Somers Puts its Dukes up in 35-7 Win over Mahopac

Scroll to end for photos

On Friday September 18, Somers took their 2-0 record to Mahopac and cross town wasn’t the only aspect to the rivalry.  “The DeMatteo family, it’s always the best,” said Nick Duffy. “The brothers, it’s a great atmosphere.” But sibling rivalry didn’t really figure in on the week-long chalkboard preparation.

“Our game plan was to punch ‘em right away,” said Luke Balancia. Five runs for the back in the opening drive did just that, and the touchdown drive was emblematic of the 35-7 route that followed.

From the outset, the Tusker went hard up the middle for a third and four and then busted for a first down at the 45. A hold setting the elephants back, Tristan Iglesias gave Balancia’s legs a rest.  

He hit Dean Monachelli on the sideline, and 15 yards away, the respite was more than enough for Balancia. First the runner rumbled to the one and there was no stopping him for a 6-0 lead at 9:11.

Adding another on the first of Danny Hershfield’s five extra points, the defense took their turn. They didn’t need much time to impress either. Three plays and the offense readied their pugilism for another go.

Iglesias with the one-two, he hit Monachelli on the right for an eight yard gain and then went left to Balancia for a 33 yard gain.  At the 25, the Tuskers kicked it up the rest of the way. Iglesias kept for eight, Jayden Abruzese cut in for seven, and Balancia got the final ten.

In at 3:47, the defense was out not long after. An illegal procedure on third and one didn’t help Mahopac, and Hudson Meza’s sack did the rest.

Somers then set up at the 25, Iglesias struck again. He hit Ryan Bateman over the middle, and 32 more yards were gobbled up.  

The QB wasn’t much bothered either after two consecutive penalties. This time Cam Violante received on the right, and Somers was back at the original line of scrimmage.

The quarter ending, Iglesias and Balancia didn’t miss a beat. First Balancia reached high for his quarterback’s pass to the 22, and after a short gain, the back ran 19 yards to the one.

A play later with another score in the books, Iglesias didn’t forget the primary cause. “It all starts with the offensive line,” he assured. “They came out, they blocked hard, and they played physical and tough,” he boasted.

For his part, Connor Kasden didn’t mind tooting the horn for the o-line and went against the narrative that dictates the up front work is just about brute force. “There’s so much technique and skill,” he said. “It’s one of the hardest positions to play.”

21-0, Mahopac did respond with a first down. At midfield, the positive was not nearly enough. Troy Rossi tracked the pass over the middle, and his interception set Somers up at the Mahopac 48.

There Jayden Abruzese did the honors. Two runs up the gut and getting Somers to the 35 still had the blueprint on point. “Our game plan was to run them over and assert our will,” said Hudson Ruby.

On the other hand, going off message was no problem when an outside hand off seemed to go nowhere. Abruzese shook tackles, cut in and wasn’t pulled down until reaching 21.

Four more downs, and Somers returned to normalcy. Iglesias ran through the middle for a third and 3 at the 14 and scored on the next play.

3:47 left in the half, the drama was gone, but with Peekskill next week, the desire was not. “We go back to practice, fix the mistakes we made on the field, and we’ll be ready for the next game.”

Click image for Somers Photos

Click Image for Mahopac Photos