The San Francisco 49ers were a National Football League dynasty in the 1980s, thanks in part to the Hall of Fame combination of quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Fast forward to modern-day flag football in Yorktown, and the No. 3 Class B team in New York state has its own lethal combination in sophomore quarterback Sophia Marcello and freshman Erin Duffy.
The duo connected for three touchdowns in a 30-14 victory over No. 17 Fayetteville-Manlius, the Section III champion, in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B championship game June 7 at Homer High School in Cortland County.
The title was the first in the three-year history of Yorktown's flag football program and extended the Huskers' winning streak to 17 games.
“Winning the first state flag football championship feels incredible,” Marcello said. “We have put in so much work and dedication, and it feels so deserving.”
Yorktown’s stellar defense, which recorded 13 shutouts and held 18 of its 22 opponents to just one score or less, forced a three-and-out on Fayetteville-Manlius’ first possession and a short punt afterward gave the Huskers a first-and-goal at the 18-yard line.
On third and goal, Marcello connected with Duffy on an 8-yard touchdown pass to the corner of the end zone, giving the Huskers a 6-0 lead with 8:54 to go in the first quarter.
“Our defense gave us great field position on the opening drive,” Marcello said. “Erin Duffy, who has been outstanding all year, made an amazing catch for our first touchdown.”
Defense was the name of the game after that until very late in the first half, when the Section III champions scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass and a run on the 1-point conversion, giving them a 7-6 lead at halftime.
Yorktown (21-1) showed its championship mettle on its first possession of the second half.
Facing a third and 18 from its 22, Marcello found Eva Monaco, down the sideline. Monaco made an incredible catch, putting her hands up in the air and pulling the ball down in triple coverage for a 27-yard reception.
On the next play, Marcello, rolling to her left from the 31-yard line, found Duffy, who caught it at the 12 and ran by three defenders into the end zone for the touchdown.
Marcello then connected on a 10-yard pass to Kiera Mooney, who caught the pass all alone near the pylon, for the 2-point conversion, giving Yorktown a 14-7 lead with 8:51 to go in the third quarter.
Yorktown increased its lead when Marcello and Duffy hooked up again on a 6-yard, fourth-down, touchdown pass, and another pass to Mia Chee for the 1-point conversion. That extended the Huskers’ advantage to 21-7 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
Fayetteville-Manlius showed its own resilience when it registered a 17-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the fourth quarter, before adding a 1-point conversion pass. That came 55 seconds into the quarter, cutting Yorktown’s lead to 21-14 and apparently giving the Hornets the momentum.
However, one of Yorktown coach Mike Rescigno’s credos, which goes back to his days as the Huskers’ tackle football coach, which included a run to the state Class B finals in 2017, is being able to respond to adversity and the Huskers did just that on their next possession.
An 8-play, 66-yard touchdown drive culminated on a 2-yard touchdown run by Marcello, and an 1-point reception by Monaco, increased Yorktown’s lead to 28-14. Marcello originally was looking to pass for the score but saw the field open up in front of her and took it up the middle for paydirt with 7:20 left in the game.
“My coach called a great play and our offense executed it perfectly, driving us down the field and putting me in position to score a rushing touchdown,” Marcello said.
A sack in the end zone for a safety by Yorktown’s Sydney Soliz finished the game’s scoring.
“What makes this team special is the trust and confidence we have in one another,” Marcello said. “We play for each other and truly feel like a family both on and off the field. I’m so proud of what we accomplished together, and I wouldn’t want to share this experience with any other group of girls.”
Yorktown won its semifinal contest, also at Homer, on June 6, 20-0 against Section 8 champion MacArthur, ranked No. 2.
Chloe Quiles, Gabby Coppola, Mackenzie Meola, Corinne Negrelli, Jordan Vaught, Stephanie Douglas, Saige Randall, Liv DelGaudio, Mia Spiniello, Sofia Gentile, Maddy Reilly, Sophia Miralles, Izzy Walling, Bridget O’Sullivan, Kayleigh Hung, Heilee Leonardo, Jeff Cerar (assistant coach), John Bronzi (assistant coach), Jack Mooney (manager), Mike Nardone (JV head coach) and Danielle Stabile (assistant JV coach) also were members of the Huskers’ state championship team.
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