Written by Bella Wise

Varsity Football’s championship game saw a rematch of this season’s closest game against  Pingry. Earlier in the season, the Wildcats faced the Big Blue Bears and fought valiantly in a game that resulted in a 15-14 loss. This game showcased great performances from the RCDS upperclassmen: Captain Colin Lauri ‘25 threw for 150 yards and two touchdown passes; Captain Amir Hogans ‘26 ran for an impressive 140 all-purpose yards – both receiving and rushing – and scored both touchdowns for the Wildcats; Charlie Pearle ‘26 was a defensive wall with two forced fumbles and a vital interception.

Coach Calandros emphasized the team’s growth and preparation for the rematch: “We’ve been focusing on building confidence after winning three straight games. Coming off of a tough loss earlier this season, we knew we had to adjust, especially in the areas of defense and offensive strategy. We’ve had a lot of younger players stepping into critical roles, and their improvement has been key.” When asked about the team’s leadership, Calandros praised the upperclassmen and explained, “This has been a very difficult year, but our senior leadership has been outstanding. Players like Charlie Pearle, who have stepped up on defense, are vital in this match. Pingry has the best quarterback in the league, and we’ll need our defense to play one of their best games to contain their deep passing game.”

In the exciting matchup at SUNY Purchase on Friday, November 11, RCDS gave Pingry a run for their money. In the first half, Captain Hogans scored a pivotal touchdown for the Wildcats in order to enter halftime trailing Pingry 7-6.

Early in the second half, Pingry increased their lead with a remarkable 40-yard completion that brought the score to 15-6, but Captain Hogans was not about to let Pingry get away easily. Only two minutes later, he ran almost 40 yards for a touchdown and caught the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 15-14. Minutes later, Captain Hogans was at it again with an incredible 50-yard run to put RCDS in the lead of 20-15. As the RCDS crowd said, “Here’s the play: get the ball to Amir (Hogans)!”

Unfortunately, Pingry had its own response. Only thirty seconds after the Wildcats took the lead, a Pingry player sprinted 70 yards down the field, reclaiming the upper hand for the Bears at 23-20. “Pingry’s quarterback is certainly the best in the league, with an incredible arm,” Coach Calandros explained; but the Wildcats weren’t done. Defensive end Milin Torgalkar ‘26 stayed strong, sacking the Pingry quarterback to the ground on multiple critical plays.

In the fourth quarter, Captain Chris Emmet ‘25 had a beautiful interception that had RCDS fans chanting, “You can’t hold him, he’s a beast!” Yet, despite the Wildcats’ tireless efforts, RCDS ultimately lost, with Pingry scoring another touchdown in the final minutes to secure a 30-20 victory.

Although the football season did not end on a winning note, Captain Lauri managed to pull off an individual victory: midway through the third quarter, on a sprint out play to the right, Lauri connected with Captain Hogans to break the RCDS Single Season Passing Record set just two years prior by Henry Cohn ‘23. Captain Lauri finished his senior season setting a new passing record of 1185 yards.