In Saturday night’s Section 1 Class AA final at Mahopac, North Rockland found themselves trailing 7-3 at halftime after several drives were stifled after pushing deep into Mamaroneck territory. The Raiders found themselves in an even deeper hole after a Kieran Jacobson TD run put the Tigers up 14-3 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.
North Rockland never seemed to panic though, as the Raiders would remain patient, slowly wearing down Mamaroneck’s defense with star RB Jaquan Johnson who finished with 160 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. The eventual go-ahead score was set up by a huge blocked punt by defensive end Noah Kukielczak, who also added a key sack and pass deflection late in the game to help secure the victory.
For those of us of a certain age, North Rockland was a mainstay among the top large school teams in Section 1. The Raiders won five titles in the 1990’s and four between 2001-2011. Head Coach James Hickey looks to be building something special at North Rockland and the future looks bright.
