In the spring, Tim Soave anxiously approached Dobbs Ferry athletic director Jim Lindsay.
A young fullback dripping with talent, the 6-foot-1 widebody peppered Lindsay with a plethora of questions.
Soave, a force to reckon with on the modified last year, seemed on the fence about playing varsity as a freshman.
A brief conversation ensued. Lindsay drilled some crucial points home.
Sold on Lindsay's words of encouragement, Soave suddenly realized the immediate impact he could make as a freshman.
He suddenly realized he had to jump at the golden opportunity.
With 2010 graduation claiming a number of last year's starters, including all-state running back Devonte Brailsford, the chance to earn starter's minutes presented itself to Soave.
If Soave had even the slightest trace of doubt on how his potential would translate to the varsity tier, that doubt quickly evaporated during Dobbs' 40-0 drubbing of Rye Neck at Gould Park Friday night.
Soave ripped off an electrifying 95-yard touchdown run, breaking his way up the
right side as a swarm of Rye Neck defenders gave chase. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound behemoth ran low and outside, bulldozing his way to the end zone.
Not bad for a freshman.
The scoring scamper supplied the pick-your-poison Eagles with an insurmountable 33-0 bulge duringthe waning moments of the third quarter.
While Dobbs absolutely cracked the Panthers' stagnant defense, freakish freshman Soave came awfully close to cracking the Dobbs Ferry record books.
Former all-state running back Frank Farrington, who played at Division-I
Marist, holds the record for the longest touchdown run in program history.
Farrington broke a 96-yard touchdown run against Tuckahoe back in 2002. Dobbs would end up capturing the class D state championship that memorable fall.
"If I learn anything from (Soave's run), it's that he's fast," said Eagles coach Chris Wagner.
"Tim can run fast for a big kid. He's a legit 220 pounds. You could see by his demeanor that he wasn't going to be denied. You could see that he was going to put it in the end zone."
Dobbs put the ball in the end zone early, often, and with efficiency Friday, en route to a 40-0 pummeling of Rye Neck.
The Eagles attacked with a sense of urgency, putting six points on the scoreboard before most fans found their parking spots.
Eddie Fanning, who was exceptional, kick-started the fireworks when he recovered a fumble.
Seconds later, junior John Yozzo-Scaperratta busted loose for a 25-yard touchdown jaunt.
"That fumble was awesome for us, because that brought up the intensity for us on the offense and we came out and we just plowed it right in," said Fanning, a senior captain who bleeds intensity.
"Somebody stripped it out and then I recovered it and ran a couple yards. And then we finished it off on offense."
Said Wagner, "We train them to create turnovers. In practice we strip, we recover fumbles, we scoop and score. So it becomes second nature to them. Rye Neck, they made some mistakes that we capitalized on. We were off to the races with it."
Rye Neck gained some short yardage via the run, but the Panthers were bottled up by a potent defense.
Darien Bica, the backbone of a deep defensive unit, was again the stabilizing force.
Bica--who blocked a punt and racked up seven solos in the Eagles' exasperating 7-6 loss to rival Hastings on Sunday--had an immense sack that helped stone a late Rye Neck drive.
The athletic, physical specimen's ability to apply the clamps on Rye Neck kept the shutout intact.
Other players followed Bica's lead.
Rocco Cipriano, getting his teeth cut as a starter on the secondary, made some key tackles.
Eddie Ritch, who danced around the defense on a 25-yard TD scamper on Dobbs' final scoring drive, picked off a pass.
Linebacker Ryan Gogarty also made an interception on a suspect up-for-grabs fade, as the Eagles proved that pressure busts pipes.
"They're already stepping up as leaders," said Eagles quarterback Justin Kennedy of the defense.
"Spencer (Avalos), Darien, Eddie Ritch who had that pick. Then you've got Rocco coming in his first week as a starter on defense. You've got young Brian Gardner as a sophomore he's making tackles. Mohammed (Hashami) and Dennis DeLeon were tremendous as well."
Fanning found the end zone on a 17-yard touchdown run on Dobbs' ensuing possession. The senior captain motored to the right side untouched as four minutes remained in the first quarter.
Dobbs showcased an aerial game, with senior signal caller Kennedy hitting Eddie Ritch with a 25-yard pass to move the chains into Panther Territory.
Dobbs Ferry capitalized on the possession, as Soave punched in a two-yard touchdown to give Dobbs Ferry a commanding 18-0 edge. With 2:24 remaining in the half, Fanning broke a 65-yard run that shredded Rye Neck's porous defense.
Dobbs (2-1) has outscored opponents, 74-0, at home this season. They dismantled Haldane, 34-0, in the season-opener.
The Eagles have allowed just seven points this season, on a seven-yard touchdown reception by Hastings wide receiver Keenan Charles.
Soave's run stuck a dagger into Rye Neck's heart, putting the finishing touches on a team plagued by lack of ball control.
Soave broke up the Eagles' sidelines, never losing sight of the end zone as a swarm of Rye Neck tacklers gave chase.
On Rye Neck's next possession, Ritch levitated well above the intended receiver, plucking a suspect pass out of the crisp autumn sky.
"A win like this is huge especially coming off a loss against Hastings," said Fanning, who explained that an efficient 3 1/2 hour practice following the Hastings loss helped quell some of the pain.
"We had to put that behind us. So we came out, and we just stuck it to Rye Neck. We really hurt ourselves, offensively, in that Hastings game. We really hurt ourselves with a lot of penalties and some fumbles. We kind of beat ourselves on that."
Fanning continued, "Now we have to come out and just try to be our best in everything we do."