Saturday: Nyack Football Shuts Out Spring Valley

It was an interesting and productive start for the Nyack High School football team on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon.

Playing before a near-capacity crowd at Spring Valley High School, the star-studded student athletes combined speed, power and defense to shut out the Tigers, 28-0, winning for coach Mike Ramponi.

The Tappan Zee High graduate and former player stepped up from his assistant's role to take over the top position as venerable coach John Castellano sat out a one-game suspension, a carryover from last year's ejection in a season-ending playoff loss to Somers.

(Coach Castellano was unavailable for comment on Saturday's game.)

But Nyack, as expected, were well-prepared, well-conditioned and well ready in their season opener. Junior Mark Castellano displayed outside speed to score two touchdowns and senior Donald Davis displayed strength and determination to also score two touchdowns. Nyack, ahead 14-0, also put together a pivotal goal-line stand late in the first half with Castellano and Anthony Accardi knocking Daniel Chang out of bounds on a sweep to the right side on third down. On second down Ariel Desert had been gang-tackled for no gain and Chang was stopped on fourth down, thwarting any chance for the Tigers to gain some sort of momentum going into halftime.

"We had a great week of practice," said the powerful Davis, whose 26-yard TD jaunt in the fourth quarter was a testament to his desire, breaking a bevy of would-be tacklers before Graydon Tokke added his fourth extra-point boot of the contest.

"Coach made sure we were prepared and it's because of  Coach's conditioning [drills] that I scored my first touchdown," he added. "I just kept my legs moving."

Nyack assistant coach Bob Wizner, working in the booth alongside Jim Traynor, admitted that without the head coach, "the anxiety level is up.

"The greatest tribute to him is that we were able to do it, but without him it's like trying to walk without crutches," Wizner explained.

Ramponi, who will be back at his old job alongside Castellano on Sept. 19 when Nyack hosts Eastchester, offered the same high level of praise for the veteran taskmaster.           

"Let me say this," Ramponi said following the decisive victory. "The only point we want to get across is that by us winning it's an honor for him, that we could win and execute, and how well he prepared us, because without him it's tough."

Despite Nyack's apparent domination, they gave Spring Valley too much time to pass, leading one coach to mutter, perhaps in jest after another penalty, "this must be the greatest pass-blocking team of all-time!"

Whatever the case, Nyack finally recorded a sack in the second half. Leading 21-0 with six minutes left in the third quarter, junior defensive end Quincy Vasser wrapped up Shaquille Goulds inside the 3-yard line to help preserve the shutout.

"Spring Valley came out excited," noted Nyack QB Brandon Richards. "We matched their emotion, we were energized. And Coach not being here added to our emotion."

Added Castellano the Younger, "We did it for him [his dad/coach]. But he'll say I could do better. He'll watch the film and say 'You did good but you messed up on this and on that.' I like that, it makes me a better player."

Castellano was quick to recognize the efforts of the offensive line, mentioning Conor McDonough, Super 11 standout Maxim Ngolla, center Steve Maldonado, Dan Sanabria and Anthony (Ant) Dorcena.

JUNIOR VARSTIY ALSO PREVAILS

Powered by fullback Khalid Shabazz's two touchdowns and one by halfback Kevin Mitchell, Nyack JV defeated their Spring Valley counterparts, 18-6. Head coach Scott Reynolds and assistant Jim Seifert also noted the performances of safety Rob Blum, who had two interceptions, and defensive end DeShawn Rodriguez, who had eight tackles and a pair of sacks. JV is back in action on Sept. 20 when they visit Eastchester in an afternoon game.