SOMERS, N.Y. - On Friday, Sept. 5, football returned for Somers, and the kickoff was no easy task. Facing the AA state champions from Mamaroneck, the two titans did not disappoint.
Holding a 20-13 lead, Somers saw the Tigers standing first-and-goal on their final possession. But the Tuskers sent Mamaroneck to its knees and held on for the victory.
The game began with the teams trading turnovers. Cam Violante picked off James Fitzgerald at the 43, and two plays later, Luke Balancia fumbled after crossing midfield.
Eager to redeem himself, Fitzgerald moved his team well. The QB struck Sam Miller over the middle and then connected with Nicholas Laboy on the sideline.
First down at the 15, Fitzgerald succumbed again to Violante. The cornerback stepped in front of Nathaniel Gebhard at 6:38, and the drive was dead.
A block in the back unfortunately had Somers starting at the nine, so the Tuskers didn’t go very far. The punt left Mamaroneck at the 35, and the defense still had its work cut out. The boys rose to the field-position game nonetheless, and after surrendering one first down, the offense took over on downs.
At the 20, Somers took its time. Balancia ran short three times for a first down, and after Troy Rossi’s three-yard reception ended the first period, the running back got outside for a 26-yard gain to the Mamaroneck 38.
Stopped on his next run, Balancia deferred to his quarterback. Iglesias dropped back, rolled right and was brought down at the 18.
A flag sent the Tuskers back next, but Iglesias got the yardage right back after eluding the Tiger rush. Two more short runs set up a fourth-and-two, and Iglesias came through again by forcing his way through the trench.
A play later, Balancia returned to duty. He also bulled his way, and his three-yard touchdown run gave the visitors a 6-0 lead at 6:07.
The extra point missed, but the defense wasn’t worried. Three plays later, Mamaroneck was punting and gifted the special teams.
The snap went high, and Somers took over at the two. Not wasting any time, Jaden Abruzese ran through the hole on the left, and Somers led 12-0 with 4:17 left in the half.
Danny Hershfield’s extra point was good this time, and Fitzgerald was even more hard-pressed. Still, he was dead-on when hitting Gebhard over the middle for a 21-yard gain to the Somers 47. Unfortunately, a fourth-and-two had the QB underthrow right into the hands of John Seeger.
With 93 seconds left in the half, Somers wasn’t done. Iglesias rolled right from the 40, and Balancia was wide open on the right for another TD. Too good to be true, a block in the back sent the play back to the 20, and the Tuskers were unable to recover.
Onto the third quarter, Mamaroneck nearly pulled even in the interception game. On an Iglesias screen left, Cole Dorfman stepped in front but dropped a sure pick-six.
Somers punted a play later, and the Tusker defense showed how it was done. On third-and-10, with the pressure chasing Fitzgerald to the sideline, his heave had Vinny Labarbara tippy-toeing the interception with 9:44 left in the third.
At the 36, Somers couldn’t capitalize, and Mamaroneck took the cue. Fitzgerald hit Miller twice to set his team up at the 34, and despite the fourth-and-seven, the two connected in the end zone for a 13-6 game.
Somers responded by getting up to midfield. Unfortunately, Balancia fumbled, and Mamaroneck was poised.
So was the Somers defense, though. Three plays later, the offense was receiving the Mamaroneck punt and ready to take charge with 59 seconds left in the third.
First, Iglesias hit Violante for a 13-yard gain to the 33, and then Balancia found a big hole on the left for a 42-yard run. First down on the 25, Iglesias logged the rest of the mileage. He kept it left to the eight, and at the start of the fourth, the quarterback ran right for a 20-6 lead.
With 10:09 to go, Mamaroneck refused to give in. Fitzgerald spotted a wide-open Laboy when the cornerback was knocked down, and the 50-yard play had the Tigers growling. Fitzgerald then hit Max O’Connor to the five, but four straight incompletions had Somers ready to start the bus.
Three-and-out, Somers didn’t help its cause, and Mamaroneck still held out hope. More than that, Mamaroneck received at the 35, and Fitzgerald connected with Miller and Laboy to set up a first down. Eighteen yards out, the QB floated to an open Miller, and it was a seven-point game.
With 5:42 to go, a few first downs would obviously do. Iglesias to Violante got one to the 39, and with 4:28 to go, Somers returned to pass formation. The pocket collapsing, Iglesias eluded the rush, and the chains readied to move.
Not so fast. The QB fumbled, and Mamaroneck was off life support. Miller and Mark Lebowitz received for a first down at the 34, and the Tigers remained aerial. This time, Cole Kennedy put an outstretched arm on Fitzgerald and pulled him down by the jersey.
Undeterred, Fitzgerald connected with Gebhard twice and Lebowitz for a first down at the four. Two incomplete passes set up third down, and Fitzgerald let fly again. Gebhard came down with the ball, and the cheers went up. Not quite—the receiver landed out of bounds.
One play to go, the ball went up, and so did the flags. Redo on the secondary hold, Fitzgerald went right again, but with pressure bearing down, Fitzgerald shorted the pass. With 39 seconds left, one snap did the trick and sent the Tuskers home happy.
The Tuskers will now face Brewster on the road at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10.
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