Already the best team in the history of Rye Country Day’s football program, the Wildcats had the chance for perfection November 19 in their New England Prep School Bowl Game against Pingree at Loomis Chaffee.

 

By Andrew Farber

Already the best team in the history of Rye Country Day’s football program, the Wildcats had the chance for perfection November 19 in their New England Prep School Bowl Game against Pingree at Loomis Chaffee.

 

And, thanks to a game-saving tackle on a two-point conversion attempt with 70 seconds remaining, the Wildcats defeated Pingree 27-26, forever etching their name into RCDS lore. The Bowl Game victory, back-to-back FAA titles, back-to-back Bowl Game appearances, and undefeated record were all firsts for the program.

Up 27-20 with less than eight minutes remaining, it appeared Rye Country Day’s defense needed to make just one more stop. Pingree marched down the field, however, leaving the Wildcats in an unfamiliar situation – they hadn’t played a close game all year. But, with Pingree on the precipice of pay dirt, hard-hitting senior cornerback Will Chavers stripped the ball near the goal line and gave possession back to RCDS.

 

The Wildcats failed to run the clock out completely though, and were forced to punt. Pingree quickly took advantage, blazing down the field for a touchdown with 1:10 to go. Due to the wind and poor execution of previous extra points, Pingree gambled by opting to go for two. Daniel Alderson-Smith, Rye Country Day’s 6-foot, 5-inch, 250-pound senior, rose to the occasion and wrapped up Pingree’s running back. His teammates quickly rushed in for the gang tackle.

 

“At first I wasn’t sure I stopped him, but I looked to the ground and saw the goal line and saw he was short,” said Alderson-Smith. “I put one and one together and realized victory was ours. I was ecstatic!”

 

After Sam Stern recovered the ensuing onside kick, the Wildcats moved into victory formation for the tenth and final time this season. But before the whistle could sound, Michael Thomas, the injured captain who inspired the team in the locker room before the game, came back onto the field for one last snap with his fellow seniors and the celebration. Two weeks earlier, Thomas broke his jaw in two places against King.

 

“While it may not have hit the other seniors yet, I already felt the pain of saying goodbye to football, as I thought my career was over,” said Thomas. “I told the team that, as a kid, I always dreamed of being the hero of my last game, and that I never thought my football career would end holding for the extra point. I felt that each and every one on this team was family to me, and that I’d do anything for any of them.”

 

He continued, “I ended the speech by saying that we could go 9-1 and still be the greatest football team in Rye Country Day history, or we could go 10-0 and be perfect.”

 

Some of the Wildcats were brought to tears, but they still came out roaring. It looked like another blowout was in the cards, as Rye Country Day scored on their first three possessions and exploded to a 21-7 lead. The Wildcat seniors were firing on all cylinders, with the dynamic backfield of senior captains Andrew Miller (3-yard TD run), Garrett Washington (46-yard TD run), and Stern (1-yard TD run) all reaching the end zone.

 

Pingree fired back with an aggressive passing attack, and even scored on a deep pass with one second left to go in the half. A botched extra point kept RCDS up 21-20 at the break.

 

After a scoreless third quarter, a rarity for the Wildcats, Stern found room and broke free for a 27-yard touchdown. Stern finished the day with just under 150 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns, though it could have been an even bigger day for the senior, as he had a kickoff return for a touchdown and another long run called back on holding.

 

“Before that run in the fourth, I kept telling myself to keep my head up and keep running hard no matter what calls were being made,” said Stern.

Senior captain Chibueze Nwakeze, a defensive lineman who will take his talents to Williams College next fall, led the Wildcats defensively. Nwakeze recorded an astounding 38 tackles over his final three games. Washington, who had his fourth interception of the season in the third quarter and is being highly recruited by many Division I-AA schools, also contributed along with junior Raishaun McGhee, who led the team with a game-high 17 tackles.

 

Although Rye Country Day will graduate their best senior class ever, head coach John Calandros will return McGhee and sophomore halfback Tyler Fernandez, who had a key 22-yard run and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry this year. But for now, Calandros isn’t even thinking about next season. He’d rather celebrate perfection.

—  Photo by Gerald Stern