For Yorktown News
Yorktown High School had it all when their Huskers hosted Horace Greeley on the gridiron: it was a big game in the Class A playoff race, its all-section running back was returning from injury, it’s 1993 and 1994 state champions were being honored and it was a fall-summer weather afternoon to boot on homecoming day.
Spurred on by a pregame speech from Ron Santavicca, the coach of those state champions, the current Huskers were more than ready to answer the call, routing the Quakers 42-14 on a picture perfect Yorktown afternoon.
“It was a family day, from top to bottom, having those guys back, having coach back here,” Yorktown coach Mike Rescigno said. “It was perfect, it was great. I am glad we could win for those guys that came back. To have these guys back is a huge deal to me and our kids. Listening to coach before the game gave me goosebumps.”
Santavicca’s words seemed to inspire Yorktown, who gained 455 yards on offense, as it went on a 10-play, 78-yard drive culminating in an Eric Meyreles’ 5-yard touchdown run. Meyreles, who tallied 82 total yards on 11 touches, was playing his first game since the Huskers’ 21-7 opening-night win against visiting Walter Panas because of an injury.
“We preach family and everything that goes along with that and today was a great day,” Meyreles said. “It was the anniversary of the state champs so it was great to put on a show in front of all of them.”
Ryan Duff’s extra point put the Huskers in front 7-0 with just 37 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. Greeley answered right back with a 75-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 14 seconds into the second quarter.
Yorktown’s bruising fullback Connor Vercruysse put the Huskers back in front with a 3-yard touchdown run, which finished a six-play, 56-yard drive with 9:53 remaining in the second quarter. The big play in the drive was a 32-yard pass from Ryan Baker to Kris Alvarado, putting the ball at the Greeley 19-yard line.
The Huskers took a stranglehold on the game with two big plays toward the end of the half.
Baker connected with Meyreles, who went right down the left side of the field, for a 31-yard touchdown on a swing pass with 1:54 left before halftime.
“That play gave us a lot of momentum,” Baker said. “We just drove it down. We knew that if we ran our plays right we could produce.”
Shortly after, Alvarado, who ran for 102 yards on six carries, exploded around the right side for a 65-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds before halftime, giving the Huskers a 28-7 halftime lead.
Yorktown added to that lead in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by Vercruysse and a 50-yard run for a score by Nick Santavicca, Ron’s nephew, who garnered 68 yards on four carries.
After the game was over, the Yorktown players and coaches called over Ron Santavicca, who was on the sidelines, to their postgame huddle in the middle of the field.
“Coach Santavicca, he worked wonders with this program,” Meyreles said. “For him to come here and support us is huge. It’s a blessing really.”
To win with the state champions on hand was special for these Huskers.
“It meant a lot to play and win in front of the past state championship teams,” said Baker, who threw for 142 yards on 7 of 7 passing in addition to rushing for 38 yards.
As a team, Yorktown rushed for 312 yards on 42 carries.
Yorktown has another huge game that has big playoff implications when it travels to Harrison at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11.
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