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Sports

Tappan Zee Football Looks Ahead, Reflects On Orange Bowl

The Dutchmen proved victorious in Saturday's Orange Bowl, and hopes to make winning a season-long habit.

Fresh off its season-opening victory over Pearl River in the annual Orange Bowl Saturday night, the Dutchmen of Tappan Zee High School quickly shifted gears from euphoria to clear-eyed determination.

Tappan Zee, powered by a staunch defense and a second-period TD run by James McWilliams, defeated the rival Pirates 9-2 before an overflow home crowd that numbered between 4,500 and 5,000, accoring to athletic director Liam Frawley.

The gridders go right back into action Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Peekskill, against a team they demolished last season.

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"Absolutely we're going to win," said senior James McWilliams, who runs and throws out of the Dutchmen's single-wing attack. "Last year we had a huge win against them. Basically, we're going to bury them and make a statement."

Junior tackle Brendan Donohue, who had a big game against Pearl River, said that a prediction in another news organization that had the Pirates winning by three touchdowns only served to motivate the Dutchmen further.

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"It was amazing, great," Donohue said. "We were determined big-time."

Defensive coordinator Rob Gallagher said Donohue "did a good job eating up a lot of space inside, often forcing double teams," and that linebacker and defensive captain Shawn Hovorka "led from the front all game."

Line coach Chris Galligan seconded Gallagher's observation that the Big 5 up front played a pivotal role in the victory. Galligan also mentioned Chris McGann, Pat Warpole, Mark Paul and T.J. Spahan. He additionally credited a group of players who often go unrecognized—those who form the scout team and usually see game action only when a player gets dinged up or needs a breather.

"The play of the scout team is invaluable," Galligan explained, pointing out Brenden Bell and Tommy Halinan as examples.

"They're just two of many," he added. "They push the starters in practice. They work hard to get us ready."

Head coach Andy DiDomenico—who has no plans and limited time to make any major changes for the Peekskill game—was especially pleased by his team's "physicality" against Pearl River.

"We brought it right from the start, set the tone," he said. "The defense was very, very sound, although they got a little sloppy in the second half."

Yet the defense dug down when knocked down, and the coach pointed to a goal-line stand midway through the fourth period that proved the team's resiliency. Pearl River had a first-and-goal inside the 10 and wound up "20-plus."

"We stuffed them back," DiDomenico said. "We answered the bell."

Perhaps the biggest play in the stand—and maybe the game —was made by McWilliams.

"They ran a reverse back to him but he stayed there and made the play," DiDomenico explained. "It was a great open-field tackle."

The big opening-day win, though not assured, was not totally a surprise, according to Frawley. The last five results in the Orange Bowl were all a one-score game, and a couple were decided by two points or less.

"I'm happy we won, of course," Frawley said. "It's why you play the game. I wasn't sure what type of game it would be but I know that no matter how good or how bad the teams are, it's always a good game."

Extra points:

  • Frawley noted that the celebrated Orange Bowl trophy is being engraved with the year and the score at Crown Trophy in Pearl River. Ultimately, the prize will sit in the center of TZ's trophy case. "We'll polish it up again, fill it with plastic oranges and hopefully bring it back next year," he said.
  • The finished touches are being readied for the 4th annual TZee-Nite, an all-day affair set for Sept. 25. Festivities actually begin Friday afternoon on Sept. 24, with a volleyball match. Saturday's all-day succession of contests will be topped off at 8 p.m. with Albertus Magnus supplying the opposition for the football team.
  • McWilliams' TD run capped a lengthy drive that began in the first quarter and carried over into the second. "I faked a handoff and went up the middle," he said.
  • The junior varsity bowed to Pearl River, 18-6. But freshman cornerback Ryan McWilliams had an interception and cornerback Dan McGann made six tackles. DiDomenico said it was one of those games in which a couple of plays that could have gone either way happened to go the wrong way. The JV hopes to rebound at home on Monday against Peekskill.
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