Fox Lane football falls short in homecoming loss to Brewster

Clockwise, Will Broghammer tries to make a catch for the Foxes. Andrew Rudolph carries behind a block from Marvin Romero. Fox Lane quarterback Justin Sarote fires a pass. Antonio Cambareri (22) loses his helmet as he makes the tackle on a goal-line stand. JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

By JIM MACLEAN 

The Fox Lane varsity football team tried to fire up the crowd for homecoming Saturday, Oct. 4, as the Foxes hosted a tough Brewster Bears team that had just one loss on the season.

Brewster grabbed hold of the momentum with an early lead and the Bears pulled away for a 31-0 victory to improve to 4-1 overall on the season, but the Foxes kept battling throughout and held the Bears to just one score in the second half.

“We always play a good second half, but we’re a young team,” said Fox Lane coach Drew Giuliano. “They (Brewster) were big and physical, Class A is incredible this year, no bad teams and we face a tough opponent every week and it’s tough. We’re young and inexperienced, but I really like this group. We try our best and they keep coming to practice every day and keep working hard. That’s the one thing I ask of them, that on Monday we have to come to work and keep giving it our best shot.”

The Foxes knew it would be a tall task taking on a veteran Brewster team with a 3-1 record, and it didn’t help that the Bears jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead behind two long touchdown runs from quarterback Chase Prohaszka in the first quarter.

Fox Lane tried to answer back both times. After the first touchdown by Brewster, the Foxes had a first down pass from quarterback Justin Sarote to Will Broghammer to get the crowd excited, but the drive stalled near midfield.

Brewster answered with a long run by Prohaszka down to the Fox Lane six-yard line, and the quarterback carried it in on the next play for a 14-0 lead. On its ensuing possession, Fox Lane quarterback Andrew Rudolph connected with Gavin Mammola for a first down inside Brewster territory at the 36-yard line, but once again the Bears were able to stop the drive and force a punt by the Foxes.

The Fox Lane defense then provided the highlight of the game for the Foxes. After a long punt by Mammola pinned the Bears deep in their own territory at the six-yard line, Brewster started a long drive up the field. The Bears reached the Fox Lane two-yard line with a first down, but the Fox Lane defense then stood tall on a goal-line stand to keep the Bears out of the end zone.

Antonio Cambareri came up with two big stops on the three running plays by the Bears pushing them back to the four-yard line, and Brewster settled for a field goal to make it 17-0.

“Antonio was there and came up big,” Guiliano said of Cambareri. “He’s a little kid and he never gives up. He’s a great example of a player any coach likes to have, he just always works hard every day. He’s awesome.”

The Foxes were fired up and tried to respond on their ensuing possession, gaining a first down on a carry and then Sarote appeared to connect with Broghammer for a long gain, but a penalty for an illegal block pushed them back and forced the Foxes to punt.

Brewster took over at the Fox Lane 42-yard line, and the Bears capped off a drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Prohaszka with just 1:34 left in the half to make the score 24-0.

Any thoughts of a second half rally fell short as Brewster made it 31-0 late in the third quarter on a long touchdown carry by Tre Ficarra, and the Bears stood tall on defense all game long stopping the Foxes from reaching the end zone.

Fox Lane came up with another big goal-line stand on defense as the Bears drove down to the three-yard line, but once again the Foxes stopped them from getting into the end zone as the game ended with the final score 31-0.

With the loss, Fox Lane fell to 1-4 overall. The Foxes will try to bounce back on the road Friday, Oct. 10, at Nyack.

“We did some things well and we played physical, but they’re a good, tough team,” added Giuliano. “We moved Justin Sarote back to defensive end to give him some space to work and he made some big hits. We just have to keep working hard and take it one game at a time.”