Season Preview: Ossining Football

For a program that expects to compete for league and sectional championships, last year’s 2-7 campaign was a very disappointing one for Ossining.

The good news is that things seem headed back on track according to Ossining coach Dan Ricci.

“We have a lot of excitement in the program right now,” Ricci said. “We have more kids with more experience. Last year we had hardly any kids with varsity experience. This year we have a corp of eight kids that played a lot last year.”

The leader of this group is senior quarterback Brian Connolly, will be will be playing at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, P.A. next year.

“Brian has a great arm,” Ricci said. “Last year was his first year starting after he transferred in from Stepinac. He started all nine games last year so this year he has more experience. He got stronger, he really worked hard in the weight room. He should have a great senior year.”

Connolly will have plenty of help in the backfield from senior fullback Sebastian Montenegro, who will also play a key role at his inside linebacker position on the defensive side of the ball.

“Sebastian is another of those guys who was in the weight room all summer, he worked really hard,” Ricci said. “He was a part-time fullback and a full-time linebacker last year and he will start both ways this year. He worked extremely hard in the off-season.”

Senior guard/defensive lineman Justin Escobar started on the defensive line last season and will start on both sides of the line this fall.

Another key lineman is senior, Devante Harrell, who will also start on both sides of the ball.

Senior Marc Clancy will be playing running back and outside linebacker this fall after playing split end and defensive back last year.

“Marc is bigger and stronger,” Ricci said. “He is also very athletic.”

The above five are Ossining’s captains.

“We are in the weight room, we told them they had to be in there three days a week and they were in there five days a week,” Ricci said. “They were the first ones there, the last ones to leave. They got much stronger. They did the conditioning, they worked with the trainer. They aren’t vocal leaders, they lead by example which is fine.”

There are also three more players who made up Ossining’s corp of eight that Ricci will be relying on heavily this fall.

Junior running back/defensive back Stephen Candelaria is someone that should provide plenty of exciting moments of his own.

“He is the most athletic kid in the program, he played a lot last year at running back,” Ricci said. “We are really expecting real good things from him as a junior.”

Junior Trent Lofaro will be a key starter on the offensive line and will be part-time defensive player.

Junior running back/linebacker Kevin Gamboa is returning after he missed last season because he tore his ACL in a scrimmage. Ricci said he worked real hard in the offseason to get back on the gridiron and he expects a lot of good things from him this season.

Ossining opens this season at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9 at John Jay-Cross River.

“They have a very good program,” Ricci said. “They run a spread offense. I believe the key to the game will be to control the ball and keep their offense off the field as much as possible.”