SUFFERN FOOTBALL'S PERFECT SEASON REMEMBERED
By Kevin T. Czerwinski
It's been 30 years since the Suffern High School football team enjoyed "The Perfect Season". The Mounties will mark the anniversary on Oct. 2 when the 1979 squad, which went undefeated, will be inducted into the Suffern High Hall-of-Fame.
The Mounties will square off against North Rockland in a 7 p.m. contest at the Suffern Middle School. The 1979 team, which captured the Public School Athletic League [PSAL] title that season, will be honored in a halftime ceremony. There will be a post-game reception at Ireland's Pub.
"This is one of the teams that we had on the back burner [for induction]," Suffern High athletic director Bob Buono said. "We've taken care of State championship teams but this team was from the pre-State championship era. They have been on the radar for a few years and this was the right time. I've lived in Suffern my whole life [Buono is 53] and in that span from the mid-60s through now, that is probably the best football team I've seen in Suffern."
Such was not the case in 1978 as the Mounties struggled through the season. A solid corps of returning players, however, laid the foundation for what would prove to be one of the most magical seasons any Suffern sports team has ever had. The defense proved to be dominant, shutting out six of the nine opponents it faced, consistently ranking in the top 10 in the entire state.
The Mounties outscored the opposition 199-25, at one point posting five consecutive shutouts. Suffern downed Don Bosco Prep, 26-6, in the season-opener before running going off on the shutout streak. The Mounties blanked North Rockland [7-0], Spring Valley [41-0], previously undefeated Clarkstown South [8-0], Clarkstown North [18-0] and Tappan Zee [21-0] before Ramapo managed six points in a 21-6 loss.
"The defense is what I remember from that team," Buono said. "It was dominant. They were tough, athletic and a very well-balanced group but the defense is what stands out in my mind the most."
Suffern defeated Pearl River, 29-0, in week eight, clinching a tie for the PSAL title. That set the stage for a week nine showdown with Nyack, a game that would determine the championship and whether the Mounties would end the season undefeated. The contest, however, proved to be not much of a contest at all. Suffern rolled to a 28-13 record, completing its dream season.
It marked the first time in 39 years that a Suffern football team had gone undefeated. Tony Chiulli, John Esposito, Mike Fitzpatrick, David McNally, Gerry Young, Scott Shedler, Peter Salemo were all named to the First-Team All-County defensive unit with Salemo earning League Defensive Player of the Year laurels. Pat Joyce and Chris Finneran were named to the Second Team while Bill White, Bob Consiglio and Tony DeFrancesco earned Honorable Mention.
Rich Jean Louis, Keef Healy and Jim More were named to the First-Team All-County offensive unit.
Ralph Consiglio, the head coach of that '79 team, passed away in 2003. He coached football at Suffern for nearly 30 years after earning All-County honors in the 1940s while leading the Mounties to a Rockland County championship.
Buono said that just over a dozen players have been contacted and will participate in the ceremony. However, he has had little luck getting in touch with the rest of the squad. Buono requests that if anyone knows a player from that 1979 team, please ask them to reach out to him at rbuono@ramapocentral.org or by phone at [845] 357-7283.