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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.
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
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
Tigers Move Into Raider Red Zone and Are Stopped.
Ryan Smalls returned the kickoff to the
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
Tigers Tie, 7-7.
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
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
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
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

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
This time the Tigers held on downs and at 4th and 2 on the
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,
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.
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,


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.

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
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.
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

A Great Football Organization
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
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.












