Raiders Rally in the Fourth Quarter But Fall to Mamaroneck at Homecoming Game

Photo Credit: Brendan DuvalScarsdale High School held its annual homecoming game Friday October 1, but unfortunately, some late-game heroics weren’t enough to pull out a victory against Mamaroneck, leaving the Raiders 1-3 for the season.

The Scarsdale crowd was back in action. With no homecoming game last season, the fans were out in full force this year supporting the Raiders. For seniors, this is their last chance to support their teams which gives them extra incentive to attend games. The cheerleading squad and band made the event even more entertaining. Overall, the energy in the stands was electric and it certainly heightened the mood.

The game started off slowly, with neither team scoring in the first quarter. Mamaroneck started to build momentum in the second quarter, though, and put pressure on Scarsdale. The first scoring of the game came on a field goal by Mamaroneck kicker Seth Julie, and that led the way for them to continue piling on. They went on to score two touchdowns within two minutes and six seconds of game time, and Scarsdale trailed 17-0 into the half.

At halftime, as Scarsdale Youth Football players ran on the field, the crowd saw animated Scarsdale coaches trying to fire up the team to come back. The team knew they were better than how they were playing. It was up to them to prove it.

After an injury to starting QB Brian Nicholas, backup Adrian Duval came in to try and lead the comeback. However, the third quarter was scoreless. Scarsdale got on the board with 11:03 left in the fourth on a Duval sneak to make it 17-7. The game was now officially within reach.

After a quick three and out by Mamaroneck, Scarsdale took possession with just over nine minutes to go in the game. WR Reese Shelon drew a pass interference call to get Scarsdale near the red zone, and Duval ran it into the endzone to put the Raiders within 3. The student section was going wild and all the momentum was on Scarsdale’s side.

And then it got crazier. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by Mamaroneck and Scarsdale recovered. One touchdown and the Raiders would take the lead. With 6:16 remaining, Duval did just that on a 28-yard run. Scarsdale now had a 21-17 lead, and as you could probably guess, everyone in the stands lost their minds.

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Photo Gallery Brendan Duval

Mamaroneck still had a chance to respond. With 4:40 remaining, QB Jason Cox delivered a beautiful ball on third down to keep Mamaroneck’s hopes alive and bring them into a first and goal situation. They’d go onto score and take a 24-21 lead.

The Raiders were unable to score on their final drive and that was the game.

They have nothing to be ashamed of, however. They proved they can handle adversity and will not give up on a game regardless of the score. That bodes well for the rest of the season.

Scarsdale will look to bounce back next week against Yonkers Force.

Photo Credit: Jack Margolin