Daily Sports Digest: Pearl River Football Falls; Boys Soccer Changes Site, Game Time

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Thursday's football game between Rye and Pearl River was a truly a story of different programs. Dino Garr has made the postseason 18 straight years at Rye. Pearl River made it to the Section 1 playoffs this season for the first time since 2007, so it was a step in building the program regardless of the result.

“Going forward it’s great.” Said Pearl River Head Coach Jeff Michael on making the playoffs and the role it can have in developing the program. “There are 27 teams in Class A football. We are one of eight to make it in. I guarantee there are 19 teams that would trade places with us in a heartbeat. You have to be in it to win it and we were in it. Mentally it’s a step in the right direction.”

As for the game itself Rye won, 14-7, in the rain and as the grass turned to mud the Garnets relied on Joe Simolacaj to be a key factor as Rye went to a ground and pound running game.Simolacaj set up one touchdown with a 41-yard run and Andrew Hudson set up the other with a 49-yard interception return. Pearl River got its only points on a touchdown from Chris Van Houten to Sean Wilson with 36 seconds remaining. For full details on the game, go here.

Pearl River athletics will be back in action this afternoon as the second-seeded boys soccer team welcomes No. 15 Panas. The game has been moved to the Veteran's Turf Field in Orangeburg and the start time was moved up from 3 p.m. to 2:30 due to the muddy conditions on Pearl River's field.

Pearl River's boys and girls cross country teams will run in the Rockland County Championships at Bear Mountain. The boys race starts at 4 p.m. with the girls at 4:25 p.m.

Pearl River’s volleyball team will also start the post season today as they look to upset No. 5 Kennedy.

Two more Pirate teams will be in action on Saturday as the field hockey team hosts Panas for an 11 a.m. game and the girl’s soccer team will will play at home at 3 p.m. against the winner of tonight’s Yonkers Tappan Zee showdown. There is some possibility that both games could be moved depending on the condition of the field.

Albertus Magnus will hit the road today as the Falcon boys soccer team is the eleventh seed at No. 6 Briarcliff. Albertus Magnus will also host a first-round volleyball matchup Friday as the No. 5 Falcons welcome in No. 12 Woodlands.

If teams win, they may play again on Saturday, but already the Falcons have two games lined up. The fourteenth seeded Albertus Magnus girl’s soccer team will look for the upset at Croton-Harmon.

The Falcons will also host Pawling in football. With last weeks win at Hastings Albertus Magnus earned the first overall seed in a Bowl Bracket.

Yesterday’s Results:

Sport: Football

Game: (3) Rye @ (2) Pearl River

Score:

Highlights: In the rain and mud the Garnets left all the dirty work to fullback Joe Simolacaj who finished the game with over 100 yards rushing in the slop. Jimmy Dugan picked up a touchdown after a long Simolacaj run and Andrew Livingston scored the other Rye touchdown on a one yard keeper. Pearl River’s loan score came from Sean Wilson who caught a Chris Van Houten tipped pass with 36.6 seconds left in regulation.

Today’s Schedule:

In boy’s soccer, (15) Walter Panas at (2) Pearl River 2:30 p.m. at the Veterans Turf Field in Orangeburg.

In volleyball, (12) Pearl River at (5) Kennedy at 4:30 p.m.

In boy’s soccer, (11) Albertus Magnus at (6) Briarcliff 3 p.m.

In volleyball, (12) Woodlands @ (5) Albertus Magnus 4:30 p.m.