Beacon loses unbeaten record in Week 6 Dutchess County football

Beacon’s run as the final undefeated team in Dutchess County high school football ended Friday night when Port Jervis pulled off a 24-14 upset during Week 6 of the regular season. The loss reshapes the local playoff landscape with only one week remaining before postseason seeding begins.

Port Jervis, located just across the county line in Orange County, has long been a physical opponent for Section 1 programs. Beacon entered the game carrying the weight of the region’s last perfect record, but the visitors exploited matchups to hand the Bulldogs their first defeat of 2026. In New York State public high school athletics, teams compete under the NYSPHSAA sectional alignment, where Week 7 results directly determine playoff brackets and home-field advantage for Section 1.

Arlington secured its own critical positioning Friday by defeating John Jay 28-7 behind a heavy aerial attack. Quarterback Nick Keenan orchestrated the offense, throwing multiple touchdowns while also handing off to running back Jonah Beauddoin to keep the John Jay defense off balance. Jordan Pease added another receiving score for Arlington.

Head coach Mike Morano’s defensive scheme proved equally disruptive. Cyrus Cowings intercepted a pass intended for John Jay receiver Howard Jaseem, killing a potential scoring drive. John Jay head coach James Cancellari attempted to answer through quarterback Gianni Negri, who connected with Kenneth Demorh for a touchdown, but the passing game stalled against Arlington’s pressure. Mikey Fortuna contributed on the ground for Arlington, picking up key yardage against tackler Sai Patel.

The penultimate week of the schedule produced lopsided margins across several other local matchups. Spackenkill overwhelmed Poughkeepsie 42-14, while Marlboro shut out Liberty 41-0. Warwick blanked FDR 20-0, and Highland rolled past Chester 38-14.

Thursday’s slate featured two contests, including an 8-man football matchup where James I. O’Neill shut out Dover 20-0. In a separate 8-man game Friday, Pawling dominated Ellenville 42-8. Eight-man football has expanded rapidly across New York’s smaller-enrollment districts over the past decade, allowing schools that struggle to field traditional 11-man rosters due to declining student populations to maintain competitive varsity programs under modified rules and a smaller field dimension.

In another Thursday hybrid-team contest, Millbrook/Webutuck defeated Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 16-6. Alessandro Amodeo caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Leif Spafford, who navigated pressure from Pine Plains linebacker Larry Margitas. Kipton Knittle scored a rushing touchdown after taking a handoff from John Jacob, and Cody Neun forced a safety tackling Brent Macri. Anthony Martucci directed the Pine Plains/Rhinebeck offense, handing off to Josiah Ramirez, while Peyton Shea led the tackling effort defensively.

With the regular season finale set for next week, teams like Arlington and Port Jervis will look to cement their postseason trajectories, while Beacon faces the immediate task of regrouping after surrendering its unblemished status.