Action from Saturday’s football game between Spackenkill and Dover.
Spackenkill’s Joshua Rosario intercepts a pass as teammate Alexander Strom blocks Dover’s Angus Edmundson during Saturday’s game in Poughkeepsie.
Spackenkill’s Dhyquem Lewinson deflects Dover’s Jaquon Futrell during Saturday’s game in Poughkeepsie.
Spackenkill’s Camron Abalos pass the ball as Dover’s Russell Bradshaw closes in on him during Saturday’s game in Poughkeepsie.
It’s not just about taking the field each week to play a game anymore. The Spackenkill High School football team has molded itself into a family.
That’s evidenced by the team’s actions. The players yelled “family!” after every timeout coach Clinton DeSouza called on Saturday, in the host Spartans’ 48-32 win over Dover in a Section 9 Class B quarterfinal.
The Spartans, who improved their record to 6-2, will now reconvene at Middletown’s Faller Field at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31 to take on James I. O’Neill in the semifinals.
“We’re expecting a great game. O’Neill is a tough, tough opponent,” said DeSouza, noting that O’Neill head coach Anthony Finocchio dropped by the field to scout the Spartans. “The message is really, ‘onto the next week.’ We don’t want this special season of ours to end.
“These guys are brothers and I’m really proud of the family we’ve created here, and we’re going to try our darndest to make it not end next week.”
Action from Saturday’s football game between Spackenkill and Dover.
Ensuring the season would live on was junior quarterback Camron Abalos, who completed 10 passes in 18 attempts against Dover, delivering four touchdowns and 226 yards. He added another 60 yards rushing, and through all the familial elements, said his team must prepare in order to beat O’Neill.
“We have to come in and practice, be ready to play. Each rep that we take we have to keep on working hard,” Abalos said. “And it will transfer to the game.”
Abalos got the Spartans on the board with 56 seconds left in the first quarter. He found Marlon Brooks open, and tossed a 65-yard touchdown pass. The score gave Spackenkill a lead it never relinquished.
Spackenkill football on its big win & Abalos’ huge performance
Dhyquem Lewinson scored the Spartans’ second touchdown in the second quarter, while Abalos hit Alex Strom in the end zone for Spackenkill’s third score. But two touchdown carries by Jaquon Futrell cut it to 27-16 in favor of Spackenkill at the break.
“Jaquon is a tough kid. He’s fast, he’s explosive and on top of that he’s not afraid of contact,” said Dover coach Chris Lounsbury, whose Dragons fell to 2-6 and converted four two-point conversions. “He got hurt last week and missed some of the game, he was disappointed in that. He came in today (Saturday) and I think in his own mind he never said it, but he wanted to prove a point that he was tougher than what happened to him last week.”
Abalos connected with Joe Arcuri for the second half’s first score. Lewinson followed with a 15-yard touchdown rush, giving the Spartans a 41-16 lead at the end of three.
Spackenkill football triumphant again
Dover quarterback Ethan Lounsbury passed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but Abalos’ last touchdown, a pass that Kabongo Barry caught in the end zone, finished the game.
And it concluded with the team yelling “family!”
Spackenkill’s Camron Abalos runs with the ball pasDover’s Colin Belanger during Saturday’s game in Poughkeepsie.
Lewinson cited that familial bond the team has created, and praised his offensive line for allowing him to end with two rushing touchdowns. Spackenkill’s special teams recovered three onside kickoffs.
“The family thing that we go over daily — we’ll see each other in the hallways and everybody’s family. We all call each other ‘brother’ and we never let a family member down,” Lewinson said. “My line just came out strong. I told them, they come out strong, I get to do what I need to do and we get yards. Get touchdowns.”
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports