When you’re the two-time defending Section 1 champions and 2025 Class A state runner-up, what’s the best way to follow up all that program success?
According to Rye head coach Jared Small, the answer is obvious: “One possession at a time.”
And so it begins in earnest for the 2026 Rye boys team flush with nine returning starters, a developing bench, and enough collective match experience to inspire confidence in this group throughout Nugent Stadium. A 3-0 opening win Wednesday over a game Sleepy Hollow was a small sample of what’s to come.
“I was certainly pleased with what I saw from the boys this afternoon,” Small said. “We were presented with a challenge in the first half, specifically Sleepy Hollow’s lightning-quick transitional attack, and we worked hard to solve it. I think our play in the second half proved that we had.”
Call them first-game, brand-new-uniform jitters, but Rye needed the full 40 minutes of the first half to find its footing. Possessions for Rye weren’t hard to come by, but productive ones were. Neither the Horsemen nor Garnets were able to muster any serious offensive threats in the first half.
Just over four minutes into the second half, senior co-captain Kasen Scarperi pummeled a left-footed strike – from distance – past the Sleepy Hollow goalie for a 1-0 lead. It was the breakthrough the Garnets needed.
“I know it’s early, but I thought we had a really good game plan today,” said co-captain Peter Wilmot. “After a tight first half, we stayed calm and patient. We were confident that the first goal would come. We’re going to do our best to play this season one practice and one game at a time. We don’t look back and we won’t look too far ahead.”
Rye’s next two goals both came off textbook-executed set plays. The second was off a free kick from Scarperi, which was then flicked masterfully into goal by sophomore striker Connor Dehmer. And with just over seven minutes to play, Wilmot took a corner, which again was flicked by Dehmer, to senior Gabriel Chared-Sandstrom, who finished the play with a crisp header on the far post for Rye’s final goal.
Tireless senior Philip Glitterstam was sensational in the midfield all game long. Junior defensemen Cole Furber and Christian Hoffman showed why they are the core of one of the steadiest back lines in Section 1. Sophomore James Hayashi and senior Luka Rozende played with tremendous effort.
“We’ll take this season one game at a time, as we do every year,” Small said. “We had a solid team effort this past Monday in a scrimmage against an excellent Mamaroneck team. So far, it’s been a positive week. A lot of good things for us to work on.”
Rye’s season-opening homestand continues with games Tuesday against Harrison and Thursday against Arlington.
