Joe Letizia rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns to lead Tappan Zee to a 27-6 victory at Horace Greeley Saturday.
The winless Quakers (0-7) gave their homecoming crowd some hope as they played the Dutchmen even for two quarters, with the score tied, 6-6, at halftime.
“I thought it was a nice crowd," said Quakers Coach Tim Sullivan.
Turnovers were an issue for the Quakers further along in the game. Horace Greeley Coach Tim Sullivan acknowledged that excessive turnovers have been an issue this season.
“I can't even count how many different ways we've turned the ball over this year."
The Quakers earned the respect of Dutchmen Coach Andy DiDomenico.
“It was a tough game,” he said, noting the 6-6 tie for the first three quarters.
DiDomenico said the team doesn't "have a flashy offense," but added that he compares it “to like a boxer.”
The Quakers started out strong in the first half, including a touchdown by Brian Hamerschlag with just under 4 minutes left in the first quarter. Tappan Zee got its first points on the board in the 2nd quarter, with just under 11 minutes left, from a touchdown by Letizia.
The score remained tied at 6-6 under the 4th quarter, when the Dutchmen broke away for the lead. Pat Walpole got the team's second touchdown with roughly 9:30 remaining, with a 2-point conversion then brining the score to 14-6. Letizia scored another touchdown with about 4:30 left, and again with just over a minute remaining.
Letizia, already Rockland County's all-time leading rusher, is closing in on 4,000 yards rushing for his career. Saturday's total gives him an unofficial total of 3,963 yards.
