Football: Byram Hills holds off Putnam Valley in back-and-forth battle

ARMONK - It's a new season and Byram Hills plans on taking advantage of its fresh start after an up-and-down season last fall.

The Bobcats won a back-and-forth battle against a scrappy Putnam Valley team that played bigger than its Class C label. Byram Hills held off Putnam Valley to win, 22-21, in a game that was close from the start.

"I've never actually played in a game this close before," said Byram Hills junior Michael Bordoni, who had the game-sealing interception on defense. "Every game was a blowout, either we were winning or we were losing. To fight through the whole game and come out on top — best feeling."

The Tigers actually outgained the Bobcats, 371-151, but Byram Hills' defense buckled down when it mattered most and never panicked in the red zone after giving up a big gain to its foes.

The Bobcats also forced four turnovers, including a fumble recovery touchdown by Tyler Marescot, an interception on a shovel pass attempt for lineman Matteo Amicucci, and a pair of picks by Bordoni.

"Bent, but never broke," Marescot said of the Bobcats' defense. "Never gave up, no matter what happened. Even if there was a big play, that means next play. We had that 'next play' mentality. Whenever they stuck on a big play, we just pushed it off and kept going to the next play."

Both teams scored on their opening drives of the game, and both defenses quickly settled down afterwards. Marescot scooped up a loose ball and returned it all the way on a momentum-gaining touchdown, on a play that was close and the runner may have been down, but referees ruled it a fumble.

Putnam Valley answered back just before the half with a Caden Glenn touchdown, after a pair of big runs by Andre Tarrant, to tie it up at 14-14.

Putnam Valley grabbed the lead after halftime, after Mateo Dobra connected with Glenn on a fourth-and-long play for a 26-yard touchdown pass, to give the Tigers a 21-14 lead with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter.

Byram Hills scored a touchdown and got the go-ahead two-point conversion with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter, with both plays coming off Marescot rushes out of the wildcat formation.

"The kids played really well, clearly, we got some things we have to clean up," Putnam Valley coach Ryan Elsasser said. "We went into this game replacing a traditional scrimmage, knowing we were going to have some things we had to pick up on and adjust to. Defensively, we were flying around, we matched up with them pretty well. They got up early with that deep ball and the kids made a correction and played well. Andre Tarrant, Caden Glenn and Mateo Dobra are ready, Byram's a good team and they're going to do well in B, and I think it was a great matchup for our first game to prep for C."

What it means

Byram Hills starts its season on a high note. While it wasn't the result Putnam Valley wanted, the Tigers competed well and should be a contender in Class C.

Game balls

Tyler Marescot, Byram Hills: He accounted for all three Bobcat touchdowns and scored the two-point conversion to put Byram Hills in front. Marescot had eight receptions for 88 yards and a score. He also had a six-yard rushing touchdown and a fumble recovery for a score.

Byram Hills defense: The Bobcats bent but never broke and forced four key turnovers, remaining poised, even after giving up a big gain.

Caden Glenn and Andre Tarrant, Putnam Valley: They played a big part in generating offense for the Tigers. Glenn had all three Putnam Valley touchdowns, rushing for 84 yards and two scores on six carries. He also caught four passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. Tarrant ran for 141 yards on 17 carries, and he also caught three passes for 69 yards.

The Tigers' defense: It was a great job for the Putnam Valley defense. It had one blemish on a deep pass touchdown, but they settled in after that, played physical, and limited Byram Hills to 151 yards of total offense. Nick Mazzola had a team-high 12 tackles.

They said it

"It's great to set the tone for the rest of the season," Marescot said. "We're gonna keep pushing. We're ready for the next team, Pelham, and every game after that."

"The first half, we did our best, and the second half, we came out a little slower, but other than that, I think we put up a really good fight," Tarrant said.

"Our defense played phenomenal, we didn't give up a lot, it was just fumble recoveries and all that stuff," Glenn said of some takeaways for the Tigers. "Our offense, from preseason, is looking a lot better and we're going to look great by halfway through the season."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Football: Byram Hills holds off Putnam Valley in back-and-forth battle