Joe McDermott grasped the importance of Hackley’s football rivalry with Riverdale Country School when he quarterbacked the Hornets from 2011-2014. That was reinforced when he was hired to coach the Hornets in June 2022.
Phone calls from supportive alumni typically ended with “Beat Riverdale.” Ditto for emails and texts.
This year’s clash will be charged with meaning when two schools celebrated for academic and athletic excellence meet for the 100th time on Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. at Hackley’s Pickert Field.
Hackley leads one of the most storied rivalries in New York State 51-46 with two ties since the teams first met in 1925. The Hornets will be intent on avenging last year’s 30-21 defeat.
“I think there is a lot of respect between the two schools,” McDermott said, “but when it comes to game day, the kids go out there and they compete. I think they are respectful in that competition, but they definitely want to win.”
They want to win it badly. Senior Logan Wissner, who returns as Hackley’s quarterback, still feels the sting of last season’s loss to its arch-rival. “That kind of stuck with us coming into this year,” he said. “It’s definitely a game we want to get back.”
No one has to remind fellow senior Graham Klabin of the game’s significance. “It means a lot. It’s been our history for 100 years. It’s a good way to show the alumni what we’ve been up to,” he said.
Seniors constantly emphasize the game to younger teammates. “When I was looking at schools, I didn’t really know the history of the football team,” acknowledged senior offensive lineman and outside linebacker Michael McCool. “My first year coming here, it was sort of a big deal.”
Hackley finished 5-2 last year and opened this season with a 30-6 rout of St. Dominic before falling to Rye Country Day 21-0. The Hornets’ offense is spearheaded by the dynamic running of junior Will Ngbokoli. “Will’s got incredible feet. He’s very fast, very shifty. He’s a great ballcarrier,” McDermott said.
Ngbokoli benefits from an experienced, physical offensive line that includes left tackle Cassius Evans-Thompson, left guard Will Dolan, right tackle Jonah Hootnick and the versatile Andre McMahon and McCool.
Matt Guzman and Oscar Williams are among Wissner’s top targets. Riverdale will have to be wary of ball-hawking safety Isaac Cho, who has a penchant for making interceptions.
The Hornets also feature Nick Vitale of Irvington, a strong-legged punter who can connect on field goals up to 40 yards, leading him to attract interest from a number of colleges. He may give the Hornets an edge on special teams in their bid to beat Riverdale.
