Davis Patterson carrying the ball in the game against Tuckahoe. Photo by J. Murrer.

By S. Q. DeJoy and J. Murrer

Sept. 13, 2023: The heat, humidity and thunderstorms put a damper on the start of the Broncos’ fall season. Last week, practices and games were cancelled Wednesday and Thursday when the temperatures reached the mid-nineties, and the football game, which was scheduled for Friday, was rescheduled due to severe thunder and lightning. The start of the week was no better.  Monday’s games were all cancelled when severe weather moved in bringing thunder, lightning and flooding.

The rescheduled football game on Sunday featured crosstown rivals, Bronxville and Tuckahoe.  Classification of high school sports is based on enrollment, and over the past decade, Bronxville has straddled the line between Class C and Class B. This fall, the Broncos are back in Class C facing longtime opponents including Dobbs Ferry, Woodlands, Valhalla, and Class D Tuckahoe.

In the Bronxville-Tuckahoe matchup, Tuckahoe was the ultimate winner, but it was a game of two halves. Tuckahoe offense was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 21 unanswered points, and Bronxville stepped up in the second half holding the Tigers scoreless and putting 19 points on the board. 

Wide receiver Will Mattson with the ball in the Tuckahoe game. Photo by J. Murrer.

Football team captains at the start of the game: Alex Chrostowski (70), Connor Kenny (15), Van Villanueva (66), Gabe Maicon (20), and Charlie Donohue (22). Photo by Joe Villanueva.

In the game held under lights at Haindl Field, Tuckahoe took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.  The Tigers went on to score two more times before the end of the half, partly due to the Broncos shaky performance where they lost possession of the ball twice, once on an interception and again on a fumble.

In the second half, the Bronco defense tightened up and the offensive started moving the ball. Quarterback Connor Kenny put together a long drive handing off to both Davis Patterson and Alex Napolitano. Patterson rushed for the first Bronco touchdown, and Gabe Maicon kicked the extra point.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos scored a second time with Kenny taking it in from the 1-yard line. The two-point conversion was stopped by the Tigers leaving the score 21-13.

In the final minutes of the game, Bronxville brought the game within reach when Tuckahoe forced the ball loose from Thomas Freeman on the 1-yard line, and teammate Nick Ranieri recovered it in the end zone. With the score at 21-19, the Broncos went for the 2-point conversion to tie the game but again came up short.

The Tigers threatened to score in the last seconds of the game, but the Broncos defense was able to finish with a scoreless half. At the end of the game, right on cue, the rain started up again.

Not all Bronco sports were postponed due to weather. The cross country teams competed at the Somers Big Red Invitational on Saturday, and the girls won the D3 race with 73 points. They were led by captains Maddy Williams and Meghan Curran, who placed 4^th (21.12) and 8^th (21:45), respectively. Also finishing for the Broncos were Charlotte Black who placed 23^rd, followed by Charlotte Murray, 25^th and Isa Washburn 27^th. 

The Bronxville girls’ cross country team at the Big Red Invitational. Photo courtesy of @bxvboystrack.

The boys’ cross country team placed 3^rd in D3 at the Somers meet with Julian Gonzalez finishing first for the Broncos in 6^th place (17:19.4), followed by Kieran McBride, 9^th (17:32.3) and Jack Toal, 16^th (18:10.1).

Bronco Home Schedule (Rain permitting)

September 13^th

-Girls’ tennis vs Blind Brook, Village Courts

September 15^th-16^th

-No games, Rosh Hashanah

September 18^th

-Field Hockey vs Yorktown, Hayes Field

September 19^th

-Field Hockey vs Pawling