Girls Soccer

Peekskill’s dream girls soccer season came to an end on Oct. 25, when the No. 13 Red Devils traveled to Charlie Murphy Athletic Field to face No. 4 Yorktown in the opening round of the Class AA sectionals.

Heading in, one question hung over Peekskill: could they compete with a top-tier Class AA team? The Red Devils, dominant in their ability-based league with a 15-1 record, had yet to be truly tested. Yorktown, meanwhile, had faced tougher opposition all season. Still, Peekskill arrived hungry to prove they belonged – and from the opening whistle, they did just that, giving the Huskers a fight.

Yorktown’s Lea Bryant, the team’s leading scorer, nearly struck just 30 seconds in, cutting in from the left and firing wide – a warning sign of what was to come. The Huskers pressed early, taking a 1-0 lead eight minutes in after a scramble in the box. Peekskill goalkeeper Victoria Jovel kept her team in it, making a string of impressive saves that drew cheers and applause from away fans. But Yorktown doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Anna Walling’s long-range strike found the top corner despite Jovel’s fingertips brushing it.

Peekskill refused to fold. Just two minutes later, Kimberly Alfaro pressured the Yorktown keeper, stole the ball, and finished into an empty net to make it 2-1. Yorktown answered quickly, restoring their two-goal cushion through Olivia Delgaudio in the 20th minute. Jovel’s finest moment came before halftime, when she pulled off a stunning double save amid heavy pressure in the box. The first half ended 3–1 Yorktown.

The second half saw Peekskill slowed by injuries to three starters and growing fatigue. Delgaudio scored again in the 56th minute to make it 4-1. Despite the deficit, Jovel continued to shine, finishing with 15 saves – easily Peekskill’s Player of the Match. Captain Valeria Otavalo nearly added a late consolation with a trademark long-range free kick, but Yorktown’s keeper denied her. The match ended 4-1 to Yorktown.

“They left it all out there,” head coach Anthony DiCuio told the Peekskill Herald. “One of our goals was to make Yorktown work for the whole time, and I think they really had to.”

Reflecting on the season, DiCuio praised his squad: “They’re a tremendous group. We’re really proud of them – their record, their showing in sectionals, the growth of the program. We’re excited for the future.”

He also credited assistant coach Jenna Burke, saying, “I couldn’t have done any of this without her. She brings so much knowledge to the group.”

Peekskill’s standout season earned several players numerous postseason honors. Kayla Songor, Ashlee Ordonez, and Shea Rekeda received All-League Honorable Mentions. Victoria Jovel, Shantal Naulaguari, Jackelin Alfaro, Natalie Foster, Dayana Sari, Jozelyn Zhinin, Brianna Tuba, Kimberly Alfaro, and Valeria Otavalo were named All-League. Otavalo also earned an All-Section Honorable Mention.

The Red Devils finish 2025 with a 15–2 record. Top scorers were Kim Alfaro (19), Otavalo (15), Zhinin (12), Tuba (11), and Rekeda (6). Otavalo finishes with the most assists with 17, followed by Foster (12) and Zhinin (9). Jovel recorded six clean sheets. Peekskill will graduate senior captains Natalie Foster and Jackelin Alfaro, closing a memorable chapter in program history.

Boys Soccer

No. 5 Lakeland edged No. 12 Peekskill, 2–1, in the opening round of the Class AA sectional tournament on Oct. 24.

Unlike their previous meetings – often one-sided in Lakeland’s favor – this matchup proved to be a tightly contested battle. Peekskill nearly struck first nine minutes into the game when a long-range effort clanged off the crossbar. The rest of the half featured balanced play, with both teams trading possession and creating chances.

With 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Lakeland earned a penalty after a Hornets attacker was brought down in the box. Peekskill goalkeeper Jonathan Farez came up big, diving low to his left to deny the spot kick and keep his team level. However, Lakeland broke through seven minutes before halftime when Vinny Karaqi slotted home the opening goal, sending the home crowd into celebration.

Lakeland doubled its lead early in the second half after a defensive miscue. A long clearance caused confusion in the Peekskill back line, and as Farez attempted to collect the ball, it slipped through his gloves, allowing Matteo DiLaura to tap in an easy finish for a 2-0 advantage.

Peekskill refused to go quietly, cutting the deficit with 14 minutes remaining. Erick Lojano latched onto a lofted pass from Isaias Escobar and calmly placed his shot into the bottom-left corner, despite a desperate clearance attempt from a Lakeland defender. The Red Devils pressed hard for an equalizer, generating several late opportunities, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Lakeland held on for the 2-1 win.

“Going into this game, we did a lot of preparation – even watching film. I thought we were really prepared overall, and our boys played a pretty solid game,” said head coach Jonathan Iasillo when reached by the Herald.

Reflecting on the season, Iasillo added, “As I look at what this team accomplished throughout the course of the season – through games and injuries – I’m very proud of how they kept pushing forward and stuck together as a team.”

Peekskill concludes its 2025 season with an overall record of 4-9-3. The Red Devils’ top scorers were Maddox Lozada (6 goals), Erick Lojano (5), and Eddy Farfan and Isaias Escobar (3 each). Lozada also led the team with three assists, while Farez recorded two clean sheets.

Peekskill will graduate nine seniors from this year’s squad: Christian Fernando Medina, Jeremy Avesicha, Erick Lojano, Jordan Ruiz, Erick Quiche, Brandon Inga, and captains Alejandro Montano, Maddox Lozada, and Melvin Criollo.

Though the Red Devils will say goodbye to a strong senior class, a promising group of young players will return next year – eager to build on this season’s lessons and push the program forward. 

Football

Peekskill capped off its regular season in dominant fashion with a 30-7 road victory over Walter Panas on Oct. 24. Since dropping their season opener to Pelham on Sept. 5, the Red Devils have been unstoppable – winning every game since and capturing their league title with an undefeated record in league play.

Running back Craig Jacobs powered the offense with 18 carries for 213 yards and a touchdown, adding one reception for eight yards. Joseph Walker contributed 67 yards on 11 carries and caught one pass for 20 yards, while Darius Smythe added nine rushes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Andrew Sharrock chipped in with four carries for 26 yards and a two-point conversion. Christian Preston ran seven times for 37 yards, scored two touchdowns, and completed 2 of 6 passes for 28 yards. Peekskill’s offense totaled 415 yards on the night.

Defensively, Darnell Hinton had two sacks and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Kevin Hodge forced a fumble and recorded three tackles.

With the regular season now complete, Peekskill (7-1) turns its focus to the postseason. The Red Devils will host Walter Panas in a rematch on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Hudson Valley Football Tournament. The winner will advance to the tournament championship game against the winner of Tappan Zee versus Albertus Magnus.

Girls Volleyball 

Peekskill’s varsity girls volleyball team fell to 4-14 after a 3-0 home loss to Nanuet in their final match of the regular season on Oct. 23. The Red Devils opened strong, dropping the first set 25-16, but struggled in the second, falling 25-6. They showed resilience in the third set, pushing Nanuet to the limit before narrowly losing 28-26.

With the loss, Peekskill secured the No. 11 seed in the Class AA sectional tournament. The Red Devils will visit No. 6 Yonkers for their opening-round matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to face the victor of the No. 3 Yorktown vs. No. 14 Poughkeepsie matchup in the quarterfinals later in the week.

Girls Swimming

On Oct. 21, Peekskill defeated Mount Vernon at home, 88-31. The Red Devils took first place in every event, with standout performances from Lily Counts and Paula Pauta, who each contributed four first-place finishes.

The following day, Oct. 22, Peekskill fell to Croton/Hen Hud at Mildred Strang Middle School in Yorktown, 50-38, earning three second-place relay finishes.

On Oct. 25, the team competed in the Section 1 League 3 Championships at Mark Twain Pool in Yonkers, placing third out of ten teams. Peekskill’s relay teams finished third in both the 200 medley relay (2:13.15) and the 200 freestyle relay (1:59.04). Overall, 27 out of 35 swims resulted in personal bests. Among the top performances, Olivia Kravitz finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:57.79) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (7:11.73); Paula Pauta took second in the 100 butterfly (1:05.18) and third in the 50 freestyle (27.45); Lily Counts placed third in the 100 backstroke (1:13.44) and third in the 100 freestyle (1:02.81); and Katherine Alvarez finished fifth in the 100 freestyle (1:10.37) and seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:41.81).

Up next, several Peekskill athletes will compete in two relays at sectionals on November 7, 2025, at Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack.

Cross Country 

Peekskill athletes competed in the 2025 Section 1 Westchester County Championships at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton on Oct. 25. For the boys, Gavin Tobey placed 116th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:27.90, while Oscar Curillo finished 121st at 18:33.20.

On the girls’ side, Anna Jarvis placed 149th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 24:32.70, and Vivia Menard finished 158th at 25:12.60.

The Red Devils will have a week of rest before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 8, for the Section 1 Cross Country Championship meet. 

College Watch

Mens Soccer – Division III: On Oct. 22, SUNY Delhi defeated Alfred University 2-1, powered by two second-half goals from Umaru Conteh (Class of 2025). Later in the week, on Oct. 25, Conteh found the back of the net again in a 2-0 victory over SUNY Cobleskill to close out the regular season. Conteh now has seven goals and one assist for the Broncos this season.