Relentless approach on and off field helped get Alvirne football to first title game

It all started with Tommy Keegan.

The junior lineman hit the weight room hard during the offseason, and when other members of the Alvirne High School football team saw that, they joined Keegan.

When the calendar turned to a new year in January, Broncos coach Tarek Rothe estimates that they had about 70 percent participation in the weight room.

And, regardless of what happens Saturday, when No. 3 Alvirne plays in the program's first championship game against No. 1 Plymouth, he knows where Keegan will be come Monday.

"He'll be in the weight room on Monday," Rothe said of his junior captain. "He's the catalyst to make sure everyone gets in there and does what they're supposed to do. He got a whole bunch of people in there."

Rothe believes that dedication in the offseason was a building block for why the Broncos have been able to accomplish what no other Alvirne team before them has.

"They just love to play, and what's important, to, is they love each other," the coach said. "The core of the them have been playing together since fourth grade. They believe in each other, they have fun and they don't get caught up in the moment."

Not getting caught in the moment has been key for Alvirne all season, as the Broncos have found ways to come back from several deficits to win games this season. They've done it in each of their last three games, rallying back in the regular-season finale and the quarterfinal to beat Milford.

And last week, Alvirne found itself down 19-16 with 1:02 left in the semifinals against No. 2 St. Thomas, but sophomore quarterback Kyle Gora did what he's done all year, leading the Broncos right down the field and scoring the game-winning touchdown with 23.9 seconds remaining.

Gora, who started as a freshman, wasn't phased by the moment, something Rothe attributes to his experiences wrestling on a national stage.

"He's been to big events," Rothe said. "It's different, but he is used to the big spotlight. He doesn't let things get to him. Last year helped a lot. He asked what he can do to get better and he worked hard at getting better."

While Rothe is hoping Gora's big-stage experience will help the Broncos, he'll also be tapping into a bit of his own underdog stories to motivate Alvirne, as it goes against a Plymouth team that has won 26 games in a row and back-to-back Division II titles.

Rothe was an assistant coach for Campbell in 2014 when the Cougars ended Bow's 19-game winning streak in the semifinals before taking down an undefeated Newport team in the Division II title game.

"Anything can happen," he said. "We've had experience with that and they believe in it. If another team is going to beat us, they'll have to give us their best."

And in many cases, the opponent will have to be at that level for the entire 48 minutes.

"They're fighters," Rothe said. "This is a group that had it's back against the wall, they get up and come out swinging. They're resilient."