Football: Refocused Arlington bounces back, stuns rival John Jay
A.J. MartelliWICCOPEE - The Arlington High School football team went to practice last Monday with a sour taste in its mouth.
Two days earlier, the Admirals were shut out in their home opener against Spring Valley, struggling to establish a potent offensive game. What’s more, they knew they had a battle coming Saturday, up against defensive powerhouse and Section 1 Class AA runner-up John Jay-East Fishkill.
But, Arlington came up with a plan and executed it almost flawlessly, stunning its crosstown rival 24-16 on the road in front of a jam-packed crowd.
When the game ended, the Admirals flocked to their fan section. Chants of “AOE” rang out from the spectators as the Admirals cheered on in jubilation. “AOE,” by the way, is an acronym of the school’s catchphrase: “Arlington Over Everyone.”
Being ready for an elite Patriots defense, the Admirals said, led to the statement win.
“We prepared every day. We were locked in at practice,” said junior running back Xavier Grant, who scored a rushing touchdown. “We were the underdog, everyone thought we couldn’t do it and we wanted to prove to everyone that we could do this.”
John Jay ended Arlington’s season last year in the Class AA semifinals, handing the Admirals a 28-0 loss. Senior free safety Rick Wagner remembers that defeat, and said the team has been refining all facets of its game following that loss last October.
“We’ve been working ever since they beat us,” said Wagner, who returned an interception for a touchdown. “We just play with our hearts, prepping for four hours a day in practice. We worked on and off the field, on our focus and stuff.”
Arlington coach Mike Morano said his team had “made a mistake” against Spring Valley, and echoed Wagner’s point about regaining focus.
“We maybe took things a little lightly last week (against Spring Valley). We had some kids who I think thought we would just go out and win because of who we were, and some young kids who just didn’t know what it took yet,” Morano said. “We found a way to turn it around, and I think that loss woke us up and refocused us.”
John Jay will now hit practice this week and, like Arlington, refocus after the loss.
“The key for us is to get out here on Monday and get better at everything we do,” Patriots coach Tom O’Hare said. “Because if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.”
Turning point
With John Jay driving late in the fourth and trailing by one score, Connor Price came up with a sack on Patriots quarterback Dan Beal. The play pushed John Jay back into its own territory and the defense held, forcing the drive to stall.
After the Patriots turned the ball over on downs, Arlington was able to kneel down and seal the win with under two minutes left.
Players of the game
Arlington went “ground and pound” with Grant and Richie Finn. Both had several sizable carries and each scored a touchdown.
By the numbers
Arlington (1-1): Wagner’s pick-six was a 55-yard return, while Grant’s touchdown rush from the goal capped a nearly 70-yard drive. Tommy Gibson booted a 33-yard field goal, and Finn’s touchdown capped an 80-yard drive. Only New Rochelle — in last year’s section final — has scored more than nine points on John Jay since last season.
John Jay (1-1): Trailing 24-0 at halftime, Alex Rodrigues got the Patriots on the board with a 56-yard touchdown off a fumble recovery. Luke Mahon scored the Patriots’ second touchdown on a one-yard rush from the goal line, and the Patriots converted two two-point conversions.
Quotable
“Now we can show the whole section that we can do this and we’re not going down without a fight,” Grant said. “We had to prove to everybody that we can do anything.”
“It means the world,” Wagner said of the win. “A lot of Dutchess County was here, a lot of kids from Jay and Arlington. It was a rush of adrenaline, it really got me going.”
“Our kids really came out and fought. I’m very, very proud of our second half,” O’Hare said. “We won the second half, the problem was we dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half to overcome it.”
What’s next?
Arlington will take a trip to Westchester to visit Mamaroneck on Friday. John Jay, meanwhile, hosts Mahopac Friday.
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJ_Martelli
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