Marlboro defends Class B crown
KINGSTON, N.Y. >> It was a case of Marlboro High’s defense setting it up and the offense knocking them down.
The Iron Dukes repeated as Section 9, Class B football champions Friday night, capitalizing on four takeaways to build a 28-0 lead and roll to a 28-12 victory over James I. O’Neill in the rain at Dietz Stadium.
Ameer Williams ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns and caught a TD pass from Sam Mongelli, who also rushed for a score, to lead Marlboro.
“It feels great. It’s real sweet, to do it with all my friends and our huge senior class,” said Mongelli, one of 21 seniors on the team. “It’s real exciting to know that we got a future in the season still and we’re going to take all that we can get,”
Marlboro, now 9-1 overall, is back at Dietz Saturday, Nov. 10, to face unbeaten (9-0) Ardsley of Section 1 in a regional game.
On the second play of the game, defensive end Teige Napoli sprung the ball loose from O’Neill quarterback Josh Borowicz and Dylan
Ten Eyck recovered. Less than two minutes later, Mongelli lofted a 25-yard pass over a defender to Williams for the 7-0 lead.
“The defense sets the tone. That’s what they do,” Marlboro coach Brian Beck said.
The Raiders got three plays into their next drive when Giovanni Frisenda intercepted Borowicz. Williams soon raced 25 yards down the left sideline for a 13-0 advantage.
“Our defense all year has been playing absolutely amazing,” Mongelli said. “They bring the fire to the whole team on the field. You’ve got dudes flying everywhere. They know their jobs and they play smart and we’re always just grinding it out.”
James Mata’utia eluded two tacklers and rambled 42 yards on the Raiders’ next possession, but the Dukes forced them to turn the ball over on downs on the Marlboro 17.
O’Neill threatened again, but defensive back Antonio Babcock’s pick stalled that bid. Williams
bolted up the middle for a 30-yard score. Eric Borchert ran for the twopoint conversion to make it a 21-0 game with 3:33 left in the half.
Marlboro used its timeouts and the defense forced O’Neill into a three-andout. A low snap on the punt gave the Dukes the ball on the Raider 23. Mongelli stiff-armed his way on a 13-yard TD run just before halftime.
Marlboro — which was bidding for a fourth consecutive shutout and fifth of the season — had that ended when O’Neill recovered a bad snap and Borowicz
ran 17 yards for a TD midway through the third quarter.
The Raiders scored again when lineman Jonathan Colasurdo retrieved a fumble in the end zone with 38 seconds left. Philip West recovered the ensuing onside kick for O’Neill, but Borchert’s interception sealed the win.
Williams was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player and Dukes linebacker Myles Barrington, who dominated the inside with 12 tackles, the Defensive MVP. Jack Young, meanwhile, had a pair of interceptions.