By Derrick Touba Jr.
For the first four games of the season, North Rockland rolled over everyone in its path. Friday night at home, the Red Raiders had their worst game of the year.
Arlington beat North Rockland 35-7 and led 21-0 at halftime, the biggest deficit the Red Raiders have faced all year. It was their second straight loss and dropped them to 4-2 after the unbeaten start. A defense that gave up just 13 points in its first four games has now allowed 76 in its last two.
Arlington got going early. With three minutes left in the first quarter, quarterback Nick Keenan slipped away from two sack attempts, scrambled out of the pocket and fired a 41-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Nick Galli. The Admirals never looked back, and the momentum stayed with them the rest of the night. Keenan finished 10 for 14 for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Most of the damage came on the ground, though. Arlington ran 45 times for 185 yards, and North Rockland’s defense had no answer. Mikey Fortuna led the way with 91 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Jonah Beaudoin and Troy Mondelli each had a touchdown. The Admirals finished with 355 total yards and five touchdowns.
The offense struggled too. North Rockland came in averaging more than 35 points a game, and quarterback Zaire Chase was averaging three touchdown passes with no interceptions. Against Arlington, he threw one touchdown pass and was picked off twice. Arlington’s defense kept the high-powered offense in check, never giving it an opportunity to respond. The Red Raiders’ only score came in the second half, with the game already out of reach. At the end of the third quarter, Chase connected with receiver Christopher Norman for a 37-yard touchdown pass, with Norman eluding defenders down the far sideline.
The Admirals picked up their first road win of the season, moved to 4-2, and have won four of their last five games by an average of 31.5 points.
Next up, North Rockland travels to New Rochelle on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. for a Class AA matchup, looking to shake off back-to-back losses.
