolutely loved last year’s team,” DeMatteo said. “We did so many things the right way and had some big moments during the season. However, we came up short on about 7-8 plays throughout the season, and that unfortunately led to a 5-4 record and another quarterfinal loss. As a program, we took ownership of that and, more importantly, have learned from that experience. This year, we simply want to get better every practice, every day, every week.”
With just 38 players on the current varsity roster, the Wolf Pac will be up against it when it faces league rivals Somers/North Salem, Yorktown, Brewster, Carmel, Lakeland and Peekskill.
DeMatteo believes 2025 Section 1 Class A runner-up Somers (which merges with North Salem this season) is the team to beat in the league and considers reigning champion Rye the section favorite as the Wolf Pac uses its team strengths to hang around and make a Final Four run.
“We have some key guys at the skill positions such as WR/DB and specifically QB with LaRue, Lucia and Dedvukaj,” the 10th-year Mahopac coach said. “We also have three veteran linemen with Smolinski, Feaver and Kadan returning. The ability and willingness of these student-athletes to lead will have a major impact on our team and season.
“We are entering camp with 38 names on our varsity roster,” he added. “Traditionally, we have 45-48 prior to preseason. We also have a lower number of returning starters than we typically have had the past several years. Therefore, there will be a significant amount of opportunities for student-athletes to earn practice reps and ultimately starting positions.”
The regular season opens Thursday, Sept. 10, against rival Carmel for the coveted Higgins Trophy and bragging rights, with Somers/NS to follow on Sept. 18. The playoffs will begin the weekend of Oct. 30-31, when the Wolf Pac hopes to be among the eight teams still standing in the 13-team Class A classification.
“It’ll take a little time to figure everything out, but I like what we’ve got coming in,” said LaRue, a true three-sport athlete. “It should be a fun year.”
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