Hastings and Dobbs Ferry Go Head to Head Saturday

For Hastings and Dobbs Ferry, arguably the biggest game of the regular season takes place this weekend.

The Eagles, flying high following a 42-0 demolishing of Valhalla, will renew a traditional blood feud with cross-town rival Hastings.

The rivalry is one of the longest in not only Section 1 but in New York State. The games are always tight, down-to-the-wire affairs featuring plenty of extra-curricular activity in the stands.  

The two Rivertowns are a light jog apart from each other.

Hastings and Dobbs have been bitter neighborly foes from the jump, since the very inception of Varsity Sports programs at the respective schools. A joint football program for much of 1990s, the rivalry was intensified by the abrupt split in 1999.

The perpetual tales of the pulsating battles, the game-winners, the intriguing subplots, the post-game celebrations, and the brawls are all re-told when the rivalry comes into view. The rivalry heightened significantly in 2003.

A new chapter of this storied rivalry was written last year. In 2010, it was Hastings that showed Dobbs Ferry the exit sign in a  memorable sectional semi-final.

The Jackets stamped a 20-14 win over the Eagles at Reynolds Field, garnering their first-ever berth Section 1/Class B championship at Mahopac High. The Jackets swept both meetings against the Eagles, winning a 7-6 thriller at Reynolds Field in Week 2 last season.

Since the pre-season, ultra-deep Dobbs has been penciled in as a Sectional favorite. Plenty of gurus, pundits, and Piner System forefathers have them pegged as a Class B finalist, projecting a title tilt against Bronxville.

The Eagles went eyeball-to-eyeball with defending New York State champion Bronxville in week 1, frittering away an early lead in a 15-14 heartbreaker. 

Last week, the Eagles demolished Valhalla to the tune of a 42-0 washout. The Valhalla game got out of hand, with the Eagles blasting the Vikings with an efficient running game and high-pressure defense.

Darien Bica, the backbone of the Eagles' defensive unit, delivered several man-sized hits, tackles for losses and an eye-popping sack.

Valhalla was never able to get it going offensively. Dobbs rode the super-sized sophomore, Soave, to the tune of three touchdowns. The Eagles, ranked 8th in New York State/Class C, are looking to run the table over the ensuing slate of league games.

The Eagles seem hell-bent on avenging the home-opener loss to Bronxville, ranked no.1 in the state in Class C, under the bright lights at Mahopac in the Section 1 championship. Now, all the focus is on the blood feud renewed.

Senior captain John Yozzo-Scaperratta, HB/DE 

On the magnitude of this game 

"This game is absolutely huge. This game is bigger than Bronxville (in Week 1).  

On using last year's losses to Hastings as motivation 

"We owe Hastings a huge beating and the Dobbs Ferry team will not let up at any point in the game. Our goal is to shut them out while scoringa Dobbs Ferry football high and putting the score in the record books.

On ending Dobbs' three-game skid against Hastings 

"We need to win because of those losses of the past. The losses have lingered and we want it to end. As of right now we are 1-3 in our last four meetings against Hastings. So, we need this win to start closing up the gap."  

Senior captain, All-State middle linebacker Darien Bica 

On the nature of this storied cross-town rivalry 

"Dobbs and Hastings are such big rivals and the games are always filled with so much intensity. Having lost to Hastings the last three times, I would say we definitely owe them a loss to Dobbs Ferry in their record book. I know as a senior that I don't want what could possibly be the last chance I get to play against Hastings in football game to be a loss."

On the 42-0 win over Valhalla 

"We were just able to execute perfectly on both sides of the ball. If our O-line blocks their assignments and our defense comes out with intensity I expect them to...I would say its going to be a real good day for Dobbs Ferry football."