Haldane vs Tuckahoe, Class D title game primer

Friday, November 10^th, 5 am. sky pitch black. 42 degrees and drizzly. The Haldane high school football players are deep in the land of Zzzz’s. In a few hours, they will wake, brush their teeth, eat breakfast. But this is not a normal day. At 3 pm, 48 degrees and overcast, and they will square off against archnemesis Tuckahoe for the section 1 class D championship game at Arlington high school.

Historically Tuckahoe has been the more dominant squad, though this year Haldane won a rare regular season matchup, 21-13 on Homecoming weekend. There are two schools of thought when it comes to Homecoming: schedule a team you can easily beat so it’s a party atmosphere, or face a challenging team, which is more exciting for the fans, but your Homecoming could get spoiled.

I’m guessing Haldane coach McConville has said some version of: forget that game, guys. Yes, you got it, and it was nice, but that was late September. And we’re a different team now and they’re a different team now.

I’m guessing the Tuckahoe coach is saying some version of: guys, remember how they beat you. Remember how they bullied you on the line of scrimmage. Remember what it felt like to hear their fans cheering. A lot of times in life you don’t get a chance to go back and get another crack at somebody, but you have that chance, so what are you gonna do about it?

Actually, I’m guessing both coaches have way better inspirational speeches than that. Because these are two extremely well-coached teams. When you think of the size of the schools involved—300 kids in grades 9 through 12, 150 or so boys total—and then you think about what they’re putting on the field, in terms of athleticism, physicality, stamina, the high level of execution, it’s kind of mind-boggling.

Both teams play basically the same schedule. They’ve scouted each other. They’ve played each other. They’ve dissected every millisecond of film. They know what each other likes to do. There might be a few new wrinkles woven into the fabric of each offense, but not a lot of surprises here. Ground vs. Air.

The homecoming victory for Haldane was special for the Cold Spring community: a packed house, a playoff-like intensity in the air. The Blue Devils were able to use their size upfront and run the ball effectively. But the game was closer than the final score; a first-half goal-line stand was key to the Haldane victory.

Tuckahoe has an exceptional passing game. Quarterback Jax Colacicco can thread the ball into a narrow space, drop it right into the proverbial basket. This will put a lot of pressure on the Haldane defensive backs. And speaking of pressure—will Haldane be able to make Colacicco uncomfortable, flush him from the pocket, get their hands on him, or will the Tuckahoe offensive line hold strong and allow Colacicco to throw darts?

On the other side of the ball, Haldane’s offensive line often gets stronger as the game wears on. Will they win the battle in the trenches? If so, lanes will open up for the centerpieces of their running attack, QB Ryan Van Tassell and RB Evan Giachinta, who both can gobble up yards with a combination of speed, shiftiness, and brawn. Also shout out to Brody Corless, who is only a buck thirty, but tackles fast and hard.

As a Cold Spring community member, it’s a gift to have seen these kids in kindergarten, seen some of them acting out parts in a play I wrote called “Sally the Skunk”, and singing Wumpy-Wump-Wump. Now here they are, seniors, about the play for the chip.

I’ve witnessed glimpses of what has gone into this. Coach McConville and his staff pouring their psyches into this, working the team against the blocking sled, finetuning strategies, motivating for months. I’ve witnesses Evan and Ryan and teammates on Friday nights, after two hours of practice, at the local gym, lifting weights. Sacrificing parties for a common goal. I’ve witnessed parents working concession stands during games, making troughs of food for team bonding dinners. I don’t know what will happen today. But these coaches, players, and families have been in it, on a journey. This is the best of high school sports and downright inspiring.

Some of the seniors have been doing this since third or fourth grade. Pee Wee football. All the work that’s been put in. The years on modified watching older kids and brothers on varsity.  All the practices. All the rides their parents gave. All the suicides. All the push-ups. All the blocking sled hits. All the ice packs. All the bench presses. All the smashing into opponents, the hands grabbing your face mask. All the fighting for one yard. It’s all led to this moment. What an honor and joy to be in it.

If you live in Cold Spring, consider making the 33-minute drive up the Taconic to Arlington. It should be a heck of a ballgame.