Success is one of those concepts that means different things to different people, and often evolves over time. For many athletes, success is measured by championships, accolades, or career milestones. For others, like Fox Lane football coach Andrew Giuliano, it’s defined by the relationships forged with players and a commitment to leaving tomorrow better than yesterday.
Establishing a strong culture and building a solid foundation for both current and future Foxes has always been at the heart of his program. So when Giuliano reflects on an 8-1 season, even one that came within Section 1’s A/B Developmental League, he does so with a great deal of pride and appreciation for what his team accomplished.
“It was a successful season for us no matter what,” Giuliano said, “but people define success in different ways, and in sports it is often measured solely by wins and losses. While our 8-1 record was certainly favorable, that is not how we ultimately defined our success this year.”
Going into the season, winning the Independent League title was Fox Lane’s sole expectation from the day the staff decided to drop down and develop the program due to declining numbers, and watching it come to fruition with victories against non-independent, or true Section 1-based foes like White Plains and Class AA semifinalist RCK, was something Giuliano’s staff and players reveled in.
“Seeing that through to the end feels tremendous,” the coach said. “Beyond our league play, proving we could hold our own against high-level, non-league opponents was a massive step forward for our group. Yet, as great as those moments were, our broader objective went far deeper than the scoreboard. Our primary mission this year was to reinforce the foundation of our program, keep our standards high, and sustain our team culture through a period of low roster numbers.”
Doing so was a tall order when the roster dipped from 26 eligible players to 21 due to injuries. The Foxes even pulled off a 35-7 win against Eastchester with only 20 players suited up.
“In that regard, our primary mission was accomplished,” Giuliano said. “We stayed competitive, maintained our core team values despite low numbers, inspired our youth and lower level programs, and brought real excitement to the community by defeating rivals Greeley and John Jay Cross River.”
The coach credited the entire roster for leading the charge toward a better future and noted the play of several key players that stepped up to lead the charge.
“Senior Chase Stonecipher played tough, physical football on defense all year while delivering big performances as a receiver,” Giuliano said. “Much like our team as a whole, his stats were not his most impressive attribute. His attitude, commitment, and growth from last season to this season made the biggest impact. Jason Milito had a fantastic year at outside linebacker, and junior Gavin Mammola was stellar on offense and defense throughout the fall.”
Those players did some serious grunt work and quarterback Andrew Rudolph made significant gains, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns with only three picks.
“His main targets were Stonecipher, Mammola, Victor Golz and Emmett Bendish, and he did a great job finding them and producing under center.”
Along the front lines, the unit battled injuries but stayed the course. They blocked effectively for RB Luke Grasso, who handled the majority of the rushing attempts after the Foxes lost gifted Antonio Cambareri in the third game of the season.
“Luke really stepped up to carry the offensive load,” the coach said.
There was no chance he could do so without the efforts of Joseph Frusciante, Noah Leiberman, Bryan Martinez and Liam Provost, who provided key blocking, while Malik Young came on late in the season to provide vital snaps on both sides of the ball.
“Looking back, we are proud of what this group accomplished,” Giuliano stated. “Every player had a solid year one way or another, but the real success lies in their personal growth and commitment. They handled playing in this league with grace and humility. We stayed confident without getting cocky, understood the task at hand, and represented our program with class. As a coach, that is all you can ask for.”
The head coach also cited the efforts of his assistants.
“Operating as an independent program did not change their preparation or our mindset,” he said. “Our opponents were faceless each week because our focus remained strictly on improving ourselves. I could not be happier for our seniors and their families, and we are excited to see what comes next.”
Fox Lane’s overall roster numbers will remain modest — on the lower side for one more season — so Athletic Director Adam Lodewick and Coach G. will evaluate the Class A landscape in Section 1 and determine the best path forward for a prideful Fox Lane program to continue to grow.
The end didn’t align with the ultimate goal put forth by first-year coach Thomas Bond and the mates he would grow to respect and admire just the same. Under former coach Mike Tomaselli, the goal was always to put Fox Lane’s best foot forward and strive for a Section 1 title. Nothing changed under Bond, who led the Foxes to the Section 1 Class AA Final 4 before bowing out to eventual sectional champion and NYSPHSAA regional finalist Mahopac.
The program won the league title (only its second since 1977) and finished as the No. 4 seed in the Class AA bracket. They advanced to the sectional semifinals with a 2-1 win over Harrison in double overtime during the sectional quarterfinals.
The Foxes (11-4-4) were rewarded with a handful of postseason accomplishments, including All-Section honors for Fredy Contreras (10 G, 11 A), Lucas Ormazabal (15 G, 6 A) and Max Cohen, with All-Section HM honors going to Christian Mejia and Diego Martinez. The aforementioned all received an All-League nod along with Peter Teves, Cristian Ormazabal, Evan Cattanach, Juan Acosta (5 G, 4 A) and Luke Valenti.
“The boys deserve all of the credit,” coach Bond said. “We have a lot of guys who work very hard in the offseason and are dedicated to getting better and better. There are many guys who deserve shoutouts, but it’s hard to discuss our success without mentioning Fredy Contreras and Lucas Ormazabal first. Lucas' biggest goal came in 2OT against Harrison in the sectional quarterfinals. Fredy had three goals and one assist in the first round of sectionals and added an assist in our semifinal loss to Mahopac. Acosta scored the game-tying goal against Harrison and scored the lone goal against Mahopac. Peter Teves and Max Cohen were awesome center backs for us this year. They were a calming presence and security blanket for us. Luke Valenti was a first-time soccer player and he made huge save after huge save for us. We also had three sophomores who contributed greatly this year and have a very bright future in the Fox Lane program in F Cristian Ormazabal, D Evan Cattanach and M Fernando Haro.”
Roundup as of deadline (11-11-26): The girls swim and dive team finished with a 7-1 record in dual meets and captured the 2026 league championship, securing back-to-back league titles behind the efforts of state qualifiers Natalie Lovig, Kelsey Grayson, Clara Cattanach, Sophia Oh, Madeline Oh, Maddie Nurenberg and Devin Pellow.
Fox Lane volleyball (2-16), field hockey (3-11-2) and girls soccer (3-11) were each eliminated in the first round of their respective sectional tournaments, despite leaving everything they had on the field/court.
The girls soccer program lost 12 seniors from the 2025 team, and the coaching staff is tasked with a major rebuild, having lost four more from the 2026 team. All-League honors went to Jillian Kurchack, Dylan New, Lauren Spolansky and Lily Mazzuca. After struggling through a tough 3-11 season, the Foxes have plenty of reinforcements to build on for next year.
The girls tennis team had a great season and finished with a 5-10 record in a very competitive league.
The dance team was said to have had a fantastic fall season, proudly supporting the football team throughout their incredible run. The dancers brought high energy, spirit and excitement to every halftime performance, executing new choreography at each home game led by captains Maddie Nunez and Grace Lisman. Coaches and players look forward to bringing the same energy to the basketball court this winter.
The Fox Lane Athletic Department held its annual National Signing Day event on Thursday, Nov. 12, in Fox Lane High School College & Career Center. This event celebrates all student-athletes who will be signing to play at the Division I or Division II level, including: Girls lacrosse: Dylan New — Stonehill College (D1); Boys lacrosse: Luke Valenti — Georgetown University (D1); Swim & dive: Maddie Nurenberg — College of the Holy Cross (D1); Swim & dive: Clara Cattanach — Rollins College (D2).
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