In the program’s biggest win in years, the Garnets scored a 32nd-minute goal against undefeated Byram Hills ten days ago and made it stand up for a 1-0 victory.

By Mitch Silver

In the program’s biggest win in years, the Garnets scored a 32nd-minute goal against undefeated Byram Hills ten days ago and made it stand up for a 1-0 victory.

A through ball from center midfielder Andrew Graham found junior forward Jack Bryan, who just managed to poke it away from a defender and into the 18-yard area. Sophomore midfielder Bernando Hammes, coming from the far post, buried it for his first varsity goal. “I just saw the ball perfectly placed in front of the box from Jack,” said Hammes after the game. “Seeing it hit the back of the net was an amazing feeling.”

The win, followed by victories over Harrison, Spring Valley, and a 3-2 overtime defeat of Eastchester, has the Garnets in the running for the League 2-D title along with Byram Hills.

The visitors, ranked No. 1 in Class A by New York State’s sportswriters before the game and 25th in the country, were the beneficiaries this year of the trend that’s seen talented players from the year-round soccer academies return to high school teams. Luis Galeano of Rye Neck and Steven Hernandez of Port Chester are two of the local players who’ve made the switch in order to play for their schools. Byram has three academy players — Jack Beer and the Noel brothers, David and Ryan — back in the fold.  

The Bobcats were Sectional and Regional champions in 2014 but lost a devastating overtime backbreaker to Section 5’s Greece Athena. The return of key players, the addition of Beers and the Noels — and the feeling that they left chips on the table a year ago — fueled an amazing 2015 run.

Until they met Rye, that is. The Garnets are looking strong in their own right, with 2-0 losses only to Port Chester and Lakeland to go with their eight wins. In fact, the win over Byram Hills has the Garnets ranked 16th in the latest New York State Class A poll. As Coach Sal Curella said later, “It’s a turning point in our season.”

Even after they scored, Curella’s team still had to play defense for three-quarters of an hour if they were to topple the Bobcats. “It was back and forth, our defense was solid, and we held them off the entire second half,” the coach said. “It was a total team effort. Our senior goalkeeper, Owen Moore, was spectacular in net, making seven saves.”

Co-Captain Jon DiPalma said, “My brother was a Rye soccer player (2010-2012) and he never beat Byram Hills. To win against a team of their caliber is an incredible feeling. And in my senior season, too!”

The Garnets traveled to Port Chester for a crucial rematch post-press time. They host Yonkers — Rye’s “brother school” — this Sunday at 3:30.