Football: Mamaroneck continues unbeaten start with 21-7 win at North Rockland
THIELLS - With a team that features 24 seniors, including many players that had extensive playing experience entering this season, the expectations and standards are high for the Mamaroneck Tigers.
While there's always room for improvement, they've been perfect so far. They added to their unbeaten streak with a 21-7 road win at North Rockland on Saturday afternoon.
"On the defensive side of the ball, we shut it down," Mamaroneck senior Jason Cox said. "I think there were no problems there. On offense, we struggled a little bit, but thanks to the defense, we were able to get it done."
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With two quick first-quarter touchdowns, it initially looked like Mamaroneck would overwhelm North Rockland. However, the Red Raiders didn't quit, getting a 57-yard touchdown by Gamie Sauveur to cut the deficit in half.
North Rockland rolled with the momentum, started buckling down defensively and kept the game within reach, as Mamaroneck only held a 14-7 halftime lead.
Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, they were unable to generate offense after the break. They had a couple of penalties that set them back, but Mamaroneck forced them to go three-and-out in each of their second-half drives.
"Our kids played hard for four quarters, but it was tough, we made mistakes in crucial situations and they capitalized on us," North Rockland coach James Hickey said. "That's really what it came down to — mistakes and missed assignments. They'll kill you in big games like this. Just across the board, I wouldn't say there was one particular area. Collectively, we just weren't making plays."
Damari Hamilton added one last touchdown to pad the Tigers' lead, and they held on.
While they're proud to be 5-0, they were in a similar situation last year. Mamaroneck won its first five games, only to have league rival New Rochelle put a halt to its momentum.
This year, it has New Rochelle, once again, for Week 6. The Tigers want a better ending this time around.
"We've checked each box each week and each week is a new challenge," Mamaroneck coach Anthony Vitti said. "Staying humble is incredibly important. This group has been here before and they've had some second halves that didn't go their way last year, and that's still fresh on our minds. While this is important to us, we know what's next on the horizon and we've got a couple of very important league games ahead of us and we'd like to finish strong."
What it means
Mamaroneck will look to continue its undefeated regular season and shift its focus to a pair of league games against rivals New Rochelle and Scarsdale.
As for North Rockland, it falls back down to the .500 mark.
Players of the game
Mamaroneck offensive and defensive lines: These collective units, which also have some two-way guys, were important in setting the tone in the trenches and helped pave the way to success for the Tigers. They were imposing and relentless all game.
By the numbers
Mamaroneck (5-0) — Damari Hamilton finished with 28 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Cox completed 16 of 25 passes for 200 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Sam Bohn caught three passes for 54 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown pass. Rhett Chambers had seven receptions for 94 yards. Teddy Auker recovered a fumble. The Tigers outgained the Red Raiders, 377-123.
North Rockland (3-3) — Gamie Sauveur had a 57-yard touchdown run for the Red Raiders' lone scoring play of the game. Greg Becker had an interception for the Red Raiders.
They said it
"They don't like us, and we definitely don't like them," Mamaroneck senior Henry Bennett said of upcoming opponents Scarsdale and New Rochelle. "We really want to make a statement and show we're the best team in the area."
"These kids are so close-knit that they refuse to surrender," Vitti said of the cause of his team's successful season. "They've been together a long time, played youth football growing up, play all sports together, hang out and work together, and they root for each other. When you're together so much and you have that brotherhood, it becomes very hard to surrender when you see someone's in jeopardy. You want to stand up for them."
Up next
Both teams return to action next Friday night, Oct. 14. Mamaroneck returns home to host New Rochelle at 6 p.m., while North Rockland will head to Ketcham for a 7 p.m. game.
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 football: Unbeaten Mamaroneck tops North Rockland
