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EASTCHESTER, N.Y. Eastchester's football Eagles look to recover from last week's opening-day loss to Scarsdale when it hosts Brewster Friday night at 7 p.m. in its home opener at Haindl Field.
"This team has to have all of us playing well and contributing because we don't have as many players as some teams," Eagles lineman Tom Cirillo said during preseason practices. "I think we can be a very good team this year."
The Eagles (0-1) suffered a closely-played 26-22 loss to the neighboring Raiders last Saturday despite playing well after falling behind 7-0 early in the game.
Brewster (0-1) was beaten by a traditionally strong Nyack team 20-6 in its opener last week. The Eagles rely on running back Rob Carinci and quarterback Greg DiCarlo to move the offense. Joe Arcidiacono, Justin DiMasi and Tom Cirrillo provide the defensive anchor for the Eagles, who can score but need to be able to stop opponents more consistently.
Eastchester allowed 280 yards to the Raiders, 146 passing and 134 rushing, mostly at the hands of Scarsdale quarterback Andy Verboys, who threw for 144 yards and rushed for 87. The Eagles defense will have to tighten up against Brewster.
Eastchester coach Fred DiCarlo knows his team must play at a high level to compete in Class AA football.
"There really aren't any weak teams up here," DeCarlo said. "We have a challenge every week, so we have to be prepared to play at a high level."
Look for the Eagles to use speed to break big plays against a slower Brewster team. The defense must stop the run and limit Brewster's running game. Do you follow Eastchester High school football? Tell us on Facebook at The Daily Eastchester.
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