The fall season has arrived, and with it comes the return of Peekskill sports. In our 2025 fall sports roundups, readers can look forward to full coverage here in the Peekskill Herald of boys soccer, girls soccer, football, girls volleyball, girls swimming, and cross country.
Starting this year, fans watching from home will no longer turn to Local Live for streaming. Instead, NBC’s SportsEngine will carry games throughout the season at partner schools. The new platform is expected to deliver upgraded technology and an enhanced viewing experience for supporters.
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Boys Soccer
Last season, the Peekskill varsity boys soccer program reached heights it hadn’t seen in decades. The Red Devils advanced to the sectional semifinals for the first time in more than 40 years, ultimately being eliminated at home by Fox Lane in a 3-1 loss. That historic 14-3-2 season was powered by a deep senior class – 19 seniors graduated in June – and now a new-look squad is tasked with continuing the success and reaching the standards set last year.
On Friday, Sept. 5, Peekskill hosted Byram Hills in its first major test of the 2025 season. The game, played under the lights at Torpy Field, ended in a 0-0 draw, thanks to heroics from Peekskill goalkeeper Jonathan Farez.
Farez, a back up last season, turned in a statement performance. He was called upon early and often, making 13 saves to keep his team level. Twice in the closing minutes of the first half, Byram Hills seemed certain to score – first on a breakaway and later on a back-post header from a long throw-in – but Farez held firm, smothering one chance and blocking the second with an instinctive kick-save. He capped his evening with a full-stretch dive to deny a free kick from just outside the box with three minutes to play.
While Peekskill’s back line and keeper held up, the Red Devils struggled to generate consistent chances in the attacking third. Last year’s 25-goal scorer, Umaru Conteh, is now at SUNY Delhi, leaving a score void that the new group will have to fill collectively.
Of the 22 players on this year’s roster, only four were varsity players in 2024. However, the program leadership remains intact. Captains Melvin Criollo, Maddox Lozada and Alejandro Montano all return from last year’s squad, and along with Farez have been named to Lohud’s 2025 preseason watchlist.
“We have a lot of fresh faces,” said head coach Jonathan Iasillo, who enters his 12th season at the helm and 25th year working in the district. “The new additions have shown great improvement already. We have a nice balance with experience and youth.”
The team’s ambitions for this season haven’t changed. “Our goal is always to win the league,” Iasillo said. “Keeper-wise, I always like it when the keepers have a minimum of five to six shutouts. Not only does that show the keepers are doing their job, but the defense is also doing theirs.”
Iasillo currently sits on 94 career victories and is on pace to hit the 100-win milestone this fall, though personal milestones aren’t his focus. “Whatever success we reach, I really have to give the credit to the players that I’ve had currently and in the past,” he said. “And Jaime [Guevara, assistant coach] has also been a major factor in our success. He’s got superb knowledge of the game, passion for the sport, and huge amount of pride being a Peekskill alum.”
Despite the roster turnover, the veteran coach is optimistic about the future. “Umaru, Chunchi in the middle of the field, Daniel on defense, Salazar in the back [all players from the 2024 squad] – it’s hard to replicate players like that,” he said. “But that’s one of the challenges every year – filling in new players in new roles. It reminds me of the World Cup, trying to get a bunch of players together, make them cohesive, and hopefully go far.”
A dozen seasons in, Iasillo is still passionate about his role. “There’s something about varsity boys soccer in the fall that to me is just the best,” he said. “Between the players, passion, and everything about it – it’s spectacular. I love it.”
Up next, the Red Devils will hit the road against Walter Panas on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 4:30 p.m., then they will host Haldane on Friday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m.
Girls Soccer
On Thursday, Sept. 4, Peekskill varsity girls soccer team opened its 2025 season in style, earning a strong 4-1 home victory against Ramapo. The Red Devils struck first just 14 minutes into the match when sophomore forward Kimberly Alfaro opened the scoring.
After a scrappy first half, Peekskill found another gear after the break. Captain Valeria Otavalo, entering her fifth season as a varsity player, bagged two goals while Jozelyn Zhinin added one. Ramapo’s lone tally came seven minutes into the second half from a dropped-ball situation – a goal that technically should have been disallowed under high school rules, which require a dropped ball to touch at least two players before it can enter the net.
Despite the scoreline, Peekskill could have had even more. The Red Devils created a number of clear chances but were denied repeatedly by Ramapo’s goalkeeper Myiera Henry, who made 17 saves for her side.
Otavalo was Peekskill’s standout performer by far. She looked lively throughout, twisting and turning past defenders and causing constant problems in the attacking third. She demonstrated why she was recently named in Lohud’s 2025 girls soccer preseason watchlist. Otavalo, alongside Zhinin and Alfaro, are expected to shine this year. Alfaro led the Peekskill girls in goals last year with 14.
“We definitely have a committed group – hard working and committed both in and out of the classroom,” said head coach Anthony DiCuio when reached by the Herald. DiCuio hopes to compete for a league title this year.
DiCuio is entering his fourth season in charge of the girls’ program. This year’s squad features 17 players and is captained by Natalie Foster, Valeria Otavalo and Jackelin Alfaro. The Red Devils graduated six seniors last spring, including last year’s captain Brianna Zhunio.
Peekskill’s strong start was tempered two days later at the Nyack Red Bandana Showcase, where the Red Devils fell 5–0 to Hastings on Saturday, Sept. 6. Even in defeat, Otavalo and sophomore goalkeeper Victoria Jovel earned All-Showcase Player honors.
Now 1–1 on the season, Peekskill will look to bounce back at home on Tuesday, Sept. 9, when it hosts Pawling at 4:30 p.m.
Football
Peekskill opened its 2025 football campaign with a tough 14-0 loss at Pelham Memorial on Friday, Sept. 5. Joseph Walker led the Red Devils’ offense with four carries for 35 rushing yards.
For the Red Devils, this season is about growth – and, if results go their way, competing for the Hudson Valley Tournament title, which they captured in 2023.
Two of Peekskill’s senior standouts – running back/defensive back Darius Smythe and wide receiver/defensive back Joseph Walker – were named in Lohud’s 2025 Section 1 Players to Watch List for the Hudson Valley League.
Head coach Demetric Gardner, now in his fourth season at the helm and 21st year coaching overall, has laid out a clear vision. “Our outlook this year is to be disciplined, physical, competitive, and intelligent in everything we do,” said Gardner. “We’ve got the talent. Now it’s about putting the pieces together and playing as one.”
The Red Devils are coming off a 3-4 campaign in 2024 after graduating a strong senior class that included Mekai Calloway, Tommaso Sodano, Tony Monchinski, Phurious Ellis, Shamel Holebrook, Daesean Gooden, Raul Seggara, and Addul Sesay.
Along with Smythe and Walker, other key returnees include senior linemen Darnell Hinton and Rocco D’Elia, linebacker Andrew Sharrock, junior quarterback Christian Preston, running back Craig Jacobs, and defensive lineman Brandon Murray.
Athleticism is a strength for this year’s squad, but Gardner says experience and attention to detail will be crucial. “If we lock in on the small things, we can be dangerous,” he said.
Peekskill will try to get back on track in its home opener against Horace Greeley on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.
Volleyball
The Peekskill girls volleyball team is off to a hot start, earning back-to-back wins in its first two matches. On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Red Devils beat The Leffell School on the road, 3-1 (25-16, 17-25, 25-19, 30-28). They followed that up with a thrilling 3-2 home opener victory against Alexander Hamilton on Friday, Sept. 5. The scores of each set were 25-20, 25-13, 22-25, 12-25, 13-15.
Peekskill started slowly against Alexander Hamilton, dropping the first two sets. But the team quickly found its rhythm, taking control to win the third and fourth sets convincingly. The decisive fifth set was a nail-biter: Alexander Hamilton took a 5-1 lead before the first time out. Peekskill then clawed back to tie 10-10. What followed was a point for point battle to the finish, with the Red Devils ultimately pulling ahead thanks to clutch performances
Notable Peekskill performers include Khylee Cappozelli with four aces, nine kills, and 11 digs, Audrina Mendez with two aces, six kills, and seven digs, and Nina Ijiogbe with 30 assists. The Red Devils are coached by Dennis Adams.
Up next, Peekskill (2-0) has a busy week ahead of them. The Red Devils will play Port Chester on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 4:30 p.m., and Fox Lane on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 5 p.m. Both games will be on the road. The girls will end the week hosting Pawling on Friday, Sept. 12, at 4:30 p.m.
