Tappan Zee Holds Off Pearl River, 14-13

Pearl River missed opportunities all through Saturday's 14-13 loss to Tappan Zee at home Saturday, right down to the final seconds. 

Aiden Weir, who played a key role in keeping the Pirates close, missed a 34-yard field goal with under 10 seconds remaining.

"I just said a couple of Hail Mary's and hoped it would fall short," Tappan Zee Head Coach Andy DiDomenico.said. "It was just a matter of kids being kids. Sometimes it goes through. Sometimes it doesn't."

"Aiden has been true all year," Pearl River Head Coach Jeff Michael said. "The kid is hurting really badly right now, but he is the one who kept us in the game the whole way. Seven of those points were his. You have two field goals early. His punts were beautiful. A couple of coffin corners to pin them deep. Kickoffs were great. 

"It was we just couldn't finish drives."

Pearl River pounded its way to 226 yards rushing, but managed only one touchdown on five possessions inside the Tappan Zee 20 yard line. The Dutchmen improved to 4-1 and held on to the Orange Bowl trophy in the first meeting between the two neighboring rivals since 2010, dropping Pearl River to 1-4.

"That was the story of the game, missed opportunities," Michael said. "A fourth down play where we couldn't get a foot. Throw an interception in the end zone. We moved the ball. It was just not being able to finish the drives."


"I have to give Pearl River credit. They beat us up," DiDomenico said. "The beat us up physically up front. Really, pretty much dominated the first two and a half quarters. Our kids are a resilient bunch. They kept getting knocked down, but obviously, gave ourselves an opportunity to get it at the end and the kids made a play."

Pearl River made it look easy on the first possession of the game, driving 62 yards on only four plays. Quarterback Chris Van Houten ripped off a 49-yard run to set up a two-yard touchdown run by James Stephen. Van Houten threw for 69 yards, but hurt the Tappan Zee defense with his ability to run all day, finishing with a game-high 114 yards on the ground. Teammate Rob Gullo had 92 yards rushing for the Pirates.

"During our scouting, we saw some things available and took advantage of them," Michael said. "For the most part, it worked."

The teams traded punts until Stephen made another play, this time blocking a Tappan Zee punt. Despite having players all around the ball, Pearl River missed the opportunity to scoop it up and score, instead taking possession at the Dutchmen's five. Tappan Zee's Paul Holder stopped Gullo in the backfield for a five-yard loss on first down and Van Houten's third-down pass fell incomplete, forcing Pearl River to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Weir and a 10-0 lead.

"It was huge," DiDomenico said. "That's been a the hallmark of these guys. When they need to make a play, they make a play."

Though Guiseppe Maddalena rushed for 111 yards for Tappan Zee, Pearl River's defense was able to hold the Dutchmen's single wing offense to only 97 yards on the ground, with three other backs in negative yardage for the day. Michael credited assistant coaches Pat Aris and Steve Putnick for their defensive scheme, which included going with an extra defensive lineman. 

"Defensively, our kids did great," Michael said. "We shut down a very potent offense. Our defensive coordinators did a great job preparing our guys all week. They coached them out of their game. They had to rely on throwing the deep ball instead of their normal ground and pound and kill the clock."

After Weir's field goal, that Tappan Zee passing game connected for two key plays connected for two key plays, a 12-yard pass to Mike Mante to convert a third down and a 25-yard completion from Thomas Morales to Dan McGann that set up Maddalena's longest run of the day, a 17-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 10-7, which was the halftime score. 

Gullo made two big plays to give Pearl River a chance to add to its advantage early in the third quarter. First he pulled down Dan DiDomenico for a 10-yard loss on third down. Then when the Pirates had the ball, Gullo broke loose for a 46-yard run to the Tapopan Zee 11. The Pirates got as close as the four, but Tappan Zee safety Ryan McWilliams intercepted Van Houten's third-down pass into to the end zone to end the threat.

Weir made his presence felt on offense later in the third quarter, catching a 38-yard pass from Van Houten to convert a third-and-long and move the ball to the 12. Holder came up big for Tappan Zee again, stopping Gullo on third-and-two. Weir made a 23-yard field goal to push the advantage to 13-7.

Mante fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Kevin Considine recovered at the Tappan Zee 33, but four plays later Van Houten was stopped inches short on fourth and less than a yard.

For the second time in the game, Tappan Zee followed a defensive stop with a scoring drive, this time moving it 76 yards on four plays, three of them passes. Holder,who is primarily a blocker, snuck out of the backfield and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass to give Tappan Zee a 14-13 lead.

"It's a real nice play we've had in the book for a couple of years," DiDomenico said. "It allows our power back, a guy who is usually under the radar, to sneak out and get into space and Paul made the play."


"It was a formation they've never showed and a play they've never shown before," Michael said. 

DiDomenico spoke before and after the game about the play of Holder, but primarily his work on the defensive side. He made a number of plays to disrupt Peal River drives Saturday.

"He's an animal," DiDomenico said. "He's a beast. My defensive coordinator said to me you've got to get Holder some love in the press. He's good. He's as good a player as we've had."

Tappan Zee nearly ran the clock out on its next possession, with Maddalena converting a fourth-and-two near midfield with a three-yard run, but the Pirates got the ball with 2:39 remaining at their 15.

Van Houten moved the Pirates quickly again, connecting on a 12-yard pass to Joe Wholey and ripping off a 25-yard run. Gullo converted a third down with a 12-yard run to the Tapopan Zee 36 and the Pirates managed to get to the 16, setting up Weir's field goal attempt on fourth down.

The victory was the latest in a series of wild finishes for Tappan Zee, which opened the season with a one-point victory against Eastchester and beat Yorktown, 34-33, in overtime last week.

"I was so happy," Maddalena said of receiving the Orange Bowl trophy. "I was screaming and jumping. But all these one-point wins, it's freaking me out."