On Saturday, Nov. 3, Haldane and Tuckahoe will once again square off for the Class D title at Mahopac High School. As the only two Class D schools in Section I, this showdown has been in the cards since the first day of the high school football season, but since a meeting earlier this year, the Tigers and Blue Devils have taken vastly different paths to the title game.

On Sept. 2, the two Class D rivals squared off in the first game of the year, with reigning champion Tuckahoe authoring a 14-8 victory over Haldane. But whereas the Blue Devils responded by winning six straight games to finish with a record of 6-1, the Tigers—beset by injuries and a thin roster—have had something of an up-and-down campaign, finishing the season at 3-3.

“Our numbers were down this year to begin with; we usually have about 35-39 guys,” Tuckahoe coach Tom Itri said. “But we’ve dealt with some injuries, concussions and sickness, and we’ve been playing the last few weeks with about 18 or 19 players suited up.”

Despite being short-handed, Itri has been pleased with the way his team has responded, even in losing efforts. In the team’s final game of the regular season, an Oct. 20 tilt with Class C Rye Neck, the Tigers fell in a 54-44 shootout despite playing much of the game without top stars like quarterback Justin Lee, wideout Eric Segura and defensive end Mekhi Clark.

The team’s “next man up” approach, has been a constant this year, and Itri hopes it will pay off when the Tigers tangle with the Blue Devils on Saturday.

“Since the beginning of the season, our message to these guys has been clear; this is the team, there’s nobody coming through that door to help them,” Itri said. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity this year, but the guys have definitely gotten that message.”

Against Haldane, Tuckahoe will need to be keyed on stopping standout fullback Sam Giachinta, who has been the Blue Devils’ top playmaker for the better part of four years. In the season opener, Tuckahoe limited the hard-running senior to just 82 yards on the ground, something Itri says was a big reason for his team’s victory.

“He’s been a thorn in our side ever since he was a freshman, so we are going to have to be focused on him this week,” he said. “We have to make it a full team effort and we have to contain [Giachinta] and pay attention to [wide receiver] Matt Champlain on the outside if we are going to be successful.”

The Class D championship game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. kickoff in Mahopac. The winner of the game will receive a bye to the state semifinal round, and will play on Nov. 16 at Middletown High School.