Ranked Hilton dominates homecoming, defeats Irondequoit 58-7

By: Nicholas Wright

HILTON, N.Y. - Home Crowds at LeBeau Stadium were already forming an hour and a half before kickoff, with diehard fans claiming their spots on the bleachers early, and the student section kept growing as the night went on. The Hilton Cadets (3-0) entered homecoming night looking to achieve a statement win over the visiting Irondequoit Eagles (2-1). Both backup quarterbacks from either side were in the game by the middle of the second, in an overwhelming 58-7 Hilton homecoming victory.

Hilton deferred the opening kickoff to the second half. Irondequoit muffed the opening kick return, which later foreshadowed their first drive. Senior Irondequoit quarterback Ryan Jiang threw an interception to Hilton Swiss Army Knife senior Tyler Reger on fourth down in their own territory. Reger followed up the interception with a 34-yard run, ending just short of the end zone. Fullback Calvin Starwald finished the drive with a quick inside run, and just like that, Hilton took the lead 7-0.

Irondequoit’s second drive ended in similar disaster. On a 4th-down punt attempt, the ball was snapped over the head of the Eagle’s kicker, who scrambled to knock it through the back of the end zone. Although saving a potential Hilton touchdown, this play resulted in a safety, an unfortunate start for Irondequoit.

Reger later showed his quarterback skills in the first half, throwing a touchdown to senior wide receiver Gianluca Auriuso. Reger ended the night strongly, hauling in two receptions for 59 yards, carrying the rock four times for 57 yards, and throwing that 22-yard touchdown pass, in addition to his earlier interception- the true definition of a create-a-player experience. Hilton quickly takes a 16-0 lead, supported by an extremely large homecoming crowd.

Reger struck again shortly after, with a beautiful ball up the seam from his senior quarterback Matthew Kosiorek.  After a successful point-after attempt, the Cadets led 22-0.

Hilton continued their hot streak early in the second quarter, as Kosiorek handed the ball off to senior wide receiver Jared Wade for an easy goal-line touchdown. The good extra point made this a 30-0 ballgame with plenty of football left on the field.

Later in the second, Irondequoit quarterback Jiang went down with an apparent injury, quickly taking off his helmet before athletic trainers from both sides checked him. He walked off under his own power, though staff supported him. He sat on the bench and did not return for the rest of the game. Backup Eagle quarterback Mason McCullough, a sophomore, ran the offense until the final whistle blew.

Following another unsuccessful Irondequoit drive, Hilton’s Kosiorek opted to keep the ball himself and ran into the end zone for a strong 15-yard score. The extra point made it 37-0.

Kosiorek was another all-around player for the cadets, intercepting McCullough after an overthrown ball late in the second and setting up a Kiernan Murphy touchdown. The junior cadet’s efforts gave Hilton a 44-0 lead before halftime.

In the third quarter, junior Carlos Castillo became the next to score, carrying the rock into the end zone for six. With another strong kick, Hilton extended their lead to 51-0. Castillo rounded out Hilton’s impressive 58 points with another rushing touchdown on their next offensive drive, sprinting through the middle and down the sideline for an 80-yard score.

Irondequoit finally found the end zone just seconds before the clock was set to run out. Sophomore Eagle running back Jayden Nelson found a hole in the Hilton defense, finally bringing some life to his sideline. The good extra point made it a 58-7 ballgame, and it was the final score.

Although thousands of fans surrounded them, Reger and his teammates knew the mission entering the matchup.

“So, you know, it was homecoming, we know we had a good big crowd in Hilton and the Hilton community,” Reger said. “Definitely looking forward to this game. So yeah, we knew we were just going to have to keep our composure and come out. All the guys were energetic, but we knew we had to come out early and put them away early.”

Reger’s incredible stamina throughout four quarters of play isn’t just great genetics. His work ethic out of the spotlight is what brings him his personal success on the field.“I obviously hydrate during the week and stuff,” Reger said. “When we do springs, I sprint as fast as I can just to keep my endurance up.”

The Cadet’s head coach, Rich Lipani, had an extra milestone to celebrate on top of a dominant homecoming victory. With this win over Irondequoit, Lipani tied the all-time Section V record for career wins as a head coach.“He’s been coaching for a while, and to be a senior for him this year is definitely awesome,” Reger said. “We got a special group of kids this year, so it’s definitely awesome for him.”

Irondequoit’s rushing attack was led by Nelson, who carried the ball 16 times for 114 yards and scored the Eagles’ only touchdown of the night. On defense, sophomore Myles Kedley recorded an impressive 19 tackles and four tackles for loss. Senior lineman Jacob Gosley recorded five tackles and a sack. They fall to 2-2 and will travel to Greece-Athena (1-3) next Friday. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m.

For Hilton, Starwald led on defense with ten solo tackles, while rushing for 24 yards and a touchdown. Murphy rushed nine times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Castillo finished with three rushes for 98 yards, averaging an eye-popping 32.67 yards per carry. In total, the cadets finished with 489 total offensive yards and three interceptions total.

Hilton remains undefeated at 4-0 and will travel to Webster Schroeder (2-2) next Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.