Pawling football hosting Haldane on Saturday
By John M. Benson
September 3, 2007
Pawling High School football will host Haldane this Saturday, September 8, at 1:30 p.m. at Pawling Elementary School.
The Pawling Tiger Athletic Club will be participating in the Pawling Chamber of Commerce Garage Sale, with a booth open from the early morning next to the football field. Drop off new clothing or equipment as a donation, or look for a great deal on that stuff your kids need for their sports adventures.
The Pawling Tigers scrimmaged Kennedy, Peekskill and Yonkers on Saturday, and showed that they are a fast, aggressive team that is ready for a real game.
“All of our players have done everything we have asked,” said head coach Carl Ferraro, the winningest high school football coach in Dutchess County history. “They all went to summer camp, they all worked out and lifted weights in the off-season, and they have been at practice and they have worked hard. We know these kids have worked hard, and we know these kids are going to give us everything they have on Saturday against Haldane. We are ready to play our first game, and we have confidence in the players and the team we are going to put out on the field. We are a good football team.”
The roster includes Nick Cato, Cody Clarkson, Anthony Reda, Ken Bauer, Doug Leonaggeo, Jon Sora, P.J. Pancio, Zach Soechtig, Chris Mayes, Bill Vitro, Ray Gordineer, Luke Testa, Nico Musella, Rob Osborne, Mike Hom, Chris Johnson, Zack Grover, Reinert, Brandon Reinert, Dylan Rieger, Drew Durkin, Eric Gasparich, Billie Maxwell, Joe Hyatt, Don Otto, Corey Vitro and John Petti.
In the first offensive set in the scrimmage against Kennedy, Reda, Soechtig and Vitro each ripped off big gains through big holes opened by the offensive line. The Tigers drove to the goal line in four plays from the 40-yard line before fumbling away the chance to score. Ferraro was not worried about the fumble, although he said it got the players down for a little while.
“What we as coaches wanted to see was that we could move the ball on offense, and our kids showed us we can do that,” Ferraro said after the scrimmage. “We actually kept it pretty simple in the scrimmage, the plays we were calling, but we still were able to move the ball. We have very good speed in our skill positions, and some outstanding offensive linemen.
“We have four veteran linemen that are solid, center Cody Clarkson, guard Ken Bauer, tackle Nick Cato and tight end Ray Gordineer. We have to find a solution for the other guard and tackle spots. We have some younger guys there who are working very hard, including Nico Musella and Joe Hyatt, but they are young, and the offensive line is the toughest job to learn. They have to be able to block six different defenses for each play. A wide receiver can be young and play because the assignments are simple enough, but the offensive linemen really have to be in the system for a while to pick it all up. It will be a game time decision, but we may move one or two of our backs up into the line, because they know our system and they may be more ready to play in there.”
The set starters on offense include Reda at one halfback spot, and Clarkson, Bauer, Cato and Gordineer in the line. Pancio and Osborne are now in competition for the quarterback spot. There is healthy competition at fullback between Soechtig and Leonaggeo, and at the other halfback spot among Vitro, Mayes and Sora. They will all play, giving Ferraro depth in the backfield, and players who can run in the play call if Ferraro decides to go that way.
The speed of this team really shows up on defense, where the Tigers all fly to the ball and play very aggressively.
“We coaches were very happy with the defense,” Ferraro said. “We scrimmaged three teams on Saturday, and allowed just one touchdown, and that was on a pass on the final play of the scrimmage. We have excellent speed on defense, and they are very aggressive going to the ball.”
Reda will play the free safety spot. Pawling has talent and some depth on the defensive line. Cato will anchor the defense at middle guard, with Clarkson and Petti at the tackles. Four players will get time at defensive end, Rieger, Otto, Gordineer and Gasparich. Bauer and Leonaggeo will back them up at the inside linebacker spots. Vitro, Osborne and Mayes will get time at the two cornerback spots, and Mayes and Soechtig will get time at the rover back.
With all of those strengths, Pawling is weakened by the absence of players the coaches were counting on, players who did not report to the fall practices, or who left the team mid-way through the pre-season workouts. Ferraro said those players could now be starting in the offensive line and in places on the defense, and he said their absence is forcing the coaches to play some players out of their natural positions. He said the missing players can still report, and though they would not be eligible for the first game, they would soon be eligible and would help the team get to the playoffs.
“We are prepared, and we are very good at many positions, and we are ready to play Haldane,” Ferraro said. “The unfortunate thing is that we are probably one or two players away from being a very outstanding team, and those could be the players who left the team. With those guys here, everybody would be playing in their natural positions and we would be set. Without them, we will have people playing out of position in some places, and that is unfortunate and unnecessary. They could still report to the team, and they might miss one game, but they would be eligible soon and they could really help us get to the playoffs.
“It is unfortunate, because some of the kids who left the team during double-days would be starting, and those are the positions we are looking for now. Especially, we are looking for a guard and a tackle, and those guys would also fit in on defense. We will be playing some younger guys who maybe aren’t really ready, or we are going to have to play some guys out of their natural positions, and that has domino effect all the way through the line-up.”
Ferraro welcomes a coaching staff of former players, Chris Doria, Jim Opuszenski, Mike Carter, plus the coach’s son, Mike Ferraro, a former all-state quarterback at New Paltz High School. Josh Sheldon and Justin Bell will be coaching, but they will also be doing the scouting for Pawling.
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