Lions 21 - Rye 31

Written on 09/11/2024

Greg Guastavino

Game 2

Senior RB and co-captain Nafis Muhammad (Peter Carr/The Journal News)

Lions drop non-league contest to 2023 New York State Class B champion Rye HS

By Joe D'Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com

RYE, N.Y. -- Monsignor Farrell, ranked No. 1 in SILive.com’s rankings, blew a 21-7 halftime lead and suffered a 31-21, non-league loss to Rye High School Friday under the lights on the road.

Leading 24-21 late in the game, Rye picked off a pass and scored a few plays later on Chris Iuliano’s 2-yard plunge to go up 31-21 with 2:42 left in the game.

The Lions, who held off Bishop Hendricken 34-30 last week at home, fell to 1-1, heading into next week’s home tilt vs. New Jersey powerhouse Del Barton in another non-leaguer. It was Rye’s season-opener.

“Tough loss to swallow,” said Farrell head coach Rocco Del Priore. “We were outplayed mightily in the second half. We lost momentum and couldn’t gain it back. This one falls on me. We will regroup, refocus and look to clean up our mistakes."

Following the opening kickoff, Farrell marched 80 yards to paydirt, capped by senior quarterback Ryan Walsh’s 3-yard touchdown pass to receiver Alex Ustun with 8:29 to play in the first quarter. Ustun hauled in a key 25-yard pass during the long opening drive, which was helped by the strong running of Muhammad Nafis, who rushed for 175 yards in the Lions’ season-opener.

After the teams traded punts, the host school drove down to the Farrell 25 where the drive stalled thanks to a stingy defense led by JP Deliso and CJ Palazzola with under 20 seconds left to play in the first.

Senior LB Mike Picciano deflects a pass. (Peter Carr/The Journal News)

Rye’s defense stuffed a Muhammad run near midfield on a fourth-and-3 play and got the ball back in good field position with seven minutes to play in the second quarter. Two plays later, Rye QB Carson Miller scampered 40 yards for a game-tying TD. William Shoemaker’s PAT kick was good and the Garnets had their first lead of the game with 6:24 to play before the half.

Farrell answered with a long drive that culminated in Muhammad’s 6-yard TD run with 3:05 left in the second. The two-point conversion gave the Lions a 14-7 lead.

Ustun’s 80-yard TD reception from Walsh down the left sideline and the PAT kick gave the Lions a 21-7 lead right before the half and it looked like the rout was on.

But it wasn’t!

Rye got the second-half kickoff and marched 85 yards to paydirt, capped by Luliano’ long TD run. The PAT kick pulled Rye within 21-14.

Rye knotted things with 3:20 left in the third quarter as Miller fired a 24-yard TD pass.

Rye took a 24-21 lead early in the fourth on Shoemaker’s 32-yard field goal.

After that, Farrell came out throwing but Walsh’s deep pass was intercepted, and Rye took over at its own 19.

Rye failed to move the ball and punted, but Walsh was intercepted a second time at the Lions’ 41, but this time the Garnets made Farrell pay with the final points of the game.