YORKTOWN, N.Y.—Yorktown hosted Mahopac on Oct. 10 in its Pinkout Game, with all proceeds from the game being donated to local nonprofit Support Connection, which provides counseling for women fighting breast and gynecological cancers.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to use our platform to raise funds for Support Connection,” said Yorktown coach Pantelis Ypsilantis. “Any opportunity to raise a few dollars for a good cause and connect with community is tremendous.”
The cause made the game especially close to the heart for Yorktown junior quarterback Eamon Coney (12 carries, 59 yards). Coney scored the game-winning touchdown on a 6-yard run on a third-and-one, with 2:25 remaining in the contest, in the Huskers’ emotional 14-7 upset win against rival Mahopac, in front of an SRO crowd at Charlie Murphy Field.
“The touchdown to give us the lead was all thanks to my offensive linemen for giving me the chance to get into the end zone,” Coney said. “It felt amazing to capitalize on that drive and score the go-ahead touchdown. This game was very personal to me. My grandfather passed earlier in the day due to cancer and this was the cancer-awareness game. So for us to win the way we did meant the world to me.”
Rocco Lore, Michael Desiderio, Nick Salerno, Darin Butler, and Sean Munnelly made up the Huskers’ offensive line that opened up the hole for Coney and the rest of the Huskers’ backfield on this night, including Jarron Sligh (17 carries, 82 yards; 2 receptions, 31 yards).
Yorktown’s defense set the tone when it stopped Mahopac on its opening drive, forcing a Wolf Pac incompletion on fourth-and-11 from the Husker 19.
“They kept things in tune while we figured things out on offense,” Ypsilantis said. “They kept them off the board, and that was so important. The defense made amazing stops, we got turnovers, Anthony Cappelli made a great interception early. We just kept fighting, we didn’t back down. Our backs were against the wall and we played our best when we needed to.”
Lore (10 tackles, 3 for loss), Aidan Concannon (8 tackles), Jaden Renzo (6 tackles, 1 for loss, interception), Tyler Galante (5 tackles, 1 for loss), Desiderio (3 tackles, 1 for loss, sack), Tyler Caricati (3 tackles), Coney (2 tackles), and Sligh (2 tackles) highlighted the Huskers’ defensive effort.
Mahopac ended the scoring drought with a 3-yard touchdown run with 10:10 to go in the game, giving it a 7-0 lead. But Yorktown answered right back on a 10-play, 78-yard drive, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Tyler Caricati (8 carries, 21 yards) and the first of two Adam Yakout PATs tying the game at 7-7 with 6:27 left.
“To say the win was months of hard work is an understatement,” Caricati said. “We have had a tough schedule this season and we knew Mahopac would be challenging. It felt amazing to be able to help the team and tie the game 7-7.”
The key play on the drive came when David Jerome (8/16, 88 yards passing; 6 carries, 26 yards) connected with Galante (4 receptions, 51 yards; 7 carries, 41 yards) on a fourth and four from the 13, getting the ball to the 2-yard line, setting up Caricati’s touchdown.
“I just knew I had the one on one, I know my routes, and I know my stuff, and I just told coach (offensive coordinator Brandon Trager), just give me the ball, and it just happened,” Galante said.
An interception by Renzo on Mahopac’s next drive gave the Huskers the ball right back at the Wolf Pac 30. Six plays later, Coney was in the end zone with the game-winning touchdown.
“This win has a great impact on what we are and how we play ball,” Galante said. “We are just looking forward to winning the next two games.”
The first of the Huskers' (2-4) last two regular-season games comes at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 at Carmel.
In addition to raising money for Support Connection, the other big event of the night was at halftime, when the Huskers honored the kids in the Yorktown Athletic Club, something dear to Ypsilantis.
“In terms of the Yorktown Athletic Club, I work closely with both Al Durante and Jamie Collins as well as Matt Talbert and Kate Nikisher before them,” Ypsilantis said. “At the time that I took over the Yorktown program as head coach (in 2020), one of my main goals was to engage the youth and try to build the program from the bottom up. Selfishly, my daughter Persephone and (Yorktown assistant) coach Streany’s daughter Siena, cheer with the grades 2-3 teams and seeing them at halftime kind of grounds you to remember what is most important. Tonight we had our 13U team walk down to the field with us pregame, to show them that they are part of the family we are continuing to build.”
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