By Hannah Siegel
On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Rebel’s varsity football team defeated its rival, the Great Neck North Blazers.
After a rocky start to the season, the Rebels came into the game with two previous wins against North and a big confidence boost. It was now their chance to prove they had what it takes to succeed, and this being their last game was the perfect opportunity to do so.
However, it was going to be tough for the Rebels to perform this “3peat” against North. Every player would have to be extremely motivated and focused on winning.
Sophomore quarterback Ben Lee explained, “For us to win this game, we flat out needed to have our best performance of the year.”
The Rebels stepped up to the challenge. After a back and forth game in which offense dominated, the Rebels were down 37-36 in the beginning of the fourth quarter. They came back with a late touchdown pass from Lee to Eitan A. North quickly scored back with a 30-yard run; however, as the runner crossed the end zone, he did a summersault, resulting in an excessive celebration penalty. This penalty increased the distance of the extra point, making it a more difficult kick. North was unable to convert the extra point, giving South a one-point lead, which they would eventually keep.
Lee said, “The defense was unbelievable on four straight plays. Our pass coverage was as good as I had seen it all year, and this stop clinched the game for us.”