Football: As a key playmaker finds his comfort level, so does Westlake
VALHALLA — Chris Kalle came home to Westlake last spring with plenty of hype. He ran for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore at Kennedy Catholic, but the transfer left him with something to prove, both to a new set of coaches and the teammates he had grown up playing with.
"I knew coming here I had to earn my spot – that I wasn't just going to get it," Kalle said. "But, you know, I feel like I'm back at home now. I'm happy."
And, of course, productive. The junior scored three touchdowns to help fuel Westlake to a 33-14 victory over Valhalla that has left the Wildcats in a strong position for the Class C playoffs.
"The last two or three weeks, he's really showed his true grit," Westlake coach John Castellano said of Kalle. "It's not that he was walking on egg shells, but in the Wing-T there's a lot of different parts to it and he had to learn. He's accepted his role. He's just a great player."
On Friday night, Kalle's perimeter running and his downfield receiving threat was the perfect compliment to junior fullback Christian Occchipinti, who ran for 232 yards and a touchdown. They led the Wildcats to an early lead and then controlled the clock in the second half with 15- and 12-play scoring drives.
High School Football:See the Section 1, CHSFL schedule, scores and recaps for Week 7
Predictions:Our Section 1, CHSFL insider predictions for Week 7 HS football games
From Week 1:Tuckahoe stands up for Class C and D programs with a statement win at Westlake
What it means
Westlake can now clinch the No. 1 seed out of its league in the Class C playoffs with a win over Albertus Magnus next week. That's pivotal because it would allow the Wildcats to avoid both Dobbs Ferry and Valhalla until the championship game.
Player of the game
Chris Kalle, Westlake. Although both Kalle and Occhipinti had their starring roles, it was Kalle's two touchdown catches in the first half that gifted Westlake all the cushion it needed. He finished with two catches for 51 yards (touchdowns of 20 and 31 yards) and added 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
"It's nice to see," Occhipinti said. "He was with us when we were younger. He wasn't around the last couple years, but it's nice to see him come back to our brotherhood. And it's nice to see him score three touchdowns."
By the numbers
Westlake (5-2) — Michael Pagan finished 4 of 6 for 59 yards and the two touchdowns to Kalle while also running for a score. ... Christopher Schoenleber, Joseph Scaplehorn and Darron Nelson each had a sack.
Valhalla (5-2) — Brendan O'Neil threw touchdown passes to Basiaka Butcher (63 yards) and Devan Cooper (12), but the Viking offense was held scoreless from the 6:55 mark of the first quarter until the closing seconds of the game.
They said it
"I know offensively we're tough to beat," Castellano said. "Where I'm really proud is of our defense. We've made great strides since that Tuckahoe game where we just looked like we didn't know what we were doing. We made some personnel changes and it's really come to help us out."
Up next
Westlake will conclude the regular season by hosting Albertus Magnus at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. Valhalla travels to Putnam Valley for its regular-season finale at 6 p.m. Friday.
Josh Thomson is the Sports Editor for The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal and Middletown Times Herald-Record. He can be reached by e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com, on Twitter at @lohudinsider, and on Instagram at @lohudinsider.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 football: Kalle powers Westlake to win over Valhalla
