Roy C. Ketcham’s from left, Joe Carr and John Gonzalez close in on Mahopac’s Andrew Ryan during Saturday’s game at Ketcham.
Marlboro High School’s John Perugino breaks through the Spackenkill defense on Friday in Marlboro.
Week One of the high school football season brought a variety of highlights and statement games we may be looking back to at season’s end, including a pair of big wins for the Wappingers Central School District, and a reminder that Marlboro is still the team to beat in Section 9 Class B.
Our Lady of Lourdes High School’s Estefano Rendon shed a Brewster defender on Friday in Brewster.
But, this is a column and there will be some opining from time to time. And in my opinion, this weekend’s coolest moment was Charles Davis, a New Paltz High School graduate turned television football analyst, witnessing his old team win big on Friday.
It was a thrill for the Huguenots, dominating with a revered alumnus on hand to cheer them on. Davis, a 1982 graduate who spent a brief time in the Dallas Cowboys organization, is a FOX television analyst and the new voice of the “Madden NFL” video game.
Davis flew from Florida to make an impromptu appearance at New Paltz, where he addressed the team, posed for photos, signed autographs and showed off his Huguenots gear on Twitter. His presence inspired the team and further invigorated a home crowd that already was charged. And they all were treated to the football team’s 27-0 trouncing of Wallkill.
“There was no way we were gonna lose that game!” New Paltz coach Tom Tegeler said.
Cool.
But it was Kumar Singh who, perhaps, had the coolest experience. And it had little to do with his stats.
Let’s go back a year… It was last September when Singh, then a junior, had a breakout performance and starred on both ends, leading New Paltz to a one-point win over Highland. A torrent of congratulations poured in that night, but none memorable than Davis’. The broadcaster had been following the game on social media and, afterwards, offered props to Singh.
“Being recognized by somebody you look up to was amazing,” Singh said. “Having him tweet at me in the second game of the season, that’s special.”
It was the ultimate high. Then a week later, Singh’s season ended when he suffered a broken collarbone against Goshen. Two emotional extremes, in the span of days.
“I think about it all the time,” the wide receiver said. “You’re on top of the world, then suddenly, that.”
In life, fortunes can change in a blink. And that’s certainly so in football. Singh spent the next several months rehabbing, working extensively on strengthening his shoulder, all the while dreaming of returning to the field for a huge senior campaign.
So catching two passes for 60 yards and making three tackles at strong safety on Friday night mattered far less than the fact he was simply playing. Even at a new position, as he was been moved from running back to receiver.
“My team needs me, and being gone made me realize how much I need this team,” Singh said. “So it felt great to be back.”
Even better to be back before one of his role models. So this time, the kudos came in person.
“(Davis) said he was proud,” Singh said. “He said, ‘It’s great to see good things happening again with this team and in this town.’”
Singh’s athleticism creates defensive mismatches and his return to the lineup provides a “boost” to the team, Tegeler said. After a 3-6 season that ended in the first round of the Section 9 Class A playoffs, New Paltz could use some positive vibes.
As well, Singh has been an avid fan of the “Madden” video games since 2008 and he has known about Davis’ legacy at New Paltz for about as long. Seeing Davis’ old No. 18 jersey encased in the school, he said, “I didn’t know much about him back then, but I knew he must’ve been important.”
Davis played football, basketball and baseball for the Huguenots and went on to star as a safety at the University of Tennessee. After a brief career with the Cowboys, he became a sportscaster.
His return to New Paltz came about, in part, because of a relationship he had fostered with Tegeler, whom he met a decade ago at an NFL draft. Davis remained close with his former high school football coach, John Ford, who had invited Tegeler to that draft as his guest.
“Charles greeted us there and treated us like kings,” Tegeler said. “I thought, ‘This guy is special and he went to our school. We should (be) proud!’”
The two have kept in touch since, calling to chat about football occasionally. Last week, Tegeler said, he received a text from Davis at 6:50 a.m. asking if New Paltz would be playing at home on Sept. 2. They were, of course, and Davis made travel plans, returning to his high school for the first time since graduating.
“This was huge for New Paltz football and the whole town,” Tegeler said. “People were coming up to me (Saturday) and asking, ‘How cool was that?’”
Tegeler said before the game, a friend rushed to the store to buy a copy of “Madden NFL 17” — the latest installment of the video game, which was released last month — and Davis autographed it. That souvenir will serve as a de facto trophy, awarded to the team MVP at season’s end.
“There’s no way to predict who will win it because we have so many good players,” Singh said. “But if I’m the one to win the prize, it would mean a whole lot to me. That would be cool.”
That would be very cool.
Top Week One Game
Arlington 23, Carmel 17 — Ricardo Yolas’ 12-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted Arlington to victory on Friday night, as new head coach Mike Morano earned his first victory. Kicker Alex Maier made a 30-yard field goal that tied the score at 17 in the third quarter for the Admirals. He also went 3 for 3 on extra points.
Top Week Two Matchup
Eastchester at Our Lady of Lourdes, Friday at 7 p.m. — Coming off a loss to open its season, Lourdes will host Eastchester, the team it edged in the Section 1 Class A semifinals last year en route to reaching the state final. Despite graduating a number of standouts, Lourdes still was tabbed a No. 1 seed in the section, and the Warriors will desperately want to rebound from Friday’s loss to Brewster.
Week One Scoreboard
Brewster 20, Our Lady of Lourdes 7
Week Two Schedule
Friday
Ketcham at Arlington, 6 p.m.
Rondout Valley at New Paltz, 6:30 p.m.
Marlboro at O’Neill, 6:30 p.m.
Dover at Ellenville, 7 p.m.
Millbrook at Sullivan West, 7 p.m.
Chester at Spackenkill, 7 p.m.
Eastchester at Lourdes, 7 p.m.
Carmel at John Jay, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Tuckahoe at Haldane, 1 p.m.
Beacon at Peekskill, 1:30 p.m
Poughkeepsie at Monticello, 1:30 p.m.
Pine Plains at Liberty, 1:30 p.m.
Red Hook at Highland, 3 p.m.
#PJTop3
Three of the top football performances in Week One. Nominate performances by using #PJTop3 on Twitter.
Sam Mongelli, Marlboro: The sophomore, in his first start, ran for 256 yards and a touchdown and completed 5 of 8 passes for 135 yards and a score, leading the Iron Dukes in a 46-28 win over Spackenkill on Friday. He also kicked four extra points.
Jason Chlus, Highland: The middle linebacker had 13 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and deflected a pass, leading the Huskies stifling defense in an 18-8 win over Sullivan West on Friday.
Matt Amone, Franklin D. Roosevelt: Amone rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries to lead the Presidents in a 33-6 win over Poughkeepsie on Friday. He also had an interception.
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