Harrison Football Enters 2010 With High Expectations

With almost all starters returning from last year, the Harrison football team has hopes of a Section I championship as they prepare for the 2010 season.

Last year the football team had a disappointing end to a 7-3 season. The team was eliminated from playoff contention by their bitter rival the Rye Garnets.

The 2009 roster was dominated by youth and players new to the varsity level. But last years weakness could become this year's strength as the returning Huskies are hungry, devoted and ready to win.

"We have a lot returning starters, more so this year then probably the last decade," said Harrison Head Coach Art Troilo Jr. "We expect them to really step up and have a great season."

But there are some concerns. Harrison has two players returning from serious injuries in team captain Duke Alvora and sophomore Vincent Nicita. Nicita is the team's starting quarterback tore his ACL late last season. Alvora tore his ACL early in the spring while playing a different sport. Both players are fully participating in practice and it appears that both are ready for the upcoming season.

"We have been in camp and we are going to take it easy," said Troilo. "We need them both to play well so we are going to baby them for a while."

"It feels great," said Alvora when asked about his leg. "I have been going to physically therapy three times a week now for four months and it is starting to come along."

Other weaknesses from last year were overall size in the trenches and the team's chemistry. With the large senior class coming back that, unity doesn't appear to be a concern. but the team needed to rely heavily on off-season weight training to bulk up for 2010.

"We have had lifting four days a week and we come to the high school to run four days a week," said Harrison senior Steven Ricciardi.

"We had camp at the high school for a week in June and we had camp in New Rochelle for a week in august," said Troilo. "We have been keeping busy all summer."

The team starts the season on Sept. 11 at home against Roosevelt, the defending section champions. The game should provide an early barometer as to how far the squad can go.

Though a state championship is the ultimate goal for any team, several of the Huskies just want to do something that hasn't been done since 2002—beat Rye.

"Beating Rye, that's it," Harrison's Brandon Bonistall said when asked about goals for the year. "I don't care about anything else."

"We are really hoping to beat Rye," said Alvora. "We are really hoping to try and go all the way, that's our goal."

If the Huskies are going to achieve that goal they will need to rely on several returning players as well as several new faces this year.

"Basically we are a returning team, we have either nine or ten returning starters on defense and same on offense," said Ricciardi. "Knox and Alvora have both been here for four years, Bonistal has been here for three and Alex (Acompora) all have done well for us in the past. Mike Olivia is a new guy on the team, he is a big guy and he learns faster then anybody, we also have Vinny (Nicita) back from last year, he wasn't really a starter but he is ready to step in for us this year."

The Huskies have several preseason contests to go through before the first game against Roosevelt. But with the experience and unity this year's team offers, fans could be in store for a fun and exciting 2010.

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