By The Old Garnet
Friday, November 2, 2018, Rye vs. John Jay Indians @ Mahopac High School 7:30 PM
ARE THE RYE GARNETS DEBATING A STATESMAN OR BATTLING INDIANS ?
It is the Section One Class A Football Championship Game with a ticket to board the state tournament train at stake. Win and advance up the Hudson, lose and go home to the Sound Shore. Should the Garnets triumph it’s off to Kingston to battle the Section 9 Class A champion (either New Paltz or Cornwall).
Scheduled for 7:30PM today at neutral site Mahopac High School, but subject to weather postponement to Saturday at a different neutral site, the Rye Garnets oppose the undefeated, 2nd seeded JOHN JAY INDIANS. Yes the # 4 seeded Garnets have a history with these braves from Katonah and it isn’t pretty. Having met over nine moons as far back as 1975, the Indians control the series by a palomino hair at 5-4-0 favor JJ. Averaging the scores from the prior nine battles predicts a 17-13 win for the Purple and White. But we know both teams sport high octane offenses at the top of Section One’s statistical charts, both capable of striking from anywhere on the field, making such a low scoring affair improbable.
Strangely the Indians from Cross River/Katonah/Lewisboro are named for a US Founding Father, patriot, the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, diplomat (Ambassador to Spain) and the second governor of New York State who had strong ties to Rye. Instead of the Indian mascot one might think that “Statesmen” or “Senators” would have been more appropriate. John Jay was birthed into a prominent French Huguenot immigrant merchant family with meaningful interests in trading furs, wheat and timber. The Jay Mansion on the Boston Post Road, now part of Rye’s Historic District, was the family’s headquarters.
But enough of colonial history and raiding Indian tribes, it’s time for the Garnets to win the debate and even the rivalry record at 5-5-0. OG’s verdict is in, the decision made. In a shootout it’s:
Rye Garnets 30 – John Jay Indians 28
The Rye Garnets emerge as Section One Class A champions for the first time since 2014 as the Garnets scalp the undefeated #2 seeded Indians. All aboard for Kingston !
