Section 1 football: North Rockland knocks off previously unbeaten Scarsdale in Class AA

THIELLS – The celebration was muted for a moment after Ryan Jaslow took Nicholas Ebner Borst down from behind at the goal line in the final minute.

It was close.

The referees determined Jaslow got the Scarsdale quarterback to the ground just shy of the goal line Thursday with 47 seconds remaining.

It was very close.

North Rockland only needed three snaps to run out the clock and put an exclamation point on a 14-6 victory over the only undefeated team left in Class AA. The Red Raiders have won three in a row.

And the underdog status may soon fade away.

“Our confidence level went up, beating a team that is very difficult to go against,” North Rockland senior receiver and defensive back Javon Lawrence said. “We’re ready for the next game now, for sure.”

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The defense was ready for the Raiders triple-option.

“Considering we only had two days to prepare for that offense, we did really well,” Red Raiders running back and defensive back Jaquan Johnson said. “We did everything we had to do, we came out and executed. We only let up six points so I’d say we did a good job.”

Lawrence scored both touchdowns, jetting 80 yards for a first-quarter score and finding a seam for a 1-yard TD run early in the fourth.

What it means

North Rockland is probably the top dog in Class AA right now. The Red Raiders are 4-2 overall and 4-1 in league play and close out against John Jay-East Fishkill and Suffern. The one loss came against Mamaroneck.

Of course, the margin of error is very small this season.

“I’m finding out that we have a really, really scrappy group,” North Rockland coach James Hickey said. “They’re coming together and it’s nice to know that when push comes to shove, they’re going to answer the call. That’s exciting for our program.”

Play of the game

Chase Perini connected with Tyler Prisco for a 36-yard gain on the final play of the third quarter, setting the Red Raiders up first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Lawrence got into the end zone and Tanner McGovern added the PAT to extend a 7-6 edge.

Game balls

▶ Lawrence showed his speed and power getting into the end zone twice. And when there was a missed assignment on the defensive side of the ball, he was on the carrier in a hurry, limiting the damage.

▶ The North Rockland coaches had this team ready for the Raiders offense, which tests discipline and patience. Scarsdale is difficult to get off the field. Ryan Gilligan had a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but that was the lone highlight.

They said it

“I mean, that’s up to the refs,” Ebner Borst said when asked whether he got into the end zone. “We didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we had earlier in the game so we just have to live with that and work harder for next week. I think we learned we can fight back. We didn’t start this game well, but we kept going until the very end.”

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 football: North Rockland knocks off previously unbeaten Scarsdale in Class AA