Reporter: Robbie Basel

NEW ROCHELLE — It was another hot and humid night on North Avenue, and with the sun shining down on the New Rochelle Huguenots, they picked up right where they left off from their opener to put on an offensive clinic, taking down Mount Vernon 39-14 on Friday and improving to 2-0 on the season.

While New Rochelle was able to get things going from the opening kickoff, as Luke Zaccagnino took back the kickoff 85 yards to put them up 7, it was the offense that shined under the lights for the Huguenots.

The offense was then able to capitalize on some short-field possessions throughout the half. Quarterback Malachai McFarland found Ryan Hamilton to put New Rochelle up by 14. In the second quarter, running back Jason Salera rushed in a touchdown from 2 yards out before Zaccagnino added another score late in the first half off a screen pass from McFarland to put New Rochelle up 29-0 at the half.

A big area of improvement has been the Huguenots’ offensive line. The unit up front controlled the line of scrimmage from the first snap, giving McFarland time in the pocket and creating running lanes for Salera to dominate the ground game.

Another key to New Rochelle’s success has been its commitment to play-action passes and RPOs. This has forced defenses to respect both McFarland’s arm and the dynamic running game. Through their first two games, the Huguenots have been able to keep defenders guessing and create favorable matchups across the field. This has helped open running lanes for Salera while also creating opportunities for explosive plays through the air to players like Zaccagnino and Hamilton. This will definitely be something to watch out for going forward, especially if they find more success as the season progresses.

Despite Mount Vernon’s offense adding two touchdowns of their own in the second half, both of them on the ground, their efforts in the end were overshadowed by the unstoppable New Rochelle offensive display from the first two quarters.

New Rochelle’s offense continues to emerge as its biggest strength, and the Huguenots have also started their season 2-0 for the first time since 2021. They will hope to carry their momentum into next week with a matchup at home on September 26 against Yonkers.

If Friday night’s performance is the standard for New Rochelle, the Huguenots may have found an offensive identity, and could be one of the toughest offenses to stop in Section 1 in the weeks to come.