Albany-area Niskayuna got off to a hot start that propelled it to a 35-14 triumph against host Yorktown on Sept. 5.
Trailing 14-0, Yorktown got on the board in its opener when junior Eamon Coney (15-for-22, 141 passing yards, 5 carries, 10 rushing yards) scored his first varsity touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback keeper with 6:27 to go in the first half.
“I knew we had to get into the end zone on the QB sneak after a slow start, so it felt great to get that score, especially it being my first varsity touchdown,” said Coney, who was making his first varsity start.
Coney’s teammate, Tyler Caricati (10 carries, 51 rushing yards, 6 tackles), was thrilled for him.
“Eamon and I have been best friends and teammates since fourth grade,” Caricati said. “It has been an amazing opportunity to see him grow as a football player. We connect well. I was very proud of his debut tonight, he played great.”
Coney’s longtime friendship with Caricati was beneficial to the Husker signal caller.
“It felt comfortable being in the backfield with him for my first varsity start at quarterback,” Coney said. “Ever since youth football we have always been in the backfield together so it’s awesome to do it on a bigger stage in front of our whole community.”
Helping get the push on the offensive line was Rocco Lore.
“We just really anchored down and got a good push,” Lore said. “We knew we needed to get in the end zone, so we put our bodies on the line and gave it everything we had.”
Caricati got his touchdown on a 9-yard run early in the fourth quarter, slicing Niskayuna’s lead to 28-14. He credited linemen Michael Desiderio, Nick Salerno, Darin Butler, Sean Munnelly and Lore for the score.
“I have my linemen to thank for my TD,” Caricati said. “They were on their game tonight and created a perfect hole for me. Rocco Lore was integral in this play and it felt great to score.”
The way the Yorktown line was able to open the hole on Caricati’s score was by staying composed, staying on their blocking assignments, and most importantly playing with aggression, Lore said.
“It was really great to see my teammates score on plays like that,” Lore said. “I wish we had some more and honestly we left a ton of points on the board tonight with squandering great drives due to turnovers. We have a lot of work to do at practice this week but expect a strong turnout next week now that we know what to fix and what we need to work on.”
Yorktown next plays at Harrison in a battle of Section 1 Class A semifinalists from a season ago at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
“I learned a lot from tonight,” Coney said. “First of all the game moves faster, which I adjusted to, and certain mistakes we made tonight we will touch base on during practice this week and be ready for Harrison.”
Tyler Galante (10 receptions, 77 receiving yards, 5 tackles), Jarron Sligh (3 receptions, 45 receiving yards, 7 carries, 34 rushing yards), Dion Balaj (4 tackles, 1 for loss, sack), Lore (3 tackles, 2 for loss) and Adam Yakout (2 PATs) produced for Yorktown.
The game was the first Dan O’Connor Foundation game, named for the former Husker player who tragically lost his life to suicide on Nov. 23, 2009, at the age of 16.
“Having a balance of school, sports, and emotional wellness is vital,” Caricati said. “This game meant a lot to coach Trager since he went to high school with Dan O’Connor. We all felt honored to play for Dan and this important cause.”
Trager is Husker assistant coach Brandon Trager, a 2011 Yorktown graduate who played with O’Connor.
“Playing this game in honor of Dan and coordinating it with his sister Grace is something that I’ve wanted to do since I started coaching,” Trager said. “When Grace started her foundation in Dan’s honor, we had run into each other and she had talked about wanting to give back to the Yorktown football program in some capacity. I told her about my desire to honor Dan like we did tonight and it all came together.”
Those who knew O’Connor remember him as an incredible person.
“He lightened any room he was in, and made everyone around him feel like they were the most important person in the room,” Trager said.
Trager said that one of the things he and his friends often recall about O’Connor was when he was the scout team tight end in 2009.
“Anytime he would score a touchdown or make a big play in the first defense, he would always talk smack in a funny, friendly way,” Trager said. “It was always so hard for anybody to be mad at him because that was someone that had the most infectious lighthearted personality. He was one of a kind.”
As a health education teacher at Mildred E. Strang Middle School, Trager feels it is important for him to advocate for mental health awareness and empower students to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
“I am honored to help Grace share Dan’s story, and encourage all student-athletes to take the importance of mental health seriously,” Trager said.
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