Section 1 football: Mahopac edges Brewster behind Dedvukaj TD passes, D in second half

MAHOPAC – Cue the fireworks.

After reorganizing and recommitting at halftime Friday, Mahopac closed with a bang. The defense did not surrender a point after the intermission and Ethan Dedvukaj hit Lorenzo Echandy in stride on the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown with 1:54 to play, giving the Wolf Pac a dramatic 14-13 win over Brewster.

It was their second touchdown connection of the half.

“We just really locked in,” Mahopac defensive lineman Landon Varley said. “I had a talk with the guys in the locker room and made sure everyone knew we couldn’t give up like we did last week against Somers, and we found a way to keep going. I think we outperformed them in the second half. We showed that we knew what we were doing and could play on that level.”

The Wolf Pac lost Nate Mascoll early in the second quarter to an injury, forcing a number of adjustments on the fly as their leading rusher leaned on crutches and watched.

Brewster quarterback K.J. Dillon threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, hitting Abe Sanchez and Nick Smith to build a 13-0 halftime advantage.

Momentum changed when Mahopac shut down the Bears’ opening drive, then went 64 yards in seven plays for a touchdown. The extra point attempt sailed wide, but optimism was rising with the deficit at 13-6 with 7:29 to go in the third quarter.

Somebody had to step up.

The Wolf Pac suddenly had numerous players making a difference. Varley got after Dillon in the end zone, forcing a safety on the first play of the fourth. A critical fourth-down stop later in the quarter gave Dedvukaj plenty of time and he placed the ball perfectly for Echandy, who had a step on the right sideline.

“I knew he was going to beat his guy,” Dedvukaj said. “I just threw it up there, hoping it would be right and he made the play.”

What it means

A week ago, Mahopac was giving the reigning state champion fits and opening eyes in Class A before fading in the fourth quarter. This was a complete game effort that keeps the Wolf Pac in the playoff conversation along with two other teams – Harrison and Yorktown – looking to chase down Somers and Rye. This defense has potential. Of course, while Jack Clifford picked up some tough yards in the second half, Mahopac is going to miss having a dynamic playmaker like Mascoll in the lineup if he’s lost for any length of time.

Play of the game

Brewster was driving, looking to lock up a third straight win, but an illegal procedure flag resulted in a third-and-10 at the Wolf Pac 30. A mix-up on a handoff dead-ended a reverse and resulted in fourth down with four minutes to play. The Bears elected to go, but an incomplete pass gave the ball back to Mahopac.

“A punt in that situation didn’t make sense,” Brewster coach Ed Mulvihill said. “I didn’t think we were going to pick up too many yards, so we took a shot. This might’ve been our best defensive game even though we shut a couple of teams out coming into this one. I thought the defense was fantastic. Mahopac is a good team and they’re going to make plays, too.”

Game balls

▶ Dedvukaj completed 11 of 20 passes for 153 yards. He threw a pair of TDs and was intercepted once.

▶ Varley and the Wolf Pac defense allowed just 64 yards in the second half and Michael Trinchitella came up with a last-minute interception to seal the win.

▶ Echandy got open when he needed to, finishing with three catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns and Clifford delivered 66 yards on 18 carries.

▶ Dillon completed 15 of 25 passes for 168 yards. He threw a pair of TDs and was intercepted once.

They said it

“Nate has been starting since he was a freshman, and now that he’s a junior, he’s balling out,” Varley said. “He came in with like 300 yards in three games so to lose him is tragic, especially that early in the game. But I think guys stepped up. Jack Clifford had an amazing game. It was first down after first down. I think we adjusted for the loss and made up for it.”

(This story was updated to add content and to change or add a photo or video.)

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 football: Mahopac edges Brewster behind Dedvukaj TD passes, D in second half