The DeMatteo postgame comments
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- October
- 26
When big issues arise in football, I’m often blamed for fanning the flames. I’m sure I’ll be accused of it now, too.
I wanted to offer my opinion on the comments Tony DeMatteo made after Somers’ loss to Poughkeepsie on Friday night. Here’s the background: the Tuskers had been lambasted all season for being undefeated against what’s perceived to be a weak schedule. I spoke to DeMatteo this week for a story I wrote in Friday’s Journal News, which led with him making a tongue-in-cheek remark about how the critics think his team “isn’t any good.”
After Friday’s 14-10 loss to Poughkeepsie in the playoffs, DeMatteo was interviewed by Journal News reporter Josh Thomson for his story, and DeMatteo made this statement:
“We stink, so I guess they stink, too. They were a little better than us, so I guess they have no chance ahead in the playoffs. I’ve been told for the last six weeks that we’re no good.”
What DeMatteo said definitely raised my eyebrows. However, anybody who thinks he was intentionally trying to denegrate Poughkeepsie is misinterpretting the tone in DeMatteo’s voice.
DeMatteo has a style of sarcasm that, if you aren’t siting directly across from him, you won’t totally understand. Sometimes what he says doesn’t come out the same in print as it does in conversation.
To me, DeMatteo wasn’t putting down Poughkeepsie. He was actually putting down you, the bloggers, saying you basically don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to evaluating his team, or any team.
I agree, DeMatteo should have known better than to even attempt to be sarcastic. No matter how he explained himself, what he said would be taken in many different ways.
Today, I emailed Poughkeepsie coach Ken Barger. Before I wrote anything, I wanted to speak to him and get his take. Here’s what Barger wrote back:
Just so everyone can understand, Coach DeMatteo shook all of our players hands, talked to all of our coaches and then made time to talk to a few of our players separately. He told me congratulations, we have a great team, and to go on and win it all. At no time was he anything but gracious. When I got a chance to read the article I took ZERO offense to it….. none period! I know what he said to my players after the game and I am honored that he felt the way he did. I don’t feel like he was being sarcastic about our team at all. We were honored to make the playoffs and play in an awesome football game against a great team. The Somers program from the AD right down to the people holding the chains were first class! I hope this can help maybe clear up some of the stuff that has been going on since the end of our playoff game.
Hopefully this clears up the situation. As I said, if I were DeMatteo I wouldn’t have bothered with the attempt at sarcasm. I can promise you that he didn’t intend to insult the Poughkeepsie.
If the people he supposedly offended, aren’t bothered, why should anybody else?
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 9:07 pm by Kevin Devaney Jr..
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Another classic Devaney suck up. so much for woodward and bernstein.
if coach D gets his feelings hurt by the bloggers as Devaney seems to think or even considers what they say when it comes to his team he’s in real trouble.
Kevin, the other issue I saw this weekend was the Pelham suspensions. Who was missing? Why were they missing?
Kevin
I think you’re in a “no win” situation here….good that you tried to clear it up, but I think you’re never going to get the nah-sayers to understand….
Fortunately, I’m not here to serve the nay-sayers. They can think what they want. I’m just trying to offer fair and balanced reporting.
As for the Pelham suspensions, I know it was five players. The school would not provide the names or the reasons for the penalty. Nobody wished to comment on the situation.
Kevin I’m a big defender of yours, and you are right, of course, it was meant in a sarcastic tone, but it was still a dumb thing to say and he should know better.
I’m afraid to say this but BooBoo above has a very valid point. And I still think he runs up scores too much for my taste, but this doen not make him a serial killer, just diminishes him somewhat in my eyes.
Kevin,
Great job with getting deeper into the story. The bloggers are the people who care about HS football. If it’s a story on the blog, then it’s a story in Section 1. So, anytime there is a big discussion, it’s perfectly okay for you to “fan the flames.”
As for the comments themselves, this was the first time I read them as direct quotes. I knew people were upset by them, but I figured they just wanted to take shots at a great coach. After reading them, it’s obvious he was being sarcastic, and I don’t have a problem with it. Do people want cliched quotes that mean nothing or do they want to know how someone feels when they get interviewed (within minutes of losing your first game might I add).
As for Barger, he was awesome and he definitely ended it there. Great job by him. He’s smart enough to know what DeMatteo meant.
I’m flying home tonight, I’ll be back tomorrow evening in NY. Yes, I will be at a Saturday afternoon game. Section1Guy will not be missing any afternoon games anymore.
I have known Tony over 30 years and he is one of the best men I have had the privlage to know. He has never intentionalty downgraded any team or coach that I ever saw. There are many Coaches and students who have been helped by him and will stand by him. Don’t make something out of this that is not there!
I certainly understand what everyone is saying above. I personally had his team ranked number 1 in class A until this past weekend of course.
But common. He was wrong for his statements. He should have known better. The haters will always take what you say out of context so you need to limit their ammunition. It was just plain DUMB attempt at sarcasm or whatever you want to call it.
With that said, any and all of us probably would lose our jobs if a mike was shoved in our face after a playoff loss.
Tony D is a legend. But this is a blog and if you feel someone made a mistake you can voice your opinion. You can also be attacked for that opinion, all fair. Those people that went over board and made it personal attacks, must have something personal against Coach D.
I just hope Kev is doing this just for transparency and not to defend Coach D. Reporters need to be held to a higher standard, even if this is a blog.
Another coach is never going to publicly rip into another coach. Especially when its a couple days after the game and not in the heat of the moment. Coach Dematto is a legend when it comes to Section 1 football but he made a mistake. We are all human. To put this to bed all he needed to say was I should have used a better choice of words. I think we have a solid football team and tonight we were beaten by a better team. PK is very tough, great speed, and excellent skilled players. I wish them the best and would really like to see them represent Section 1 in the states. At least when I look back to reflect on the season I will know we were beaten by the best. I know I have been criticized by the fans as well as my football teams for their perceived weak schedule. I do not control who we play each year, this is done by Section 1.
It seems majority of people just assume and like those who can’t spell check their blogs, posts, essays, comments, etc, they obviously do not understand the double meaning of text.
That is why its better to be heard than read; if you’re heard you can hear tone and volume and Coach D himself would be better understood. You look at all coaches, they always have one mess up here or there in the text. That is because it does not translate over well. It may have been wrong for him to say, but Dino has done it, Skip Violante has, Napalitano has as well, I’ve heard coaches say dumb things, I’ve heard coaches say smart things, I’ve also read comments that can be taken as good, bad, neutral, or transcending.
Sometimes this makes you appreciate the coaches that don’t say anything at all when it comes to interviews. The ones that say “we will take it one game at a time, one play at a time. We have a great opponent and our schedule will NOT be easy to accomplish. We have our goals and we wish our rivals/opponents well.”
I can name more than a handful of coaches who come off like THAT and will be like that in text AND in person. Sadly a legendary coach makes a slip up and you all act like he ran over a kid in his car, then fed the body to a pack of starving wolves.
By the way sometimes running up the score is unavoidable, if the first defense can’t stop the 2nd/3rd team offense of the team winning big then maybe a stoppage rule should be put in…and you can’t ask kids to play 50% or to slow up, etc, because that can lead to serious injury. Football is hard to stop the onslaught; other sports you can sub in and out, set up a way to have the non regulars and the backups play and get time in without affecting score. Football you can have a third string qb throw a bomb to the 5th string Tightend and he could still catch it, or the 6th string running back take the snap and go for a dive-only to have no one tackle him until hes 34 yards down the field.
Oh man it just gets real pathetic when guys complain about spelling on a BLOG. You want grammar checked as well? LOL!
What a disgrace those Pelham players! Knowing about Pelham in general I can assume they were drinking it up and got caught. What an awful way to leave your teammates hanging out to dry. Shame on those 5 players.
Ken Barger is a class act. PK has had in the teams in the past with his guidance had the talent to win it all. First stop is Rye, we’ll see if the sleeping giant can finally pull it off.
Just a Fan you’ve got to be joking. You expect any human being, that is a competitor, a warrior, to utter that garbage minutes after losing a game 14-10 you feel you should have won, especially after leading at halftime? First of all what you wrote was touchy feely crapola that anyone with a spine can see right through that you don’t mean a gosh dang word of dribble you are uttering. Secondly, you would have him piss off all the teams left in the Class A tournament, as well as the officials in Section 1. Nice Job pal. He didn’t screw up. Anyone who doesn’t see his comments for what they were is an idiot who is just looking to stir something up. It’s OBVIOUS he was being sarcastic towards those who have doubted Somers this year, and THATS IT!!! Anyone trying to make more of it than that is a MORON!!!!!
Most of you people who call him a legend don’t know him or never played for him.The big question is how did he get his legend status?There is a lot of controversy of how,those of us who have been around from when he started know how. He is a user like most coaches today who just care about their records.How about the few coaches out there who really care about the players and try to give them life lessons so they can give back to there communities.How about some of the players who have given back(Joe Holland).Coaches teach your players to work hard and it will carry over in their lives.Players respect your coaches and work hard.
HSFB GUY
You made my point for me about running up scores. When a game is in hand and the other team is beaten you don’t call on your back-up to throw a 65 yd bomb! You also don’t send in your 2nd team to keep running counter plays and options left that you know your opponant can’t stop when your up 4 td’s in the 4th quarter like Coach D did last year against POK (63-12)
THAT’S JUST PLAIN WRONG in my book. However, this does not make him an awful person, just a very good football coach that needs to learn how not to run up scores properly. ( It’s an art and not as easy as it might seem apparently)
Who has coach d used over the course of his career?? The thousands of kids from yonkers he has helped who have had serious family issues and if it was not for him they would be in jail?? How about jimmy kennedy?? If it wasnt for coach d, jimmy would either be a drug dealer in and out of jail or dead, but instead is rotating at DT for the vikings and is a multi millionaire. Call him up and see how much coach d has meant to him. Since you brought up joe holland why dont you call him up and see what coach d has meant to him, or ron garron an astronaut that flew coach d to texas to watch his launch into space because he meant so much to him. If it was about x’s and o’s coach d would have made his way up the ranks into college or maybe even pro ball with the people he knows. However its about more to him and when he hears about people bashing his team this year for not being any good when in fact they were a great football team it upset him. With all he has accomplished you think he actually cares what a few clowns on a website say about him?? What upset him was the way his KIDS were treated. He puts his team before anything and people need to understand he was protecting his team. Coach d is a class act and anyone who bashes him is a jealous loser.
YONKERS:: If you want to know how he got his “legend status” go to coachdematteo.com and read the two page list of things he has done, not to mention the kids he has helped over the years.
Everyone relax already stop with all the legend status and high praise we know coach d and what he stands for, however poor judgement was used and lets move on. like everything else in life he’ll learn from this and move on.
Lets see if he cen rally somers to victory when they play nyack, if not then you’ll know that somers was pretenders and not contenders. Good luck coach d!
When I read DeMatteo’s comments I was certain it had nothing to do with what took place on the field. It’s an unfortunate situation that the expansion of sports coverage, particuarly HS sports coverage on the internet gives anyone and everyone an anonymous voice that can be positive or negative. I understand any coach or players frustration.
I do want to add that coach Barger of PK is obviously a top notch leader, I was impressed with his and his team’s class at the Eastchester game, and his response to this situation only reinforces my opinion. Good luck this weekend.
To All,
Everyone above makes good points.
Can we now please end this particular thread and go on to points about teams, playoffs, etc.
statesman,
Had asked you earlier. Can you provide any background info on POK’s 2-3 D1 prospects? Saw #72 play vs Eastchester.Big kid, made a lot of tackles.
ridiculous 42 He has also ruined kids.You have no clue.
Kevin,
Thanks for adding clarity and insight to “the story”. Coach DeMatteo’s postgame comments…uttered immediately after a very difficult loss…were somewhat awkward and subject to personal interpretation. You went the extra mile on this story, including reaching out to the opposing coach for his reaction. Coach Barger’s classy comments suggest that this is actually a “non-story”, that in his opinion Coach DeMatteo’s comments were in no way intended to be or taken as derogatory or offensive.
My eyebrows were raised a little when I first read Coach DeMatteo’s curious postgame comments, but your follow up has given me a much better understanding and appreciation of the total picture here. Great job!
Rye 28, POK 12
yonkers:
a little bitter are we??? bro, take it easy. you are starting to remind me of the michael douglas character from the movie “falling down” you obviously have a serious axe to grind!
regardless of what your opinion is, he is a high school football coach “legend” in most of the public eye! and as ridiculous42 mentioned, his resume speaks for
itself – period.
the fact that people are bashing him over some stupid comment that was taking into or out of whatever context, is what ends up giving this blog no credibility.
and even if he did intend to make a “stupid” comment, okay he’s wrong, now let’s move on people. this is getting so played out now.
Reuben Frank the Poughkeepsie LB, is now rated as the 7th best player in the state by rivals,. he is definetely the top player in section 1.
For all of the games, I hope that the weather is sound. I would hate to see a Rye/Pk game in a rain storm. Or any of the games have bad weather hamper the outcome. Lets have the best team win and continue on through the Dome. Here are my picks after a pretty awful first round of picks
The pairings and schedule for the Section 1 semifinals:
Friday
Class A
No. 2N Poughkeepsie (5-2)X at No. 1S Rye (6-1), 7 p.m.
Saturday
Class AA
No. 5 White Plains (6-1) at No. 1 New Rochelle,X 1:30 p.m.
No. 3 Arlington X(6-1) at No. 2 North Rockland, 1:30 p.m.
Class A
No. 2C Lakeland (5-2) at No. 2S Roosevelt (6-1),X 1:30 p.m.
Class B
No. 2B Kennedy (5-2) at No. 1A Nanuet (7-0),X 1:30 p.m.
No. 2A Sleepy Hollow (4-3)X at No. 1B Pleasantville (6-1), 1:30 p.m.
Class C
No. 2B Dobbs Ferry (5-2) Xat No. 1A Croton-Harmon (6-1), 1:30 p.m.
No. 2A Hastings (6-1) at No. 1B BronxvilleX (7-0), 1:30 p.m.
yonkers:
since i do not have a clue can you please enlighten me on the lives of kids he has ruined?? Sounds to me like a few of coach d’s 280+ wins have come against you…
Kevin,
Im not surprised by Coach Bargers response..he has always been classy in good and bad times(and hes had both)..and never gave a quote that could be interpreted in a context that was snide..I honestly think Coach Dematteos comments were a culmination of a shocking loss to Nyack which was a blowout to his protege in the semis last year when they were admittedly loaded with kids like Rob Lombardo (Navy), and an unexpected loss to a POK team that has always played lower than expectations in the past, with the exception of their near upset of NewRo a few years back with Wayne Neal..I’ll say it a last time…dumb comment from a great coach whose positives Im sure far outweigh the negatives…it seems there are people with an axe to grind for some reason..as they say, jealousy is the best form of flattering(hope I got that right)That being said..Somers has a chance to redeem last years loss now against Nyack and I really feel like POK can beat RYE..if they play mistake minimally, notice I didnt say mistake free..they can win by 10-14 in my mind…Reuben Frank,JaQuan Simpkins, Jarrid Williams,Josh Graham..and on and on and on…Lets go Pioneers…I see a Roosevelt/Pioneer final..whod have thought it??If it happens, Id suggest people go see the game..you will see a collection of players that I mentioned in addition to Walker, Thomas and Pritchett of Roosevelt that are almost once in a long time types of players..
I think this is a total non issue. It is evident that the reading comprehension of some people can improve. A lot of people are way too sensative sometimes to a silly sarcastic statement. This should be put to bed.
I have been around many different coaches both for myself and my kids in a number of sports and of course Football. If I could choose who my sons or myself to play for Coach DeMatteo or Coach Barger it would have to be Coach Barger.
Congratulation on beating the “legend” at his field, his team undefeated and had a margin of victory of almost 40 points per game. Your respect of the “legend” after he beat you by 51 points last year and your payback this year and say nothing but respect about the “legend” makes you not only a great coach but a great person. Many from Section 1 should learn from your example.
For someone who people say is a great coach or as some say “legend”, you need to be more understanding of course by your friends but your critics as well. There were many upsets last weeks: Fox Lane, Ossining and yes Nyack and you didnt hear one thing from those coaches. Those coaches take critism on this blog just like Somers and the “legend”
Remember all these coaches are paid well by the tax payers to coach these athletes. That coach should know there will be critism of your program and your coaching. I coached pee wee sports and receive $0 compensation for my work and people had issues with me as well and you are never fully appreciated. If any coach has to cry to someone like Kevin about how they are being treated on a blog my recommendation to you is to get another day job where they will treat you the same way and have your AD place an ad for your replacement. Do you think someone would be interested?
Have a nice day.
Slacrosse,
I’m sorry, I didn’t see that post earlier. We all know that Frank has a verbal with UConn. His dream school is Notre Dame, he’s been trying to get in contact with then but it seems like that option won’t happen. Simpkins is also a stud, he’s getting looked at by top 1 AA’s like UMass- as well as Graham (Heard hes getting looked at by schools like Richmond and Wofford). Graham’s size is what is holding him back, he is even smaller than Neal and Dickens were in the past. My philosphy is if the boy can play he can play, DeShean Jackson and Percy Harvin are both doing well at the highest level, because speed does kill. I do think the Pioneers do have some more prospects down the road. #90 Coleman and #72 are good and they will be back next year. I heard PK’s JV destroyed Somers (Someone can verify or debunk this). They have a kid on JV that is about 6’2 270 and extremely athletic and he’s only 15. Hopefully Barger can get a little pipeline going on. He had one off year (2007) at PK, but besides that all his PK teams have been decent at worst.
“When big issues arise in football, I’m often blamed for fanning the flames. I’m sure I’ll be accused of it now, too.”
That’s a pretty snide remark, is it not?
Nyack Fan,
Snide used twice in the same morning…a new record on this blog..at least we are raising the bar intelectually?
statesman,
Thanks much. So #72 is only a Junior! As I said I remember him in the EC game as being BIG (looked like he may have been the biggest kid on the team?) and in on a lot of tackles. What is his size? Assume he goes both ways?
As for Grahm’s size, certainly didn’t hold Ray Rice back!
Good luck to you guys on Friday. Looks like both teams are “in a good place” now. Should be a great game!
Just A Thought,
Maybe if Coach Dematteo had the Roosevelt kids he wouldve won…just kidding..but he probably wouldve won? Know that’ll get some people going and is not meant to disrespect great kids like Deianna and Tullgren..I would like to anoint Coach Mike Meade of Roosevelt as a legend if he beats Rye..how do you bestow legendary status? Im sure I’ll hear something north of 150 -200 wins..whats the litmus test???
Statesman, I noticed that Poughkeepsie brought up Matt Featherson’s younger brother from the JV for the Somers game. It should be interesting to see if he reminds people of the current Texas A&M LB/DE… I do agree that PK does seem to be effectively developing future talent; it looks like the Poughkeepsie Pioneers (formerly Cardinals) youth football program is starting to reap some benefits…
I thought you might find this interesting; hopefully this propsition goes through. Poughkeepsie on a turf field would be awesome:
http://www.poughkeepsieschools.org/administrative-offices/public-to-vote-on-improvements-no-new-taxes-needed/
Also, statesman, re the Somers-PK JV game: According to the Somers football website, Poughkeepsie won 54-6. I know that it’s only JV football, but it does look like the talent is definitely there…
BTW, I think Coach Barger handled the “controversy” quite well. He’s truly a class act…
Any of you guys remember in the Movie the Mighty Ducks and he is defending his team but being sarcastic by calling them a bunch of losers? And 2 of his players are around the corner listening, and they didn’t realize he was being sarcastic. Well same idea. When I read it I could tell he was being sarcastic, and I have never met the guy. To me this is a none issue and its being blown out of proportion.
I love all the attention focused on individual players from POK.
Football is a team game, and it takes players doing the work in all three phases to make a team great.
Rye has improved as a team week by week, and we certainly look forward to the challenge of facing such marquee talent.
I like our chances….
I went to that website and saw a video for sale.Where are the scholarships in his name?Maybe a boys club,or something.
Scott in Rye, Jeff, Slax
Your QB has been getting a lot of attention on this blog brother. Heck, if I didn’t watch some games I would think he’s the only player for Rye. You guys have a SOLID program. PK Kids barely get attention, that’s why many of them went under recruited. There is no reason why Wayne Neal(PK’s only 2,000 yrd rusher in years splitting time with another stud Dickens) should be playing for a 1-7 West Conn team running for his life every week. Perhaps if he got more love on blogs like this his exposure would have went up. It should be a great battle, I’ll try to make it there, but if I can’t I hope it is live. Barger loves Featherston and his family. I’m curious to see how his brother turns out.
Jeff, Slax
I remember that proposal came out first like 8 years ago and it got shut down. Better facilities will boost this program, I’d love it. Maybe you can help SLAX about #72, I think he’s Rob Johnson and Mr. Tyree Colemans’s height/weights. I don’t want to guestimate here.
You obviously didn’t read the entire page giving his accomplishments… how about tony dematteo field at roosevelt or the 3 seperate hall of fames he is in… nfl high school coach of the year in which the award had NOTHING to do with his record.. the list goes on… maybe you should buy the video, you might learn something
This was a recurring plot line in the old “Three’s Company” TV sitcom.
Jack, Chrissy, or Janet would say something and Mr. Roper or Mr. Furley would only be half listening or take it out of context. For the next half-hour the shows characters would precipitate their actions on what they thought they heard.
Hilarious stuff..and in the end all was understood and better.
Hey Yonkers
I have a great Idea, why don’t you man up and put your name on the top line, its real easy to try and ruin a mans reputation by hiding behind some computer. I really hope you aren’t who I think you are, because if thats the case you really are a sad, trying to live up to the legacy and you are going down this week!!!
I’ve known Coach Barger for a long time and am glad he’s being recognized for the class act that he is. He works extremely hard preparing PK week in and week out.
It’s Tuesday now though and he shouldn’t be bothered about comments an opposing coach said on Saturday – though he’d never say it – I’m sure he’d rather talk about what a great team Rye has. Let’s get over Coach Dematteo’s comments and focus on what is going to be a great football game on Friday. Good luck to both teams, strap ‘em up cause this one’s gonna be good!
i went to roosevelt n im not saying dematteo all bad but 42 your going too far in the legend quote hes no saint how many kids got left back so his so called program would relish its a known fact . he thought he was bigger than the school all he talks about is his records. remember once u get paid for something your subject to critism.remember hes not all bad but dont make him out to b a god wat r u his agent!
I think you bloggers should tie Coach D to a pole and give him ten lashes. Let it go, its been resolved!! Dont worry people, maybe this weekend a player will eat a hot dog on the sideline and you all can gang up on him. A never heard so many whiner and complainers. And you call your selves football fans. You sound more like PETA. EEW he killed a fly. Lets complain.
There is nothing wrong with his comments. He wasn’t downgrading his players or the other team. He was addressing everyone that was talking bad about his team for the last 6 weeks. I really don’t see how people miss it. “thats what i’ve been hearing for the last 6 weeks” that should be all the clarity anyone needs to understand the nature of his statement. People are really pulling at loose strands.
Lets take a look at these 4 games that class a south played in.
1 seed Rye beat 2 seed Nyack 34-7
2 seed Roosevelt beat 1 seed Ossining 41-20
3 seed Harrison beat 4 seed Pearl River 49-12
4 seed Eastchester beat 3 seed Spring Valley 28-14 (really 28-6, S.V. scored with 20 seconds left in the game.
League a south was 8-0 against non-league opponents in the regular season and 4-0 so far in the playoffs/bowl matchups
So is league a south the toughest league in section 1 football? Is there a league in section 1 that can compare with the competition in the south league of class A?
Obsessive, in last years somers POK game, when did the 2nds throw up a “bomb pass” and also watching the game you could see that somers 1’s were in becuase if they did come out POK would of caught up in less then a quarter, they were that dangerous. Stop making stuff up.
Coach Barger is an excellent coach always classy. he does way more for his players then people realize. He goes above and beyond for them.
And also an earlier post commented on Coach Ds frustration carrying over from last year. I think thats true. With a team like that i dont think you can recover knowing what the potential was.
Yes…Class A South is the toughest league in football outside the AFC Central Divison.
And for next year…it means absolutely nothing. Just as relevent as last years Nyack/Ossining division being the toughest league.
statesman,
Yeah, hope you can make it but I know it’s not a short ride!
Obviously I want rye to win but if POK wins I’ll be rooting for them all the way to the Dome.
I think in fairness to Rye, they DO get some extra publicity but they’ve certainly earned whatever comes their way (can be negative blogs as well). In the Dome 5 of last 6 yrs with 3 wins! I’m sure the same will and should happen to POK if they get to the Dome!!
Most coaches like any other group of people in the public eye have their critics as well as their supporters. I would think that DeMatteo has many more supporters than critics. There definitely is something about him that gives off that local legend aura. He deserves a fair shake on longevity alone, but he also has more wins than any other coach in Section 1 history. I know that he has a large ego( what good coach doesn’t?), and he perhaps deserves a little grief for sticking to his wing T “no matter what”, BUT let’s give this guy a break. He has been a credit to Section 1 football throughout his career. Does anyone really think he was putting down Poughkeepsie when he made his remarks last week? Everyone had been saying Somers played nobody prior to that game and it turned out they were right ….you just know that Tony still thinks he has a good team, and was poking some fun at all the Somers detractors when he made that remark. The Somers-Nyack game this week along with Rye-Poughkeepsie will provide more of a barometer on the skill level of this years Tusker team.
i think the one thing that all of us in class a south can agree on (i think) is that the school’s had a very good year of competitive football which is what we all want. with the exception of one week which i won’t go into, i think everyone was looking forward to a great game. good luck to all in the remaining games.
hes just a typical sore loser 2 years in a row his comments dont even make sense maybe he will play girl scouts next year n give up no points . u get paid for coaching u can have critism hes no god hes proved that!
I just got done reading a response from TuskerDad in response to the Josh Thompson article…
It is unbelievable and “despicable” to see the lack of appreciation for a man that is not only a legend of a coach but a legendary human being.
As a member of the Kennedy coaching staff, I have had the PLEASURE of being able to coach along side Tony the past two seasons at the block and tackle camp. Not only have I witnessed a great football strategist but a tremendous leader of men who not only has influenced his players in a positive fashion, but the players and coaches at Kennedy as well which most certainly has contributed to our success this season.
It is often that I meet people of all walks of life who have played for Tony that talk about the long lasting impact that he has made on their lives….all of a sudden a comment he makes after a tough loss gets misconstued and everyone wants to tear the guy apart…3/4 of the people who are making these comments have never even met the man….the people that actually have, share my sentiment
Everyone has a lecture on this topic. Funny how controversial, off field issues steal the attention. All thanks to Kevin Devaney Jr.
I’ll never believe a coach again who says “I never read the blogs”
It seems every other post today is from a coach.
SO KENNEDY DO U LET KIDS GET LEFT BACK IF THERE GRADES ARE NOT UP TO STANDARDS HE DIDNT CARE CAUSE THEY WERE GOOD PLAYERS AND HE GOT THEM FOR ANOTHER YEAR I WENT TO ROOSEVELT AND I KNOW HE CANT DO IT NOW SO IS THERE SOME GOOD IN HIS PROGRAM SURE REMEMBER ITS ALL ABOUT RECORDS AND WINNING!YOU ONLY SEE ONE SIDE OF THE COIN LOMBARDI IS A LEGEND NOT DEMATTEO
Rebel
Rye over Nyack last week was no upset – it was more like a domination.
High school football coaches in Section One are no where near being “well-paid by the taxpayers” as you state. When you divide the number of hours spent into the stipend paid coaches by school districts, the per hour remuneration is less than paid to crew members at McDonalds. The taxpayers are getting a bargain.
If you like to know…. what players were left back?? If their grades were bad then it was probably beneficial for them to be back anyway just like the few kids in yonkers this year… just curious what year did you graduate from roosevelt??
I find it funny….... Many guys out there would pay to be a High School Football coach so forget about being paid. Being a head coach of a Varsity football team is an honor!
Many coaches Like Nyack’s Coach Cas work within the school too. Imagine having your dean as your head coach!
I cannot see how anybody could possibly interpret that comment from Coach Dematteo as derrogatory.
Poughkeepsie is in big trouble this week at Rye.
73 owen ward belluzzi joe holland his best back! what year did u 42
why was it the ones that got left back were football players so he really didnt have a rebuilding year like a westlake or ryeneck
Scary,
You never show PK any love @ anything
. Thanks though, they do play their best when in the underdog role, please let’s not hop on the bandwagon now, lol
sorry 42 i left out my boy billy tribou
10960 has a point.
I wonder how many head coaches would leave if they were not paid anything.
I think few would.
Garnet:
Rye last year B Champ beat last year A champ, if next year Rye beat New Ro, Im sure NewRo would be upset.
Rye will be tough to beat but dont get over confident.
In a word, this subject has gotten B O R I N G. Wake me up when there’s a new topic of discussion.
Is anyone surprised…Coach D hasnt spoken a word to Coach Castellano since the beat down last year…multiple calls…no returns..what a loser…man up or go away or go be an asst. at Arlington..when you do..call your friend back,,what a tool..and I ask all the Nyackers to validate?
ridic 42 did u go to roosevelt? i grad73
kevin ,i apologize for my comments yesterday which were in reply to your blog titled spiriling out of control.i was very upset with the tone of most of the comments made about Coach D.We appreciate your extra effort in trying to clear up this matter.we believe that his comments were in fact misinterpeted. for whatever reason there are haters out there who have an axe to grind with the coach and your never gonna shut them up..the truth is this, anyone who knows anything about high football in westchester,knows what a great coach and human being coach d is . thats it . nothing else needs to be said this story is over thanks again frank d
Scary,
Thats what people said when PK played Somers. Obviously Rye is the favorite. But, thats why you play the game. Its not won on the blogs but on the field. Let Rye and PK get it done on the field before we assume whos in trouble.
statesman,
Hey I dont know about that “underdog” role for POK you mention with all those POK studs!!
POK wins by two scores.
Thats just my prediction.
Coach D was right POK can not play with RYe. He is just telling the truth. Somers cant eithier. Somers will beat Nyack this year because there is nothing on the line.
rebel
As many bloggers have said – deal in the present.
Rye vs. Nyack this 2009 playoff season was Class A-League South # 1 seeded Rye versus Class A-League West # 2 seeded Nyack. The higher seeded, and favored home team (Rye) won, hence that game’s result could not be defined as an upset. Oh by the way the higher seeded team gets the home game in case you didn’t know.
It was not the 2008 Section One Class B Champion (Rye) against the 2008 Section One Class A Champion (Nyack). They never played last year and they never will.
If You Like to Know….Ridiculous 42
Bad info,IYLTK.Owen Ward(Fordham) Bob Belluzi(Cortland) and Joe Holland(Cornell) all graduated on time…I however did not..I graduated in January.I was granted extra time due to injury by Section 1.I also needed a core course.(Manhattan)
HAVA DAY
To answer your earlier question, statesman, I don’t see a #72 on PK’s roster, but there is a #42 (John Johnson) who plays either LB or safety…
Also: Maybe it’s just me, but I think PK enjoys the role of the underdog. Still, I doubt Rye is going to look past the Pioneers…
Billy and the rest of the Roosevelt ‘73 footballers,
Didn’t Lincoln HS win in 1973/74? Steve Sabella, Robert Ferrano and Buddy Kucharcyk were the best running back combination I have ever seen in Yonkers before or since?
Enough about DeMatteo. Who cares. He lost and it’s over!!!I’m just glad he lost because now the game is in Rye. Perhaps the article the day before the game about the Somers team laughing at all the critics went to their heads and showed up too cocky.
All I Know is Rye is in the semi-finals and if each team plays their best Rye best Rye will in.
LET’S HAVE A BIG TURNOUT TO BRING THE GARNETS TO THE FINAL. AND EVERYONE SAID THAT RYE WOULD NEVER MAKE IT IN “A”. WHAT ARE THEY SAYING NOW?
It’s supposed to be a nice night on Friday so everyone please show up.
Let’s Go Rye!!!!!!!
GO RYE BEAT POUGHKEEPSIE
Coach D stop reading these post I can see you.
I can guarrantee coach d is not reading these posts right noe. he could care less what everyone is saying. A little bit on what i heared about players looking at schools on POK. great to see players pursuing D1 frank already commited to UCONN however i dought Notre Dame is going to come through, a school like that is already done with there recruiting. i heared graham was either commited to buffalo alrready or recieving serious intrest. yes he has the speed but does not have the size. i wish him the best becuase i think he can compete on the d1a level. and very curious to see what happens with simpkins, excellent athlete, im rooting for him. If POK plays to there ability, watch out!
Pride,
You are absolutely right. I think he would love to try to walk on at ND. UConn is an awesome school, he’ll get a great education there. Graham is small, but is very strong for his size and has maximized his frame. With that speed anything can happen and I wish him the best. Thanks for your concern and good words for the program.
How was Reuben Frank not super 11?
Tribou, you back? Or have you been back under a different blog name?
Hope you come back, but stop the attacks on people. A Head coach’s input would be good on here.
Out of range of lohud.com
Here are some Reuben Frank videos Jax…
Highlight Tape – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzHmFA3TJUQ&feature=fvw
Squating – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-2aadc2GOU&feature=related
Hand Clean – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HPycqFOsYU&feature=related
Deadlift (575 lbs 14 reps) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqE1vmi3_c&feature=related
Josh Graham Deadlift – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZU-9fYKRds&feature=related
Josh Gtaham Highlight – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmtLTryVr3w&feature=fvw
Here are some Reuben Frank videos Jax….
Highlight Tape – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzHmFA3TJUQ&feature=fvw
Squating – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-2aadc2GOU&feature=related
Hand Clean – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HPycqFOsYU&feature=related
Deadlift (575 lbs 14 reps) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqE1vmi3_c&feature=related
Josh Graham Deadlift – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZU-9fYKRds&feature=related
Josh Gtaham Highlight – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmtLTryVr3w&feature=fvw
sorry billy u misunderstood i didnt say ward holland n belluzzi didnt grad i just let42 know who was on that team n when i forgot u it wasnt because of grad because u were a fine linebacker. if i played those years he would of been more of a legend lets put it this way i was 5 times better vic federico . i was wondering if u see perrone n those guys anymore how bout the sonics. my son plays for westlake for hennessy n sardo. hope your doing well for horace g
o by the way lancer holland was better he ended up at cornell but went to michigan first.just my opinion
LANCER “73”
That was a great group of players…I cannot argue with you at all..I still have the scars from the cleatmarks from the 18- 14 Game. It was a great game and one of the largest crowds in Yonkers history.I am quite close with Pete Bradley and speak to him 1 time a month.Unfortunately Anthony Farano and Marty Varassi have met there demise..I see Buddy from time to time and give him money(I am not sure if I have a choice though—-You know what I mean)
Pre “73” I will tell you that the backfield at Yonkers High(72)of Ritchie Meltz, Rich Jessamy, and Ray Smedley was the best ever collectively…They were flush with lineman as well.They did not win much but they were a wicked handful.
IULTK…I speak with Al all the time..Would you like me to remember you to him ?
so u do remember playing for richie the sonics coach and that school bus in back of carlos pizza . i live in thornwood for 30 years now told westlake coach sardo who i think played at gorton the trio of runners he had last year at westlake was the best that school ever had debiase carter and co. running the wingT . wonder wat happened to the jim jagars n the bonniellos of the world . gotta make time to come to some of your games now my son steve is grad take care
u know with this diabetes i have now its affected my memory u 100pct correct those 3 backs as 3 were the best n jerremy if i remember correctly scored on an 98 yard run but we beat them the following year goes to show you they didnt even win much so the coaching staff wasnt up to par my father use to say in italian the fish stinks from the head first but jerremy was some back
Billy,
Who won the game 18-14 in 1973? I think it was Lincoln and then they lost to RC Ketcham as I remember.
You are right, Robert Farano is dead, and Buddy K is in and out of jail and drug rehab. Not sure what became of Sabella.
The 3 guys from Yonkers HS you named also anchored some basketball team. Those 3 and Ed Felix beat a Mount Vernon team in the old Yonkers HS gym that had 7 future Div 1 players and several future NBA players. Rich Meltz, Alvin Jessamy, Ed Felix, Smedley beat Ray and Gus Wiliams, Rudy Tate, and several other soon to be Div 1 hoopsters.
To In The know,
U r delusional did u even know what Coach Castallano do to Coach Dematteo.Coach Castallano took a game plan from Coach Dematteo gave him for a game. Coach Castallano used the game plan that Coach Dematteo created for him against Somers that Coach Castallano promised not to use against Somers. ONE MORE THING STOP MOCKING COACH DEMATTEO ON THE BLOGS HE IS PRBLY THE BEST THING FOR SECTION 1.
nyack wins 35-0 oh and one more thing Somers Tuskers tell ross weiner (Somers, the poster above me) to stop posting on these blogs or ill tell his coach via coach cas but then again coach d probably wont return his call haha
The blog has gone from DeMatteo to an all out Yonkers Love Fest. LOL
LEAVE THE GUY ALONE….HE IS ONLY HUMAN AND NONE OF US ARE PERFECT…....EXCEPT KEVIN LOVE YA
[...] You made my point for me about running up scores . When a game is in hand and the other team is beaten you don’t call on your back-up to throw a 65 yd bomb! You also don’t send in your 2nd team to keep running counter plays and options left … regardless of what your opinion is, he is a high school football coach “legend” in most of the public eye! and as ridiculous42 mentioned, his resume speaks for itself – period. the fact that people are bashing him over some stupid …Read More… [...]