Rye’s 420-day undefeated streak came to a crashing halt as Somers dealt the Garnets a 35-21 loss in the first-ever Section 1 championship that featured two defending state champs.
The Tuskers overcame a 14-7 halftime deficit, scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half. With the game knotted at 14-14 with 10 minutes left in regulation, the game was decided when the Garnets turned the ball over twice — including a pick-six — on key possessions in a disastrous fourth quarter.
With the victory, Somers has won the Section 1 title four consecutive years, with three of those coming against Rye. The Tuskers program has rattled off 24 straight games, and are looking to become the first-ever Class A team to win three-straight state championships.
Both teams carried win streaks of 20 or more into Friday’s neutral site contest at Mahopac High School, setting the stage for a heavyweight showdown viewed as a near toss-up by local sports writers.
For a while, it seemed those prognostications would come to fruition.
Both the Garnets and Tuskers offenses went three-and-out on their opening possessions, despite both teams being among the highest-scoring teams in Section 1.
Photo Steven Cao
The Garnets would strike first on a 10-play drive that ended with quarterback Carson Miller finding senior Tucker Hess in the endzone to give Rye a 7-0 lead.
Despite holding Somers scoreless again on their next drive, Rye would turn it over on downs on their ensuing possession to set up Somers’ first score of the day — a 49-yard run by senior quarterback Miguel Iglesias with five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
On the final Rye drive of the half, Miller hit senior Jake Kessner on a 40-yard strike to again put the Garnets in Tuskers territory. Then, senior Andrew Wilmarth pushed forward on a 14-yard touchdown run maneuvering through two defenders and losing the football, which crossed the pylon in-bounds.
Rye led 14-7 lead entering the break.
The Garnets wouldn’t be so lucky in the second half. Somers forced six fumbles in total, two of which were recovered by the defense setting up scores for the Tuskers.
Despite the mistakes, Rye held Somers to just 14 points through three quarters, with the Tuskers scoring late in the third after another failed fourth-down conversion by the Garnets set up a second Iglesias rushing score.
Iglesias and Miller showcased their mobility and ability to escape the pocket when under pressure. And both would take advantage when those opportunities presented themselves Friday — but it was Iglesias who was able to cash in thanks, in large part, to his defense taking advantage of Rye’s mistakes.
Photo Steven Cao
After the Somers score in the third, Rye fumbled on the ensuing drive, and the Tuskers took the lead 21-14 on a 10-yard pass from Iglesais to sophomore Cam Violante.
Another Rye fumble would again set the Tuskers up in Garnets territory, which they quickly converted into a touchdown — on Iglesias’ third score of the game — to extend the lead to 28-14.
With the Garnets pressing facing a two-touchdown deficit with less than five minutes to play, Miller threw a pass into the hands of Somers’ Brett Kennedy, who returned the ball into the endzone for a shocking 35-14 lead.
The Garnets would try to mount a comeback. After two completions from Miller to junior Henry Shoemaker, the quarterback found Kessner in the endzone to cut the lead to 35-21. But a failed onside kick attempt squashed any hope of a miracle in Mahopac.
The 14-point loss was a tough one to swallow for Rye.
“It stings … it was a great effort by everyone involved, but this one hurts,” said Dino Garr, who has led the Garnets to six straight Section 1 finals, but has fallen short against Somers in their last three Class A appearances.
The program has some unanswered questions as to what its roster will look like next year. In the meantime, the Garnets will lick their wounds and spend the offseason looking to regroup from a bitter end to the season.