Matthew Doherty
It is homecoming time for Dobbs Ferry, arguably one of the biggest weeks of the year for our sports teams. Particularly for our soccer and football teams, it is a time of celebration and excitement. Dobbs Ferry’s Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer Teams will compete against the Hastings Yellow Jackets on Wednesday night, while Dobbs Ferry’s Football Team battles against Tuckahoe on Thursday night. Midway through the fall sports season, Dobbs’ Sports are fighting for more than just bragging rights. They are battling for a playoff position, and above all else, glory.
Wednesday, October 9th marks the start of homecoming for boys and girls sports, and soccer will be the main attraction. Both teams have seen success throughout the season so far. The girls play first at 4:30, going into this game with an 8-4 record. At the beginning of the year, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team went undefeated for the first 7 games. Despite their remarkable winning streak coming to an end against Bronxville, they remain determined and expect to dominate the Hastings girls who have a record of 1-8-1. Senior captain, Isha Bindra says that her girls are feeling “absolutely lit and pumped and confident.” Junior left back, Olivia Nunez, added on about her team’s confidence going into tomorrow night. “We are feeling very good and confident, we really want to win on homecoming night.” Nunez continued by reflecting on what it was like going 7-0 at the start of the season. “It felt really amazing to have a 7-0 record, it was also a lot of pressure to maintain that as well. That made it very hard to lose, however, we reminded ourselves that losing is a part of the game and we will overcome it.” The Dobbs Ferry Girls are motivated and ready for their homecoming. According to Captain Isha Bindra, the girls must “focus on things that we can control.”
Photo by: Matthew Doherty
Despite not having quite as much success as the girls this season, Dobbs Ferry’s Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team remains confident about their homecoming match against their rival Hastings. I had a chance to interview the Dobbs Ferry Boys’ Soccer Captain, Chris Doherty, and get his thoughts on the boy’s season so far and how they are planning for tomorrow’s game. “Almost everybody on the team has been to one of these games before. We might be a pretty young team, but there’s a lot of experience in terms of going into games with pressure. A lot of it is also going to come down to reflection, looking at how the season has been so far and how we’ve played homecoming games in the past.” The Eagles’ Captain continued by describing how his team was able to overcome the tough losses at the beginning of the season. “Our early season losses just had to do with shifting certain guys around the field, and we figured it out pretty quickly. The wins are huge for us, games like Bronxville and Irvington are games that help players buy into the system we’re playing.” Finally, the junior remarked about how he feels before tomorrow’s game, and what it means to him. “I’d say that I’m really just excited for tomorrow’s game. Homecoming is a special event every year for our team, and the ups and downs of the season beforehand just make it that much more meaningful. I would say the team is feeling generally similar, everybody’s focused going into the game.” The boys approach this game with a 7-4-1 record and will be taking on a Hastings team with a record of 3-6-2. Although the lights will be bright, Chris Doherty believes that he and the Dobbs Ferry Eagles will shine brighter.
Photo by: Fran Guido
The final big game that takes place this week is the homecoming for the Dobbs Ferry Football Team on Thursday night. Starting at 6:00 pm, the 3-1 Dobbs Ferry Eagles will battle the 2-2 Tuckahoe Tigers. Despite the high stakes, Dobbs Ferry should have the advantage as they are a Class C school, whereas Tuckahoe is Class D. While the Tigers are tied for first in their league of two teams, Dobbs Ferry is ranked at #2 just behind Valhalla in their 5 team league. The Eagles have also scored more points on offense in the same number of games played as Tuckahoe. The Tigers, on the other hand, have allowed more points to be scored on them compared to Dobbs Ferry. Senior Captain, Jake Broccoli, remarked on how he and the rest of the team feel ahead of Thursday’s game. “We feel like we have a good game plan. That’s major for us going into big games. We just try to lock in and stay focused before the game. We understand what plays we need to call, and reads we need to know before the game.” Jake Broccoli will be playing in his last homecoming game at Dobbs this coming Thursday, and he emphasized how much this game means to him in particular. “It means a lot growing up in this town my whole life. Being able to walk out with my family at Gould Park field. I’ve played youth football since kindergarten, it certainly means a lot.” It is clearly a very important and emotional last ride for Jake Broccoli and his fellow seniors. He and his teammates are very excited to lace up their pads and lay some hits. Dobbs Ferry’s Football Team is strong, smart, and poised. Three essential things that should help lead them to victory on Thursday night.
Homecoming is an incredible time in the world of high school sports. The Seniors will be soaking in their final games at the varsity level. Meanwhile, the new Freshmen will be exposed to the incredible atmosphere of high school sports and the happiness or heartbreak it can bring. With homecoming comes non-stop excitement and emotions for all ages. I hope to see you there, enjoying the incredible atmosphere.