On Thursday afternoon, crosstown rivals Bronxville and Tuckahoe squared off in a battle of unbeaten teams. By the time the final whistle had sounded, however, it was the Broncos’ dominant defense and stellar special teams play that would prove the difference maker in a 38-0 victory that felt much more competitive than the final score indicated.
Bronxville wasted little time putting their stamp on the game, as Connor Randall took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown to give the hosts a 7-0 lead before either team had managed to run an offensive play. Randall would add a punt return score later in the half as his explosiveness—and the Broncos’ attention to detail—paid dividends.
“We always tell the kids if you want to be elite, you have to win in all phases of the game,” Bronxville head coach Patsy Manganelli said. “We put a little extra emphasis on special teams in practice this week and it meant that the kids were focused and working hard.”
But if the special teams play was a pleasant surprise for the Bronxville this week, the Broncos’ defensive consistency has become the calling card of the team. Although Tuckahoe was able to move the chains early on—thanks to a passing attack led by sophomore quarterback Michael Annunziata— the Broncos were able to clamp down when it mattered and earned their second shutout in three games.
Junior Chris Kelty, who recorded two interceptions after returning one for a score against Dobbs Ferry last week, said that Bronxville’s penchant for takeaways is contingent on forcing opposing offenses into passing situations.
“I think when our defensive line and inside linebackers are playing well, other teams are going to try to throw the ball a bit more,” Kelty said. “So that means the defensive backs and outside linebackers have to go out and make a play on the ball.”
Manganelli admitted that Tuckahoe—with first-year head coach John D’Arco Jr. at the helm—presented some initial matchup problems defensively that required in-game adjustments.
“John [D’Arco] does a great job, and we really hadn’t seen a style like that this year,” Manganelli said. “They did a great job trying to out-position us and get some of their special players in certain situations so we had to water down our calls and go out and play fast, physical defense.”
Offensively, the Broncos were led by Henry Donohue, who threw for a touchdown and ran for two more, but Bronxville was forced to rely on contributions from an array of other individuals after Donohue and Randall were both knocked out of the game. Bronxville has battled the injury bug this year—starting quarterback Conor O’Neill has been sidelined since the opening week—but the team has had few problems finding able replacements.
“We have so many guys stepping up, and I think it means that everyone has bought into the culture,” Kelty said. “We’re all here in the weight room in the offseason, everyone is working hard, just waiting for their chance to contribute.”
Tuckahoe (2-1) will look to right the ship when they host Rye Neck (0-1) on April 10, while Bronxville will aim for their fourth straight victory of the season next week against a winless Woodlands team.
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