VARSITY

Gridiron Gaels play tough, but fall to defending champ Rye

By Alex Malecki

SOMERS, N.Y. – "Pleased with the effort, aggravated with the outcome."
That was how seventh-year coach Tom Povall described his post-game mood on Sept. 9 after the varsity football team fell to the Rye Garnets, 36-7, in its home opener. And if you watched the game, there was perhaps no better way to put it.

Following its first postseason appearance in more than a decade last year, Kennedy Catholic knew it would have a rough road back to the playoffs with teams like defending state Class B champion Rye and Class A powerhouse Somers on the schedule. So what happened when the top-ranked Garnets came to town?

"The kids really fought hard," Povall said, noting that for the first time in a long time, the intensity at the end of the game mirrored that of the beginning.

Nowhere was that more apparent than in the third quarter when, down 21-0 at the half, the Gaels came back and promptly put together a scoring drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown strike from sophomore quarterback Anthony Spinola to senior captain Mike Trodden. Sensing a resurging Kennedy team, Rye coach Dino Garr kept his first string on the field, and in the end they just had too many weapons.

The Garnets would tack on two more touchdowns before the afternoon was through, keeping the game out of reach from a resilient Gaels squad. Much like a championship prizefight, Kennedy took Rye's best shots and delivered some blows of its own, but was unable to come up with the big plays needed to knock out the defending champs.

Spinola finished the day just shy of 100 yards through the air, but the ground attack struggled to only 21 yards. Povall later acknowledged the team's run-blocking would be a point of focus during the upcoming week's practice.

"It's going be there," the coach said, confident his players just need the additional reps.

Povall also referenced the need to get Trodden more touches following his MVP-like play on Saturday. "He can do anything."

Other highlights for Kennedy included an interception by senior Mark Belfiore and a timely fumble recovery by junior Will McNamara.

The Gaels will look to please their coach with effort and a win next Saturday, Sept. 16, as they take on Pelham at Kennedy Catholic with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Team Captains:
Brendan McIntyre '07
Michael Trodden '07

Coaching Staff:
Mr. Tom Povall, Head Coach
Mr. Bob Mittlestadt, Defensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Mr. Aaron Wright, Defensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Mr. Rich Oleszckuk, Defensive Backs Coach

JUNIOR VARSITY

JV Football: 'Expect to Win'

There's an old adage: power perceived is power achieved. It means that you have as much power, or strength, as people think you have. For a number of years, people hadn't though much about Kennedy football.

All that changed this year.

With the varsity boys making their first playoff appearance in 12 years, the junior varsity team was also busy turning some heads while amassing a 3-4 record that let opponents know they'd better think twice before playing the Gaels.

The season opened typically enough, with two losses to Putnam Valley and Pleasantville. But the Gaels started to turn things around, following up a 20-12 win over Eastchester with a 28-6 triumph against Briarcliff.

Sixth-year Head Coach Robert Schwartz said his team entered halftime of their match-up with the Eagles of Eastchester down 7-6 and playing terribly. Apparently an impassioned pep talk woke them up, as the team came out and played the "best two quarters of football that we played all year."

After the first victory, Schwartz had shirts made up with the Superman logo on the front and the words "Expect to Win" stenciled across the back. It was a mantra the students believed.

League coaches soon began to follow suit, commenting on the caliber of teams Kennedy has been fielding as of late.

"They were very impressed with what we have done over the past couple of years," Schwartz said.

And with good reason.

Coaching Staff: Mr. Robert Schwartz, Head Coach
Mr. Augie Tiere, Assistant Coach

Team Captains:
Glen Bernardi ’08, Fullback/Linebacker
Anthony Pais ’09, Offensive Lineman/Defensive Tackle
Andrei Schipor ’08, Tailback/Linebacker
Anthony Spinola ’09, Quarterback
Craig Trabulsy ’08, Wide Receiver/Cornerback

Most Improved:
Edwin Mercado ’08, Inside Linebacker
John Vicinanza ’08, Center

Team MVP:
Andrei Schipor ’08, Tailback/Linebacker

Offensive Player of the Year:
Craig Trabulsy ’08, Wide Receiver/Cornerback

Defensive Player of the Year:
Glen Bernardi ’08, Fullback/Linebacker