YORKTOWN, N.Y.—Mahopac did nothing to improve its postseason positioning in last Friday’s 14-7 league loss to local rival Yorktown, which hosted its “Tackles for a Cure” game to nobly highlight breast cancer awareness.
With a lot of playoff chips on the line, the Wolf Pac (3-3 overall) failed to convert in key situations time and time again, before allowing the Huskers (2-4) their game-winning crusade to paydirt when Husker QB Eamon Coney provided the final margin off a 6-yard scoot with 2:25 remaining.
Mahopac was anything but crisp throughout, killing its own drives via penalties and extending Yorktown’s through others, though some of the calls were questionable at best.
“Penalties destroyed us and we lost the game; they didn’t beat us,” Mahopac senior captain Matthew Bentivenga admitted.
Right from the jump, nothing could be truer. Mahopac senior RB and captain Nate Mascoll went off tackle for what appeared to be a 29-yard score at 11:02 of the first quarter after junior DB Ryan LaRue’s INT set up a short field. However, the first of many flags—on both sides—hit the field, and six points were taken off the board on a holding call.
The Wolf Pac surrendered the ball when Huskers Rocco Lore (10 tackles, 3 for loss) and David Jerome blew up Mascoll for minus-3 yards on third down before an incomplete pass on fourth.
A sloppy, scoreless first half ensued as both sides traded gaffes and miscues.
“We had seven penalties called on us,” Mahopac coach Dominick DeMatteo said. “Seven! We averaged three the prior three games. It’s a major point of emphasis with our team. Some of the calls were questionable. We lost, though, and we have to own that.”
After a scoreless third quarter, Mahopac finally imposed its will and looked like it was about to take over in the fourth. Mascoll, who rushed 19 times for 104 of Mahopac’s 105 rushing yards, did what Mascoll does—going plus 17 to the Yorktown 22 before pushing forward to the Yorktown 10. Mascoll then trudged seven yards to the Yorktown three before scoring off left tackle for a 7-0 lead after the PAT by Aiden Nikocevic at 10:10 of the fourth.
It was all Yorktown from that point forward, including a pivotal fourth-and-four play when QB Jerome found WR/RB Tyler Galante for 11 yards, setting up first and goal from the two. Husker Tyler Caricati plunged it in from there to tie the score at 6:27 after the PAT.
Yorktown DB Jaden Renzo (6 tackles) then turned the game on a dime, picking off Mahopac QB Ethan Dedvukaj’s ill-advised pass across his body with just over five minutes to play.
Yorktown QB Eamon Coney made the most of that turnover, reaching paydirt from six yards out for the final margin with 2:25 to play.
After a solid return by Mahopac junior Nick Lucia on the ensuing kickoff, Yorktown senior Mike Desederio (3 tackles, 1 sack) created a turnover on downs via a sack, and Lore had another monster stop on Mascoll later in the game to keep the Wolf Pac from tying, which they nearly did again when Dedvukaj (11 of 28 passing, 2 picks) found LaRue (2 catches, 44 yards) for plus 28 yards to the Yorktown 28. From there, though, the well ran dry when Dedvukaj and Pac WR Lucia (5 catches, 33 yards) narrowly missed on third-and-six from 25 yards out. On fourth down, Dedvukaj was ruled over the line of scrimmage on a pass attempt to LaRue with :08 left—game over.
Mahopac’s defense was fairly stiff (363 total scrimmage yards allowed, 229 on 50 rushes) and held up pretty well behind two sacks from senior linemen Matt Reilly (5 tackles) and Peter Grishaj, plus strong interior tackling from Mascoll (6 tackles), Matt Aquilino (5.5 tackles) and leading tackler Michael Trinchitella (8 sticks, 36.5 on the year).
Mahopac (1-2 league play) will need to salvage its playoff hopes this coming Friday when the Wolf Pac host a Lakeland team that was trounced 41-13 at the hands of Brewster.
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