How do you like your glasses, half-empty or half-full? Either way, there’s something for you in the wrap-up of Rye Country Day’s football and soccer seasons. Both teams had winning records, notched outstanding victories during the regular schedule, and lost their final games with the finish line in sight.

By Mitch Silver

How do you like your glasses, half-empty or half-full? Either way, there’s something for you in the wrap-up of Rye Country Day’s football and soccer seasons. Both teams had winning records, notched outstanding victories during the regular schedule, and lost their final games with the finish line in sight.

Football first. Coach John Calandros and his 17 seniors dropped a pair of early-season non-league contests to teams that would later win their respective area titles — Harding in Bridgeport and Williston Northampton in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Then the Wildcats decided it was more fun to bully other teams than be bullied.

They scorched Hopkins 47-7 before traveling to Long Island Lutheran, to whom they administered a 34-0 pasting. The offense motored past previously undefeated Hamden Hall by 35-26 and scored even more against St. Luke’s. But the defense didn’t get the memo and the Wildcats lost, 43-42, even though running back Ryan Wolitzer had 231 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.

Why so many carries? A season-ending injury to fullback Hannes Boehning and a banged-up Jared Jones left the ground game largely in Wolitzer’s hands, make that feet.

Poor King-Low Heywood felt the seniors’ wrath in their final home game, November 7, as Wolitzer had his three touchdowns done and dusted by halftime. The first came on a burst through the line and a sprint to the end zone, the second on a nifty punt return. Final score: RCDS 35, King 0.

A win over Kingswood-Oxford would give the Wildcats a share of the FAA title. But K-O was not to be denied, racing out to a 29-6 advantage with four minutes to go in the third quarter and cruising home, 43-24.
Coach Calandros seemed to be a little misty-eyed when he said, “This is one of the best football teams I’ve ever coached. Certainly it was the toughest schedule we’ve ever played, and our 17 seniors fought all the way to the end.”

Fighting to the end was the story of Wildcat Boys’ Soccer as well. Undefeated champions of the New York private school league, Cristiano Pereira’s squad had most of the play against the United Nations International School November 4, but couldn’t put the ball in the net. UNIS got one on a breakaway and knocked the boys from Rye out of the NYSAIS tournament.

Things went better in the Fairchester Athletic Association tournament. In the semis, the squad ripped through St. Luke’s on a chilly, breezy Veterans Day. David Towley lofted a beautiful volley over the keeper’s head just six minutes in, followed by a Patrick Neafsy header that made it 2-0 at the half.

Nick Sharpe score the back-breaker just two minutes after halftime. Neafsy drilled home a penalty kick 10 minutes later and defender William Tricarico scored off a deflection to make the final score 5-2.

The FAA final against Greens Farms was a different tale. Though the Wildcats had beaten the visitors 3-1 earlier in the season, GFA gave as good as they got through a blustery, scoreless first half. As often happens in hard-fought games, a dead-ball foul gave the Dragons an opening. The ball whizzed past Rye’s goalkeeper Noah Swan for the only score of the final.

Later, Coach Periera said, “I felt we started the game playing well. We controlled most of the possession and had some good early chances. Give credit where credit is due: GFA knew coming in they had to play well and they did. They were scrappy and fought in every play.  

“Still, this defeat does take away what we accomplished all season. The seniors can really hold their heads high.”

Half-empty or half-full? You decide.