On Friday Oct. 13, 2023, the Del Val Terriers lost to the Hillside Comets 38-7. Friday the Thirteenth was also Senior Night for the football team, the cheerleading squad, and the Golden Regiment Marching Band, as well as Bands in the Stands night.
The seniors were honored during a pregame ceremony in front of all in attendance.
The football seniors include Keith Polin, Jared Leeds, Luke Brogan, Michael Holzworth, Simeon Pecchia, Stoy Fohring, Anderson Olcott, August Savacool, Jeff Bate, Nicholas Mauro, Ifeanyi Ekulide, Austin Aycock, Michael Gohil and Andrew Panicaro.
The cheerleading seniors include Bella Baglivo, Emilia Marinelli, Sara Matthews, Brooklyn Perno, Skylar Regep and Isabella Tellish.
The Golden Regiment Marching Band seniors include Brielle Bontempo, Peter Cantilina, Abigail Kuster, Kyle Sandor and Makenzie Weber.
The marching band also played with middle school students who will become the future of the Del Val band program.
Del Val received the opening kick and carried out a trick play on the return.
Hillside was flagged for illegal motion, and the Terriers drove close to the end zone.
Hillside called a timeout and they changed their play to attempt to stop Del Val, and after the play tempers flared after a Del Val player got his helmet ripped off.
With a seven minutes and 32 seconds to go in the first quarter, Del Val scored a touchdown and made the kick, making the score 7-0, Del Val.
With around five minuets to go in the first, Hillside scored a touchdown and then made the kick tying the game, 7-7.
Del Val’s quarterback was sacked on the next drive, and there was action after this play as tempers continued to flair.
Hillside received a punt and struggled to complete passes early in the game.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and another incomplete pass for Hillside ended the quarter.
Hillside starts the second quarter with another incomplete pass and another flag for unsportsmanlike conduct but soon after scored another touchdown. They do miss the kick making the score 13-7, where the score would remain until halftime.
During halftime, the Golden Regiment Marching Band preformed its competition show, “Legacy Rex Auri.”
Hillside’s opening drive of the second half ended with a turnover on down at the nine yard line, and Del Val punted the ball away after its first possession.
Hillside scored its first touchdown of the second half on the next drive, and two-point conversion was blocked by the Terriers, making the score became 19-7.
Del Val excited the crowd with a long pass and a Hillside penalty, but the Terriers dropped an end zone pass that would have been a touchdown.
Tempers were high and there was some intense action after many plays. This resulted in several personal fouls, some of which were offset.
Hillside scored another touchdown, but Del Val was penalized for too many men on the field for the kick, which Hillside would miss. The score was 25-7.
Hillside ran back a pick-six to end the third quarter at 31-7.
During the fourth quarter, Del Val another potential touchdown pass. On the Terriers’ next drive, an end zone pass was intercepted, robbing Del Val of another potential touchdown.
Hillside scored once more and made the kick, leading the Hillside Comets to beat the Terriers 38-7.
Throughout the game, the Terriers stayed professional despite multiple incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct.
After the game, “The Delphi” was able to catch up with Golden Regiment Marching Band senior, Peter Cantilina, as well as Cheerleading seniors Sara Matthews and Bella Baglivo to discuss senior night.
Cantilina said that his final year with Del Val marching band has been good, and that they have done good in their competitions. He also said that “it has been great seeing the future of the Del Val marching band.”
Cantilina is excited for the future for the Golden Regiment.
Matthews said that this year has been “bittersweet” and she is sad that it is all coming to an end, but she hopes that she has “left a good legacy.”
Matthews asked that future cheerleaders keep up the energy because the football players need the help in keeping spirits high, and for them to be good leaders.
Baglivo said that cheerleading is a fun sport and that “if you are thinking about joining, you should go for it.”
While the game didn’t go Del Val’s way, the Senior Night celebration was a success.
