Flag Football Team Moves into Semis with Win over Ossining

On Thursday May 18, the Flag Football team took on Ossining in the first round of the sectionals. A new sport for most of the girls, the team has learned the game, and Emma DeMuro definitely paid lip service to the most important part. “If you don’t block, you can’t throw and you can’t pass,” said the center. But more than words, her team was quick to follow the lineman’s lead, and the yards immediately started to pile up on a very successful day.

Mahopac twice drove deep into the Ossining zone, and the setting the offense up from the Ossining 42 on drive three, the Indians scored first on the way to a 27-6 victory.

Julianna Greco began by taking a pitch left to the 35 and Ali Rondeau kept the ball twice to set up a third and five from the 25. An incomplete pass brought fourth down, and coach Matt Deiana went for it again. This time Rondeau hit Faith Poniros at the line, and she cut inside to keep the drive alive.

First down at the 15, Greco got back into the swing. She started on the right, took the pitch left and got around the end for a five yard run to the ten. One more time, she started from the left again, and after getting to the six, Maria Camastro went up the middle to the three.

So another fourth down, and Mahopac obviously wasn’t turning back. Rondeau faked the handoff to Camastro, handed it to Greco instead, and she went wide left for the easy touchdown at 10:29 of the first half.

Rondeau then ran it in for the conversion, and the defense lined up with a 7-0 lead. Maya O’Keefe, Gianna Dolan and Maria Garofalo all responded with tackles, and the offense took their turn with good field position again.

Starting at the 40, O’Keefe’s entrance began Mahopac’s standard operation of quarterback roulette. “They both have different skill sets. Both work really hard, both are team captains and both earned the right to to be out their,” said Deiana of Rondeau and O’Keefe.

O’Keefe dropped back, and a screen right put five quick yards on Isabella Fava’s frequent flier plan. But first class was reserved for Dolan. O’Keefe dropped in a perfect pass over the outstretched hands of Charlotte Soto, and Dolan took her carry on luggage to the ten.

Camastro and Fava got the ball to the one, but a two yard loss by Rondeau set up another fourth down. The ensuing change up by Mahopac did not make the switch to O’Keefe, though.

Rondeau ran the play action at 4:25 and wide open for the touchdown, Dolan assured that she is never thrown off by the continual QB shuffle. “The quarterbacks just need to know the plays,” said the receiver. “It doesn’t matter who throws it."

Camastro ran in the conversion, and Mahopac would go into intermission with a 14-0 lead. Sensing the urgency, Ossining was in four down territory to start the second, and the first possession had the visitors give the ball up on downs.

A short field at the 31, Rondeau did her usual part on the ground. She dropped back, waited for the play to develop, and her sideline run gave Mahopac a second and one at the 21.

Camastro got the first down with a run to the 19, and the Indians were knocking again. Greco would turn the knob with a run to the 13, and the latch left Rondeau to pair with Camastro.

The QB dumped the ball off to the all-purpose back on the left, and she scampered to the one. The duo not done yet, Rondeau faked a run into the line, and flipped the option to Camastro for a 20-0 lead.

Soto did get her team down the field with a pass interference and scored on a couple of long runs at 6:13. But any doubt was soon removed. Rondeau hit Dolan for another touchdown with 2:20 left in the game, and the freshman basked in the mutual admiration of this tight team. “We’re like all of each other’s biggest fans,” she joked.

Happily along for the ride, Deiana had the semis and Eastchester on his mind. “We lost 18-0 last time. We were missing three players, and they scored late,” he concluded. “We will have our hands full, but if we come to play, we definitely have a chance.”