A 58-yard, 12-play opening drive capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by senior captain Tyler Caricati (12 carries, 107 yards, 9 tackles), gave Yorktown a 6-0 lead and set the tone in a 44-8 Husker victory on its senior night Friday against visiting Peekskill.
“It meant the world to win on senior night,” Caricati said. “I’ve been together with these guys since third grade. We just played an amazing game.”
Caricati gave his offensive linemen, senior center Luan Sinanaj, junior guards Joseph Cermele and Nick Guven, and junior tackles, Myles Forden and Joseph Kalkowski, credit for the Huskers’ success on its opening drive.
“On the first drive, we really came together,” Caricati said. “The linemen were really giving us holes.”
Runs of 15, 7, 13, and 4 yards by Caricati, the latter one for a touchdown, to go along with the 2-point conversion pass from senior captain Eamon Coney (5/9, 104 passing yards, 5 carries, 31 yards, 3 tackles) to junior Jarron Sligh, put Yorktown up 14-0 with 2:58 to go before halftime.
“Again, my o-line, they really came to play,” Caricati said. “I give all the credit to them. They are the reason why I did what I did tonight.”
The two teams exchanged touchdowns at the end of the half, with Yorktown answering Peekskill’s score with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Coney to senior captain Jaden Renzo (2 receptions, 59 yards), giving Yorktown a 22-8 halftime advantage after the successful 2-point conversion pass from Coney to Caricati.
“It felt great, it was huge, it gave us the momentum going into halftime,” Coney said. “They had a big run but we responded.”
Yorktown extended its lead to 30-8 early in the third quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Coney to Sligh, with Coney running in the 2-point conversion.
“I rolled out of the pocket, I stepped up because I knew they were blitzing off the side and I just saw Jarron open up in the end zone, so I threw it,” Coney said.
A 47-yard pick-six by senior Jack Corcoran (3 tackles) and a 2-yard touchdown scamper by sophomore Noah Beitler (3 carries, 17 yards) finished the game’s scoring.
“We hadn’t [gotten] a win on our home field yet this season so for us to do it on senior night especially, meant a lot,” Coney said. “And watching our guys like Jack Corcoran, just everyone play well, it just meant the world to see.”
Captain Anthony Cappelli (13-yard reception, 3 tackles, 1 for loss), Ryan Fastiggi (5 tackles, 2 for loss), Brayden Guss, Joseph Longobucco, captain Frank Ofrias, and Ethan Phillips are the other Husker seniors, with junior Dom DeBellis registering 5 tackles.
“These guys deserved the victory, I’m proud of them,” said Yorktown coach Pantelis Ypsilantis. “I’m really happy with the way they played but more importantly, I’m really happy with their preparation. They haven’t wavered, they are sticking with it, they have a great, positive attitude, they work hard. As a head coach, that’s all I can ask for.”
Also highlighting the night was the brilliant rendition of the national anthem by Yorktown student Ingrid Mealli and the appearance of the Yorktown Athletic Club at halftime.
“To be able to see those kids at halftime, be on the field, dream about what it might be for them in the future, is very cool and I think it’s a sign of a healthy program,” Ypsilantis said. “It gives me great pride.”
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