John Jay Gets First Win for their New Coach

An 0-2 start to a football season means week three can salvage a season or send it off the rails. So after quickly sending the Clarkstown North to the bench on possession one, John Jay gave the ball back on their first play, and doubt took a front row seat. But the miscue was just a blip.

“Our offense came out tonight and played John Jay football,” said Coach Joe Candarelli, and their second go around began an onslaught that kept the Wolves season on track.

Moving the ball almost at will, John Jay piled on the yardage and easily secured a 26-7 victory. Still, Clarkstown did take the initial turnover, stayed close to the ground with a sustained rush and were sitting first down from the John Jay 18. No gain on second down, Clarkstown opted for the air, and Austin Zaccagnino didn’t waste any time giving the visitors a fear of flying.

The senior got the pick at the five, and all the John Jay pieces were ready to fly. A screen right to Zaccagnino got the Wolves out of the shadows, and the workhorse in the form of Christian Shapiro put the home team on the gallop. 

He ran a screen down the sidelines, went up the gut to the 48 and turned the corner to get across midfield. No complaints as the go to guy, Shapiro admitted he does get a little gassed, but assured, he has more than one tank.  “I got a second motor,” asserted the junior, who had 158 yards rushing on 15 carries and 60 receiving yards on five catches.

Nonetheless, Michael Mendicino took a 20 year strike to the 35, and making the most of his blow, Shapiro rumbled to the 26. Second and one, Zaccagnino closed the drive he began with a TD reception on the next play.

The extra point missed, John Jay gladly settled for a 6-0 lead with 5:27 left in the first. The Wolves weren’t put off either when Clarkstown’s next drive stalled at the 50, and in rushed the usual suspects.

Starting at the 20, Shapiro’s 36 yard run on second down had John Jay knocking again, and Zaccagnino’s sure hands kept his feet in play for a 19 yard screen play to the 18. The mix and match then continued. Craig Galea, who was 17-20 for 217 yards, threw left to Shapiro, and he scampered into the end zone with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.

Unable to convert the two point conversion, the defense got back to work and did show some bend again. Clarkstown gobbled up with their ground game and had a first down at the John Jay 28. There, the Wolves refused to break, and Shapiro’s sack on fourth and four turned the ball back over.

No need to idle, Shapiro went up the middle for a 13 yard run, and two plays later, the back bumped to the sideline for a 45 yard run to the two. This time Clarkstown wouldn’t break. The Rams stood their ground at the goal line, and John Jay went away empty handed.

So needing to win the field position game, Clarkstown did get a couple of first downs, and a penalty ended up negating Zaccagnino’s 20 yard punt return. Even so, the multipurpose back didn’t miss a beat and hauled in Galea’s sideline pass to the 14. “I love Craig. He’s the best quarterback in section one,” said Zaccagnino, who had seven receptions for 124 yards.

A sack and holding penalty did put the drive in jeopardy, so the Wolves just opened the playbook to the same page. Galea threw a screen right to Zaccagnino, and with the help of a Mendicino block, he won the race to the end zone to give John Jay a 19-0 lead with 32 seconds left in the half.

Of course, the offense goes nowhere without grit up front, and obscured among all the flashy plays, John Jay’s big man in the middle acknowledged the anonymity.  “As an offensive linemen, you don’t get much of the glory,” said Gerard Garofolo.

No bother, the lineman knows what really matters. “I love to see my teammates succeed. That’s why I do it,” the senior assured.

They did just that to open the third, and Zaccagnino’s third touchdown catch verified what everyone already knew.  All that was left was celebrating, and the kids were happy to direct the joy to their coach’s first victory. “Coach Cando is the best coach I’ve ever had, and helping him get his first varsity win like this,” concluded Garofolo, “it’s an amazing experience.”

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