One of the strengths of Yorktown football throughout the years is its ability to overcome adversity and it certainly was in that situation when it traveled to Brewster on Friday night, coming off overtime losses in each of its first two games, the latter to visiting crosstown rival Lakeland.
Thanks to the prowess of senior running back Tyler Caricati (17 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs, 2 receptions, 16 yards, 5 tackles), it did just that as his four-touchdown night ignited the Huskers to a 28-14 triumph against the Bears.
“I am thrilled to have helped the team win tonight,” Caricati said. “We needed this for morale after losing our last two games in OT.”
Yorktown senior quarterback Eamon Coney (4-for-8, 26 passing yards, 2 TDs, 8 carries, 28 rushing yards, 3 tackles), stressed the importance of the Huskers’ ability to focus on the task at hand.
“It felt so rewarding winning tonight,” Coney said. “Last week was hard on our guys but we had a great week of practice and didn’t dwell on it. Thanks to our coaching staff and my teammates we were able to win.”
Yorktown’s overall philosophy is to really take things as they come, one play at a time, one game at a time, one day at a time.
“We don’t care who our opponents are,” said Yorktown head coach Pantelis Ypsilantis. “We simply try to prepare the same way and try to work to become the best versions of ourselves. You have to have a short memory in this game and the mental toughness of our team was evident in practice. We were 0-2 but about as close as you can possibly be to 2-0. If you observed practice this week, you would not be able to tell if our team was 2-0 or 0-2. We preach that and this group is just super consistent in their preparation. We were battle tested and been through a lot the last couple of weeks and that adversity prepared us for another very tough opponent.”
Caricati’s first score was a 17-yard touchdown run where he ran around the left side, down the sideline, and into the end zone. The first of sophomore Noah Kachmar’s four extra points put Yorktown up 7-6 with 3:22 to go before halftime.
“This was the turning point of the game,” Caricati said. “Like any team that’s down we were dragging our heads a bit, but at this point of the game I could feel the energy shift and knew all we had to do was keep it going.”
An interception by junior defensive back Jarron Sligh (8 carries, 103 yards, 7-yard reception, 9 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack) at the Brewster 40, which he returned to the 26, set up the Huskers’ second score. That came when Coney connected with Caricati on a 4-yard touchdown pass with just two seconds remaining before halftime, giving Yorktown a 14-6 advantage.
“The touchdown at the end of the half gave our guys a lot of momentum,” Coney said, adding that Assistant Coach Brandon Trager “called a great play which left Tyler open in the end zone. It was important to stay focused however and not let up.”
A 20-yard touchdown run by Caricati, on a drive that was set up by an interception from junior defensive back Dom DeBellis (8 tackles), came after he was initially stood up at the lineup of scrimmage but powered through the Bears’ defensive line, extending Yorktown’s lead to 21-6 with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter
“Something just kept propelling me forward,” Caricati said. “I have played with many of these guys since third grade. We mesh well and can read each other’s thoughts and body language on the field. With the support of my line and Eamon’s play we made it through, giving us some breathing room with a two-TD lead.”
Senior center Luan Sinanaj (6 tackles), junior guards Jordan Alexandre and Nick Guven and junior tackles Myles Forden and Joseph Kalkowski, made up the Huskers’ offensive line.
“Tyler is just an animal,” Coney said. “He is so good at breaking tackles and eluding defenders. I don’t think anyone is surprised at his performance tonight. He did an amazing job. Of course so did the offensive line. They made great holes for him and won at the line of scrimmage.”
With 7:36 left in the game, Yorktown went up 28-6 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Coney to Caricati, who caught the ball at the line of scrimmage and did the rest.
“Coach (Trager) calls the play and I look for the hole,” Caricati said. “I thank Eamon my QB and my offensive line for supporting me tonight. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
Senior defensive lineman Ryan Fastiggi (6 tackles), senior linebacker Anthony Cappelli (5 tackles), and junior linebacker Thomas Harned (5 tackles) also contributed to the victory.
“The kids executed the game plan and played a smart game,” Ypsilantis said. “We were able to limit mistakes and played assignment sound football. We made adjustments throughout the game, our team kept their composure in some tough spots, and just kept with it.”
Yorktown’s next game is its homecoming contest at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 against Carmel.
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