By Robbie Basel
After a difficult past few seasons, New Rochelle football entered 2026 as a team with something to prove. With just three wins in 2025 and no wins in 2024, head coach Raymond Rhett and his Huguenots are looking to change their narrative. And they made key strides in their season opener with a walk-off 23-21 win over the Kellenberg Firebirds, a statement victory to kick off their campaign.
One of the keys for New Rochelle in 2026 will be consistency. They are a squad with talent on both sides of the ball, but they struggled to find their stride in 2025. That might not be the case this season. A major reason to be excited about the offense is quarterback Malachi McFarlane, a junior dual-threat quarterback with great mobility and accuracy. He avoided costly mistakes and was a key reason for their victory. He was able to make key throws to receivers such as Luke Zaccagnino, who had the only receiving touchdown for New Rochelle on a 45-yard strike from McFarlane. McFarlane was also able to lead the offense on their game-winning drive by making multiple big throws on the run with just seconds remaining. If he continues his solid start from Week 0, he could emerge as one of Section 1’s rising quarterbacks.
McFarlane was not the only playmaker who shined for the Huguenots. Stars such as Zaccagnino, Jason Salera and Ryan Hamilton were impactful throughout this game. Salera rushed for two touchdowns and had a fumble recovery, while Hamilton was heavily used in the offense and forced a key interception. The ability of all three of those stars, along with countless others, gives the Huguenots a chance to win on any given night.
Their schedule also has some interesting matchups. New Rochelle went just 1-4 against opponents they played last year that are on their 2026 schedule. They get to play the team they defeated, Mount Vernon, next on September 18. Matchups against Mamaroneck, John Jay and North Rockland are tougher contests, while new opponents like Yonkers and Ramapo round out the schedule.
While one win will never define a team’s season, New Rochelle has definitely made significant progress and could be one of the more exciting stories in Section 1 football in 2026. With a dynamic offense and a strong defense, cheers, backflip celebrations and wins could be coming to North Avenue this fall.
