By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Sep. 2, 2015:  Perennial Bronxville rivals Tuckahoe and Dobbs Ferry will not be on the football schedule this fall. For the first time in Bronxville history, the Broncos, a Class C team for more than a decade, have moved up to Class B and will face an entirely different line-up.

Section 1 is divided into classes based on school enrollment in 9th to 11th grade, and Bronxville High School enrollment is up from previous years. Class B football is made up of 16 teams, including some that the Bronxville varsity team has played in the past, such as Albertus Magnus, Croton-Harmon, Blind Brook, and Valhalla. Other Class B opponents, such as Nanuet and Ardsley, are not new to this group of varsity players, because the Bronxville JV team has always played in Class B.

When determining the fall schedule, Section 1 ranked each team using a complicated matrix that included such things as last year’s record, the number of returning players, and the number of all-league players. Using this preseason ranking system, Bronxville is ranked 4th behind Nanuet, Pleasantville, and Ardsley. Last year, Our Lady of Lourdes won the Class B Sectional Championship, but this season they moved to Class A.

Bronxville is not the only team to miss out on a rivalry game this fall. None of the Class B teams will go up against a rival this season, but Section 1 will try to address that issue next year.

The Broncos have been working hard during the preseason. Captains’ practice started in mid-August, and the team has been practicing with the coaches for almost three weeks. Head Coach Jeff Napolitano returns for his tenth year at Bronxville and is assisted by longtime defensive coordinator Phil Kuczma and lineman coach James Salerno. The Broncos have 28 players on their roster and return 14 seniors, including captains Tucker Duncan, Jack Gelinas, Anthony Napolitano, and Tim Weir.

The Broncos, who were 6-2 in 2014, will play their season opener at Edgemont (2-6 in 2014) on Saturday at 1:30 pm.

Go Broncos.

Pictured here:  Bronxville in a three-way preseason scrimmage against Hackley and St. Luke’s.

Photo by S. Quinn DeJoy