Rye’s football team took the sting out of its loss against Harrison by finishing the season with a 21-0 win over Spring Valley on Friday.
By Michael Gilbert
Rye’s football team took the sting out of its loss against Harrison by finishing the season with a 21-0 win over Spring Valley on October 26.
The previous weekend, Harrison snapped Rye’s nine-game winning streak in the decades-old football rivalry, walloping the Garnets, 21-0.
Because of the loss, it was the first time in 18 years that RHS was not invited to Section playoffs.
The team’s lifetime win-loss record against the Huskies dropped to 42-37-3.
The game was a tough one to watch for the home fans packed into the Nugent Stadium bleachers and around the field. An estimated 6,000 people attended “The Game.”
The Huskies took the lead with 5:19 left in the first quarter on a 36-yard rushing score and never looked back.
Kevin Nathanson, the former Brunswick star, and Mike Amicucci, accounted for the Huskies’ three touchdowns, and left the rest up to their defense, which was equally tough. Cory Calcagni and Christian Santa Maria each had interceptions for Harrison, and freshman sensation Brendan Pyne sacked Rye’s sophomore Andrew Livingston four times, in a stellar defensive performance that limited Rye to only 107 yards of offense.
Harrison seniors looked as if they had just beaten the New York Jets as they jumped into Blind Brook to celebrate.
Livingston connected on just six of 23 pass attempts. Rye’s closest opportunity to score came on an interception by Conor Murphy inside Harrison’s 10-yard line, but Rye could not capitalize.
RHS finished the season with a 5-3 record. Its win over Spring Valley dropped the Tigers’ season record to 4-4.
