Haldane Turning Fumbles into Touchdowns

How can a high school football team that’s only played two games have a 1-3 record?

This is not a mathematical problem nor an SAT question… This is life for the Haldane High School football team.

Haldane was scheduled for four games so far this season, but only played in two. One was a forfeit loss to Tuckahoe when the Devils could not field a full, healthy team; one was a forfeit victory over Croton-Harmon when the Tigers temporarily suspended their program due to low participation.

The Blue Devils are scheduled to play Oct. 3 at Woodlands.

Coach Ryan McConville, the dean of area football coaches, sees the bright side in everything.

“The (time) off this early in the season can actually be very beneficial,” he said. “We used the time to get back to basics. It gave us a chance to really focus on fundamentals, clean up some of the technical mistakes we made in our first game, and dial in our conditioning. It also provided a great opportunity to get some extra reps for our younger, less experienced players who are still adjusting to the varsity level.”

It has been like an extended preseason.

“Having that extra time to slow things down and ensure everyone is on the same page is a big advantage before we get back into the grind of the schedule,” he said.

Senior Alex Gaugler said this could be a great opportunity for the team.

“The forfeits also gave us time for our younger players to continue developing,” he said. “The older players learned as well. We learned not to yell so much, but to be teachers. We learned how to smooth out the edges. We’ve learned a lot and it’s time to turn things around, which I’m excited for.”

The homecoming game for Haldane is scheduled Oct. 9 against Rye Neck, at 7 p.m.