By Tom Pedulla— The Dobbs Ferry basketball team typically begins practice at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Assistant coaches open the gym an hour before that for anyone wishing to put up additional shots. That is still not early enough for Anthony Ficarrotta. He often t... More »
By Tom Pedulla— The local high school boys’ basketball season is ready to get into full swing. Here is an outlook for each team in the area: ARDSLEY Although Coach Sean Cappiello graduated his starting lineup from a team that lost in the second round of the pl... More »
By Tom Pedulla— The local girls’ basketball season is tipping off. Here is a look at each team in the area: ARDSLEY Coach Nick Resavy does not mince words when it comes to his expectations for the season. “We have high goals. We go into the season trying to wi... More »
By Tom Pedulla— Sleepy Hollow High School’s long-suffering boys’ basketball program, which may have reached its nadir with three-win seasons each of the last two years, desperately needs a master rebuilder. It appears to have one in Steve Loscher. Loscher offe... More »
By Stephen O’Leary and Tom Pedulla— Dobbs Ferry needed to play nearly mistake-free football if it was to deny undefeated Valhalla in the Section 1 Class C championship game. The Eagles did not come close to doing that. They committed five turnovers and Coach J... More »
By Tom Pedulla— On a night of roiling emotions as Dobbs Ferry celebrated the life of Sam Kearns and marked Homecoming, the Eagles rose to the occasion by defeating Tuckahoe, 21-7, on Oct. 10 at Gould Park. Dobbs Ferry players wore pink socks and their helmets ... More »
By Tom Pedulla— Ardsley does not hope to have a winning season. It expects to have one. That is what happens when a team bangs out one big year after another as the Panthers have since Dan DiFalco became head coach nine seasons ago. Their success includes cons... More »
By Tom Pedulla— Expectations are always high at Dobbs Ferry, given its years of success in football. Some players might view that as a burdensome pressure. As far as senior offensive lineman Michael Rodriguez is concerned, bring it on. “I like it a lot. You sh... More »
By Barrett Seaman– It was a crystal -clear September day—perfect for an outdoor athletic event, even a swim, except for one thing: the wind. It was gusting over 20-mph, raising white caps on the Hudson, which at mid-channel felt more like the Atlantic Ocean. T... More »
By Tom Pedulla— During a recent Hastings practice, members of the team wore green t-shirts with yellow lettering that read, “All in.” They understand that they need to be all in with whatever first-year coach Christopher Crooms is instilling if they are to tur... More »
By Tom Pedulla— Hackley is on the move. After a period of shuffling head coaches and then some growing pains, third-year coach Joe McDermott is showing every sign of building a strong program with staying power. The Hornets went 3-5 in his first season but eng... More »
By Tom Pedulla— Sleepy Hollow hopes the hiring of Anthony Giuliano as head coach will help turn around its long-suffering football program. Giuliano is overseeing a varsity program for the first time. He is instilling a family atmosphere and a can-do attitude ... More »
By Tom Pedulla— A visitor to a recent Irvington football practice saw members of the Bulldogs run and run some more. The sideline-to-sideline drill left some flopping to the ground when it was completed. Others were doubled over, gasping for air. Improved cond... More »
By Barrett Seaman– Thursday, August 22, will forever be Sam Coffey Day in the Village of Sleepy Hollow. And that’s not all. Friday, August 23rd, will be Sam Coffey Day in the Town of Mt. Pleasant as well as Sam Coffey Day throughout all of Westchester County, ... More »
By Rick Pezzullo— The Village of Sleepy Hollow is beaming with pride after one of its own, Samantha Coffey, captured a gold medal Saturday at 2024 Paris Olympics as a member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team. The U.S. defeated Brazil 1-0 in the gold med... More »
By Barrett Seaman— Tarrytown’s Jonathan Oakes has done it again. Last year, Tom ewrote in The Hudson Independent that Oakes, was “on a course for greatness” after he won a major sectional tournament in Mamaroneck and qualified for the Boys Junior PGA champions... More »
By Tom Pedulla– In an age when many student-athletes specialize in one sport in high school, Keith Capuano stood apart from the crowd. He was a young man for all seasons before his recent graduation from Hastings High School. The 6-4, 205-pound Capuano c... More »
by Tom Pedulla— Sibling rivalries can be challenging. Katie Drozd learned that when she made the Hastings varsity girls’ basketball team as a freshman. She not only had to find her way at a new level of the sport but her sister was a well-established senior s... More »
By Tom Pedulla– When Aaron Bell told his parents, Beatriz and Jason, about his desire to compete on behalf of Sleepy Hollow High School in the pole vault, they expressed their concerns. His doctor thought it was a bad idea and recommended against it. Bell was ... More »
By Tom Pedulla– All athletes emphasize the importance of getting into the zone by eliminating crowd noise and whatever else might create a distraction. That goal is, of course, admirable. The ability to get to that special place is rare. Not for Hastings High ... More »
