Sleepy Hollow’s Horsemen Take Sectional Final–First In 47 Years

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The Horsemen notch their first Section I crown since 1978 (Photos by Eoghan Glynn)

November 16, 2025

By Tom Pedulla–

After almost five decades of exasperating setbacks, Sleepy Hollow’s long-suffering football program is back on top.

The Horsemen captured their first Section 1 crown since 1978 when they rode a second-half surge to upend Westlake 27-14 in the Class B title game on Nov. 15 at Mahopac High School. With an explosive offense and a swarming defense, Sleepy Hollow prevailed for the 10^thtime in 11 games to advance to the regional round of the state playoffs. The Horsemen will oppose Section 9 champion Saugerties on Nov. 22 at Middletown High School at 3 p.m.

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Sleepy Hollow put forth a tremendous effort to get past top-seeded Westlake, which had won eight consecutive games and lost for only the second time in 10 games. The teams were tied 14-14 at halftime. “We knew coming into a game like this against a team like that that it was going to be very hard work,” said Anthony Giuliano, Sleepy Hollow’s second-year coach. “That’s exactly what it was, hard work, everyone buying in and doing their job and doing it with maximum effort.”

Giuliano added, “We have kids who can really play football. That helps a lot. Being able to put guys in the right place and trust them to make plays, the results show.”

As always, no one did his job better than stellar senior Brayden Richardson, who will be remembered as one of the great running backs in school history. He battled furiously for yards and when his hard-working offensive line provided a crease, he was gone. He scored on runs of 3, 30 and 58 yards.

Brayden Richardson, as always, was the Horsemen’s horse, scoring critical touchdowns

Richardson’s last two touchdowns occurred at critical times. His 30-yard dash with 52 seconds left in the second quarter gave his team tremendous momentum. The fired-up Horsemen drove 49 yards in seven plays with the opening possession of the second half, ending in Gilbert Onwe’s spectacular leaping grab in the end zone of an 18-yard pass from quarterback Jeremiah Bowen. It was only fitting that Richardson essentially turned out the lights on the Wildcats with a 58-yard dash on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Jack Marvin’s extra point created what proved to be the final score.

The defense stood tall when it absolutely had to. With Sleepy Hollow clinging to a 20-14 advantage, Westlake drove from its 33-yard line to the 15-yard line of the Horsemen, where it faced fourth and seven. Thomas Hudson forced a huge fumble that Thaddeus Kromelis recovered.

Sleepy Hollow’s defense shut down Westlake in the second half to seal it.

On fourth-and-12, Brandoll Almonte thwarted a last-ditch Westlake rally by roaring in for a sack that allowed the Horsemen to regain possession at the Wildcats’ 40-yard line with 3:53 left. In the waning minutes, chants of “Sleepy Hollow! Sleepy Hollow!” rang out from the packed stands. At last, the football team had brought tremendous pride to the community.

All that remained was the post-game celebration. And what a celebration it was!

Fittingly for this great team that seemed to come from nowhere, the Sleepy Hollow band played the theme from “Rocky.” Players jumped for joy and raced to the foot of the stands to be with family and friends who so vociferously supported them. Giuliano received the Gatorade bath he had rejected in earlier rounds, reminding players their job was not done. Tears of joy streamed down Kromelis’ face. “It’s amazing. We’re really blessed to be 10-1, blessed to have an amazing coaching staff, supportive fans,” he said. “It feels surreal. It feels like I’m dreaming.”

Given Sleepy Hollow’s bleak history and that the Horsemen managed only a 3-3 record last year, coaches and players knew there were more doubters than believers outside of their locker room. They kept the faith. “I always felt it was possible. It just felt far away,” said Kromelis. “To say, ‘We’re going to win the sectional championship,’ it felt like hearsay that we could be that team. To actually do it, it feels crazy.”

Victorious, Sleepy Hollow teammates gather proudly alongside the Section I Championship banner

They are the champions they always thought they could be. “We knew we had it in us,” Almonte said. “We just had to do us. We just had to play our game.”

Bowen had been perched atop the shoulders of sturdy tackle Abel Perez Rosario, holding the gleaming trophy for all to see as photographers snapped away. He played a critical role in the outcome because his accurate passes to a sure-handed receiving corps ease pressure on Richardson. With an eye toward the state playoffs now, Bowen climbed down to deliver one important message.

“We’re coming for it all,” Bowen said.