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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. November 1, 2003, UPDATED November 3, and Nov. 5, 2003 with Coach Commentary 1:30 P.M. E.S.T.: North Rockland marched off an impressive TD drive midway in the second quarter, led by the awesome running of Tony McCoy, and added two field goals of 30 and 38 yards by Riedrick Alceus in the last 4 minutes of the first half, to take a commanding 20-7 lead at intermission. A third quarter TD and a late touchdown finished off the Tigers, 34-7 before a crowd of over 1,000 fans at Parker Stadium.
Spencer Ridenhour scores the Tigers lone touchdown at the outset of the second quarter to tie the score 7-7. North Rockland’s bigger line and disciplined, acrobatic pass receiving corps moved the ball in the first half, and their line and Mr. McCoy finished the job. The Tigers fall to 8-1 and will play in the Riddell Bowl next week against Carmel. North Rockland will face New Rochelle for the Section 1 Championship next week, Spencer is the middle of the line about to fall over the goal line. Aroused, North Rockland marched down the field on running by McCoy to go ahead, 14-7 with six minutes to play in the half. Photo by WPCNR Sports
BIG GAME BUZZ: A huge crowd was on hand at the Parker bowl for this one. There were vibes in the air, an electricity as the gametime neared. What impressed this reporter was how big the North Rockland squad was. It was an observation not without merit. Photo by WPCNR Sports
HARDEST WORKING ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN THE BUSINESS, Mario Scarano was working the crowd for change to make change for those paying the $3 admission charge with big bills. The crowd was still coming in midway through the second quarter. Mr. Scarano was trading for 10s and singles to make change. Photo by WPCNR Sports
This was a high-powered entertaining football game for the first 20 minutes.
White Plains deferred to the second half after winning the toss giving North Rockland the ball. The Raiders returned the ball to their own 35. On 3rd and 9 on their 36, Quarterback Jim Hickey dropped back, had all day to pass and hit John Rogers over the middle 17 yards up field for a first down on the White Plains 47. Rogers made a terrific leap and snare as the Tiger secondary converged. It was a harbinger of doom.
On the Raiders first play from the Tiger 47, Tony McCoy convoyed through the lighter Tiger line (North Rockland’s line averaged 235 pounds to White Plains line of 217 pounds, a factor that was to carry the day) to the Tiger 35. After a running play went nowhere, the Rockies faced another 3rd and 9 on the 35, Hickey dropped back to pass again.
Hickey had time to knock off an SAT in the backfield, (something many of his teammates had done the morning of the game, necessitating the 3 o’clock kickoff time), and lofted one deep down the middle in front of the goal posts. The packed stands looked, so did the Tiger secondary, but no defensive back closed to the ball. It looked like a pass to nowhere. But loping in stealthily from the right corner of the end zone in a cleverly contrived sideline-and-in pattern was Rogers who broke into the box zone secondary circle of Tigers and took the pass waist high right in the middle of them immaculately, while the Tigers watched. No one took the man. No one took the ball. But, Rogers did and it was 6-0, North Rockland with 2 minutes gone in the game.
Tigers Move Into Raider Red Zone and Are Stopped.
Ryan Smalls returned the kickoff to the White Plains 35, and after a run by Ridenhour put the ball on the 39, Mike Devere dropped back, threw to his right mid range to Sean McLaughlin for a reception on the Rockland 47. The Tigers were moving the ball all right.
On 2nd and 8 from the Raider 45, Spencer Ridenhour lugged through left tackle for a first down on the Raider 37. On second down, Ike Nduka, returning to the lineup cut off right tackle, “duked” and bounced and picked his way down to the Raider 20.
It was the first crisis point of the game. On first down, a screen pass to Smalls on the far side, gained 4 yards. Ridenhour ran 3 to the 13. Two more runs by Ridenhour for the first down failed and Rockland took over on downs. Rockland had won the first battle of the lines.
Tigers Tie, 7-7.
Rockland could not move the ball and the Tigers took over at the Raider 47 after a 38 yard punt got Rockland out of trouble.
Ryan Smalls carried to the 40. Mike Devere dropped back to pass, saw all his receivers covered then took off, seeing lots of green ahead of him, eluding the convering raiders down the far side alley, getting all the way to the 17 yard line, a 23-yard scramble and pickup. On 2nd and 4 from the Rockland 12, Ike Nduka took it off right tackle to the 5, as the first quarter ended.
This was the most action-packed first quarter of the year, lots of good testing football, but the bigger faster Raiders would take their toll.
Ridenhour took the ball twice and scored the equalizing touchdown on a 3 yard run. Pablo Siaba kicked the point, and it was 7-7 with 11:54 to go in the half.
Rockland Rolls Down the Field
The Raiders walked very slowly and purposefully back to their bench on the far sideline, contemplating what had just happened. They had been tied up. They then answered with an awesome drive, rolling 75 yards in 10 plays, using only two passes, as “The Real McCoy,” Tony McCoy ran out of the backfield personally challenging the Tiger defense on play after play. Complimented by the threat of Brett Maher at the other running back, McCoy began to seize yardage like Attila the Hun. He picked up 6 yards, 5 yards, then Maher spelled him for 3, and on 2nd and 5 from the Rockies’ 49, it was McCoy agin for 8 yards for a 1st on the Tiger 43.
This was not fancy stuff. It was smashmouth football, straightahead “coming your way football,” no deception, just great execution. McCoy at 5 foot 11, 200 pounds was plugging and busting it like Charlie Taylor, clanging off tacklers, staying on his spikes and gaining yardage when he should have been stopped. McCoy ran it twice more to the Tiger 39 when an offside stopped their momentum, and the Orange and Black had one shot to stop the drive.
ROCKIES ROLLING: The offside made it 3rd and 6 from the Tiger 39 with 7:20 to go in the half, Quarterback Hickey from the shot gun had time, but was being pursued to the near side, was in the grasp of a Tiger rusher, but he winged it to the farside midrange in the vulnerable over the middle spot in the Tiger secondary, hitting John Rogers again at the Tiger 15, first down. It was another big third down conversion. Photo by WPCNR Sports
On first down from the 15, Hickey having the Tigers back on their heels, dropped back again and slung a pass to the right flat hitting Brett Maher at the 20 who turned to his right gathered the perfect pass in, and two steps ahead of the Tiger defender eased into the endzone at the corner flag for the 13-7 lead, there was 6:20 to in the half. The PAT made it 14-7.
Fumble Leads to Alceus 38 Yarder for Three #?!%@! Unbelievable!
After the Tigers took the kickoff, a pass interference on North Rockland gave the Tigers a first down on their 29. On second down from the Tiger 35, Spencer Ridenhour broke into the secondary and as he was going down at the 39, had the ball stripped. The Raiders recovered on the Tiger 35.
This time the Tigers held on downs and at 4th and 2 on the White Plains 28, North Rockland sent in a field goal unit to execute a play this reporter has never seen in 43 years of watching high school football. The crowd of over 1,000 fans at Parker Stadium should always remember it.
Riedrick Alceus came on to try a 38 yard field goal, kicking to the scoreboard end of the Parker bowl in the gathering twilight.
I mentioned to one of the Grandstand Offensive Coordinators, “this has to be a fake.” It was not.
Alceus got into the ball, after a perfect snap and putdown, and it soared way deep and high to the right upright and just inside it for “3,” the confidence in the Tiger defense had to just whoosh out of them. It was 17-7, Rockies, with about a minute to go in the half.
This was no lucky kick. Alceus can kick it. Perhaps the Giants and the Jets should sign him up for next weekend, since the Giant and Jet kickers both missed field goals of similar distance Sunday.
As the Tigers trudged back to their bench stunned, you sensed a turning point had been reached in the game. Instead of the Tigers being a touchdown away going into the half, with first possession they were two touchdowns away, after making what they thought had been a defensive stop.
2ND Fumble Creates a second 3-pointer.
White Plains took over after the kickoff with just 40 seconds left in the half. Mike Devere had Ryan Smalls ahead of the back on the 50, but underthrew him, Ryan coming back to get the pass, slipped, giving the Raider defender a chance to knock the pass down.
Another pass failed, then on 3rd down, with 30 seconds to go, there was a fumble on the exchange at center. Devere never got the ball in his hands. It squirted free and a Red Raider fell on it. First down, North Rockland on the White Plains 33 with 20 seconds to go in the half.
THREE POINTS IN 20 SECONDS: Rockland’s quarterback Hickey fired the ball calmly over the middle to Jeff Kroll for a first down on the White Plains 16. A time out was called, and Mr. Alceus was summoned again for a 28 yard field goal attempt. No problem. The kick was up and it was dead, solid, perfect, right of center, and North Rockland’s Alceus had incredibly kicked two field goals of difficult distance twice in two minutes. The Tigers went into the half, trailing 20-7. Alceus’ stands next to Rashone Foote(27 in black), watching his kick. The football can be seen above the right upright as a speck, about to soar through for the KILLER 3.
THE BIG W: The White Plains High School Marching Band unveiled an intricate “W Waves” formation in their most sophisticated marching program of the season. The Band executed the diagonal waves, marching in diagonal lines out from their center, with the professionalism of a college band from the South. Photo by WPCNR BandCam.
Third Quarter Blues.
TIGERS STYMIED IN THIRD STANZA: Spencer Ridenhour, nearsideline at midfield, running in the third quarter, as the portable lights, installed for the late afternoon start, were starting to take effect. North Rockland quickly put a stop to any thoughts of a comeback. Photo by WPCNR
The Tigers got the ball first at the start of the second half but went 3-and-out, starting from their 25 yard line. A punt of 25 yards was fair-caught at the Rockland 47 and the Raiders moved 53 yards in 9 plays, chewing up 7 minutes of the 3rd quarter, using Mr. McCoy’s talents to move the ball again. The key play of this drive occurred when the Rockies had a 3rd and 9 on the Tiger 23.
Again, Jim Hickey, whose ability to hit a big third down pass reminds one of Bart Starr, threw over the middle into the Tigers’ vulnerable spot to Brett Maher for the first down on the 10. Two gives to McCoy got it to the 2, and Maher went in from the 2, to clinch the game. It was 27-7 with 5 minutes to go in the third quarter.
Rockland added a 4th touchdown with about 2 minutes to go in the game, after an interception set Rockland up on their 25. A 36 yard run by McCoy moved the Raiders to the Tiger 35.
To the Tigers’ credit they contested that last drive to the 4th and goal situation trying to deny that last Raider touchdown. They were tired but they showed great heart in attempting to make that last stop with the game already gone. In retrospect I will remember their gritty competiveness on that last Rockland 25 yard drive.
PARKER UNDER THE LIGHTS: Fourth Quarter Action shows the full effect of the temporary lights on mobile stands, rented for the Section I Playoff Game. It gave the old Parker bowl the feeling of a high school game in the deep south on a Friday night, a tradition below the Mason-Dixon line. From a fan’s standpoint, the lighting effects were very adequate. From a players’ standpoint I would guess punts and long passes would be hard to pickup against a pitch black sky, once the pass or kick soared above the lights. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Mario Scarano, White Plains Athletic Director, said that the lights were rented by the high school because a number of North Rockland players were taking the Scholastic Aptitude Tests on Saturday morning, whereas 99% of White Plains players were not taking the test a second time. North Rockland advised White Plains they could not make it down from North Rockland in time for a 1:30 P.M. kickoff.
Scarano told WPCNR Monday afternoon that White Plains had the option of playing the game on Sunday, but decided to rent the lights and move up the kickoff time on Saturday instead. He reports that the 10 Mobile Light Units shown in the picture above were rented at a total cost of $2,400, ($150 for each unit, plus $600 to set up, and $600 to take down).
He also reports that an admission charge was administered which paid back the cost of the light rental, and netted the school about a $500 net profit, which will be used for athletic awards dinners.
Mr. Scarano, asked if he had ever seen a 38 yard field goal at the high school level, said he had, and complimented North Rockland’s coaching program, noting that they had about eight assistant coaches, and “a great kicking program.” He said they were noted for attempting field goals on 4th downs.
Asked if he would consider regular night football games from time to time, Mr. Scarano was enthusiastic, saying, he would love to do that, if the program wanted to.
A Great Football Organization
North Rockland’s bigger line, fast backs, and perfectly executed pass routes presented a balanced, relentless attack far superior than New Rochelle, Groton and Mount Vernon, White Plains’ toughest opponents to date. Joe Casarella, a football legend, the North Rockland coach, has a tremendous talent pool to draw from and develops them to a degree of football sophistication rarely seen in high school.
The ends are where the quarterback expects them to be, every time. The line, fierce big and quick at an average 235 pounds did not outfight the White Plains line, but by sheer force on force opened those holes. The attack is balanced. The passing is as good as the running, and when you add the seldom-used, but highly effective Alceus kicking to the mix, that is a tough football team.
Kudos from the Coach.
Coach Mark Santa-Donato, White Plains coach, commented later in the week in a letter to WPCNR on the North Rockland team: “They are a fine football team. You just can’t turn the ball over multiple times against a talented bunch like North Rockland. Congratulations to Coach Casarella and his Red Raiders on a job well done.”
The coach also took the opportunity to compliment his club and the White Plains fans on the season, writing ” I just want to say how proud I am of our boys and our coaching staff and their hard work in winning League AA-South, getting to the Semi-Finals and winning 11 straight. I am the Head Coach and when we lose it is my fault and that is that.
These are great kids both on and off the field and they will make great contributions to society as they move on from High School. We will be working hard this week to get back on the winning track against Carmel.
I also want to thank our fans who were great! It was a tremendous crowd and they hung in there with us right to the end.
