Somers football pounds Peekskill in home opener

SOMERS, N.Y. - On Friday, Sept. 25, Somers picked the night before the big storm to play its home opener. Peekskill joined the Tuskers under a foreboding sky and won the right to send its offense out first. Unfortunately for the visiting team, that was the last time the Blue Devils came out on top.

After Cole Kennedy recovered a fumble on third down, Tristan Iglesias hit a wide-open Cam Violante on the next play, and the Tuskers followed with 34 consecutive points in an easy 41-0 victory.

Peekskill did manage a first down on its next possession, but small victories were the best it could do. Somers started 40 yards away on Luke Balancia’s return, and it didn’t take long to go the distance.

First, Iglesias hit Dean Monachelli for a 10-yard screen to the left. After Balancia went up the middle for six more, the QB went left again. He hit Violante for 12 more, and Balancia did the rest. Two runs later, Somers led 12-0 with 4:33 left in the first.

Danny Hershfeld added one more on the extra point, and the defense was nearly infallible again. One first down yielded, and that was all. No surprise, the offense made really quick work of it.

Iglesias struck Monachelli over the middle, and he took off. Getting close, the receiver fumbled the ball. No problem. The Tusker recovered his own miscue and finished off the 60-yard play for a 20-0 game to open the second quarter.

Of course, the offense was back in play four downs later, and the field was really short this time. Peekskill opted to go on fourth down, and Somers took over at the 20. Eyes wide, Iglesias threw left to Jayden Abruzese, and the Tuskers were set up with a first-and-goal from the five.

Two runs later, Somers was still five yards away. So Iglesias went with arms and legs to finish the drive. He rolled right and connected with John Seeger for a 27-0 lead.

With 7:25 left, the game remained on rewind. Peekskill lasted three plays, and a short punt had Monachelli returning the ball to the three. A play later, Dean Klatsky entered as QB, and the freshman scored his first varsity TD on the keeper.