Good morning, subscribers. 🏈 It’s Friday, Sept. 26. Tonight, Dino Garr gets his first chance to one-up a state record that’s stood for 25 years.

Garr’s next win will be the 365th in his coaching career, the most in New York high school football history.

The stage is set for a much-anticipated celebration on the sidelines tonight at Nugent Stadium, but the matchup on the field is no gimme. Let’s look ahead to a battle of 3-0 teams in this edition of “Between the Lines.”

“Between the Lines” is curated by sports editor Chris Marshall.

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Preview: A New No. 1 in New York

Win No. 365 is a fitting milestone for Dino Garr, considering the coaching legend works day in and day out to maintain Rye football’s lofty standards.

Over the course of his 50 years coaching high school football, Garr and his teams have been the model of consistency. The Garnets finished with a winning record in each of the past 26 seasons. Four times, they won the state championship.

Garr pulled into a tie atop the record books with a 35-7 win last Friday at Fox Lane. Late Bethpage coach Howie Vogts has been New York’s all-time wins leader since 2000, and retired in 2007 with 364 wins. Tonight, Garr can take sole possession of the record at Nugent Stadium, when 3-0 Rye kicks off against 3-0 Clarkstown North at 7 p.m.

"I have been fortunate to have outstanding players and staff, who have been true to the great legacy of Rye’s football tradition and program,” Garr said after last week’s win. “My goal since being the head coach at Rye has been to emulate past legendary coaches and maintain the level of excellence that has always existed in the Rye community." 

If the historic implications have added any pressure thus far, Garr’s team hasn’t shown it. The Garnets have outscored opponents 115-34, their highest point differential (+81) through their first three games since 2016 (+87).

Rye is 3-0 all-time against Clarkstown North, including a 43-6 victory a season ago. But early-season results suggest this is a much-improved Rams squad. The team has scored 35 points in each of its games to start 3-0 for the first time since 2017.

Clarkstown North handed Mahopac its only loss of the season, 43-33, on Sept. 12, before beating Nyack 47-19 last Friday. A +73 point differential isn’t far off from Rye’s, although tonight’s game will be their toughest test thus far. The Garnets have allowed just one touchdown each of the past two Fridays.

Weather Report: The Weather Channel forecast for Friday night in Rye is 74 degrees at kickoff with partly cloudy skies. 🌤️

Check out the weekend weather forecast for Rye here.

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Performer of the Week: Carson Miller 🏅

🏈 Congrats to Carson Miller — winner of the Sportech Performer of the Week.

As the starting quarterback for Rye’s undefeated football team, Miller could’ve earned this honor on any given Friday. The senior captain said he expected the Garnets to win every game this season, and thus far, he and the team have delivered.

After throwing two second-half touchdowns to beat Somers on Sept. 12, Miller passed for three scores in the first half against Fox Lane to put last Friday’s game away early. Miller is the latest in a long line of talented leaders Garr has coached during his 50 years on the Rye sidelines.

"That record precedes our team,” Miller said of his coach’s wins milestone, “but it's nice to be on the team that may finally push past that record. It's a testament to Coach Garr and his ability to win and be a great leader. I can speak for all players when I say he's an amazing coach."

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Want to learn more about Dino Garr’s pursuit of New York history tonight? Listen to the latest episode of our On The Record podcast below.

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Game of the Week: Tournament-Tested 🏆

For most Rye teams, it’s been a light week for sports around the holidays. Girls volleyball was the exception. 

Although it didn’t count toward their record, the Garnets won four of their five games in a 16-team tournament last Saturday at Walter Panas High School, going 3-0 in pool play and advancing to the semifinals.

Rye beat Haldane, Hendrick Hudson, and Putnam Valley in pool matches, then eliminated the hosts from Panas in the quarterfinals before falling to North Rockland, the eventual tournament champions.

Rye senior libero Emma Lunstead was named to the all-tournament team.

The Garnets’ home opener, which has been delayed several times, is now scheduled for this Saturday against Brewster.

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