Welcome subscribers! 🏈 It’s Friday, Sept. 5 — Game Day in Rye — and we’re excited to bring you the launch of The Record’s new sports newsletter, “Between the Lines.”

In this space each week, we’ll preview the upcoming high school sports scene and recap how the local teams fared. Enjoy some of our exclusive content, including an inside look at the Garnets’ weekend gridiron matchup and the winner of our Athlete of the Week.

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

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Friday Night Lights

Tonight, Rye’s football team returns to the field for the first time since its 20-game win streak was snapped in last November’s section championship game.

Five of the six captains from last year’s team graduated, all of them multi-year starters at their respective positions. The lone returning captain, senior quarterback Carson Miller, is anchoring the offense. As Ian Colalucci, our Rye football writer, shared in our Fall Sports Preview, the Garnets’ QB 1 is not lacking for confidence.

“We feel well-prepared and are in the mindset to decimate every team we face for the next three months,” Miller said. “I am so beyond excited for this season and getting out there one last time with all my best friends … my expectations are to go undefeated and win a championship.”

Tonight’s “Week 0” matchup is at Middletown, a team that went 4-7 a season ago. The Garnets have not lost a season opener against a non-section opponent in 20 years, going 4-0 over that span and most recently upsetting Monsignor Farrell last year.

Much tougher tests will come later this year, but for a Rye team with lofty goals, every game matters. You can’t go undefeated if you don’t win the first one.

Weather Report: The Weather Channel forecast for Middletown Friday night is 78 degrees at kickoff with sunny skies. ☀️ Clear skies are expected to eventually give way to some clouds with the humidity topping out at 90%.

Check out the forecast for the rest of the weekend’s games here.

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Athlete of the Week: Lex Cox 🏅

Congrats to senior Lex Cox — the inaugural winner of Between the Lines’ Athlete of the Week.

Cox scored the only goal Rye needed to beat Tappan Zee in Thursday’s season-opening battle of Section 1 champions. The score came on an assist from junior Peter Wilmot and gave Rye a 1-0 win at Nugent Stadium.

The Garnets won the Section 1 Class A title last year to advance to the state tournament. Meanwhile, the Dutchmen won the Section 1 Class AA tournament and, eventually, the state championship. Tappan Zee moved down to Class A this season, which means the two teams could meet again in the 2025 Section 1 playoffs, with a return trip to state on the line.

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Game of the Week 🏆

⚽ First-game jitters were on full display Wednesday at Nugent Field as the defending Section 1 Class A champion Rye girls soccer team opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Pelham.

“Pelham was dictating the style of play in the first half, and we were a little nervous in the early going,” said Rye coach Rich Savage. “A number of players stepped up for us against a good Pelham team in that second half and we started to play more of our game. There was a lot to like out there, but it’s a long season ahead.”

The Garnets found themselves trailing 1-0 after Pelham scored midway through the first half. Rye sophomore Hannah Jachman netted the equalizer with a penalty kick just over a minute later.

In the second half, Rye began to find its stride. A powerful header from senior captain Sam Yeh off a great cross from Jachman put Rye ahead 2-1. Fifteen minutes later, another senior captain, Clare Nemsick, scored from congested quarters in front of the Pelham goal to make it 3-1 Rye. Just 45 seconds later, Rye’s final goal was a doozy – with a shimmy – off the left foot of electric freshman Harkin Brown.

-by Steven Kearney

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