It was anyone’s guess how the Rye High School Football team would react to the loss of All-State seniors Andrew Livingston and Tim DeGraw.
It was anyone’s guess how the Rye High School Football team would react to the loss of All-State seniors Andrew Livingston and Tim DeGraw.
It didn’t take long to find out. On June 13, the Garnets topped powerhouse Stepinac to win the 2015 Big Apple 7 on 7 Tournament. Led by junior quarterback TJ Lavelle and senior wide receiver Aidan Lavelle, the Garnets pulled off an incredible upset.
The Garnets came out of the gate slow; they were unable to score a touchdown in the first game against Iona. However, TJ Lavelle settled in and threw touchdowns to Captain Chase Pratt, Mat Bruno, and Aidan Lavelle, easily beating Albertus Magnus in the second game.
Next up was Blind Brook and TJ Lavelle once again found Aidan Lavelle and Brett Egan multiple times to give the Garnets another win and catapult them into the playoffs.
A resounding win against Clarkstown North, owing to stellar defensive play by Captains Tim Hale, Pratt, and Drake Turcotte, pitted the Garnets in a rematch against Iona in the semifinals. The Garnets were a different team in the semis; the offense had momentum and the Gaels didn’t have the answers to stop them.
In the finals, the Garnets took the lead and never looked back. Touchdown passes to Pratt, Aidan Lavelle, Egan, and Bruno, and a key defensive interception by Drake Turcotte, sealed the win.
Aidan Lavelle, who was named Offensive MVP of the tournament, said, “We have players on this team who have something to prove and today was the first step in our goal to win the sections.”
— Photo by Camille Gladstone
