Practice report: Croton
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- November
- 3
This is my second stop of the day on my tour of the 10 teams playing for Section 1 championships this weekend
There might not be a funnier football coach in the area than John Catano of Croton-Harmon. He’s a big ‘ol lineman-type, who grunts when he whispers, peppers his sentences with expletives and yells loud enough for the folks on the other side of the Hudson to hear him. He speaks his mind and the majority of things that come out of his mouth make you laugh.
But beneath it is a layer of humility that you just don’t find very often among football coaches, especially not ones playing this deep into November.
Catano was laughing with me at practice this afternoon how he’s become the most popular guy in Croton. He got so many calls on his cell after beating seven-time champion Dobbs Ferry — and ending its 69-game winning streak vs. Section 1 — that his battery died. When he charged it in his car while eating dinner out that night, he returned to find 30 missed calls.
“I’m a popular guy,†Catano said. “Everybody wanted to congratulate me. The funny thing is this: Any idiot can call plays. The kids have to execute.â€
Those words couldn’t be truer. Croton wasn’t bigger or faster and stronger than Dobbs Ferry. Finally, for the first time in seven years, somebody went out and executed better than the Eagles. And finally, somebody beat them.
When I got to Croton practice today, the execution was like a slap in the face. Every play was crisp. Nobody missed a block. And if they did, they went 100 miles per hour doing it. The speed and tempo were energizing. It wasn’t like the game was four days away. It felt more like four minutes.
It was such a good practice that I actually followed the players from Croton Point Park, where they practice every day, back to Croton once the sun went down. There, a light was set up and they went deep into the evening running plays. The tempo never changed.
Maybe the Dobbs Ferry win has infused a new level into this team. The Croton players have all put that incredible 22-21 win behind them and are focusing solely on Westlake. But there’s no mistaking the impact of that victory on the psyche of the Tigers. I’m certain that if Westlake beats Croton on Friday, the Wildcats will have to earn it. They’ll have to figure out a way to out-execute them.
I took a few minutes to speak to Dan Luntz, the Croton senior fullback who is probably the team’s unsung hero.
This entry was posted
on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 pm by Kevin Devaney Jr..
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Westlake is not ready for the pain that the Tigers are going to inflict on them. The first time the tigers played westlake it was a fluke. Westlake was riding on their homecoming crowd. With the Tigers coming off this victory over Dobbs, truthfully I am feeling a blowout against this westlake team. Hey Westlake you might have won the league but the Tigers are going to win the section. Don’t be suprised that the Wildcats will crumble in this game.
it says error when you click on the audio
Not sure which is the fluke…Westlake beating, soundly I might add homecoming or not, Croton during the season or Croton beating Dobbs on a late TD in the final minutes of that game with a gutsy call to go for two that worked. Pretty sure that it’s the latter…If Croton is thinking blowout vs the Wildcat’s than they are making a serious mistake and haven’t been paying attention to what this team is capable of. Both teams have fought to get to Mahopac and deserve their shot at the section title…may the best team that day win! Good luck Tigers…you will need to bring your A game and nothing less.
Go Wildcats! Beat Tigers!
Hey any Croton fans out there want to help get the floats ready for when the Tigers beat Westlake??? Watch out Wildcats Croton came a long way and proved it on Saturday when they outplayed Dobbs!! My prediction Tigers 27 Westlake 14
GO TIGERS!!!!
Congratulations to Coach Catano and his staff..Great win vs Dobbs..Westlake is a terrific team and the next game will be as difficult as The Dobbs game..
let’s see…the new AP Top 25 poll is out…
Alabama moves up to the No.1 spot & Nick Maniero is ranked 18th.
in other news, there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Nick Maniero lives in Croton.
I have been following both teams this year as well as rye neck and dobbs. From what i have seen in the last couple games have been amazing and i know that it is going to be a great game. i cant see westlake stopping this croton offense again especially with the momentum they have. capthook…. you are hilarious… good one
. anyways my prediction is croton 28 westlake 21 good luck both teams.
Dear Class C & the entire state of New York,
Warning: Nick Maniero doesn’t play “hide-and-seek.” He plays “hide-and-pray-I-don’t-find-you.”
-once you go orange & black, you don’t go back.
Croton 21 Westlake 7 , Westlake, Bring your floats to Mahopac on Friday, so you can float down the Hudson crying. I believe the Tigers has a very humble team. They don’t boast, they perform…. Good Luck Tigers… You can do it….
Did anyone miss the first time they played when the limited Nick to barely any offense…. Yeah, this game is going to be a lot closer than people think, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Croton can’t stop the run.
Westlake 28—Croton 20
Westlake has no class. Nick will tear you up this time and I can’t wait to hear all you’re crying why you lost.
Mr T,
Youve been following Class C, just wondering you think the best team is and the best player in class c is
Westlake has no class? I hear all these things about the floats at the croton game, those floats were not made by the team, but by each grade because it was homecomming. The floats are a tradition of the student council at westlake and have nothing to do with the football team. I think that is a poor excuse to say westlake has no class, if you look at the players on the field, they do not taunt their opponents and are great sportsmen. Westlake has been waiting for this for a long time, should be a great game
Westlake-27 Croton-24…2 O/T
Hey fan #8 how can you call for a blowout when they played the first time they didnt get past mid field total yards 60 sure i agree croton is better now than that but please how can you say that i think it will be a close game going either way as far as the floats they been doing that for 20 years at that school it has nothing to do with the team there playing i knoe you guys from croton have much more class than the fans from rye neck good luck
Capt. Hook,
You’re hilarious….Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
Always interesting to read how a teams fans view them. If you take the Croton fans at face value, seems that Maniero is the only kid playing ball…no one else on the team seems to have anything to do with his success? Pretty narrow view of your team and frankly unfair to the players blocking etc. Won’t even validate the float comments… Good luck Westlake & Croton…should be a good game to play and watch. I call it Westake 28 Croton 14.
Well, aren’t we ALL some qualified prognosticators.
Nick Mainiero: 96
Westlake: Zip
But, Mainiero will be held under 503 rushing yards.
pigskilal,
try looking at any football team…its always the good qb, wr, or rb who get the credit….linemen have always gone unnoticed and most likely always will. However this football team IS more than just Nick Mainiero and that’s why they will win Friday.
GO TIGERS
Whatcha gonna do when Westlake runs wild over you, Croton?
Go ‘Cats!
I cannot see westlake running “all over” croton anymore. There is defence is as solid as it gets (beat dobbs ferry with rob alexander and hmmmm SUPER 11 fb brailsford). It will be a good game but it will not go in Westlakes favor. Sorry i personally can’t see it happening.
CLASS DUDE. umm as of now i would have to say Croton but at the begginging of the season i could not see Dobbs losing. as for the best player in class c… ill have to go top 3… 1) is a tie between Rob Alexander and Nick Mainero 2) Will Carter and Joe Tralli 3) Jesse Debiase Dan Luntz
Keep the q’s coming. good luck guys.
i hate to say it, but westlake, you may actually have a chance…CaptHook has obtained an authorized copy of croton’s playbook…whoever calls the defensive signals for the wildcats i sure hope you’re listening. Lean in real close & pay attention…the Big Cat runs only two plays; PAIN & MISERY.
hope that helps.
Toodles,
-Hook
hey capt keep overating croton sure they really love it youre hilarious what do you make the line captain vegas.
Thanks for the lesson Orange & Black…only followed section 1 ball for some 30 years, coaching 10 of them…never occurred to me that the skill positions get all the credit but I do so thank you for the lesson. Both teams are obviously good to be still playing this time of year…just trying to get people to acknowledge the teams, not one kid. But be my guest…keep blowing the Maniero horn…only serves to make him a bigger target and if he’s rendered useless as he was vs Westlake earlier in the year, who’s gonna pick up the slack? Let me answer for you…unless someone comes out of the blue, no one. Sticking with Westlake 28 Croton 14.
Hey Neiler…how do you get capthook off your front porch???
Pay him for the pizza.
Go Wildcats
neiler55: think it’s a bit early in the week to set the line, so not sure yet, but i do know this:
the Croton Offensive Line doesnt worry about changing their clock twice a year for daylight savings time. The sun rises & sets when the Croton O-Line tells it to.
orrrange….blllaaack
Early in the week?....it’s almost Wednesday…if the Westlake D Line allows the day to change…oh wait…I can’t do it…let us know when you finish ripping off Chuck Norris jokes hook. Still waiting for Maniero to sue NBC for copyright infringment as he calls his legs Law & Order….lame ass jokes but expect nothing more from you hook.
Wait I forgot….
Bluuuuue…..Whiiiittte
capthook I think the moderators of the Chuck Norris website are going to sue you.
either them or the writers for the old bill brasky skits from sat.night live
also, pigskinal you seem to be wound pretty tight…take it easy killer, just having some fun on here.
The reason Capthook is funny is that he doesn’t take himself or high school football too seriously…..remember folks, these are 15-18 yr. old kids we’re talking about. Let’s just hope it is a well played game, nobody gets hurt, and Croton wins.
erik 309: you hav just reserved yourself a seat aboard the capthook RV. I’ll be rolling into the Mahopac parking lot Thursday morning around 10ish to set up camp. Just look for a 30ft long Halloween-orange Winnebago with a Siberian Tiger painted on the side. I’ll be easy to spot, being clad in only a jockstrap.
tiger born, tiger bred, & when im gone, i’ll be tiger dead.
amazing stat:
joe tralli won a game of Connect Four in three moves.
(sorry, couldnt resist)
EH HEM…so… yeah, I never knew of any blogs before on Lohud.com, and it is pretty amazing how hostile they actually are. As a former collegiate athlete I do respect all high school football teams. However, I do not respect the lack of discipline displayed within the Westlake Wildcat football team and it’s fans. i am not croton alum nor am I in anyway shape or form affiliated with the school itself. I was at Westlakes homecoming game against Croton this year. The amount of unecessary classless vulgarities that were expressed by Westlake player was extremly shameful. On the other hand how can you blame the children when the parents “BOO’ed” Croton as they were walking out onto the field. It’s high school, yeah, maybe we should take a lesson on how to raise out children, mainly in Thornwood. Croton 42- Westlake 20 revenge will be sweet. especially when you get embarassed the first time around.
so your saying that if it was at croton they would have cheered cmon get real