Harvey’s football team accomplished a first on Oct. 26, when the Cavaliers defeated the previously unbeaten Holderness School, 22-8, at home in Katonah.
It was the first time Harvey has ever beaten the Blue Bulls from New Hampshire. With the win, the Cavaliers are now 5-1 in the NEPSAC 8-Man League with just one regular season game to play.
With Holderness coming into the game 5-0 and in first place in the NEPSAC 8-Man League, the Cavs knew they had their work cut out for them and they answered the bell. In the first quarter, the Cavs’ defense forced the Bulls to twice turn the ball over on downs. Meanwhile the Cavs’ struck on their second possession when senior QB Jackson Saccomanno hit senior running back Will Bland with a 9-yard TD pass to put the Cavs on the board at 6-0.
The Cavs went on an eight-play 50-yard drive highlighted by a 26-yard middle screen pass to junior fullback Sean Jakobson and a 12-yard run by WIll Bland. Saccomanno threaded a 26-yard bullet to senior fullback Max Hernandez of Cross River, hitting him in stride in the end zone with a Bulls defender draped all over him. The 2-point pass to Jakobson was successful and the Cavs closed the first half blanking the Bulls 14-0.
In the fourth quarter, with a thin six-point lead and the Bulls driving down the field, the Cavs defense came through as Jakobson caused a fumble, and Will Bland recovered to snuff out a drive. The Harvey defense did it again when Wyatt Bland sacked the Bulls’ QB. Then Will Bland picked off a poorly thrown pass and returned it 24 yards. Three plays later, Saccomanno scrambled 11 yards for a TD and the 2-point pass to Will Bland pushed the Cavs lead to 22-8.
Saccomanno had a good game at quarterback, completing 11 of 27 passes for 135 yards and 2 TDs. He rushed for 33 yards on seven carries and scored a TD. Will Bland also had a solid game, rushing for 60 yards on 13 carries and catching four balls for 60 yards and a TD. Jakobson caught two balls for 30 yards and Hernandez caught a ball for 26 yards and a TD.
The defense played very well led by senior Luca Marano of Bedford who logged 12 tackles and half a sack. Katonah’s Jordan Falk had seven tackles and a sack, Theo Leyva chipped in with seven tackles and half a sack, Saccomanno added five tackles, Wyatt Bland had four tackles and a sack, and Will Bland recorded two tackles, two interceptions, and recovered two fumbles.
Harvey head coach Kyle Delaney praised the team blocking, with special praise for the front line of Marano, Falk, and Ryan Geagan. “Our front line was terrific,” Coach Delaney said. “We’ve preached all year that they have the toughest job, get beat up, get little praise, but we can’t win without them.”