For the second straight season, three Section 1 flag football champions will be crowned.
On Saturday, May 23, championships will be determined in three enrollment classes — Class A, Class B and Class C — in games held at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak.
Two of the finalists are defending Section 1 champions. Scarsdale won the Class A state title a year ago, while Tappan Zee reached the Class B state final.
Section 1 flag football championships
Saturday, May 23
Class A: No. 3 Mamaroneck vs. No. 1 Scarsdale, 10:30 a.m.
Class B: No. 2 Yorktown vs. No. 1 Tappan Zee, 1 p.m.
Class C: No. 7 Byram Hills vs. No. 1 Westlake/Briarcliff, 3:30 p.m.
Here’s a breakdown of Saturday’s matchups.
No. 3 Mamaroneck vs. No. 1 Scarsdale in Class A final
at Lakeland High School, Shrub Oak
Scarsdale (15-2)
Coach: Thomas Newkirk
Key players: Leah Brown, Sr., DL/OL; Gia Asen, Sr., DL/OL; Reese Newman, Jr. QB/CB
What makes Scarsdale good? “I think taking what they give us and trying not to turn the ball over a bunch,” said Newkirk, whose team is seeking a third consecutive section title. “We need to try to force them into some turnovers.”
What’s Scarsdale’s identity this season? “We’re a hard-nosed team based on our defense. They’ve been the backbone of what’s been bright for us all year,” said Newkirk. Scarsdale and Mamaroneck split two regular season meetings, so this is the rubber match for all the marbles. “We mix in some really good plays from our offense. Emmie Sanders has scored in almost all our games this season.”
Mamaroneck (11-4-1)
Coach: Anthony Vitti
Key players: Sarah Sherman, Sr., LB/WR; Maddie Cashman, Jr. QB/S; Soukey Tounkara, Jr., WR/CB
What makes Mamaroneck good? “It starts with defense,” said Vitti, whose Tigers are in their first full season as a program. Vitti coached the Mamaroneck tackle football team to a Section 1 title in the fall. “I think we preach the importance of defense. This game is really built around the defense – understanding how to use the field and take away what teams do best.”
What’s Mamaroneck’s identity this season? Like any first-year program, Mamaroneck is still learning. “They’re asking better questions and understanding better what they’re seeing around them,” Vitti said. “We’ve had some a-ha moments.”
No. 2 Yorktown vs. No. 1 Tappan Zee in Class A final
at Lakeland High School, Shrub Oak
Tappan Zee (16-1)
Coach: Darrell Flynn
Key players: Eve Girardi, Sr., QB/LB; Nina Vasquez, Sr., WR/DL; Ella Sabatini, Jr., WR/CB; Alyssa Sanchez, So., WR/CB
What makes Tappan Zee good? “I keep telling the girls one word and it’s ‘compete,'” said Flynn, whose team won its first section title last spring. “They’re competing in practice to make themselves better and have done a good job with that. We can be up or down, but you have to keep pushing through.”
What’s Tappan Zee’s identity this season? “It has to be a balance between the way we play offense and defense,” Flynn said, noting that his team scored 34 points in a comeback win in the semifinal, which also meant Tappan Zee got a lot of stops. “Our identity is understanding the importance of both sides of the ball.”
Yorktown (17-1)
Coach: Mike Rescigno
Key players: Eva Monaco, Sr., WR/S; Sydney Soliz, Sr., LB/WR, Sophia Marcello,, So., QB; Stephanie Douglas, Sr., LB.
What makes Yorktown good?: “Using the entire team to win the game,” said Rescigno, who was formerly Yorktown’s tackle football coach, has coached at Arlington and is currently an assistant coach at Our Lady of Lourdes. “We can hurt you with anybody. We have girls making contributions all over the place.”
What’s Yorktown’s identity this season? “Our offense has made tremendous strides, but our defense has locked down,” said Rescigno, whose Huskers lost in the semifinal to Tappan Zee last season. “Our defense has been absolutely stout. Week to week, we make adjustments and the kids adapt.”
No. 7 Byram Hills vs. No. 1 Westlake/Briarcliff in Class C final
at Lakeland High School, Shrub Oak
Westlake/Briarcliff (18-0)
Coach: Lowell Robinson
Key players: Juliana DiMarino, Soph. QB/S; Mar Rivera-Font, Sr., WR/LB/S; Julianna Nigrelli, Soph., WR/CB
What makes Westlake good? “We just go into every game with a ‘one game at a time, next play’ mindset,” said Robinson, whose squad was 8-6-1 in their first season as a program last year. “Drop a pass? You’ve got to move on. Play fast, have fun, and be mentally tough.”
What’s Westlake’s identity this season? “The way the offense works, everyone is in play,” said Robinson, who is also on the Westlake tackle football coaching staff. “We’re still teaching and learning new things. It’s the second season, but there’s a million questions they have. Every day is a learning process.”
Byram Hills (8-9-1)
Coach: Simon Berk
Key players: Emerson Pace, Sr., WR/S; Della Gonzalez, Sr., QB; Amelia Amenedo, Fr. RB/LB
What makes Byram Hills good? “We are a very young team,” said Berk, who also coaches the Byram Hills tackle football team. “If you look at our record, it definitely reflects some growing pains throughout the season, but we’ve continued to improve. Our athletes keep learning and improving.”
What’s Byram Hills’ identity this season? “We play with a lot of energy and a lot of toughness,” said Berk, whose team dropped both its games to Westlake/Briarcliff this season by scores of 47-27 and 34-20.
Phil Strum is local sports editor for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Team-by-team breakdown of the Section 1 flag football finals
Reporting by Phil Strum, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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