Pearl River Powers Past Peekskill

The Pearl River football team earned its first victory of the season Saturday, dominating Peekskill from start to finish, 43-0, in the Pirates' Homecoming game. 

The Pirates (1-3) had opened the season with three losses and their nine-game losing streak ran back to the third game of the 2012 season.. 

"It's a big relief," senior offensive lineman/linebacker James Linnane said. "It's been since Yonkers year. Everybody here is excited. It's a great feeling to get that win."


"I'ts a huge step for our team right now," Pearl River quarterback Chris Van Houten said. It's a boost for the rest of the season.

"We just played football. That's what we haven't been doing the first three weeks. We played football and we played smart."

Van Houten played a key role in that, completing all four of his passing attempts for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran four times for a team-high 42 yards.

"He puts a lot of pressure on himself," Pearl River Head Coach Jeff Michael said. "He really wants to play college football and he thinks all eyes are on him. Today was the first game I saw a calm sense, a sense of relaxation int eh pocket. He didn't feel like h had to make a 40 or 50-yard bomb down the field to be a success. He made the smart reads."

Running back Rob Gullo caught one of the touchdown passes and ran the ball six times for 36 yards and another score.

"The kid doesn't have an off switch," Michael said. "He keeps going until the battery runs out and the battery lasts a long time."

Pearl River piled up 114 yards rushing in the first half, when the Pirates scored all 43 points. They went with backups offensively in the second half. 

The Pirates' defense dominated throughout, holding Peekskill (1-3) to negative two yards rushing on 22 attempts and only 67 yards of total offense. The Pirates recovered two fumbles, intercepted a pass and scored a safety on defense. 

"The D-line pushes really hard and our backs were sticking with receivers," said Van Houten, who also starts at defensive back. "We've got a solid defense this year."

"It is what they have been doing all season, playing hard-nosed, blue-collar football," Michael said. "This week, it was nice to see them finish. Finish the tackle. Finish the sack. Bat the ball down. Everything they should be doing."

The defense set the tone early, stopping Peekskill on the first possession of the game. David Avery blocked the punt by Peekskill's Naim Mickens to set the Pirates up on the Red Devil's 19. Four plays later, Van Houten avoided the rush, rolled left and found Aidan Weir in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown. Pearl River led, 6-0, after Weir's extra point attempt was blocked. 

"It sets the tone for the rest of the game," Van Houten said of the early score. "We have the morale going, the momentum going."

The Pirates kept it going on their next possession, driving 67 yards on only four plays. Van Houten got Pearl River close with a 30-yard scramble and fullback Kevin Considine completed the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 13-0.

The defense made it 15-0, dragging own Peekskill running back Savion Williams in the end zone for an eight-yard loss and a safety.

The Pearl River lead ballooned to 22-0 only 13 seconds later as junior Pat Metcalfe returned the free kick after the safety 75 yards for a touchdown. 

Peekskill took advantage of one of its few positive plays in the game, a 37-yard pass by Mickens, to drive to the Pearl River 22, but the Pirates stopped Mickens a fourth-and-2 to end the threat. 

The Pirates drove again, this time with Van Houten hitting a 25-yard pass to Weir to help get them close. He then threw a short pass to Gullo, who made two tacklers miss while converting it into a 26-yard touchdown pass and a 29-0 lead.

Pearl River got the ball right back when Mickens fumbled after a big hit and Rich Hogan recovered at the Peekskill 14. Gullo carried the ball on three consecutive plays, scoring a touchdown on a one-yard plunge.

The defense accounted for the final points of the game on the next series, with Linnane scooping up a fumble and returning it 18 yards for a touchdown. It was the former fullback's first score of the season and it came the week he had made the switch to offensive line. Linnane also intercepted a Mickens pass to end a Peeksklll threat right before halftime. 

"He's the heart and soul right now," Michael said. 

Pearl River will play Tappan Zee 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at home in the Orange Bowl. Peekskill fell to 1-3. The local rivals haven't played since 2010, when Tappan Zee won both meetings.

"The kids realize that. They realize the opportunity they have," Michael said. "The playoffs might be a miracle for us right now, but maybe spoiling their season would be a nice touch for us, and getting the Orange Bowl back. But we have to show up next week. We have to have a good practice week."