Fox Lane records first-ever flag football playoff game victory

Lily Rosenthal (28) celebrates with her Fox Lane teammates after scoring a touchdown. JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

By JIM MACLEAN 

In just its second year as a varsity flag football program, Fox Lane was able to put together an incredible turn around and finish the regular season with 11 victories. Then the Foxes went out and secured the first Section 1 playoff game victory in the history of the program, defeating Carmel 19-0 in the first round of the Class B playoffs at home on May 13.

What makes the accomplishment even more impressive is the fact that the majority of the team are newcomers in their first season playing the sport. One veteran who was there last year for the Foxes inaugural season was senior Lily Rosenthal, and she helped recruit a bunch of her friends, including quarterback Riley New. Rosenthal caught three touchdown passes from New to account for all three Fox Lane scores in the victory.

“A very fun game. I’m just glad to do this with my teammates. This year has been a big upgrade for us,” said Rosenthal. “Having 12 seniors, it’s a huge accomplishment for all of us having our first sectional playoff win after only two years as a program.”

Quarterback Riley New tries to avoid a flag pull in playoff win over Carmel.

With the win, Fox Lane moved on to the quarterfinals where the No. 6-seed Foxes suffered a 19-7 defeat on the road Saturday at No. 3-seed Mahopac, to end their season with a 12-5-1 overall record. Despite the loss in the final game, it can’t take away from what the seniors accomplished in their first season of flag football.

“We are all best friends and we just love practicing together and having fun together and we’re having even more fun winning our senior year,” said New. “We have confidence, but we didn’t really know how much we could accomplish and we just wanted to improve every day, and I think that’s what we’re most proud of. It took us a couple of games to get in the flow, but all of us stepped up. This sport is so much fun, I wish I did it last year. And I love seeing all the young girls playing, it’s an emerging sport.”

Rosenthal made the difference all game long in the win over Carmel, as she scored on a long touchdown pass from New in the first quarter to give the Foxes an early 6-0 lead.

It stayed that way into the third quarter, and it was a big play on defense that gave the Foxes the momentum to take control of the game. Natalie Mazzuca came up with an interception and returned it to the Carmel 15-yard line. On the next play, New connected with Rosenthal for the touchdown, and then Kamryn Boniello caught the conversion pass from New to make the score 13-0.

Fox Lane started the fourth quarter with a big drive as New ran for a first down, and then completed passes to Amanda Mazzuca and Rosenthal for another first down. Rosenthal then dove across the goal line after another touchdown catch from New to make it 19-0.

Kamryn Boniello leaps to make a catch for the Foxes.

Carmel tried to put together a drive, but Rosenthal then came up with an interception on defense and the Foxes were able to close out the shut out victory.

“Today, we moved the ball well up and down the field, and our defense was lights out,” said Fox Lane coach Rylan Borror. “Natalie Mazzuca had a really good game on defense, she set up our second touchdown with that interception. Lily Rosenthal was dominant today with three touchdowns, she just goes up and gets the ball really well. Our passing game has really evolved and she’s showing what she is capable of doing. Riley, every play, every practice, she’s improving and getting a better feel for the game.”

Borror started the varsity program as the head coach last year and the team finished with four victories, and even he admits he did not expect the turn around to win 12 games and advance in the playoffs this year.

“It would have been hard to imagine us getting to this point a year ago, but just the fact we had so many really good athletes come out for the team, that really changed the dynamic of what we were capable of doing,” coach Borror said of the turnaround. “They all committed to the program, they’re all great athletes and they’re all such nice kids working incredibly hard every day. They picked it up so fast.”