Scarsdale’s flag football team is headed back to the state final four and Tappan Zee is headed there for the first time.
Scarsdale outlasted Middletown, 19-18, on Saturday at Tappan Zee High School in a Class A regional final to head to June 7’s state semifinal at Cortland High School. Tappan Zee topped Minisink Valley, 13-7 in a Class B regional final.
Hendrick Hudson fell to Owego, 40-14, in a Class C regional final
Flag football
Regional finals at Tappan Zee High School
Class A: Scarsdale 19, Middletown 18
Class B: Tappan Zee 13, Minisink Valley 7
Class C: Owego 40, Hendrick Hudson 14
Second-half surge lifts Tappan Zee to state final four
Trailing in the second half, Tappan Zee’s Eve Girardi found Jody Long for a touchdown and found her again for the extra point, helping lift undefeated Section 1 champion Tappan Zee to a 13-7 win over Section 9 champion Minisink Valley on Saturday at the Dutchmen’s home field.
“It’s just unreal,” Tappan Zee coach Darrell Flynn said. “You don’t expect when you start a program just three years ago to be in the state final four. It means a lot that (athletic director) Bill Pilla and my athletic department have given me resources I need to build the program. The players I have that bought in and more players who joined put that time and effort in. There was a progression from one year to the next.”
Girardi scored Tappan Zee’s other touchdown on a rush in the first half.
Nina Vasquez picked up an interception for Tappan Zee (19-0) with 1:19 left to help Tappan Zee continue its winning ways.
“When Nina makes that play at the end, it’s a relief,” Flynn said. “Last week was a tight game and most of the games we’ve played this season have been easier for us.”
Tappan Zee will face Section 2’s Columbia in a state semifinal at 1:30 p.m. on June 7 at Cortland High School.
Scarsdale outlasts Middletown, heads back to state final four
The game came down to a final defensive play of the game and Scarsdale prevailed.
Lilly Tessler hauled in an interception with 22 seconds left to help the undefeated Section 1 champion Raiders hold on for a 19-18 win over Section 9’s Middletown in a Class A state regional final on Saturday at Tappan Zee High School in Orangeburg.
Unbeaten Scarsdale (18-0) will face Section 3’s Fayetteville-Manlius in a state semifinal at 9:30 a.m. on June 7 at Cortland High School.
“It’s so much fun for me,” Scarsdale coach Tom Newkirk said. “I’m just happy that the girls get another crack at trying to win the state title. We came up a little bit short last year.”
Tessler figured into all of Scarsdale’s scoring plays on Saturday, with a 5-yard rushing touchdown that tied the game early in the first half and a 27-yard pass to Chloe Paquin as time expired in the first half to put Scarsdale up 13-12. Tessler’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Leah Brown 4:10 into the second half put Scarsdale up 19-12.
With the final score a one-point game, conversions and defense become the name of the game. Scarsdale connected on 1 of 3 – a toss from Tessler to Naomi Fischer after the game’s first score that was essentially the difference in the final score. Both teams scored three touchdowns, but Middletown was 0 for 3 on conversions.
“You don’t have to win by a lot. You only have to win by one,” Newkirk said. “Eighteen points is the most we let up this year actually. Middletown is well coached and some really good athletes. They had some plays and offense that was unorthodox and gave us some problems.”
Newkirk also noted strong defensive play from Fischer, Brown and Talia Arovas.
Hen Hud falls in regional final to Owego
Section 1 champion Hendrick Hudson fell in a Class C regional final to Section 4’s Owego, 40-14, on Saturday at Tappan Zee High School.
Kaitlyn Raguso scored both touchdowns for Hen Hud, which ended its season at 14-4. The senior had a rushing and a receiving touchdown in the second half.
“Not the outcome we hoped for, but we got beat by a better team,” Hen Hud coach Craig Solomon said. “We prepared well and felt good heading into the game, but their speed and athleticism were too much for us. I think our girls competed for the entire game and they have so much to be proud of. To win a sectional championship in our second year is something special.”
Owego advances to the Class C state final four next weekend in Cortland, where it will face Section 7’s Beekmantown in a state semifinal at 9:30 a.m. on June 7.
Phil Strum is an editor who oversees local sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Flag football: Tappan Zee, Scarsdale advance to final four, Hen Hud falls
Reporting by Phil Strum, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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