It’s been a long 16 months since the Wallkill football team suited up for a game.

In a way it’s been an even longer three weeks since the death of Miguel Lugo after the team’s first day of practice on March 1.

“Everybody’s thoughts and prayers and everybody’s minds in that ceremony was on Miguel,” Wallkill coach Brian Vegliando said. “It was on Senior night too because the seniors are thinking about it’s their last season. It’s a short season. Emotions were all over the place, but everybody was really thinking about what we’ve been through as a team and how we’ve been there for each other.”

The Panthers also had a long night on the gridiron as the Minisink Valley Warriors’ offense beat up on the Panthers’ defense for a 28-0 win on Friday Night at Robinson Field.

“I thought our guys competed and battled the whole way through so I’m really proud of the way they did that,” Vegliando said. “They handled adversity and handled a very emotional night. And they gave everything they could and battled to the end.”

Before the game, the Panthers honored their 14 seniors, which included Lugo, who would have been a senior defensive lineman and running back this season. He collapsed after practice on March 1 and was declared dead later that night at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.

“I think they’ve handled it as well as teenagers can handle that,” Vegliando said. “They’ve been there for each other. They supported each other. They picked each other up when they’re down. It’s a good time for them to be around each other to feel that support and bond through the game of football and play football with the passion and the intensity and fire that he brought to the game field when he was out there with them.”

The Panthers’ defense was beaten up all game by the Warriors and their bruising running backs, sophomore Ethan Gallo and Kyle Killenberger. Gallo scored two rushing touchdowns and Killenberger added another. Minisink Valley quarterback Ernest DePolito, IV, connected with Killenberger for a 23-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
“Minisink is a very good football team,” Vegliando said. “They’re physical up front and they have very good running backs that pound the football. They’re very well coached. They did a good job executing tonight. They were physical at the point of attack and handled the ball very well.”

The Warriors set the tone early, starting the game at their own 37 and marching 63 yards as they chewed 8 minutes off the game clock in a drive that ended on Gallo’s 9-yard touchdown run.

The Panthers’ offense turned the ball on their third play on Devin Martucci’s fumble and Killenberger immediately answered with an 11-yard touchdown run. Gallo added another second-quarter touchdown, giving the Warriors a 21-0 lead.

After the Panthers were forced to punt, the Panthers’ defense stopped the Warriors on fourth-down on the Wallkill 30.
“It showed us that we could do it,” Vegliando said. “We were within a yard here and there and in a couple of third downs earlier in the first half and they just picked it up. I think the guys rallied around that and we only allowed the one touchdown in the second half and played the run a little bit better. Guys competed the whole night.”