Football: After topping Newburgh, Carmel is Syracuse-bound for the first time ever
MIDDLETOWN - Kevin Dall called the opening few minutes Saturday night "a period of confusion." Even Carmel's long-time coach Todd Cayea conceded there were some early nerves that led to some uncharacteristic errors.
"Even for myself," Cayea said, "it's a big stage — a semifinal game to get in."
But it wasn't long before the Rams regained the form that had brought them to this point. Now, after throttling Section 9's Newburgh 47-13 in a Class AA state semifinal at Middletown High School, perhaps the program's most dominant team ever will take the next step.
With the win, the unbeaten Section 1 champ advanced to the Carrier Dome for the first time in program history.
"I've been dreaming about this since I was a kid," Carmel senior T.J. Fusco said. "It means a lot to me and it means a lot to my teammates. We're going to do our best there and hopefully bring a state title home to Carmel."
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The Rams' best, again, was without compare. The team that has outscored opponents 472-69 poured on 47 straight in response to Newburgh's long touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Carmel's physicality and Dall's escapability in and out of the pocket formed a perfect marriage for the second straight week. It's made the state tournament resemble the regular season, with the Rams outscoring CBA-Albany and Newburgh 98-20.
"If we don't need to throw the ball, we'll keep the ball on the ground and we'll just play Carmel football and just run it down their throats," Dall said. "But if we do need to throw, my linemen give me a ton of time in the pocket and we just step up and deliver."
The Rams' defense crowded the tackle box and forced Newburgh to turn to the air with quarterback Mason Hoover. The freshman played for the third straight game in place of senior Dylan Iorlano, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Section 9 championship game.
Iorlano made a strong effort to play this week but wasn't able to physically compete. Carmel's defense forced five turnovers, including three interceptions.
"He had a shoulder separation. It's the type of thing we've been trying to rehab and do some different things (but) it's a third-degree separation," Newburgh coach Bill Bianco said of Iorlano. "If he could've played, it would've been a miracle. But he's a tough kid. He wanted to play. He was trying."
Turning point
While penalties may have resulted in an uncharacteristic start, it wasn't long until Carmel took complete control. That happened in the second quarter when the Rams scored on the first play, then added three more touchdowns to earn a 28-7 halftime lead.
Player of the game
Kevin Dall, Carmel. With the running game slowed early for the second straight week, the senior quarterback became more assertive. He threw touchdowns to Nick DiLeo and Fusco in the second quarter and finished the night an efficient 7 of 10 for 166 yards. He added four carries for 60 yards on the ground.
"Kevin's dangerous," Fusco raved.
"The last two weeks he's played phenomenal," Cayea added. "He's made some great decisions and his composure has been a lot better in the pocket, keeping his eyes down the field when he's getting pressured and running a little bit. He's been a difference-maker on offense because teams are just loading the box on us."
By the numbers
Carmel (12-0) — Five different receivers caught passes, including three by DiLeo (53 yards) and two by Patrick Kiernan (67) aThe Rams, who rushed for 313 yards as a team, were led by Dylan Shields (7 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD), Josh Massi (14 for 69, 1 TD) and Nick Rosaforte (4 for 61, 1 TD).
Newburgh (10-2) — Deondre Johnson caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from freshman Mason Hoover to open the scoring. Johnson later stripped a Carmel ball carrier and raced 35 yards for another score. ... Leading rusher Eric Duncan had 16 carries for 53 yards.
Quotable
"I've been to games there," Cayea said about his team advancing to the Carrier Dome for the first time. "As a coach, you always want to get an opportunity to play in one of those big ones. I'm just excited for our community, excited for our program for where we're at. I just want to enjoy it and have fun."
Up next
Carmel advanced to play Section 6's Buffalo Bennett in the Class AA state championship game. The teams are slated for a 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Josh Thomson is the Sports Editor for The Journal News and Poughkeepsie Journal. 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: Carmel football beats Newburgh in Class AA state semifinal
