Junior linebacker Charles Caoili returned a fumble 25 yards for his first varsity touchdown, and the Cornwall Dragons shut out the host Wallkill Panthers 56-0 on Friday night.

Cornwall improved to 5-3 with the win.

Wallkill fell to 3-5. It was Cornwall’s second divisional win and Wallkill’s second divisional loss of the season.

Caoili’s score came in the second quarter and stretched the lead to 21-0 after the extra point.

“It felt amazing. I saw Quadir (Truluck) come down, he hit the punter, and I scooped it up and scored,” Caoili said.
Caoili said special teams have helped Cornwall all season. “Getting good field advantage is one of the most important things in all of football,” he said.

Cornwall coach Kevin Arduino praised Caoili, who has gone by “Chow” since the start of the season. Arduino said Caoili picked up football as a freshman, played a few games, and gained experience on the junior varsity as a sophomore.

“Seeing him get to score and pick it up with one hand like he did, it was great for him and he’s an awesome kid,” Arduino said. “He’s what it means to be a Cornwall football player.”

Junior quarterback Sage Caesar threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to junior Aydan Ayala in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

Wallkill intercepted Caesar later in the quarter, but junior cornerback TJ Muhlfeld intercepted a pass on the next play. Junior running back Michael Cooper then scored from the goal line to make it 14-0.

After Caoili’s touchdown, Ayala caught another 15-yard touchdown pass, and Cornwall led 28-0 at halftime.

“Honestly, our receiver room is probably the strongest part of our offense,” Ayala said. “I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get the ball and get in the zone, but when the opportunities come, I’ll make it happen.”

Ayala, who also starts at cornerback, has 31 tackles and two tackles for loss this season.
Muhlfeld said he recognized an outside dig route, a look defensive coordinator Rich Ward’s scheme had prepared the Dragons for. “It felt just like muscle memory,” he said.

“The defensive back room is underrated for this team,” Muhlfeld said. “I feel like it’s very good and we have a lot of potential for this season.”

Freshman return specialist Aidan Russo opened the second half with a 55-yard kickoff return. Cooper, who scored twice, ran in his second touchdown to make it 35-0. Junior running back Zaire Owens added a 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for a 42-0 lead.

Junior free safety Collin Greene intercepted a pass for the third time this season, Cornwall’s third takeaway of the night.

Junior running back Derek Scott followed with a 40-yard run, broke a tackle on the way, and scored on the next play to make it 49-0.

“It feels great, our defense is doing its job,” Greene said. “We just got to stay locked in for the rest of the season, maybe make a playoff run.”

Sophomore backup quarterback Tyler Colsant scored his first touchdown of the season on a scramble in the fourth quarter to set the final score.

Cornwall’s pass rush bothered senior quarterback Alex Mikesh throughout the game. Junior defensive end Quadir Truluck sacked Mikesh in the second quarter, then combined with senior defensive end Andrew Anderson for another sack on Wallkill’s next drive.

Arduino credited the win to improved man coverage in the secondary and to the pass rush of Truluck and junior defensive end Zion Felix. He said Muhlfeld and Greene, both on the junior varsity last season, have improved steadily.

“From Rye week 0 to where we are today, I think those two have done such a good job with improving and taking coaching,” Arduino said.

Cornwall hosts Goshen in its regular-season finale Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.