This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
11/26/2016 11:00 PMThe athletes on the North Haven football squad refused to get discouraged after taking some narrow defeats against powerhouse teams this year and the Indians’ persistence paid off with a big win in their season finale on Thanksgiving Day.
North Haven hosted Amity at Vanacore Field in the 21st edition of the teams’ annual Turkey Day showdown on Nov. 24 and posted a 49-14 victory to grab its eighth-consecutive win in the series. The Indians took a 21-6 lead into halftime and then scored four-straight touchdowns in the second half to blow the game open and send out their seniors in triumphant fashion. The victory also marked No. 300 in program history for North Haven, which finished the 2016 campaign with a record of 3-7.
“It’s always good to end the season with a win,” Head Coach Anthony Sagnella said. “We had struggled this season and we also struggled at home. We hadn’t won at home yet, so I’m happy for the seniors to go out at home with a win on Thanksgiving.”
North Haven recorded the lopsided triumph in spite of the fact that two of its top weapons—senior captain quarterback Tom Dodge and junior running back Mark Montano—both had to leave the game with an injury after colliding on defense during Amity’s first series. However, the Indians’ offense remained effective as Jack Steinman moved from tight end to QB and saw his offensive line open up holes that paved the way for fellow senior captain Max Sullivan to rush for 198 yards and four touchdowns. Steinman threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns and was named the Offensive Player of the Game. In addition to his big day on the ground, Montano also made eight tackles, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble en route to earning Defensive Player of the Game honors.
Sophomore Devan Brockamer added a pair of touchdowns for the Indians, whose offensive line was spearheaded by senior center Carson Tebbetts, senior tackle Vinny Anastasio and junior tackle Henry Pearson, senior guards Paul Murray and Matt Rademacher, junior blocking back Korbin Pecora, plus junior tight ends Jack Klapp and Steven Erbe and senior captain tight end Kyle Melillo.
“We had to regroup quickly and Max Sullivan and our offensive line were the key to get back on track,” said Sagnella. “Jack settled into his role and had a few nice throws to Kyle and one to Devan and we played well enough on offense.”
North Haven jumped out to an early lead when Steinman hit Melillo over the middle for a touchdown pass with 8:03 remaining in the first quarter. Senior Colin Finkle kicked the extra point and the Indians were up 7-0. Amity came back with a touchdown, although North Haven stopped the Spartans’ 2-point conversion attempt and held on to the lead at 7-6. Amity then went for an onside kick and recovered it, but North Haven’s defense kept the Spartans off the board to maintain its one-point edge.
Just 12 seconds into the second quarter, Sullivan broke off a 76-yard touchdown run and North Haven extended its lead to 14-6. The next series saw North Haven force Amity to turn the ball over on downs, after which the Spartans halted an Indians’ drive by stopping them on fourth down, keeping the game at 14-6 midway through the second quarter. Amity fumbled on the ensuing series and Murray recovered for the Indians, setting up North Haven at the Spartans’ 41-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Sullivan plunged in for a 1-yard TD run and North Haven led 21-6 with 3:30 to go in the opening half. That score held up at halftime.
“We needed a big game from Max and he delivered and that’s what leaders do. He’s been reliable all year, we really needed him, and he came through,” Coach Sagnella said. “Some very good holes got him into the linebacker level and then it was a combination of his running ability, footspeed, and physicality to get extra yards. He broke a few tackles in the open field and turned long runs into touchdown runs.”
It didn’t take Sullivan long to score in the second half as his third rushing touchdown on the day made it 28-6 early in the third quarter. A little more than a minute later, Steinman lofted up a pass while getting hit and placed it perfectly in the mitts of Brockamer, who raced the last few yards into the end zone for a 41-yard TD strike and a 35-6 advantage. Sullivan later ran in his fourth score of the contest to make it 42-6.
Senior Jake Tantorski snagged an interception for North Haven with a minute left in the third quarter and Brockamer followed with a 7-yard touchdown run about a minute into the fourth. Finkle kicked his seventh extra point in as many tries and the Indians had a 49-6 command. Amity scored the game’s last touchdown and got the 2-point conversion for a 49-14 final.
Coach Sagnella concluded by sending one more thank you to his senior athletes for never relenting in the face of some difficult obstacles this season.
“The thing I’ll always remember this senior class by is their resilience. They came out every week and faced many challenges this year, starting with the fact that most were inexperienced varsity players coming into their senior year and the schedule improvements with us in Division I, and then the heartbreaking losses,” Sagnella said. “Week in and week out, the struggles never seemed to discourage this group from coming out and working their hardest, playing their hardest, and getting after it every week. That is what I will remember them for. That is their legacy.”
It was also recently announced that Dodge and Steinman earned All-SCC Division I honors at defensive back and tight end, respectively, this season. Both athletes also earned spots on the Levi Jackson All-Star Team at the same positions with teammate Anastasio making it on the defensive line.