It didn’t matter whether Wayne Valley was on their home turf or not, they were not able to pull through with a win over Wayne Hills this past Friday. The cross town rivalry seems to get more intense each year they face each other. This game for the Patriots was crucial, as it determined the seeding of the North 1 Group 4 playoffs. The Patriots had one goal in mind, to be the first seed while proving to their competitors that they are an unstoppable threat.

    Wayne Valley, who was 7-1, went into the game with their heads held high, feeling their best and ready to face the Patriots. Unfortunately, the Indians’ feelings were not the same while walking off the field later that night. The game opened up with Valley taking a 7-0 lead over Hills. Hunter Hayek rushed for a career-high 97 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. This tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Valley led Hills 14-7. As the fans turned to each other, they knew they were in for a game that would leave them at the edge of their seats. Again, Hunter Hayek caught a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Brendan DeVera, to make the score 14-13 with Valley still in the lead because of a missed field goal, leaving Hills in a bit of trouble knowing that they were still down a point. Wayne Valley senior quarterback Grant Ferrauilo hit Joe Scancarella for a touchdown to lead the Patriots 21-13 at the half. This was the second year in a row that Valley had a halftime lead over Hills.

    The Patriots were on their toes and full of energy to make a comeback. Hunter Hayek scored on a 29 yard run, which was his 3rd touchdown of the night. The score was then 24-19 with Valley leading, with 31 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. With Hills trailing from behind, they knew that there was going to be a challenge in order to pull through with a win. Time was running out, with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter,  and quarterback Brendan DeVera threw a 17-yard winning touchdown pass to Tyler Hayek which made the score 25-24 , which would ultimately be the final score in the end. This would be the closest a Hills against Valley game has ever been.

    Tyler Hayek commented on what the feeling was like to make the catch. “I was super overwhelmed to finally get the last touchdown for the lead and to go on and win the game. But the praise goes out to the rest of the team for going out there and getting the job done.”

    Not only were the Patriots able to pick up a win over Wayne Valley and move on to becoming 8-1 on the season, they secured a first seed spot in the North 1 Group 4 playoffs. The Patriots are thrilled to be playing at home in the first round of the playoffs. They know the atmosphere on their home turf will be exciting and positive. This Friday, November 4th, the team will be facing undefeated Irvington at home.

     Team captain Luca Grave commented on what the players are expecting from Irvington. “Irvington is a very good team and possibly the toughest team on our schedule, so we’re not taking them lightly. Everyday we come to practice focused and ready to take on anything that stands in front of us.”