Football

Cameron Shorey ran for 41 yards on eight carries and had a 54-yard reception, but No. 12 Beacon lost to No. 5 Yorktown, 41-0, on Friday in the Section 1 Class A qualifying round.

Defensive end Justin Warner eight tackles and a sack and Mike Merritt had eight tackles for Beacon (1-6).

“We played pretty well in the first half and it was 14-0 at halftime,” Bulldogs coach Brian Mahon said. “We suffered another injury and that was a big setback for us because we’re short on depth. Then we came out flat in the second half and we weren’t able to stop their running back and quarterback.”

Beacon will face an opponent to be determined in a consolation bracket next week.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Football

Shaquez Nesbitt returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown with 28 seconds remaining to pull Poughkeepsie within a point, and Trevon Reid hit Jovan Atkinson on a fade route for the two-point conversion, lifting the Poughkeepsie High School football team over visiting New Paltz, 35-34, on Friday.

“It was a discussion among the coaches and we decided that we wanted to go for the win,” Poughkeepsie coach Jerry North said of his decision to attempt a two-point conversion in lieu of the tying extra-point kick. “The kids wanted to go for it and I trust them. We had confidence in them to get it done.”

New Paltz had scored a touchdown to take a 34-27 lead with 56 seconds remaining.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Nesbitt received key blocks as he zig-zagged and cut across the field, slipping defenders en route to the end zone. Malik Lewis intercepted a pass on New Paltz’s final drive to end the game.

Nesbitt ran for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground to lead the Pioneers (4-3). New Paltz fell to 2-5.

“This team stands up and doesn’t quit,” North said of the Pioneers’ three-game win streak. “We’ve had three games come down to the end and we’ve fought to the end. Coming from a one-win season with the same kids, this turnaround is a testament to their character.”

Poughkeepsie’s offense line of Daequan Gibson, Treyvon Whitaker, Marcus Blocker, Corey Simmons and Keyshon Williams “did a great job of blocking and making things happen,” North said.

Poughkeepsie hosts Goshen at 6 p.m. Friday.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

The 50 yard line at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill on Friday. Dutchess Stadium prepares for opening day on October 10th for the minor league football team, the Hudson Valley Fort which will play three home games.

Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill will likely host three Section 1 high school football championship games next month, Section 1 football chairperson Chuck Scarpulla said on Friday.

According to Arlington High School athletic director Dave Goddard, Section 1 executive director Jennifer Simmons said they are “95 percent sure” Dutchess Stadium will be the venue. Simmons plans to visit the stadium this weekend “to make sure everything is OK” before the decision is finalized.

Scarpulla suggested that Section 1 is on the proverbial 1-yard line. “It’s not official yet,” he said, “but I’m fully confident this will be the place. It’s pretty much set.”

If all goes according to plan, the stadium’s baseball diamond, which recently was converted into a football field, will host the Section 1 Class AA, A and B finals on Nov. 7. The Class C and D finals will be held Oct. 31 at Pace University.

Dutchess Stadium, since its opening in 1994, has been home to the Hudson Valley Renegades, presently the short-season Class A baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The 4,494-seat ballpark now also hosts the Hudson Valley Fort, an independent professional team in the Fall Experimental Football League which had its opener last Saturday. The football field lines were painted and its goalposts installed last week.

“Being a Dutchess guy, this would be fantastic,” Goddard said. “Knowing the hard work the people there have done to make it a multi-use facility, I’m excited for them and the community.”

Mahopac High School hosted the event last year and Brewster High School had initially been selected as this year’s site, but a construction issue on Brewster’s compound led Section 1’s executive committee to consider an alternative. Dutchess Stadium became the favorite, Scarpulla said, “plus we didn’t find other places that could host all three games.”

“I was there on Sunday and checked it out,” he said. “There’s plenty of parking, the seats are nice and the field is contained. The locker rooms aren’t huge, but they’re big enough for 40 kids.”

Dutchess Stadium is located on New York State Route 9D which, Scarpulla said, “makes it easily accessible for everyone.”

Scarpulla said “the one negative” he noticed was the protective mesh screen in front of the seats behind where home plate would be, which he considers a potential mild hindrance for spectators in those seats.

As for the players…

“I don’t think the venue will make a difference to them,” Scarpulla said. “The kids will be excited to have the opportunity to play in the championship and that’s all they’ll be concerned about.”

Section 9’s football championship games will be played Nov. 6 and 7. Class A will be held Nov. 6 at Kingston’s Dietz Memorial Stadium and Class D will be contested the same day at Middletown’s Faller Field. Dietz hosts a doubleheader Nov. 7 for Class C (3 p.m.) and Class B (7 p.m.), while Faller hosts Class AA (7 p.m.)

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Marlboro High School’s, from left, Josh Jennison, and Tayo Akinboboye during a drill at football practice on Wednesday.

It’s pronounced Tie-oh Akeen-bo-bo-yay.

Marlboro High School linebacker Tayo Akinboboye, right, pursues Spackenkill quarterback Camron Abalos on Sept. 19.

If you’re not familiar with Tayo Akinboboye’s name, or how to spell it, you’re at least familiar with his work at linebacker for the four-time defending Section 9 Class B champion Marlboro High School football team.

Through six games this season, the Iron Dukes look as dominant as ever, having outscored their opponents 329-52. A key to that success has been a relentless, play-making defense, and at the center of that is Akinboboye, a senior leader and the defensive signal-caller.

He also is an excellent student, proving he can hit the books as well as he does opponents. He tackled various subjects in a Q&A session with the Journal.

How often do people mispronounce your name?

A lot! Most people who’ve known me for a while get it right, but for people just meeting me, it’s a struggle. They’ll add all kinds of extra letters and syllables trying to say it. Whenever we have a substitute teacher, before they take attendance I just tell them, “It’s the first name on the list. I’m present.”

Favorite food?

I love the chicken, bacon and ranch pizza from Tosi’s in Marlboro.

Your parents are from Nigeria. What’s it like growing up in that culture?

Food-wise, we eat a lot of rice. And my parents are very strict. Education is always the priority and I can’t play sports unless my grades are good.

How are the grades?

My overall average is a 95, and I take a lot of advanced placement courses.

Toughest person you’ve had to tackle?

Probably Nick Gallo from Schalmont. We played them in my sophomore year and I didn’t tackle him once. I hadn’t seen that kind of speed before.

Ever been run over?

Yeah. Again, sophomore year against Pleasantville in the regional game. I was blitzing on a fourth down and a lineman blindsided me and I went airborne; feet up in the air and everything. I got up and still got the sack. After the game, we watched that play on tape like 20 times and everyone was laughing at it. But it was the hardest hit I’ve ever taken.

Popular song you find annoying?

Anything from Iggy Azalea.

Best day of your life?

Probably last week when coach (Rich) Ward gave me a compliment after an interception in practice. I get criticized a lot in practice because I’m the person who’s responsible for setting up the defense. When anything goes wrong, I’m held accountable. So to get a compliment meant a lot. He said, “Great job. I knew you could do it.” I said, “Finally!”

What TV shows do you watch?

“Power” is the best show out right now, and I like “The Walking Dead.”

Favorite subject?

Physics. It’s also my toughest class. A lot of classes, you wonder, “Why are we doing this?” But physics makes sense to me. And, Mr. (Scott) Hisel is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.

Do you speak any Yoruba (a native language of Nigeria)?

I don’t, but I can tell when my parents are mad at me. I’ll hear my name and know from the context that I’m about to get yelled at.

What do you usually get yelled at about?

I’m tired when I get home, but I’ve got chores. If I have to mow the lawn or wash the dishes and I’m late on it, they’ll yell.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Physical therapist. I want to help people and still be around sports somewhat. I’ve been volunteering at Peak Physical Therapy in Newburgh since January and I like doing it.

If you interviewed yourself, what’s a question you would ask?

What does your name mean?

Answer? 

“God’s joy.”

Favorite musicians?

Kendrick Lamar, Wale, Drake, PartyNextDoor, Kehlani, Trey Songz.

College?

I’ve been looking at Buffalo, Syracuse and Brockport. I want to stay in New York, but have a little distance from my parents. If I went to Marist, they’d be visiting me every day.

Will your parents yell at you when they read that?

It’s OK. I’ve already told them that.

Personality on the field compared to off it?

Off the field, I’m a nicer person. On the field, you can’t be that nice as a linebacker. I’m a lot more vocal on the field. Off it, I’m more cool and calm.

What’s your full name?

Olutayo Samuel Akinboboye.

Samuel?

And I have no idea why. My parents gave me, my brother and sister regular English middle names.

Place you’d most want to visit?

Probably Brazil. It has a lot of nice scenery.

The “One Gotta Go” game with wings, pizza, burgers and tacos?

I’d eliminate burgers. I like them, but pizza, wings and tacos definitely have to stay. In that order.

If you could trade places with one person?

I wouldn’t wanna be someone else. I like my life.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

webkey high school sports

Conor Stack took second in the 5K at Bowdoin Park, completing the course in 16:57 to lead the Arlington High School boys cross country team to first place in the Section 1 Coaches Invitational in Poughkeepsie on Saturday.

The Admirals, who took second in this invitational last year, finished ahead of Cornwall, 48-72. Somers took third (107).

“Conor had never been under 17 minutes before at Bowdoin,” Arlington coach Steve Arnett said. “He went into this race expecting to do well. He said before, ‘I’m going sub-17 (minutes).’ Anybody who breaks 17 minutes is in a select group of guys.”

Then, in Arnett’s words, the “armada” soon followed with a slew of Admirals finishing in succession.

Joe Morrison took 11th (17:32), Reece Ragusa was 12th (17:34), Eric Sbrollini placed 13th (17:35) and Matt Dillon finished 14th (17:35). Brendan Foley took 18th (17:40) and Skylar Rubin placed 31st (18:12) for Arlington.

Senior Meghan LaTuso took 10th, completing the course in a personal best 19:53 as the Arlington girls team finished sixth overall. Monroe-Woodbury took first in the meet.

“Meghan said, ‘Oh, maybe I can do 20:05,’” Arnett said. “I told her I want to hear you say, ‘I want to get in under 20 minutes.’ She said it and she did it.”

Riley Loughlin placed 29th (21:06), Madeline Garrett was 40th (21:36), Ariane Garrett took 47th (21:48), Gillian Prater-Lee was 61st (22:38), Julia Sclafani was 67th (22:52) and Anaya Sahu took 74th (23:46).

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Ketcham’s Matt Lennox headers the ball to past John Jay’s Kevin Turi during Saturday’s game in Wappingers Falls.

Ketcham’s Eddie Armah gets the ball under control as John Jay’s Michael Fino moves in on him during Saturday’s game in Wappingers Falls.

WAPPINGERS FALLS – It was quite the peculiar sight. No, not so much the Roy C. Ketcham High School boys soccer team dominating in a 3-0 upset of John Jay, but the Indians’ attire.

Roy C. Ketcham junior Kelly McConologue poses with custom jersey during boys soccer game.

Ketcham, doing away with its usual blue and red, sported orange and black home jerseys on Saturday. And it had nothing to do with Halloween.

The game was played in honor of Kelly McConologue, a Ketcham junior who is battling leukemia. She stood on the sideline, and even with a surgical mask on, cheered loudly for her schoolmates. Her bright eyes and wide smile belie the ordeal she has endured.

“Stuff like this makes me feel a lot better,” McConologue said. The 16-year-old was diagnosed with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia in April. “Being here reminds me that I have a lot of support… Positivity is what gets me through this.”

She was presented a custom Indians jersey during a pregame ceremony and the team’s adopted slogan, “Play for Kelly,” was yelled intermittently from the crowd.

And the Indians did, indeed, play well for Kelly.

Eddie May had a goal and an assist, David Siriboe and Eddie Armah each scored, and Dan Ioos had an assist for Ketcham (10-5). Mike Rodriguez made four saves in the shutout.

“In the past, we’ve done pink jerseys for breast cancer awareness,” said Ioos, who first pitched the idea of a uniform switch. “Kelly is our friend so we dedicated this game to her and wore orange.”

Orange is the symbolic color for leukemia awareness. The school also has held fundraisers in support of McConologue.

Ketcham’s David Siriboe passes the ball past John Jay’s Luke Melvin during Saturday’s game in Wappingers Falls.

“It was sad when we heard that she got diagnosed,” Siriboe said. “We knew we had to win this one for her.”

Ketcham avenged a 2-1 loss to the Patriots earlier this season and in the process, perhaps, made a statement. That they could so thoroughly handle the defending Section 1 Class AA champs says this team, entering the playoffs, must be taken seriously.

“This was special and it’s definitely rewarding,” Indians coach Scott Grimes said. “The way we played today is certainly a positive sign going forward.”

John Jay (10-3-2) dominated possession at the outset, but the Indians took control late in the first half and applied pressure. Siriboe put Ketcham on the board with 5:55 remaining in the first half. He gathered a ball that deflected off a defender toward the left post, drew the goalie toward him, and squibbed the ball into the far corner.

Ketcham’s Eddie May looks for a teammate to pass the ball to as John Jay’s Mike Ciardullo covers him during Saturday’s game in Wappingers Falls.

Armah made it 2-0, scoring from 5 yards off a feed from May with 35:09 left. May then tallied in the 73rd minute, heading in a ball off the foot of Ioos that was booted about 60 yards, on a line, off a free kick.

Ioos, Dan Veliz, Mason Sanborn, Matt Lennox, Noah Robinson and Matt Lynch anchored a defense that seldom allowed the Patriots quality scoring chances.

“This is great for our confidence going into sectionals,” May said.

McConologue said she is in remission after completing her last round of chemotherapy on Sept. 20. She is due for another round next month.

“I’m feeling better and I don’t feel as weak anymore,” she said. “The doctors told me that if it doesn’t come back within five years, I should be OK.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Members of the Arlington High School football team look on during their games against Roy C. Ketcham on Friday.

The Arlington High School football team delivered on Friday in the Section 1 playoff qualifier, surging in the second half of its 43-21 victory over Roy C. Ketcham.

Arlington High School’s Rob Tannenbaum rushes against Roy C. Ketcham on Friday in Freedom Plains.

(Game show host voice) Tell ’em what they’ve won!

For their efforts, the Admirals are being rewarded an all-expense-paid trip to John Jay High School! The sprawling Wiccopee compound features a regulation football field with standard dimensions and a raucous crowd with which Arlington may already be familiar.

But wait, there’s more!

Included in that package is heavy underdog status in the Class AA quarterfinals versus a pretty good Patriots team to whom they’ve lost seven straight.

Oh. Not exactly the prize most had anticipated? Well, them’s the breaks. Thanks for playing the Section 1 seeding game!

As reported last week, there were several complaints about the seeds for the qualifying round and controversy surrounding the process and its mathematical formula. Was the multiplier altered without everyone’s knowledge? Was it simply disregarded? Was the formula faulty to begin with? Those were some of the questions tossed about.

Admirals coach Dominick DeMatteo was one of the most ardent supporters of the refined seeding system, but last week he was vocal in criticizing a perceived calculation error. He insisted his team should have been seeded no lower than sixth, given its No. 2 preseason seeding and a 3-3 regular season record against the league’s second-most challenging schedule. Instead, they were slotted eighth, which created that matchup with No. 9 Ketcham.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Arlington wins qualifier, topples Ketcham

“The multiplier was definitely used and we had a mathematician, an accountant, handling the numbers to make sure it was right,” Section 1 football chairperson Chuck Scarpulla said. “No matter what, you’ll never please everybody. But now is not the time to complain.”

And it’s not. The teams that advanced to the playoffs have big games to prep for, so bellyaching isn’t a priority right now. But as the seeding concept is revisited and maybe revised this offseason, No. 7 Arlington vs. No. 2 John Jay in the quarterfinals will likely be an example pointed to, highlighting a flaw.

“They’re definitely better than that seed,” Patriots coach Tom O’Hare said of Arlington. “I think anyone who understands anything about football and this system knows Arlington should not be looked at as an eighth seed (entering the qualifier), regardless of that being the number given to them.”

Football Huddle: Section 1 playoff structure causes consternation

A huge showdown of elite area rivals, in a rematch of last year’s historic all-Dutchess County final, and it has been relegated to a first-round matchup. The platform now takes a bit of luster off.

It will be said at some point that if Arlington hadn’t been seeded so low — and perhaps incorrectly — these teams could potentially have met in the semifinals instead. Or, with a couple upsets shaking the bracket, a championship rematch. And imagine if that championship happened at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill?

Imagine the buzz, the crowd, that atmosphere, and the local revenue generated. Who knows what could have been?

Dutchess Stadium to likely host Section 1 football finals

John Jay High School will still be rollicking this weekend. It is still the playoffs; still Admirals-versus-Patriots. The fans will be hyped, and will no doubt be exchanging the usual “A-O-E!” chants and “You can’t beat us!” cheers. It will be lit, as the kids say.

Still, this matchup and that ambiance do seem too good for the first round. This is steak being served as an appetizer — in a cereal bowl.

VIDEO, PHOTOS: John Jay earns historic football title

Section 9 playoffs arrive

Friday marks the beginning of the playoffs for Section 9 classes AA and B, with three area teams making the cut in Class B.

Marlboro, as the undefeated top seed in Class B, receives a bye into the semifinals on Oct. 31 at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium. Spackenkill will host a first-round game as the third seed on Saturday against No. 6 Dover, and the winner will take on Marlboro. James I. O’Neill, the second seed, will face the winner of Friday’s other first-round game between John S. Burke Catholic and Rondout Valley.

Classes A and C will be four-team playoffs beginning next week. Millbrook has locked up the second seed for Class C and will play an Oct. 31 semifinal at Middletown’s Faller Field. At 4-3, Poughkeepsie must beat visiting Goshen on Friday to qualify for the Class A playoffs.

Of note…
Highland coach Carl Relyea missed the Huskies’ home game on Friday with an undisclosed illness. Assistant coach John McFarland said he wasn’t at liberty to discuss the particulars, but said Relyea is “gonna be OK.” Relyea’s wife, on Sunday, said his ailment isn’t believed to be serious. Relyea, in his 38th year coaching, had suffered a concussion on Sept. 19 after colliding with a player during a game. He returned to coach the Huskies’ next game. With the 62-0 loss to Marlboro on Friday, Highland fell to 1-6.

Top Week Seven Game

Poughkeepsie 36, New Paltz 35 — Poughkeepsie kept its playoff hopes alive and pulled above .500 with its game that featured two touchdowns in the final minute. New Paltz pulled ahead, 35-28, on a Anthony Nittolo run with 56 seconds remaining, but Shaquez Nesbitt returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Trevon Reid then hit Jovan Atkinson on a fade route for the two-point conversion. It was the latest improbable victory for the Pioneers after starting 1-3 with a forfeit.

Week Seven Scoreboard

Section 1 Class AA qualifying round: John Jay 28, Suffern 12

Section 1 Class AA qualifying round: Arlington 43, Ketcham 21

Section 1 Class A qualifying round: Lourdes 35, Pearl River 14

Section 1 Class A qualifying round: Yorktown 41, Beacon 0

Poughkeepsie 36, New Paltz 35

Minisink Valley 41, Roosevelt 6

Burke 48, Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 0

Marlboro 62, Highland 0

Haldane 24, Pawling 14

Rondout Valley 34, Red Hook 27

Goshen 48, Spackenkill 7

O’Neill 67, Dover 20

Top Week Eight Game

We’ve already focused enough on The Patriots and Admirals, so let’s go with…

Goshen at Poughkeepsie, Friday, 5:30 p.m. — One of the wildest single-seasons in recent memory could culminate in a playoff appearance for the Pioneers with a home win.

Week Eight Schedule

Note: This schedule will be updated with times, dates and non-playoff games early this week

Friday

Goshen at Poughkeepsie, 5:30 p.m.

Millbrook at Fallsburg, 7 p.m.

Arlington at John Jay, TBA

Saturday

New Paltz at Monticello, 1:30 p.m.

Pawling at Tri-Valley, 1:30 p.m.

Sullivan West at Haldane, 1:30 p.m.

Dover at Spackenkill, TBA

To be determined

Somers at Lourdes, TBA

#PJTop3

Three of the top football performances in Week Seven. Nominate performances by using #PJTop3 on Twitter.

Shaquez Nesbitt, Poughkeepsie: Before he returned a kickoff 99 yards to set up the game-winning two-point conversion against New Paltz, he ran for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Jonathan Sakadelis, Marlboro: Really, the entire Iron Dukes defense deserves a spot, after blanking Highland in the annual “Black and Blue Bowl.” Sakadelis had 15 tackles.

Rob Tannenbaum, Arlington: In beating Roy C. Ketcham to “qualify” for the Section 1 playoffs, Tannenbaum scored five touchdowns and ran for 325 yards.

Football Huddle appears every Monday in the Poughkeepsie Journal, breaking down the weekly stories on the gridiron. Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

It could be compared to the first day in a new school. The unease that comes with exiting a comfort zone, leaving behind what you had grown accustomed to, having to adjust quickly to different settings.

But within a few weeks, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School football team had a seat at the “cool” table in the cafeteria. And now, the Warriors are near the head of the class.

Our Lady of Lourdes High School quarterback Dean Rotger follows through on a pass against Marlboro in last year’s state Class B playoffs at Dietz Stadium in Kingston.

The team has not only held its own but excelled in its first season in Class A. Lourdes (4-2) earned the third seed entering Friday’s 7 p.m. Section 1 qualifying round game, where it will host No. 14 Pearl River. And, this former Class B titan, tossed into a bigger pond, now has a legitimate chance to make a deep postseason run.

“A lot of people didn’t think we’d be that good in Class A,” said quarterback Dean Rotger, whose team has won four of its last five games. “To come out here and show that we’re able to means a lot.”

Section 1’s decision to move the Warriors up from Class B before this season was initially met with resistance, and coach Brian Walsh believed his team was “kicked out” of its rightful class.

VIDEO: Lourdes football accepts new challenges in Class A

Lourdes had won two of the last three Class B section titles and the league determined its talent level was more befitting Class A, despite the school’s enrollment hovering around 700 students. Lourdes, by the section’s rules, must remain in Class A for at least another year.

“I said, ‘We can’t change it, so let’s just deal with it,’” center Kevin Doyle said of his initial reaction. “We couldn’t get discouraged. We have to believe we can succeed anywhere.”

But with the jump came obvious disadvantages. A higher level of competition, sure. But Lourdes also would be facing some unfamiliar teams, and opponents with greater depth. And, for the first time in a while, the Warriors might not have been the favorite.

“But our expectations didn’t change,” Walsh said. “We’ve got some great skill players, so I’m not surprised we’ve done well.”

Indeed, the Warriors have a talented core that likely would succeed in any class. That includes Rotger, an elite signal-caller whom during a Tuesday practice drew strong reviews from a college coach who was among the spectators. Luke Timm, their 6-foot-5 receiver, has been at times unstoppable. Toss in a slew of others like Billy Wagner, Chris Mulvey, Liam McGhee, Billy Riccardi, Corey Mullaly and Joe Scaglione.

VIDEO: Motivated Lourdes tops rival Beacon

“We always had that target on our backs (in Class B),” Rotger said. “So to come in and not be the target takes a little stress off. But we have to play like we’re an underdog.”

In that case, the Warriors have pulled their share of upsets. Walsh said last week’s 56-15 rout of John Jay-Cross River was his most fulfilling victory, but it was perhaps Lourdes’ 40-3 trouncing of Somers on Sept. 18 that signaled a salvo. Somers, along with Rye and Yorktown, were the Class A teams picked ahead of the Warriors in the Section 1 preseason rankings.

The biggest difference in Class A, Walsh said, is the opponents’ physicality and, of course, the depth.

“You’ll see a lot of these teams with like 50 kids on their roster,” Rotger said, “and then you look at us with about 30.”

While most of Lourdes’ starters play offense and defense, rarely substituting, many of their opponents have the luxury of being able to rotate players throughout the game, OT/DT Liam Hilderbrand said. The result is Lourdes players, while dealing with fatigue by the fourth quarter, often are lined up across from opponents less exhausted. But that challenge was expected, Hilderbrand said, and a greater emphasis was placed on offseason conditioning.

There also has been an adjustment to the speed and athleticism of opposing offenses, Walsh said. But Lourdes’ defense has been able to match up. Scaglione and Wagner, in particular, are playmaking linebackers with excellent range. The Warriors have held opponents to 12.3 points per game.

Offensively, Lourdes has faced more exotic schemes, with defenses knowing well the reputation of their high-powered attack. Teams have either blitzed Rotger frequently or dropped extra defenders into coverage in an attempt to confuse him, Walsh said. And Timm has seen more double teams. To counter that, the Warriors have utilized quicker passes, developed more complex route combinations and motioned Timm all over, including the slot.

Timm has career day as Lourdes wins big

It all worked to perfection last Saturday in that win over John Jay-Cross River. Timm hauled in 12 catches for a career-high 241 yards and two touchdowns, and the senior also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score and snagged an interception. Riccardi, after missing last season with a broken ankle, continued his torrid sophomore campaign with three rushing touchdowns. The tailback has scored 11 touchdowns in the Warriors’ last four games.

Their success, Walsh said, isn’t vindication.

“But it’s sort of a validation of our program,” he said. “It shows that we can succeed at higher levels.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Football Friday

Lourdes’ 7 p.m. qualifying-round game against Pearl River is one of nine football games on Friday’s schedule. Visit http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com throughout the night and follow the Journal Sports department on Twitter, @PJSports, for the latest news and scores throughout the night, as well as a video look at Lourdes’ practice this week.

Follow reporter A.J. Martelli on Twitter, @AJM_PoJoSports, for live updates from the 7 p.m. qualifying-round game between Arlington and Roy C. Ketcham in Freedom Plains.

Spackenkill’s Erik Stauderman is presented the medalist award by coordinator Marco Lanzoni.

Spackenkill High School’s Erik Stauderman shot a 4-over-par 75 at Apple Greens Golf Course in Highland on Wednesday to win a second consecutive Mid-Hudson Athletic League boys golf individual championship.

The sophomore had two birdies and 11 pars, and closed out the round with four straight pars to earn the victory. This tournament also served as the qualifier for the Section 9 tournament, which will be held in May.

“He’s a very special player and I’ve seen that since seventh grade,” Spackenkill coach Keith Humphrey said of Stauderman. “He missed making states by two shots in seventh grade, then he made it in eighth grade. I’ve seen steady improvement and the sky is the limit for him.”

Teammates Stanley Garrant and Ryan Ackert were also among the 20 qualifiers. Garrant carded a 77 and Ackert an 86. “Those guys are very talented and focused and they’ve been so steady this year,” Humphrey said. “It’s fun to watch.”

Jeffrey Peters of Franklin D. Roosevelt shot a 79 and teammates Max LaFalce (88) and Zach Plambeck (89) also made the cut. As did New Paltz’s teammates Wesley Watts (84) and Jaxson Koebel-Secky (87), Rhinebeck’s Steven Byrum (88), Highland’s Robbie Whelan (87), Red Hook’s James Rossetti (88) and Marlboro teammates Will Conti (92) and Charles Benfer (94).

Rondout Valley will send four golfers to the section tournament (Kyle Doering, Aiden O’Connell, Jeffrey Shaver and Kyle Kolodziejski) and Asa Spurlock and Justin Lane will represent Onteora.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Volleyball Webkey

Alicia Acosta has emerged as a vocal leader for the Rhinebeck High School volleyball team. The senior has a calming influence on the group and her enthusiasm during matches “is contagious,” Hawks coach Ashley Gerace said.

Acosta is also one heck of a player. The setter had 19 assists, 14 service points and a kill to lead Rhinebeck over Dover, 25-8, 25-11, 25-27, 25-15, on Tuesday.

“She does her job really well and gets the ball to the hitters consistently,” Gerace said. “She’s had a good number of points in every single match.”

Volleyball roundup: Millbrook, Rhinebeck win two apiece

Another steady force for Rhinebeck has been Brooke LaRoche, an outside hitter. She had 27 service points and seven kills for the Hawks (10-7).

“Brooke has been our leader on offense and a play-maker all over,” Gerace said. “(LaRoche) has a lot of power behind her swing and her serve is very strong.”

Sophomore middle hitter Lauren Platt added six kills as Rhinebeck concluded its regular season.

Audra Rappaport had nine digs, Shaneeka Reid had three kills and three blocks, and Brianna Swart had five service points and three kills for Dover (5-11).

The Hawks await their fate, which will be determined in a Thursday seeding meeting for the sectional tournament.

“I think the season went very well for us,” Gerace said. “We got off to a slow start, but we started turning it on and the group began working together better and we became more consistent.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

A simple but unusual question was posed to a group of John Jay High School field hockey players last week: Who is your most interesting teammate? The response was immediate, and in almost perfect synchronization they all blurted, “Jenna Croce!”

Her sense of humor, candor and “weirdness” make her fascinating, they said.

In addition to being eclectic and eccentric, Croce is a strong midfielder who excels at moving the ball in transition and has helped lead the Patriots to a league title.

As her team readies for the playoffs, the Journal chatted with this tap-dancing, head-standing, cheese-loving, self-proclaimed klutz.

What makes you weird?

I’m not afraid to just be myself. I think I say and do a lot of things that people think but wouldn’t say.

If you could be an animal what would it be?

Not a giraffe. People used to tell me I look like a giraffe. I’m only 5-foot-8, but I’ve been about this height since eighth grade and I was taller than most kids in my class, so they’d tease me with that. … I’d probably want to be a monkey. They’re flexible, agile, can swing and jump from anything.

Lasaponara shines as John Jay secures league title

If you could trade places with one person for a day?

That’s an easy one: Missy Elliot. I love her and she’s so cool. Plus, “Work It” is my all-time favorite song.

You have a background in dancing?

I started when I was 3. I did everything: ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, tumbling. I don’t do it seriously anymore, but I still have a pair of tap shoes. I tap dance in my house all the time and in front of my friends for fun. I do the Shuffle Ball Change really well. I gave up dancing to focus on field hockey and lacrosse.

Do you have a nickname?

“Baby Deer.” Teammates say I’m like a baby deer trying to walk because I’m kind of clumsy and I fall down a lot in games. I’m a klutz.

How can you tap dance but have poor balance?

I think sometimes my lower body is moving too fast for my upper body, or vice versa. With tap, your legs are flying all over the place and never in a normal position. Maybe that was good for me.

Field hockey: John Jay slips past Ketcham

When you grow up?

I’d like to be a psychologist. I’ve always thought that it was cool that people were able to analyze other minds and determine what parts of the brain affect certain behaviors.

Most embarrassing moment?

Last year in Global History, I came in late to class and my teacher, Mr. (Michael) Chiacchia, was talking about when the U.S. bombed Japan in World War II. I said, “No we didn’t. We bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” My brain didn’t make the connection. I felt so smart at that moment, not realizing it, and the class started laughing.

Favorite recent memory?

For my 16th birthday, one of my friends gave me a two-pound block of extra sharp cheddar cheese. It was the perfect gift. … I finished it in one sitting.

Did you make anything with the cheese?

I ate it as is. I don’t like melted cheese, so nachos are out of the question.

Favorite cheeses?

I like rosemary cheddar, extra sharp cheddar and Muenster. I don’t think rosemary cheddar is widely known, but I worked at Fishkill Farms and they make it there.

What’s a hidden talent you have?

When I was younger, I used to knit. I can also do handstands really well and breakdance moves. I can stand on my head.

Odd, little-known fact about yourself?

My shin guards stink to the point where they smell like food. They smell like fettuccine alfredo. I keep my distance when I put them on so teammates can’t smell it. With all the practices and games, I haven’t had time to clean them. But I don’t mind the smell.

John Jay High School’s Jenna Croce moves the ball during a field hockey game against Roy C. Ketcham on Sept. 29.

Teammates call you weird, so which one of them do you consider weird?

Emma Dolan. She’s a lot like me, but she tries to hide it. I just be myself, so I’m weird and don’t care. She only lets the weird out around close friends. Jess Lasaponara, too. She has a lot of strange facial expressions and sticks her tongue out during drills. I don’t think she realizes it. She also does a lot of impersonations and will start doing a southern accent for no reason. We were doing it on a bus ride from Pine Plains the other day and somehow it got to us talking about possum Shish Kebobs.

Celebrity crush?

Ben Affleck. I saw him in “Pearl Harbor” and he’s been my crush ever since. Ian Somerhalder, too.

If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want?

A massive block of cheese — I could ration it so it lasts — a warm blanket, and I’d want my dog Ellie. She’s a Jack Russell Terrier.

Wouldn’t the island mice go after your cheese?

Good point. Rat traps would have to be one of my other items!

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Red Hook’s Colin Sullivan gains control of the ball as Wallkill’s Ryan Castle closes in on him during Tuesdays Mid-Hudson Athletic League Semi-Final held in Staatsburg.

Red Hook’s Dennis Hare drives the ball past Wallkill’s Corey Scheibling to score Red Hook’s fourth goal during Tuesdays Mid-Hudson Athletic League Semi-Final held in Staatsburg.

Red Hook’s Zach Sivulich headers the ball past a line of Wallkill’s players during Tuesdays Mid-Hudson Athletic League Semi-Final held in Staatsburg.

Red Hook’s Dennis Hare headers the ball into the goal past Wallkill’s Jeffrey Arenas during Tuesdays Mid-Hudson Athletic League Semi-Final held in Staatsburg.

Dennis Hare scored twice to lead Red Hook over Wallkill High School, 4-1, in Mid-Hudson Athletic League boys soccer semifinals at Franklin D. Roosevelt on Tuesday.

The Raiders advance to the MHAL final to face Spackenkill at 5 p.m. Thursday at Roosevelt. The girls MHAL final is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

“We’ve had to move Dennis around the field because he gets a lot of attention,” Red Hook coach Steve Sutton said. “He’s been coming back to the midfield a little more, but he’s still been able to score. He’s got a second gear and good physical strength.”

Boys soccer roundup: Red Hook wins big over Millbrook

Wallkill scored first, but Hare answered quickly. He tied it at 1 on a header off a feed from Robbie Graham. Zach Sivulich then put the Raiders ahead, scoring on a free kick that deflected in off the goalkeeper. Colin Sullivan made it 3-1. Zach Decker made three saves for the Raiders (14-1).

“I’ll probably end up telling the team at some point that we’re where we should be,” Sutton said. “It wasn’t the prettiest match we’ve played, but we earned our way into the final.”

Red Hook falls in MHAL semis, sets up Spackenkill and Wallkill in final

Chris Stamper scored twice and Jake Kaufman added a goal as Spackenkill beat Rhinebeck, 3-0, in the other semifinal. The Spartans are 12-3.

“We scrimmaged (Spackenkill) for about 15 minutes in August,” Sutton said. “I’m pretty sure they scored a couple on us. They’re good all over the field and they move really well. They’re physical and have excellent communication.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Tennis webkey

Know how coaches, during the most grueling practices, will sometimes remind their teams to think big-picture, with the ultimate goal as motivation?

Yeah. Umm. Not so much for the Spackenkill High School girls tennis team.

While the players ran laps and endured pre-season drills, coach Jackie Klein warned that this could be a rebuilding season. The Spartans had a slew of players new to singles competition, “so we couldn’t count on seeing the same results.”

Yeah. Umm. Except they did. Sarah McCall defeated Emma DiLascio, 6-0, 6-0, at first singles as Spackenkill topped Highland, 5-0, on Friday to secure its 13th league title in 15 seasons.

“The singles players hit deep corner shots and volleys to win their games,” Klein said. “Both doubles teams excelled at volleys and lobs.”

Cynthia Ma, who was runner-up in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League singles tournament, beat Mary Kossel, 6-0, 6-0, in second singles on Friday. Rachel Li won at third singles. Kourtney Kowalski and Madison Myers won at first doubles, and Katie Lhungay and Leona Lau earned a victory in second doubles to complete the sweep for the Spartans (10-0).

“They were able to achieve what we did last year, despite being a new team,” Klein said. “The girls were thrilled. (This accomplishment) says they’ve worked hard and they’re dedicated to the sport. We’re very proud.”

Spackenkill will send seven of its players to the Section 9 championship tournament at Match Point Tennis in Goshen at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

A proposed change in New York’s high school football structure that would create a sixth enrollment classification and reshuffle local competitors has drawn mixed opinions from area coaches and administrators.

Red Hook High School’s Nick Morrissey evades Spackenkill defenders during their Oct. 9 game.

The executive committee of the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association is set to meet in Troy on Thursday to discuss and vote on a number of issues. Paramount among them is the possible addition of a “Class AAA” for the state’s largest football teams, which would also shift the enrollment ranges for each of the existing five classifications.

The purpose of the new class would be to increase parity by separating the large high schools from the very large ones, NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas said. While the consensus locally is that there is room for an additional class, the effectiveness of the current proposal, and the rationale behind each class’ size, is in question.

“I can understand the desire to move in this direction,” said Arlington Athletic Director Dave Goddard, whose school’s enrollment is around 3,000. “I get it all the time: Some of the schools now (in Class AA) that don’t have our numbers can say, ‘Why do we have to play Arlington? They’re about three times our size.’ That would still be the case for the smaller Triple-A schools.”

Classes for public schools are based on the Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) numbers, which track schools’ enrollment for each year, sans the graduating senior class. The 431 schools with football programs in New York are currently divided into five classes: AA, A, B, C and D. Class AA, the current largest, includes teams representing schools with 930 or more students. Class AAA would have a minimum of 1,100.

Within Dutchess County, only Arlington (2,392), John Jay (1,543) and Roy C. Ketcham (1,417) would qualify for the new class. There wouldn’t be much of a tangible change for those programs as they already compete mostly against the larger schools in Section 1.

But, there is a trickle-down effect, with the threshold numbers changing for each classification, and that would affect some smaller teams in the area. Based on the current BEDS numbers, Section 9 Class B teams Marlboro (479) and Red Hook (496) would jump to Class A. The minimum enrollment for Class A would drop from 570 to 455.

Marlboro High School’s Vincent McCollum, right, runs past Dover’s Russell Bradshaw during their Sept. 5 game.

The change makes sense in theory, some local coaches said, but they argued that even within Class AAA, there still would be a sizable gap between the large schools and extra-large.

“Wherever the heavyweights are, they can’t cap it,” John Jay coach Tom O’Hare said. “There’s still gonna be a divide between the smaller Triple-A schools, right on the fringe, and the bigger ones. A school that’s right around 1,100 students will still have to play teams like Arlington and North Rockland.”

To that, Zayas said: “There will always be schools on the bubble. We have that now. There will always be large teams and smaller teams, no matter the class. This wouldn’t solve that, but it’s an attempt to reduce it.”

According to the proposal in Thursday’s meeting itinerary, the addition of the sixth classification and the additional playoff contests it would create, would be expected to increase revenues by $50,000.

Marlboro coach Rich Ward said he agrees that six classes are necessary, but he doesn’t understand why the change should impact classes beyond Double-A. His Iron Dukes have won four straight Class B Section 9 titles. “Football is still football,” Ward said, insisting that a move to Class A wouldn’t hinder his team.

However, Ward said, “I’d like to know how the philosophy for the (new threshold) numbers were derived. What happened to the 20-percent breakdown?”

Historically, NYSPHSAA has tried to structure the classification so that about 20 percent of its schools fall into each of the five classes. But under this proposal, Class AAA would have only 51 teams (11.8 percent) and Class C would be the most inclusive with 84 teams (19.8 percent).

“This wasn’t explained,” Ward said. “I wish there had been more of a discussion about this and the coaches had some input.”

“I think the geography of New York and the section setup makes this difficult,” Roy C. Ketcham coach Bryan Hogan said. “In some sections, there are very few large schools. One of the concerns with Triple-A, I think, is the possibility of a team having an easier road to the state tournament or even an automatic qualifier in its section.”

Hogan suggested New York consider adopting a system similar to what Connecticut has, with a division in each class of “small” and “large” schools.

A vote on the proposal was tabled at NYSPHAA’s July meeting and put off to October to allow the committee to gather more information. There is a possibility the vote could again be pushed back once more on Thursday, Goddard said. But, according to Zayas, NYSPHSAA considers its January 29 meeting “our hard deadline” for decisions affecting next fall season.

Zayas said “it’s always a possibility” the cut-off numbers could be adjusted in the proposal, but he thinks it’s unlikely “because there would be a time crunch to get that done for next year.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Football classifications

Current enrollment boundaries

Class AA: 910-and-up

Class A: 480-909

Class B: 280-479

Class C: 170-279

Class D: Up-to-169

Proposed enrollment boundaries for 2016

Class AAA: 1,100-and-up

Class AA: 740-1,099

Class A: 455-739

Class B: 340-454

Class C: 225-339

Class D: Up-to-224

Football

Ryan Schumacher threw a touchdown and ran for another score to lead the second-seeded John Jay High School football team over visiting No. 15 Suffern, 28-12, on Friday in the Section 1 Class AA qualifying round.

Danny Diedrich and Bristol Smith each ran for a touchdown for the Patriots (6-1), who advance to the playoffs.

Smith’s touchdown run and the subsequent two-point conversion gave the Patriots a 14-6 lead in the second quarter. Logan O’Donnell caught a touchdown pass for John Jay.

“This was a tough game and Suffern played way better than a 15 seed,” Patriots coach Tom O’Hare said. “Their seed wasn’t indicative of their ability. Their preseason rank dictated that they couldn’t surpass a 14 seed but talent-wise, they were good. But we’re a resilient group and we pulled it out.”

John Jay will host an opponent to be determined after the teams are re-seeded for the Section 1 playoffs, which begin next week.

“We’ll just wait and see who we get and prepare for them,” O’Hare said. “We’ll be back on the field Monday, trying to get better.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Football

Phil DeSantis ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns and completed 4 of 5 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown to lead the Marlboro High School football team over Highland, 62-0, on Friday.

Tanner Hashberger ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and had two catches for 37 yards and a score for the Iron Dukes (7-0). Rino Tamburri rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Sam Mongelli ran for 72 yards and a score.

“We’re getting off the ball faster, hitting our cuts better, playing cleaner and making adjustments quicker,” Marlboro coach Rich Ward said. “Everything you want to see a team improve on as it heads toward the playoffs, we’ve been seeing the last three weeks. We just have to keep it going.”

John Perugino had two interceptions and ran for a touchdown, Jonathan Sakadelis made 15 tackles and Frank Zebrowski had 14 tackles for Marlboro.

Marlboro, the four-time defending Section 9 Class B champions, will have the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs. The Iron Dukes will have a bye next week before facing an opponent to be determined on Oct. 31.

“We put ourselves in good position to make a run at the sectional title,” Ward said. “It won’t be a cakewalk because there’s tough competition out there, but I think we’ve gotten progressively better.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Arlington’s Maranda Sears returns a volley during the girls sectional tennis finals at Harrison High School on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015.

Burrito bowl with rice, chicken, guacamole, black beans and salsa: check!​

Mint chocolate chip ice cream: check!

A trip to the state girls tennis tournament: Uh-huh.

Arlington High School’s Maranda Sears celebrated with Mexican food and ice cream on Thursday after giving herself reason to. The junior earned her first trip to the state tournament after winning the consolation match of the Section 1 tennis tournament at Harrison High School.

Sears defeated Suffern’s Courtney Ollis, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, to capture third place.

“In the first set, I was nervous because I knew if I lost I wouldn’t get to states,” Sears said of faltering in the first set. “After I lost, I calmed myself down and started playing better.”

Sears had lost to Suffern’s Sydney Kaplan in a semifinal Tuesday and Kaplan went on to win the tournament. But with third place comes a bid to the state tournament on Oct. 31 at the Tri City Tennis Center in Latham, Albany County.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Sears said. “I looked like one of the pros after winning the U.S. Open, fist-pumping and screaming. I was so excited.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Poughkeepsie’s Shaquez Nesbitt during practice at Poughkeepsie High School on Wednesday.

These are the most trying moments — when their backs are to the wall, the odds are stacked against them, down and seemingly out as time dwindles, with few outside that football huddle still believing.

“That’s what takes the most out of you, mentally and physically,” Poughkeepsie High School linebacker Akili Hill said. “But when you pull through in the end, it’s the best feeling you can have.”

Poughkeepsie’s Shaquez Nesbitt runs a play during practice at Poughkeepsie High School on Wednesday.

He was talking about the Pioneers’ string of three late-game victories, the last of which was an improbable last-minute comeback against New Paltz, 36-35, last week.

Nesbitt touchdown lifts Poughkeepsie to dramatic win

But the final 28 seconds of that game were somewhat a microcosm of this season, one that has brought the Pioneers from the depths of turmoil and embarrassment, which culminated in a forfeit following punches being thrown on the team bus, to the doorstep of the playoffs.

Shaquez Nesbitt’s dazzling 99-yard kickoff return touchdown pulled Poughkeepsie within a point of the Huguenots. However, the Pioneers eschewed attempting an extra-point kick, and Trevon Reid hit Javon Atkinson on a fade for the winning two-point conversion.

Just like that, this team was 4-3, matching its win total from the previous two years combined. Poughkeepsie hosts Goshen at 5:30 p.m. Friday, and if the Pioneers prevail, they earn their first Section 9 Class A playoff berth, and first sectional spot since making it in Section 1 in 2012.

The players now refer to each other as “family” and some said first-year coach Jerry North speaks to them like a parent. During practice on Wednesday, there was playful banter, cheerfulness, laughter … optimism!

This team?

A month ago they were mired in a maelstrom of controversy as the season spiraled out of control with ugly losses and an ugly incident that followed one, leading to a disciplinary forfeit handed down by the district superintendent.

Poughkeepsie football to forfeit Friday as part of discipline

“It’s pretty crazy, right?” Nesbitt said, smiling. “The way we (were) going at the beginning, who would’ve thought we would be here with a chance to make the playoffs?”

Not this team.

Poughkeepsie High School’ football team lines up to run plays during practice on Wednesday.

It took reaching rock bottom before the climb began. Their nadir was the forfeit, they said. It was the result of an altercation on the bus ride back from Port Jervis on Sept. 11 after a blowout loss. This had long been a group that argued often and had “petty” squabbles, Nesbitt said. “You’d have guys getting on each other for little things,” he said. “Like, ‘You messed this up, you missed your key, you didn’t make that block.'”

Several players goofed around during the trip from Port Jervis, Hill said, but one in particular refused to settle down and razzed a teammate who was visibly upset.

“It was jokes that went too far and the other person wasn’t taking it well,” Hill said. “We could see it was getting to that point so everybody was like, ‘Alright, stop. Enough.’ But it kept going and we knew something was gonna happen.”

Poughkeepsie’s Akili Hill carries the ball during practice at Poughkeepsie High School on Wednesday.

A fight eventually erupted and punches were thrown before it was broken up, senior Malik Lewis said. And that was two weeks after some of the Pioneers had allegedly filmed a profanity-laced video taunting their opponent, Franklin D. Roosevelt. This all drew the ire of the district and resulted in a player being thrown off the team, North said, along with the Pioneers doing community service — helping coach a Pop Warner team — in lieu of playing their Sept. 18 game against Saugerties.

“I was upset,” Lewis said. “I’m thinking, ‘Why should we suffer for something two people did?’ It felt like everybody was against us. When we were doing good stuff like picking up trash and sweeping streets (in Poughkeepsie) in August, we didn’t get thanks. But when something bad happened, we all get blamed and look bad.”

But a lesson in accountability was to be gained from that experience, “understanding that the actions of one can affect everybody, negatively or positively,” North said. “It’s bigger than football and it starts with being a good person.”

Poughkeepsie’s Akili Hill adjusts his helmet during practice at Poughkeepsie High School on Wednesday.

The coaches held three team meetings during which grievances were aired and the team attempted to settle any feuds, Lewis said.

“We all thought the forfeit was unfair,” Hill said. “But at the same time, a situation like that comes with consequences … I think we came together after that.”

Nesbitt said it started with little things, like simply being more mindful of how they address each other. Instead of snapping at a teammate over an error, he said, “you can be calm and give advice. Everybody still gets mad sometimes, but just be respectful to each other.”

North said the bickering has diminished greatly in recent weeks, even during the bus ride after a 59-6 loss to Cornwall on Sept. 25. The Pioneers were overmatched in that contest, but North lauded their effort.

Football Huddle: Makeup or make-up for Poughkeepsie?

What has followed is a three-game win streak. They beat Wallkill, 20-14, on Troy Schoonmaker’s touchdown with three minutes left. They then edged Monticello, 20-14, thanks to two touchdowns from Reid, who replaced an injured Schoonmaker. And finally, there was the stunner over New Paltz.

One tangible change for the Pioneers has been the gradual implementation of a spread offense — a stark deviation from their old Wing-T. They still mix in the power I-formation because of the team’s familiarity with it, North said, but the spread has allowed Poughkeepsie to better utilize its speed.

“With everything that happened, it was like, ‘Here we go again. Another season down the drain,'” Hill said. “But we didn’t give up. To turn it around like this and have a chance to make the playoffs as a senior, man … I can be proud to say I’m a Pioneer.”

Nesbitt, a sophomore, considers Friday’s game a must-win because “we got to send the seniors off with a bang. Let ’em feel like we accomplished something this year.”

In many ways, they already have.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Friday football

Visit http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/sports and follow the Journal on Twitter, @PJSports for the latest information on Friday’s football action throughout the night. Check out Stephen Haynes on Twitter, @StephenHaynes4 for live updates from the Section 1 playoff game between Arlington and John Jay.

Friday schedule

Goshen at Poughkeepsie, 5:30 p.m.

Kingston at Roosevelt, 6 p.m.

Walter Panas at Beacon, 6 p.m.

Section 1 Class AA quarterfinals: Arlington at John Jay, 6:30 p.m.

Section 1 Class A quarterfinals: Somers at Lourdes, 7 p.m.

Highland at Ellenville, 7 p.m.

Millbrook at Fallsburg, 7 p.m.

John Jay’s Travis Contreras runs the ball past Andrew Anthony blocking Arlington’s Ben Siebold during Friday’s game in Wiccopee.

John Jay’s Frank DiFusco carries the ball through Arlington’s defense during Friday’s game in Wiccopee.

John Jay’s Ryan Schumacher passes the ball as Arlington’s Jordan Valerious closes in on him during Friday’s game in Wiccopee.

WICCOPEE – Arlington versus John Jay has produced several classic games, but Friday night offered a classic moment — a sequence, really. The kind that Ryan Schumacher and Travis Contreras may one day regale their grandkids with.

Schumacher ran for three touchdowns and connected with Contreras for a jaw-dropping touchdown, helping the second-seeded Patriots past No. 7 Arlington High School, 28-14, in a Section 1 Class AA football quarterfinal.

John Jay (7-1), the defending champion, hosts third-seeded Clarkstown North game in a semifinal next week.

Football Huddle: Arlington vs. John Jay deserves better than 1st round

The soundtrack of rival fans roaring during a rematch of last year’s final had already set the ambiance. Then came this…

As time ran down in the second, Schumacher heaved a deep ball toward the end zone. Contreras made a spectacular leaping catch, securing the ball against his shoulder. That set the Patriots up at the 1, and Schumacher plunged in on a sneak. But, it was called back on a penalty, pushing John Jay back to the 11. That’ll be the footnote when this story is retold.

Arlington’s Anthony Lantern gets tackled by John Jay’s Todd Belotti during Friday’s game in Wiccopee.

Because… Schumacher then rolled right and was pressured. A defender grabbed his leg and began twisting him down for a sack. As the quarterback was spun down, he flipped the ball toward the right sideline, seemingly headed out of bounds. But Contreras lunged and snagged it at the pylon with five seconds left.

That score, and the subsequent two-point conversion, put the Patriots up 21-7. Danny Diedrich’s fumble recovery at the 27 preceded the drive. Contreras had an interception in the third.

Section 1 football roundup: Schumacher leads John Jay to win in qualifier

John Jay led 13-0 in the second after two short Schumacher touchdown runs. Rob Tannenbaum’s 4-yard score put Arlington (4-4) on the board with 3:42 left in the first half, and his 3-yard run got them within 21-14 with 4:00 left in the third. But Schumacher answered with a 3-yard touchdown three minutes later.

John Jay’s Ryan Schumacher attempt to break away from Arlington’s Ben Siebold during Friday’s game in Wiccopee.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Volleyball Webkey

Alicia Acosta has emerged as a vocal leader for the Rhinebeck High School volleyball team. The senior has a calming influence on the group and her enthusiasm during matches “is contagious,” Hawks coach Ashley Gerace said.

Acosta is also one heck of a player. The setter had 19 assists, 14 service points and a kill to lead Rhinebeck over Dover, 25-8, 25-11, 25-27, 25-15, on Tuesday.

“She does her job really well and gets the ball to the hitters consistently,” Gerace said. “She’s had a good number of points in every single match.”

Volleyball roundup: Millbrook, Rhinebeck win two apiece

Another steady force for Rhinebeck has been Brooke LaRoche, an outside hitter. She had 27 service points and seven kills for the Hawks (10-7).

“Brooke has been our leader on offense and a play-maker all over,” Gerace said. “(LaRoche) has a lot of power behind her swing and her serve is very strong.”

Sophomore middle hitter Lauren Platt added six kills as Rhinebeck concluded its regular season.

Audra Rappaport had nine digs, Shaneeka Reid had three kills and three blocks, and Brianna Swart had five service points and three kills for Dover (5-11).

The Hawks await their fate, which will be determined in a Thursday seeding meeting for the sectional tournament.

“I think the season went very well for us,” Gerace said. “We got off to a slow start, but we started turning it on and the group began working together better and we became more consistent.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4