Defying Odds, Rising Victorious

Left: Mahopac’s Dillon Addonizio is pursued by a host of defenders in Saturday’s win over Carmel . Addonizio finished with 168 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Photo by Skip Pearlman That is, unless you ask members of the Mahopac High football team.

After all, Mahopac came into Saturday’s annual grudge match against Carmel with little on its resume to suggest there would actually be a battle.

The Indians entered the game 0-2, and had not scored a single point in those two losses.

Carmel, meanwhile, came in with a 1-1 record, and had played well in a loss to a tough RCK squad in week one. The Rams put 52 points on the board in their first two games, and had beaten Mahopac in 10 of the last 11 meetings.

On this day, it would be different. Mahopac took advantage of good field position and poor Carmel special teams play, and gained momentum and confidence as Saturday’s game went on, in recording a 34-27 victory over the Rams, and celebrated afterward by hoisting the coveted Bryan Higgins Memorial Trophy on their home field.

Skip Pearlman Rams receiver Chris Conover tries to pull in a pass as TJ Foley of Mahopac defends. The win gives new life to the Indians, who would have been in a dire situation at 0-3. Instead, Mahopac’s hopes for a post-season berth stay alive. Carmel and Mahopac – both at 1-2 – still have a shot at the playoffs because of the parity in League AA-North.

“It was a great win for the kids,” Indians coach Tom Donahoe said. “We obviously had a disappointing start to the season, but with young, inexperienced players, they’ve all worked hard – especially this week. Our scout team performed great in practice, and as a result we played with tremendous confidence. With the new format (one less regular season game), 0-3 would have pretty much eliminated us from playoff contention. This win keeps our season alive.”

Skip Pearlman Carmel’s RJ Krauss ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns Saturday at Mahopac. No one was surprised to see Carmel take its first possession and march 84 yards for a TD. The drive ended when RJ Krauss broke off a 37-yard TD run to the left side, scampering untouched into the end zone with 3:35 left in the quarter.

The Indians showed Carmel their first surprise of the day moments later, when – from midfield - Mahopac faked a punt, and Dillon Addonizio sprinted 20 yards for a first down at the Rams 29. Four plays later it was junior QB TJ Foley tossing up a high-arching pass toward the corner of the end zone that was pulled in by Mike Olivier for a 29- yard TD. John Maloney’s PAT tied the game at 7-7.

Skip Pearlman Indians quarterback TJ Foley seems to soar through the air while picking up yardage Saturday. Foley threw two touchdown passes in the Mahopac win. On Carmel’s ensuing possession, quarterback Ryan Shilling broke off a 59-yard run to the Mahopac six, and the Rams opened the second quarter with a two-yard TD run by Krauss to go up 13-7, after Dylan Lovett’s kick was blocked by Rob Dwyer.

After both teams exchanged punts, Mahopac took the lead for good when Foley again lofted a ball toward the left corner, and again he found a receiver – this time it was Ryan Wagner pulling in a 38-yard touchdown pass, and Maloney’s PAT gave the ‘Pac a 14-13 lead they would never relinquish.

Carmel was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty on its next possession, forcing a punt, and opening the door for the Indians again. This time it was Addonizio cashing in with a two-yard TD run on the last play of the first half, good for a 21-13 lead.

Skip Pearlman Carmel’s Aaron Smith is tackled after making a reception Saturday. Carmel’s first drive of the third ended on downs at the Mahopac 22, and the Indians went to work again, and after a Foley 20-yard run brought Mahopac to midfield, Addonizio busted off a 41- yard TD run down the left side, and Mahopac pushed the lead to 27-13, with 4:11 left in the third.

Carmel responded with a four-yard pass from Shilling to Chris Conover early in the fourth to make it 27-19, but the Indians answered with perhaps their most important score of the game – a 53-yard TD run down the left sideline by Addonizio, giving the Indians a 34- 19 lead with 4:35 left on the clock.

Carmel answered, but the drive was too time-consuming. Shilling connected with Aaron Smith on a six-yard TD pass, and then completed a two-point conversion with another pass to Matt Moretti to make it 34-27, but with just 1:24 remaining – and no timeouts – Carmel was in trouble.

Skip Pearlman A host of Indians congratulate Michael Olivier (22) after his TD catch Saturday. An onsides kick went out of bounds, and Mahopac killed the clock.

Rams coach Todd Cayea wasn’t pleased. “Right now, we’re just not a good football team,” he said moments after the loss. “We didn’t execute, there were some mental mistakes, and our special teams were a big part of what happened in the second half. A fake punt on a fourth and 10, and one drops over our head for a touchdown… those are things you can’t do and still win. If we don’t get it right soon, it’s gonna be a disaster. It will be interesting to see how our kids come back from this.”

Cayea was asked if he felt the Rams may have taken Mahopac lightly – considering the 0-2 record and lack of points scored.

“Absolutely,” he said. “During the week I think there was a lack of focus, there weren’t a lot of guys watching film… I think that had a direct result on how we played.”

Addonizio, who finished with three touchdowns and 168 yards on 16 carries, said the Indians never doubted themselves.

“It feels great,” he said. “We finally got going, and every person did their job. It was a team effort. We knew what we had to do, and this shows people not to underestimate us. We need to keep working hard now.”

Foley said the Indians came in with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. “It made us angry that everyone picked Carmel,” Foley said. “This saved our season. We knew we had to come out and hit the blocks and play smart. Our line clicked on all cylinders and opened some big holes.”

Foley added that his team is sick of hearing about how Carmel has dominated the rivalry in recent years. “It’s the worst feeling in the world to keep losing it to your rival,” he said. “But our line stepped up, this was Dillon’s best performance, and I think this was a big step for me. To get my first varsity win – and against Carmel… it was great.”

Shilling took a lot of blame on his shoulders. “They played better in every aspect of the game,” he said. “Including leadership. I didn’t do my job, I didn’t keep my cool. I expected a war… they are a lot better than no points. We’ve got to buckle down and work even harder the next two weeks.”

Shilling went 13-of-25 for 148 yards and two TD’s in the air, and rushed for 99 yards on 14 carries. Krauss scored twice and had 106 yards on 22 carries.

Foley finished with 61 yards rushing on 12 carries, and threw for 67 yards and two TDs – on 2-of-5 accuracy.

“TJ threw the best he has this season,” Donahoe said. “He also ran well and called many of the plays on the line. Addonizio had his best performance of the season, and our O line – Rob Dwyer, Mike Ludovico, Mike Brereton, Connor Daniel, Rob Ricci, Tanner Diebold and John Maloney – improved dramatically. I think we took a big step forward. To play as well as we did gives us tremendous confidence.”

Mahopac travels to take on John Jay CR Saturday night at 7:30pm. The Indians are coming off a 35-34 win over RCK. Carmel hosts Arlington Saturday at 1:30pm. The Admirals (3-0) beat John Jay EF last week.