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Woodlands Football Team Muscles Up For Playoffs

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — It's been almost 30 years since the Woodlands High School Falcons have had an undefeated season, but the Greenburgh football team changed that on Saturday.

The Falcons' regular season might be over for the boys, but their hard work isn't. Head coach Mike Meade had the team hitting the weight room Monday fresh after its Saturday victory against Tuckahoe as it prepares to take on Bronxville in the playoffs this weekend.

"This is just like any other week," Meade said. "On Mondays we watch the game from Saturday to correct our mistakes."

As soon as the players finished celebrating last weekend's victory, they went back on track to focus on playoffs, Meade said. After watching tape right after school Monday, Falcons players took to the dumbbells and treadmills in Woodlands High School's weight room.

The team has steadily improved since Meade entered the Falcons program last year, when the team made a similar 30-year statement by entering the playoffs. The team came together when he decided to implement a year-round program for Woodlands High School football so that the boys were on the field longer than three months of the year.

"They never have an off-season," Meade said. "They finish the season in November and then we start again in December."

Quarterback Justin Riccio, a senior, said Meade made the team a family.

"Since last year, we all knew we had it in us," Riccio said. "In past years, coaches weren't as equipped as him. We were all individual players, but now we're a team."

The Falcons will once again match up with the Bronxville Broncos this Saturday, who they opened the season against and ended up with a 40-32 victory. 

Running back Tyrone Barber, a junior, made a statement of his own Saturday when he accumulated more than 400 yards and accounted for five touchdowns — including one sideline-to-sideline touchdown off a 99-yard return.

Barber said he's confident the Falcons will come through with another win.

"The first game of the season we gave them a good game," Barber said. "But it's the playoffs now and we're 0-0. We're going to bring it Saturday."

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