Football: North Rockland holds off rival Suffern in 23-16 win
SUFFERN - Through the first few weeks of the season, it had been an up-and-down journey for the North Rockland Red Raiders. There were frustrating results, with a taste of victory in between − all lessons that would prepare them for a back-and-forth battle with rival Suffern.
"It's a lot of growth in the last month," North Rockland first-year coach James Hickey said. "Even since last week's game. We're a very young team and I think we're growing every week. It's a testament to our leadership that brought our kids together, and also our coaches. Our coaching staff is so united, we have wonderful assistants and without them, I couldn't be here without these guys."
The Red Raiders followed right behind their veteran leaders to enjoy a strong start to the game. Even as the Mounties rumbled back and pushed North Rockland to the closing minutes of the game, the Red Raiders remained composed.
North Rockland junior Ethan Farrar made a crucial interception in the end zone to preserve the Red Raiders' 23-16 win over the Mounties on Saturday night.
"I'm supposed to be on the single receiver side and early in the game, when they scored a touchdown, I wasn't there, so I put that on myself," Farrar said. "I saw them line up over there, so I went over there. I dropped back, they threw deep, and just got it at the highest point. Obviously, it felt great, it helped seal the game for us. Big-time players make big-time plays in big games. They tried to rip it, but it was just concentration."
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The moment of redemption came at a vital moment and it helped the Red Raiders enjoy their first victory over Suffern since 2019. They suffered a lopsided loss in the Fall 2 season back in April 2021, then fell short by a couple of points in a rematch last year.
This time, the Red Raiders started strong and while Suffern tested them as the game unfolded, they triumphed in victory.
"We really came together as a team, honestly," said senior co-captain Greg Becker, who believes this can be a turning point for the Red Raiders' season. "If this was our first week, I don't know if we would have gotten through it, but we really came through and became a team today. ... It was especially amazing, because we know how much Coach (Tom) Lynch hated Suffern, and we wanted to do it for him this year."
Suffern cut into the deficit after allowing two touchdowns to start the game. The Mounties trailed, 14-8, at the half. After a North Rockland safety and a punt return touchdown seemed to make victory a longshot, they strung together a fourth-quarter touchdown drive and managed to field an onside kick attempt, but couldn't complete the comeback.
"It was honestly a great battle between both teams," Suffern coach Dan Muller said. "It really came down to the end, and they were really prepared. "The penalties and turnovers were really tough, but we just get back to work on Sunday and keep moving forward. ... The mental errors, that's something we can avoid and moving forward, we will."
What it means
The Red Raiders are back at the .500 mark, and they win the rivalry showdown for the first time since defeating Suffern, 18-10, on Sept. 28, 2019.
Player of the game
Ethan Farrar, North Rockland: His interception in the endzone helped clinch the win for the Red Raiders, who ate up the last few minutes of the clock after that big play.
By the numbers
North Rockland (2-2) — Tyler Italiano completed 6 of 9 pass attempts for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball 10 times for 61 yards and another touchdown. Greg Becker added two carries for 42 yards, and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Montana Veit had a punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Red Raiders were tagged with 13 penalties.
Suffern (1-2) — Mason Polombo went 9 of 15, for 78 passing yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Don Dorcelly ran the ball 13 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Jephthah Joseph finished with 12 carries for 81 yards. Suffern was tagged with seven penalties, two turnovers and gave up a safety after a high snap went out the back of the end zone.
They said it
"It's the people," said Hickey of what makes the North Rockland-Suffern rivalry special, also noting he spent his first three seasons coaching as an assistant at Suffern. "I know how they feel. We were a part of big wins and tough losses, but ultimately, it's the people. Suffern, North Rockland − great people. I'm happy to be home at North Rockland, but I was proud to be a Mountie too."
"With adversity, that's just who we are at North Rockland − we never give up," Ferrar said. "When times get rough, we come together and pull through."
Up next
Both teams will hit the road next week and return to action on Saturday, Oct. 1. North Rockland will play the Yonkers Force at 1:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Suffern will travel to Mount Vernon for a 3 p.m. kickoff.
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 football: North Rockland holds off rival Suffern in win
