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MAHOPAC, N.Y. -- It has become an annual trip on the first weekend of November for Croton's varsity football team. The undefeated Tigers will be going to Mahopac High School for a fourth consecutive year to play in a Section 1 Football Championship game. Croton, seeded first, will play second-seeded Our Lady of Lourdes Saturday at 5 p.m. The Tigers, who won the Section 1 Class C title in 2008, are planning to make it consecutive Class B championships. Last year, Croton advanced to the state semifinals. The winner of this game moves on to New York State regional quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. at a site to be determined. This will be the second meeting of the season between the teams. Croton won the first, 7-6, in week three of the regular season as Lourdes held the Tigers to its lowest point total of the season. Lourdes also limited Croton quarterback Jesse Mainiero to a season-low 54 yards rushing. Lourdes, 6-2, lost its games by 7-6 scores to Croton and Beacon. Crotons offense has been a practically unstoppable this season, averaging 36.9 points per game. Mainiero makes it go and is the teams best all-around player. He leads the team with 839 rushing and 22 touchdowns. When Mainieros legs are not churning up yardage, his right arm is striking. He has completed 34 of 47 passes for 723 yards and nine touchdowns. Last week, in Crotons 49-7 blitzing of Briarcliff, Mainiero ran for four scores and threw two touchdown passes. The Tigers have two effective backs who go unnoticed because of Mainiero. Nick Grous has accumulated 512 yards and Brian Soares has 443 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Tigers dont yield much, if any, allowing just 54 points in eight games. John Brennan and Kyle Ricciardi are one-two, respectively, in tackles. Lourdes offense is fueled by running back Sebastian DeGuisto, who owns 1,241 yards rushing and a team-leading 15 touchdowns.
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