Matthew Doherty
The end of summer means two things; school is in session, and football has returned. On Friday, September 6th at Memorial Stadium in Mount Vernon, the Dobbs Ferry Eagles battled the Pelham Pelicans which ended in a thrilling nailbiter.
The Eagles were looking great. Last year, the Eagles had an overall record of 5-3 and a league record of 3-1. During the 2022-23 season, they went 8-1 before suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Section Championship game to Westlake High School. Compare those records to Pelham, and the differences are quite clear. While the Dobbs Ferry Eagles had an above-average 2023-24 showing, the Pelham Pelicans had quite the opposite. The Pelicans went 1-7 overall and had a 1-3 league record. Their sole win was against Clarkstown North, the only team with a record worse than the Pelicans. If you’re curious, Clarkstown went 1-8 overall, and an abysmal 0-4 in league play.
In the first half of play on Friday night the Eagles took an early lead, and up 13-0, it seemed like the Pelicans would enter the half scoreless. However, they managed to squeeze in a touchdown with very little time remaining in the half and then went for the 2-point conversion. The half ended 13-8 Dobbs Ferry still in the lead.
The second half was more of a challenge, both sides struggled to excel. Both sides struggled to score. The Eagles primarily focused on running the ball, while Pelham tried to move down the field from the air. Late in the 3rd quarter, the score was 20-15, Dobbs Ferry in the lead. The Pelicans were able to score with less than 2 minutes to play. The score was 21-20 and the Eagles had very little time to catch up.
Despite the odds, the Eagles were able to get to the 15-yard line. They were at the 4th down with 16 seconds left in the game. Sophomore kicker Andrew Zendel lined up to kick the field goal and send the Eagles to glory. He nailed the kick and it seemed like the Eagles had just defeated their first opponent of the season.
The celebration was cut short due to a flag thrown on the field. A false start penalty sent the Eagles back ten yards and the kick would have to be redone. The second time the Eagles weren’t so lucky. The kick was blocked, and the game ended in a Pelicans win. A Friday night thriller ended in heartbreak for Eagles fans. Despite the close game, and heartbreaking finish, it was incredible to see a Class C school like Dobbs Ferry, take on a much larger, Class A school in Pelham.
The season has only just begun for the Dobbs Ferry Eagles. There are many games left for them to come out on top. We will see if Dobbs Ferry Football will be able to bounce back tomorrow night against their rivals, the Hastings Yellowjackets.